Mitch's Musings

Been Busy Travelin' in the Southern USA

2009-04-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody Just thought I would post a short note. I thought I heard some of you thinkin' "He's fallen off the wagon again... quit posting so soon after he was on such a roll." Well I have a lot to post about but not much time to write today. We are spending some time with friends here in North Carolina. It is a time we have set a part to meet with each other and the Lord. When I have more time I will explain this concept. It is something new we are exploring.

We are looking forward to our time in Lebanon TN this weekend. This is near to Nashville if any care to come to the meetings just write me an email. jmitchclay@yahoo.com We will be there Friday Night, Sat. and Sunday evening. After one more visit we will be going home to TX. Although we love traveling and seeing everyone like Dorothy says there is truly no place like home. When we return home we will have been gone 4 weeks. So this was a long time for us but it is so nice for Ranae and I to be together.

I look forward to sharing more here soon when I get home. Until then Great big Blessings to ya' and see you soon. Mitch

The Power of Our Perspective

2009-04-01T07:22:00.001-07:00

Let's consider the word perspective. We heard people say oh that's your perspective or from that perspective I can see that. Perspective is just that, the way you see things. The way you see things depends on your current state of mind. I can just hear some of your thoughts right here, speaking of your state of mind. Consider this; a man is in the woods after 3 days of deer hunting without seeing any deer. He can turn a tree into a trophy 10 point buck. His perspective is that he has come into the woods to find and take a trophy buck. His mind is set. His anticipation is I have planned all year to hunt and find the big one. By the end of the third unsuccessful day, every group of tangled tree limbs turns into a trophy rack that he can hang on the wall of his den. His mind is so intent on seeing what he wants that it literally skews his perception. It does not affect his eye sight. It affects what he perceives from what he sees. That is the power of perception. It is the filter that takes the input of our senses and draws conclusions from the sensory input. Perception takes raw data and interprets into something useful, something helpful to us. We could put a starving man in the same woods looking at the same tangled tree limbs and he would turn the shapes into food shapes. His perspective affected the conclusions his mind came up with from the raw data that came to him through his eyes. Remember Jesus said the eyes are the window of the soul.

Think about the story of the three blind men and the elephant. These three guys all were touching different parts of the same elephant and coming to vastly different conclusions. The one blind guy based on his sensory input said, oh elephants are kind of like snakes long and thin with hair on one end. He was handling the tail. To this the other guy replied, what are you crazy everyone knows that elephants are round and thick kind of like a tree. He was touching the elephant's leg. The other blind guy just shook his head in disbelief, boy those guys are really missing it, my perspective is that elephants are kind of like stingrays large, flat and skinny. He was touching the elephant's ear. The truth is that if these three guys would have taken their collective perceptions they would have had a more accurate description of an elephant.

We should take lessons from these examples and understand how we come to certain conclusions and to begin to value what one another is saying. If we only listen to those who agree with us we will be skewed in our perceptions. Submitting ourselves to a variety of outlooks enhances our perception. It makes us question our position and then go through the process of weighing out why we believe what we believe. The problem so many of us have is our beliefs are shallow and fragile. They won't stand the test of the scrutiny of other view points. So we hide amongst those who agree with us and say yep we got it right all those others are wrong. We remain like the blind guys feeling only one part of the whole and being deceived into believing that what we are 'seeing ' is all there is. Begin to recognize our perspective is just that, our perspective. There are other perspectives out there. If we listen to others we may 'see' a bigger picture. Bless you as you move forward seeing all that God has for you. Mitch

I Am Not Hopeless

2009-03-28T03:46:00.000-07:00

I am not hopeless. Sometimes we just need to release the words that are in our minds and the ones in our spirits. As I watched the evening news last night I saw a man in his fifties standing in his house in North Dakota. The waters of the Red River were threatening. While he was being interviewed he said we have worked hard to get all this stuff ( his word stuff) and now this flood is coming. He looked ready to cry. His wife was standing at his side while he spoke. You could tell these were good people who had the threat of losing it all, as we say. The strain of the moment was on their faces. The unknown, the what ifs ,and all those unanswerable questions were in their eyes and painted on their faces. In this moment of despair it was like a wave of understanding washed over him and with tears rolling down his cheeks he said but its all just stuff. He hugged his wife ,drew her to himself and said this is what really matters the rest is just stuff. This is the important thing. WOW what a statement. What an incredible message spoken, shouted ,proclaimed, right there on the evening news for all to hear. It is all just stuff and this is the important thing.

Folks this is the message. This is what God is saying to everyone who will hear. Stuff comes and stuff goes but what remains is our relationships with our loved ones. Those who are important to us. The wife pressed her face into his chest and wept. She didn't cry for her stuff I think she cried because she knew that no matter what happened she would have this man her husband with her. She might lose her stuff but the thing that mattered most no one could take it from her.

Think about your stuff today. Wonder if it was all taken away. What would you have left. We are living in days where hopelessness is abounding but we don't have to be without hope. We have someone to put our hope in. We have an eternal, unchanging Father who promised. He has never failed. That is not a typo, never failed. No, not once. He is our hope, in the midst of a sea of hopelessness. For this reason I can be hopeful in the midst of hopelessness. Not because I can but because the unchanging unfailing one CAN. Take courage today and hope in Him who has promised. God bless you as you ponder these words. Mitch

New post ....And only 13 days from the last post!! Imagine that !?!

2009-03-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hey all

Well I wanted to share a little something to keep this roll going. Didn't want it to be a year between posts. We are getting ready to leave for a 4 week trip throughout the US. We will be in MO GA NC TN and back to good ole TX. We will be seeing lots of friends and hopefully meeting some new ones along the way.

