Tag Archives: God

FollowCraig: Ordinary People

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Yes, there was a book and a movie titled “ordinary people” and it was a wonderful story. However this is a different story, a story of life, love, hope and faith. Each of us have life experiences, those little or at times large events that shape us. Some of us live in fear of being found out or just fear of not being liked. Some of us fear love and especially giving love, perhaps because we have been hurt. Some of us lose hope or perhaps continue to hope. But really, how many of us have faith?

I have had quite a life, I was born to an ordinary mother and father out of love. My mother was a secretary and my father was a young marine. My grandparents were ordinary blue collar workers who lived an ordinary life. I believe there was a lot of love in my family, however I’m not sure we ever shared it enough. Just ordinary love I guess? I know we always had hope, I sure did. For me hope was confusing because I never could figure out the difference between hope and dreams. As a young man I would dream of the day when I would have a beautiful home, beautiful expensive cars and would live like a king! Was that hope? Later in my adult life I began an ordinary career, married and had children. Just like any other ordinary family and like my childhood, we shared just ordinary love.

Then for me the ordinary became the extraordinary. Now one could think that would mean I became a famous person or a man of great wealth and influence. None of that has happened. In fact by all accounts, I am just an ordinary man. Except for one thing, my extraordinary faith. Faith is a wonderful gift and it didn’t come easy for me. After several years of living a life of hopes and dreams, thinking that if I ever would reach those dreams how happy I would be. Little did I know that faith was the real prize.

By all accounts I have experienced a lot of pain and disappointment over the course of my life. I have also experienced so much joy! Whenever I begin feeling that all is failing, I just stop and remember this lifetime of joy that has surely superseded any pain. After all these years and all the searching to find my way, God held his hand out to me and gave me this wonderful gift.

Today I am an ordinary man living in a world of ordinary people blessed with this extraordinary faith. I thank God everyday for this gift and all the wonderful gifts I have received in my life.

I’m still writing, you’re still reading, so please keep following…..

Craig

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FollowCraig: Oh, what children say?

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This was sent to me from a very dear friend and I thought it would be a great post for all!

Little Boy’s Explanation of God — Fabulous!!! – Out of the Mouths of the Babes–

I certainly don’t think an adult could explain this more beautifully!

THIS IS FABULOUS!!!

It was written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in Chula Vista , CA . He wrote it for his third grade homework assignment, to ‘explain God.’ I wonder if any of us could have done as well?
(and he had such an assignment in California , and someone published it, I guess miracles do happen!)

EXPLANATION OF GOD: ‘One of God’s main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn’t make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn’t have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.’

‘God’s second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn’t have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off.’

‘God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn’t go wasting his time by going over your mom and dad’s head asking for something they said you couldn’t have.’

‘Atheists are people who don’t believe in God. I don’t think there are any in Chula Vista . At least there aren’t any who come to our church.’

‘Jesus is God’s Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn’t want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him. But he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn’t know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K.’

‘His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn’t have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important.’

‘You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.’

‘You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there’s anybody you want to make happy, it’s God!

Don’t skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn’t come out at the beach until noon anyway.’

‘If you don’t believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can’t go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He’s around you when you’re scared, in the dark or when you can’t swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids.’

‘But. . .you shouldn’t just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.

And…that’s why I believe in God.’

……you’re still reading, I’m still writing, so please keep following

Craig

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FollowCraig: “6547”

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Does it ever seem that life moves forward at a lighting speed? I wonder sometimes if it’s an American trait or do others in the world think the same. We want everything so fast. I remember when fax machines, remote control televisions, push button phones, and so many time-saving technologies didn’t exist. We had very little fast food restaurants when I was a kid and now look at them everywhere. Our need for fast food is so overwhelming we in America have become just plain fat. We want everything fixed now and have no patience for quality or long time solutions. I’m not writing this to be political however that is even the case. If you can remember, the number “6547” was the Dow Jones industrial average on March 9th. 2009. Look at it today and we think our recovery isn’t fast enough? Just 10 days after that day in history I met my wonderful wife. Even for me these years and months have moved so very fast. I truly think we move or think we should move faster than God really wanted us too. How long has it been since you sat down with your family and enjoyed a meal without the television on in the background? How long has it been since you just went on a stroll through a park to enjoy its beauty rather than jog? A picnic with your partner, mailed a letter or a card rather than an email or e-card? I know how vital in today’s world it is to keep in-touch and be available often at a minutes notice, however perhaps we should consider slowing things down just a little. I remember many years ago my very best friend in High School and his father who was a very nice man and who had worked very hard all his life. A fast paced career for his time and had never spend time enough with his family. He retired, bought a motor home and was about to begin relaxing after all those fast paced years. Just 6 days after retirement, God called him home.

