Mike Paschall's Blog Site

Another entry for the project. -MDP-

“Like one who grabs a wild dog by the ears, so is the person passing by who becomes furious over a quarrel not his own.”  Proverbs 26:17, NET

Golf courses and airports are good places to find out what is inside of a person.  Mastery of both is next to impossible.  As enjoyable as golf is to millions of people, it is also gives constant feedback that there is room for improvement and perfection is fleeting.  I’ve seen the most gentle of personalities, go “apeshit” over the loss of a stroke because of a bad shot.  Well, ok, maybe that was me, but you get the point.  Managing one’s composure is a very significant part of the game.  The pros have learned how to walk away from disaster and be “all there” for the next shot.  Taming the head might be more important than grooving the swing.

Airports are also a hotbed of frustration because just getting to your gate in order to board a plane is a lot of work.  Airline marketing tactics wax hard to present some assurance that flying is easy.   That would be silly-talk right there!  Delays and cancellations are a fairly common occurrence.  It’s all about chain reactions.  A bad weather day in Dallas can disrupt the entire nation’s travel patterns.  Fog in Atlanta is causing heartburn in San Francisco.  A blizzard in Minneapolis is ruining vacation plans to Jamaica.  I suspect that there is lots of money to be made inside of airport drinking holes.  People inside of airports are tightly wound with very short fuses.

Patti and I recently spent 26 hours in the DFW airport waiting to take a 25-minute flight to Waco.  Delay after delay, cancellation after cancellation, we sat in amazement that we were so close, but yet so far.  You have to stay chilled.  Throughout various episodes of boarding and de-boarding, we watched the rising tide of frustration swell in various individuals.  The desk agents are only the messengers, but you’d think that they had personally sabotaged the whole affair.   Even though Granny is ready to bust open a can of whupass on someone because Sheba, her Dramamine induced Pomeranian is hyperventilating in it’s case, it doesn’t do anyone any good to take up her offense while she’s exploding on the gate agent.  Granny will settle soon enough, but there is always someone around that is more than happy to incite their own passion to join the fray.

Wisdom suggests that this is not a good idea.  Don’t think domesticated pet here.  Think about the serious consequences of grabbing a wild dog (by the ears).  Yep, you are going to get yourself bitten… maybe even mauled.   Most conflict is due to unbridled passion and limited understanding.  You’d best keep the cuckoo in the clock friend.  The whole world is not plotting for your personal inconvenience.

In The Pages

Can you stay out of another person’s quarrel?  When tension levels rise in public, how do you react?  Can you keep quiet or do you have to vent?

Have you ever been so full of gratitude that all you can do is overflow with thankfulness?  Honestly, that is where Patti and I are right now, today… overflowing with gratitude for the past 4 years.  Our lives have been blessed, impacted and changed in the most magnificent ways… ever since that surprise debrief with “D” squad in Swazi, 2008.  The World Race has brought a redemption to our souls and healing for 26 years of plowing in small plots that the Lord has had us steward.  The hungry pull of racers, the unbridled passion for the Holy Spirit, the power and embrace of brokenness and the change in young men and women all around us has been the most expansive run with freedom that we have ever know.  David, we get it!  Psalms 23:5 “…You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.”  We cannot say THANK YOU enough!

To the World Race Staff, you are some of the most amazing people that we have ever been associated with in our entire life.  Walking with you has changed us!  We can only anticipate the increase that is forming over your life!  Your love has been His love.  God with skin you are.  Your development has been precision with no bounds.  Thank you!

To the Leadership of AIM, thank you for entrusting us with His choicest jewels.  Indeed it has been a treasured experience.  Thank you!

To Seth, Andrew, Gary & Tom, look at what the seed has done.  It’s still amazing.  Thank you!

To Michael and Kathy, when we grow up, we want to be like you.  Onward… team… together!  Thank you!

To Nicole, Paige, Steve & Jon, you’ve taught us more than anyone.  You still do.  Thank you!

To Isabel, Jones, Lewis & Baby Brew, you always bring the refreshment we need!  Thank you!

To our spiritual sons and daughters around the world, in our heart, you glow in the dark!  We see you.  Thank you!

Lord, thank you.  It’s been worth it.  All of it, it’s been worth it!

Even though our duties with The World Race are dissolved, our obligations to the sons and daughters that we disciple, continue without pause.  Nothing has really changed in that regard.  Until the Lord says otherwise, we live in Gainesville, Georgia, we are committed to:  discipleship, the development of The Gathering in Gainesville and other locations, and earnestly accept our call to live in pursuit of the young men and women who desire community, spiritual relationship and a shared life.  Our hearts are full and our hope is inflamed!  What a great time to be in the Kingdom!  FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS!!!

