Category Archives: Opinions

People of the Second Chance

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Posted by Mel on February 6, 2010 – 9:37 pm
Filed under Church, Opinions

“People of the Second Chance gives voice to a scandalous movement of radical grace in life and leadership. We challenge the common misconceptions about failure and success and stand with those who have hit rock bottom in their personal and professional lives. We are a community that is committed to stretch ourselves in the areas of relational forgiveness, personal transparency, and advocate for mercy over judgment.

We are not ashamed of our scars, wounds, or failures and leverage them as a source of strength and character development.

People of the Second Chance have experienced a second chance so we  actively support social justice organizations and advocate for the vulnerable, forgotten, and left behind.

We are People of the Second Chance.”

I wanted to share this website. I’ve been following these guys for a long time, back in their “deadly viper” days. They seem very sincere and humble in their own lives, or they at least admit to it when they aren’t! I love the concept of radical grace and the more I grow in my relationship with God..the more I believe it and embrace it and want to practice it in my own life. I have realized the people most willing to give someone a second chance….. are the same people who have needed a second chance in their own lives!!

From experience & some up close observation of situations and the way they are sometimes handled-I would say this is a concept the church often gets wrong. Radical grace doesn’t seem to exist in the “big business” that some churches deal in. You can certainly run church like a multi-million dollar business, but I think when you do that you lose the best of what God has planned for His church. The living life part-the learning to be humble, the dying to self, & most definitely the working through conflict part. It makes you better-working through rough times and conflict-it makes you stronger, it refines your character!  A little something I’ve come to realize over the last few years. It seems a sad example the way the Western church seems to be able to deal in the souls of it’s parishioners as disposable and list them under the heading of “collateral damage” when tough situations come up. It seems almost arrogant and prideful to decide which of God’s people are disposable-I’m grateful God doesn’t find me disposable. It’s strange to me that God always forgives but yet at times church leadership would rather crucify than forgive, shun rather than love. Those guys…those are the bad guys that give all churches a strike against them. Those are the churches that turn people against anything to do with God. It’s sad that we don’t teach grace and model relationships of love-the good and the bad parts-so people know that we are not so different after all…that everyone needs a second chance-that everyone deserves a second chance. Because, the last time I checked we are all sinful, we all fail in some way, we all make bad choices at one time or another.

I love that my God is a God of second chances….because once again without grace where would I be? Certainly this life is painful at times and we’ve all experienced painful situations. There have probably been people in your life that have walked away, turned their back on you…but know that God….He never turns his back, He never walks away. He is the Protector of our souls, our strong tower in times of trouble…the giver of second chances! My prayer for you tonight..if you are finding yourself in a situation where you need a second chance…I pray that God sends you people that know what it means to need a second chance, people that are willing to stand by your side and remind you of your second chance. And I hope, should God call you to be that for someone else…that you don’t turn away!

Unbreakable

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Posted by Mel on January 24, 2010 – 10:43 pm
Filed under Journey, Music, Opinions

Where are the people that accused me?
The ones who beat me down and bruised me
They hide just out of sight, can’t face me in the light
They’ll return but I’ll be stronger

Those are the opening words to Fireflight’s song Unbreakable. I had the pleasure of seeing Fireflight in concert Friday evening with Winter Jam 2010. Love this song and it’s message. Ever had those people in your life? We all have. What I’ve finally realized about people who accuse me or cause me pain and hurt me….the only thing I’m called to do….is love them. Weird. Yep, it’s just weird. We don’t get to punch them or scream at them or even justify ourselves or our reputation by talking badly about them. We are just called to love them. For me it’s been the ultimate test of whether I take this Christian life seriously. Is it possible to return stronger after a painful experience or to  just fall back into my old ways? ….of not trusting, of guarding my heart, of withdrawing. I stand before you and I say….wait, I scream- Yes!!! It is absolutely possible and I am living proof that God can redeem any experience. I am proof that you can learn and you can have joy through all things and you can dream again.


God I want to dream again, take me where I’ve never been
I wanna go there, this time I’m not scared
Now I am unbreakable, it’s unmistakable
No one can touch me, nothing can stop me

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cried out to God that I want to dream again! I’m so ready for whatever is coming next! God’s filled my heart with His Word and pointed me in the direction He has for me. He’s shown me that He doesn’t leave me and He’s refining me and He’s preparing me. Painful times will come and what will I choose to do? Will I want to take back control, will I fear? Faith is moving without knowing…I love that line. That’s exactly what I plan on doing. I’m just going to keep moving. I’m moving through life now without all the baggage and the fear. When you hear the words God can change anyone from the inside out…I hope I come to your mind. I hope I’m able to show with my actions and not my words that I am indeed forever changed.