We never know when our time will be over, so let’s make life the best time ever! Set goals, make plans and look forward always. Help others, be in the present, don’t look back. Just never ever forget the beauty and joy of life that surrounds you. As we used to say, take time to smell the roses as they haven’t found a way to do that on your iPad yet.

I’m still writing, you’re still reading, so please keep following……..

Craig

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FollowCraig: Playing Small

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For over ten years or better now I have been playing small. That was not my old life, I did play big or so I thought? My life is and has been a wonderful experience. I’ve had many great blessings occur over my lifetime. It’s odd though that only now in recent years have I grown to realize this truth. Later this year I will be releasing my new book and am so looking forward to sharing so many experiences and truths with others. One of the many things I have learned is to stop playing small. At least for me it has served no real positive purpose. I truly believe that we are placed on this earth to do Gods work, to reach out and teach or help others find their way, their dreams and to embrace life. I’ve been very blessed to have had so many roads to travel in my life and I have taken many. Sometimes with careless abandon and others with extreme focus. I have had hopeless failures and disappointments and exhilarating success. Money has come and money has gone. But the wonder of the memories all remain. There is no reason for anyone not to have the life God intends for us to have. It is a responsibility I have to myself, my family and all those I love to share these stories. I can tell you from experience the things that work and those that don’t. The road to a decision and the right and the wrong. I know what damage lies do as well as truths, like diet and exercise. When we take steps each day of our life to build a foundation or what happens when we never lift a single block. God does not want us to play small, life dictates we jump in with both feet win and loose. Exercise our minds our bodies and souls. Reach out beyond ourselves and give all we can to others and let our failures be our successes. I am no longer playing small!

I’m still writing, you’re still reading, so please keep following……

Craig

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FollowCraig: U+ME+?=1?

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U+Me+?=1? Is this some secret formula, something like H2O? Well kind of! It was sure a secret to me? When I married in the late seventies, I was so happy! My life was going to be just perfect. A wonderful woman, a daughter already in the family, my career was soaring and as they say: “my future was so bright; I had to wear shades”. It’s funny though, when your own life is not built on solid ground, when you don’t know your own standards it’s easy to begin drifting. I sure did, I was living in fear and didn’t even know it. That fear drove me to a very self-centered existence, Craig first, career 2nd, family and wife somewhere in the rear. I did whatever I wanted! When I traveled out-of-town on business, I would visit “Strip Clubs and Bars of every sort” I would be the big shot at every party, pick up bar tabs, wore plenty of gold and very expensive custom hand-made shirts! So very much about Craig! No one would really ever believe I had a wife and little girl at home? This was my behavior before my son came along. After he was born, I got even worse. So it’s known, I love my son with all my heart! It’s just at that time in my life having children and a family interfered with my busy playtime. As for my wife, she went to work, stayed quiet, didn’t speak out about her feelings. She just read paperback love stories all the time. It’s not until now at this time in my life that I get it! In a recent post I am “Housewife”; I am Man! | followcraig., I spoke of the three most important persons in every relationship. Do you know who they are? Some would say it’s both partners plus God or both plus the children. In fact when I married for the last time a little over a year ago, my pastor spoke of this. He said the three people in every relationship are the two plus God. I disagree! The most important persons are; the two plus the relationship itself. That relationship, like children are born of the two. It is so to speak their first child together, it must learn to crawl, walk, be fed, housed and loved. Both partners must pay attention to this gift. We will always have our personal lives, our desires, our own passions and that is what brings us together to create this relationship. It’s up to each partner to covet their relationship, to feed it with love, faith and attention. God is always watching over the relationship and it’s partners. These things I know!

You’re still reading, I’m still writing, so please keep following….