Mike & Patti

We finally (Thank You  Matthew Snyder!!!) have found our way through the techno-babble and digital maze to offer The Gathering messages via iTunes Podcast.  The following link will take you to a page where you can select to sign-up for the podcast through iTunes.  Slick!  Very slick indeed!

 Click Here for the scoop!

My devotional reading today.   Hmmmmmmmmmm.

A man shocked me one day when he said, “You Christians don’t love Christ.  You hate Christ.  You hate what Christ stands for.”  He continued, “You cover up your own hatred and fear of Christ by talking about how much you love Jesus.  But if you love Jesus, why don’t you love your enemies?  If you love Jesus, why don’t you really obey the gospel, most of which you ignore?”

I heard these words and trembled inside, thinking, My God, is that true of me?  Brothers and sisters, just open Mark’s Gospel.  Most of us haven’t paid attention to nine-tenths of it.  Most of the passages are just conveniently ignored by the institutional Church and by ourselves.  In fact, I find we very often do the exact opposite of what Jesus teaches about, as if a bigger lie is easier to cover up.  Christians and their bishops have been condoning and participating in war, greed and false security for centuries, while calling themselves the Body of Christ–or even the magisterium!  Matthew 23 would seemingly make us unwilling to wear a long robe or tassels ever again!  Strange isn’t it?

When was the last time you heard that someone was thrown out of the Church for not rejoicing and exalting when they were criticized?  Did anybody ever think of it?  Well, Jesus taught that:  “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble” Matthew 5:11-13, MSG.  How come we don’t make that a matter for excommunication?  The thought never entered our minds.  – Richard Rohr O. F. M., from Letting Go:  A Spirituality of Subtraction.

This is painfully necessary.  It’s so out of “character” for us.  We need a real download to overcome the default reflex to protect the false-self.  I would like to think that we’re growing towards what Richard is proposing here.  But, top to bottom… there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of evidence otherwise.  The part about this that wears me out, is that people, who we could be influencing, are watching, fortifying their position with claims that it’s ALL hogwash.  Not just the wounded-angry , but the true seekers.

-MDP-

te/na/cious – not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, or a position, or a principle.  Not easily dispelled or discouraged; persisting in existence or in a course of action.

I do not personally know this chick, but I WANT TO!!!  No one forwarded this video to me.  I stumbled across it on a page I check for news infrequently.

The tenacity of  KENDELL  HALL – must see video!!!.   Not only her’s, but all those caregivers and professionals who served her, tirelessly encouraged and stayed the course.  The images are riveting.

An automobile accident left her paralyzed from the armpits down.  She decided to fight.

-MDP-

The power of the confessional for Catholics is not the holiness of that tiny cubicle’s secrets, but the confession itself.  It’s practical value encourages a person to bring their wrong, their sin, the hole in their soul, the wound, lay it all out there in all of its undignified ugliness, and still be received and reminded of the unconditional love of God.  The truer the confession, the richer the effects of grace.

I was reminded early this morning that the inclination we have to protect the false-self would have us spin in excuses and half-truths.  This weakness has an incredible bearing on the overall spiritual atmosphere of our personal inner health, our churches and our ministries.   The spin has us cycle in stagnation.  It goes nowhere.  It accomplishes nothing but prolongs what will inevitably be revealed:  we are broken and in need of being received (ugly warts and all).  Even the term “saving face” says much about our personal war with our false-self and ego.  Deflecting truth is not helpful to us either.  Until we can own our mistakes and take responsibility for the choices we’ve made, we sludge in the mire of our own making.  The journey through these kinds of swamps take an immeasurable toll on our peace and freedom.  Too many need a bath in the cleansing waters of truth.  Spraying perfume on a pig doesn’t really help the pig’s odor issues.  The only person deceived, is the applicator of the perfume.  Everyone else knows with their nose.  Spin in corporate America and politics is the game.  Spin with God stuff is poison to us.

Rohr talks about his work in the local jails of Albuquerque:  “In there, we try to talk without euphemism and niceties:  Don’t say the money got stolen; say, I stole the money.  Take responsibility.  Your mother hurt you, your father didn’t love you, we all know that (unfortunately, that is an all-to-familiar norm in our culture).  Now will you take personal responsibility for what you did?“  Identifying the wound is vitally important, but it doesn’t solve the entire equation.  The sooner we stop the spin and honestly say what is true about ourselves, the quicker we get to the healing we so desperately need.

The power of honest confession brings our liberation.  Spin screws us into a petrified current of isolated dormancy.

-MDP-