Sometimes it’s hard to just keep going
But faith is moving without knowing
Can I trust what I can’t see to reach my destiny?
I want to take control but I know better

I’ve used fear as an excuse…a crutch. But it is no longer my goal to arrive safely at the end of my life. It is my goal to live life boldly, without reservations, risking it all. Sometimes my biggest fear is just simply of failing. As I’ve gotten to know me better and definitely as I’ve leaned into God and His plans I’ve realized how silly that seems. If I never fail- how will I ever know if I’m headed in the right direction, how will I ever learn what He needs me to know? The time for worrying about what other people think , or fitting comfortably into what is acceptable to the masses-it’s over. It’s so over! I’m living for the acceptance and judgment of One. That really is all that matters.

Forget the fear it’s just a crutch
That tries to hold you back
And turn your dreams to dust
All you need to do is just trust

It’s getting late and I need to go spend some time with someone who shares my dreams. My question for you….where are your dreams, not dust I hope, and what could you accomplish if fear was erased from your life? Could you step out of the group and dare to be different, dare to be free, dare to live your dreams….dare to do that one thing…..live that one secret dream that swirls round and round in your thoughts? Crazy talk , right? Are you sure? Maybe it makes more sense than what you would let yourself believe……

The Post that Never Was?

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Posted by Mel on January 16, 2010 – 5:19 pm
Filed under Freedom, Grace, Jesus, Journey, Opinions

Sounds like a great opening line for a Hitchcock mystery! This post was actually going to be titled Joy vs. Happiness when I started thinking about it at 4am this morning. Slept well last night, but couldn’t sleep in this morning…so I got up and headed downstairs where it was quiet. Was going to write my blog post that had been running around in my head since 4am and do some reading in my bible. I’ve been reading a chronological version of the bible and have really liked it so far. I was reading Job but have now flipped back to the middle of Genesis….well this morning I found myself reading in Galatians. Not where I expected to be reading when I opened my YouVersion. The verse I started reading,  I have read it dozens of times without much effect but this morning I read it in every version that YouVersion offered. I was overwhelmed by it.  I liked it very much in The Message…..that is what you see below.

22 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, 23 not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

Galatians 5:22,23a

After reading this and the rest of Galatians and James and 1 & 2 Peter I realized I still have a lot of learning left on this journey. It was a moment of self realization that things I struggle with could be overcome. It was promised right there…but where was I in all of this?  First off-I certainly understand the overcoming part couldn’t happen under my power. That seemed pretty simple. The realization came though, that I’m still trying to force “my way” in life. I get glimpses of that life promised in the Galatians passage, but then I find myself in the way again. I constantly say to my kids….how many times do you want me to tell/ask you the same thing? I bet God probably feels that way with me on a lot of days. My biggest roadblock would still be my blazing-hot temper. This is where I ended up next in my bible….

19 Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear.20 God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger.21 So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.22 Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!23 Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror,24 walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.25 But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.26 Anyone who sets himself up as “religious” by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air.  James 1:19-26

In my mind I can see God working on my salvation-garden. Clearing away all the weeds that are choking out all the beauty that He has planned for it. I see the most vibrant red roses climbing over a beautiful white trellis..and nestled under it all a little wooden bench…dark, green foliage and bright colors all around… beautiful white puffy clouds in the bluest sky ever and the amazing smell of  a warm summer’s day when it’s just rained and you can smell the earth alive. It’s where He & I are going to spend hours talking and planning and laughing and loving. It’s where I am going to learn the things He needs me to know…..so that I’m not glimpsing what God has promised but living right in the middle of it all!!!

I realized He started clearing this garden  a long time ago when I asked Him into my heart…it just took me a little while, as I’ve traveled down this path, to realize it and find it. As I close this post this evening…I was just wondering if you have ever thought about your salvation-garden that God is crafting for you?  Maybe you’ve never imagined it…….or like me never even knew it existed.

My prayers never cease for you….I pray that you continue to find contentment and peace and joy on your journey through this life.