Craig

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FollowCraig: Intersection

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Several years ago a movie titled “Intersection” played at the theaters for a short time. Not a big hit but none the less important, at least in my life at the time. You see the story is about a man who is having an affair and has reached a decision point in his marriage. Whether to leave the wife and marry the girlfriend or not. Just as he has made his choice and is driving to the arms of love his car is struck at an intersection and he then lays deathly injured at a hospital. Both women show up at his bedside and the stories of each love affair is told through the eyes and hearts of these women. These intersections or crossroads happen in life to all of us. Not all are an affair or betrayal. Nor are all crossroads so dramatic as the movie. At that time in my life I was having an affair and the story played a big part in my decisions I made at the time. The road I followed took me to the life I have today. Without taking a chance, had I played it safe my troubles may have been less but my happiness and sense of what could have been would always haunt me. I am not recommending by any means to have an affair or that it is right in any way. In my life it seems the choices I have often made were the obvious easy ones, not the more difficult. Kind of like driving, the right turns are often easier than turning left. However each time I’ve turned left to the more difficult highway I seem to end up the happiest. In my story I did leave my marriage, not for the other woman but for a life I longed for a life I would only find by making hard choices. My journey to today has been bumpy and filled with many crossroads and intersections. The greatest thing about taking the left turns is the joy of the journey. If all we ever do is play it safe, take the easy turns and go down the easy roads that lead to those places we believe are safe, we may never really experience true love, true peace and self content? As I watched the movie come to an end and only guessing what his choice might have been before the accident, did he go home at peace? We can never know how our own movie of life will end or what God has in his plans for each of us. Whatever roads we take the left or the right they each lead to our destiny. I was told once that the “World is a stage and we are the players” If that is true, then God must be the producer, director and writer of the our story. That leaves us to enjoy our journey!

You’re still reading, I’m still writing, so please keep following…….

Craig

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FollowCraig: Humble Evangelism

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It’s true, evangelism makes many of us uneasy. Perhaps we have winced as street corner preachers harangued passersby. Maybe some earnest proselytizer made us uncomfortable at home or some other public place? I used to call these people bible thumper’s. Or even someone close to us found our expression of faith wanting? So what do we do when we hear we must carry the good news of the gospel to others, we just don’t know how to begin. How do we do this without embarrassing or offending others as we have felt? Perhaps it starts by staying grounded in our own faith community.

History tells us that Jesus called the Twelve “and began to send them out two by two” he sent them out in a relationship to form relationships. The disciples were to “take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts”. Like those early evangelists, we must approach others in humble empty-handedness. We come interested in those we meet, ready to hear their stories and be willing to understand what matters to them. Isn’t this the way to really meet people anyway? Eventually, in a natural give-and-take we can talk about our spiritual journey. Jesus’ detractors wondered with scorn: “Where did this man get all this?” Whatever wisdom and power Jesus had; came from God.

So why does all this matter in today’s world? A world of busy people, families, jobs, bills, cars, traffic, cell phones, computers and more. It’s hard to remember with so much going on in everyone’s lives what things in life really matter. In everything we do, every person we meet and all those in our lives deserve to know all that God has given them. We can really only share this by living or striving to live a life of gratitude, of love and true caring of others. If you believe as I do that Jesus is real and that he is the son of God as well as God, that he walks beside each of us whatever our faith or background then we will never walk alone. Our faith will always be our companion, no matter how busy we are.

You’re still reading. I’m still writing, so please keep following…..

Craig

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FollowCraig: Hell in the Hallway

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Jobs and careers go and new ones appear, friends go and new friends appear, things we love go and new ones appear. “When one door closes another will open”, God works in wondrous ways we are told and many of us believe with all our soul that is true. I’ve got to say though while those doors are swinging it can feel like “hell in the hallway”. We worry and regret, we wonder what we did wrong or we blame someone else for what’s happened. Perhaps we cry, get depressed, go on addictive binges, over spend and the list goes on. Facing change in life especially real personal change is frightening. I think it’s a real test of our faith, our faith in ourselves, in our family and God. I know some that say faith is enough and just hang in, everything will be ok.. My life experience has taught me that’s not entirely true. It is important to make peace with the changes that is for certain as without peace the fear of the unknown will overtake you. I find it helps to repeat the Serenity Prayer when I’m in this state, perhaps you have another way to rest your mind. It’s then the most difficult thing to do of all appears? It’s called ACTION. Oh my that’s a though one, but without taking action, without reaching out for the next doorknob, no amount of prayer, faith, support or family will get you out of that “hell in the hallway”.

You’re still reading, I’m still writing, so please keep following…..

Craig

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FollowCraig: Are my addictions bothering you?

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The other day while attending a 12-step meeting I could not help but wonder what others in our world might think about those of us recovering from our addictions? It seems so many people suffer from so many addictions, alcohol, drugs, smoking, food, sex, debt and so on. How do these behaviors affect those around us? It’s easy to say “oh, that’s not my problem” he or she are just a…., it’s not my business,etc. While that all may be true, how do our addictions really affect others? I think that’s the beauty of the 12-steps to recovery. Perhaps you have never read these steps or just not reviewed for a long time so I have listed them. These are “The Twelve Steps of Recovery”

1. We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked him to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood him, praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Once again, after reading these myself I’ve come to the conclusion that those who have made the effort to live by these simple 12 principles do understand the impact of their actions on those around them. So, if my addictions are bothering you, I get it!

I’m still writing, you’re still reading, so please keep following…..

Craig

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FollowCraig: Oh God!

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Before I get to far ahead let’s talk some about faith. I never had it! Really! I was brought up in the Mormon church and never gave any of this much thought. It was assumed that after high school I would participate in a church mission then marry a good Mormon girl and have lots of children. Sounds easy enough doesn’t it? Well that didn’t happen for me as I was a bit of a rebel when I was young. Going my own path would be for me and that I did. I left home when I was about 18 years old and moved to Arizona to live with my father. My dad was not a religious man so it was refreshing not to be attending church all the time. I’m pretty sure it was then that my agnostic point of view took shape. It was easy to just not really participate in any church, religion or faith for the next thirty or so years. Even as a married man with children, I never went to church or introduced my kids to any level of faith teachings. Why bother I would say. Funny thing though? Faith was always surrounding me wherever I would be. As a salesman faith and faith principles would be taught in most sales training classes. People at work would talk about their faith, always on television I would hear it. Faith and God were always around me but I would not jump in. I just didn’t want to talk about it, it was uncomfortable! Once while attending a sales seminar we attendees were told to draw a wheel with eight spokes.

20120626-154011.jpgSo I drew one like this, then we were told to mark the spokes from 1-10 rating our own life experiences, then connect the dots. Needless to say when it came to the spiritual spoke my wheel was very flat on one side.

I really knew for a long time this part of my life was not in balance, what was not known by me was the effect this imbalance would have on my life to come.

All this talk of faith became very important as my activity in the 12 Steps of Alcoholic’s anonymous became part of my life. Earlier I wrote of reading the Bible when I first stopped drinking. Believe me, I found it an interesting book of incredible stories. So many people say it’s hard to read and perhaps that’s true. However I struggled through it every night for a couple of months then read it a second time and it was much easier to understand. Reading this book really did not lead me to my faith however. I just knew it was time for me to decide what I believed. Was I to believe that no God existed, or that no higher power surrounds us? That was just not possible for me, I really could not accept an atheist position. So if I believed in a higher power, should I have faith? Well yes faith made sense to me. After all someone or something had been watching over me all these years. After all the screw ups in my life, my wrongs, my lies, my craziness. I was still here and pretty healthy at that, so I knew about faith. Now it was only a matter of deciding whether or not to accept and celebrate my faith. To take one last leap of faith on my own to believe that God was real or not. Oh the proof of this can easily disputed if one wants, but I always had this one question that still haunts me. A question that no scientist can really answer? The one thing that makes me believe that a God exits. That question is; “how do we know to breathe?”

Only a higher power can decide that. Knowing that, I chose to practice my believe as a Christian and celebrate as a Lutheran. I did indeed take a leap of faith and was baptized into the Christian faith at a Wisconsin Synod of the Lutheran Church in all places the heart of Mormon land “Salt Lake City, Utah“. It felt Great!

For me and I can only really speak to that, I found freedom. My eight spoke wheel of life wasn’t so flat anymore. My life got easier, it really did and has.

My first and second year of sobriety was only a beginning of the tests to come. My relationships with my friends, my family, my children and all those I knew would be affected by choices I would make. As I have learned over these years is that many people care about each of us just as we care about many people ourselves. They all want the best for us and make every effort. But until we decide for ourselves to surrender our self-centered behavior and begin to have faith our lives will never be peaceful. We will never be able to lend a helping hand up to those we care about without doing this for ourselves.

As I talk more about my times and trials to come it should become clear I am still learning these lessons everyday of my life.

You’re still reading, I’m still writing, so please keep following……

Craig

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