God continues to speak more deeply about the necessity of knowing the truth. Jesus said if you continue in my word you will know the truth and the truth will make you free. Knowledge of the word will bring us truth that bring us freedom. The problem as I see it is that so many are walking in the doctrines of men and don't know it. Because there is a big crowd or plenty of money flowing in doesn't mean the blessing of God is upon something. The truth is God has revealed His truth in the word and has given us the spirit of truth to be able to find and know the truth. This knowledge of the truth makes us free.

The systems of men have a form of godliness but deny the power, the power of God Himself. When we cling to our tradition instead of the word of God we make of no effect God's word. In other words our tradition has more clout in our lives than the Word of Almighty God. We think more about doing things the traditional way rather than seeking God to know Him and His ways. There are many who are deceived but it does not have to be that way. The word says it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom. So by this we know that our inheritance includes revelation of the kingdom of God and the ways of the Lord.

Many people are bored with the current system called church but the truth is the ways of the Lord are exciting and not boring. The fulfillment that comes from finding and doing your God given purposes are beyond description. Search for the truth. Seek the Lord with all your heart and you will find Him, He has promised. Also make the decision to take a position of vulnerability by putting your heart and all that is in it on the table for examination. Let God sort through your beliefs. Let Him reveal how your ways and His ways match up. Remember the Spirit of Truth has been sent by the Father to guide us in ALL truth. He has power to accomplish this. Permit Him, make opportunity for Him to do what He has been sent to us to do.

Bless you all as you seek and find Him. I pray you have boldness and courage to make any necessary changes in your life. Abundant Grace and Blessings to all Mitch

I Know I Know the cabinets are in.....

2009-03-11T04:01:00.000-07:00

I have heard from some of you, no names mentioned, that you thought the cabinets fell on me or something. Actually I am fine and so is Ranae. We are doing good and the house remodel continues.

I am going to begin to post again. Just got back from a conference in Wisconsin and had a tremendous time. There were some new themes explored and it kind of got my juices flowing again so I will try to communicate some ideas here. I will be sharing some personal information so you can keep up with Ranae and I but my primary focus will be to share ideas the Lord gives me. I am going to try to make some audio teachings available if I can figure out how to do it.

So please come along as we head out again.

Blessings, Mitch

The Cabinets are In

2007-12-27T18:58:00.000-08:00

Well we had a great day watching our cabinets being installed. Just wanted to put up some pictures. We are working on the countertops this weekend see you then.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas .... DU WAH

2007-12-24T07:19:00.000-08:00

I love pictures of snow and snowy weather. This one is really pretty. I can imagine myself being there. It is so quiet when it is snowing. Cold and still, the snow covering everything, changing it from brown and dead to white clean crisp.... Ah the memories. But then another memory begins to creep in, wet clothes clinging to my cold legs and feet. Fingers so cold I can't feel them any more. Oh yeah I remember it all now.

Isn't it great to just look at pictures of snow? I think it is really pretty just to look at.

Hey I am having another memory..... Yeah this is better warm crackling ahhhh....

Have a great Christmas with or without snow. Blessings to all in this Holiday season.

Cubby, His Mommy & the Snowman

2007-12-23T10:41:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been so long since I posted but between computer problems and construction stuff I have been swamped. Here is Cubby and his Momma.

Here I am doing my best Snowman impression. We have completed the mudding and taping. I got to splatter( texture ) the walls the other day. New drywall in a few places a little plumbing stuff and took up two layers of linolium flooring. The day after Christmas our new cabinets will be installed. I will try to post more often. Merry Christmas to all and blessings. Mitch

Let the Walls Fall Down!!

2007-12-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

Well I have been very busy fixing up our fixer upper. Here I am getting things ready for the new cabinets in the kitchen. Yes that is sweat!!! It has been very warm here in Texas.
This is the damage I inflicted after taking out all the upper cabinets.
Here is the original entryway, remember the funky tile?
I got busy and all the walls are removed. Stay tuned for more pics as the work progresses.

This weekend I will be traveling to East Texas. I will be ministering in Jasper TX and sharing with some people about the different ideas we have to help the poor. Sometime in the future here I will give a little overview of each of the different ideas that we want to develope. In January a group from WI and I will go to Nicaragua to drill our first low cost well. Again more on this and other projects later.

Bless you all and see you soon. Mitch

The Importance of Context

2007-12-10T04:53:00.000-08:00

Well I have been away from the computer for the weekend. I have enjoyed reading your comments and look forward hearing from you often. I was ministering to the saints in Arcadia LA this weekend. We had a great time of ministry and fellowship.

I ministered the word Friday and Saturday night. On Friday I started with a statement about how the context where something is spoken effects the meaning of what is said. You can say the same words in different settings and they can have totally different meanings. I used an example I had used many times to help understand this in a practical way. I will repeat it here for this discussion.

Suppose I am in a city that I have not been in before and as I am walking I don't understand the way of the traffic as I cross a busy intersection. Long story short I J-walk and a policeman looks at me sternly and says, 'Come here!' Well everyone knows what that means. So after talking to the policeman and receiving my lecture on the dangers of J-walking I continue on my way.

As I walk away from the incident with the police I pass a dark alley and from the shadows I hear a voice that eerily says " Come here". When I hear these words, the same ones the policeman used, I don't know exactly what to do. One thing I do know is that going into the shadows to see what 'come hear' means is not an option I am considering. So I run.

I finally return to the motel where Ranae and I are staying and as I enter into the room out of breath, Ranae ask what is wrong. I tell her about my encounter with the strange voice. We both agree how weird that was and how good it was that I ran away. Soon after the end of this conversation she raises her one eyebrow and motions to me and says , 'Come here!'. Now we know what that means!!! She wants a kiss from me.

Now here we see the exact same words are used but in different settings or contexts and those settings effected the meaning of the words. That is the way it is as we communicate with people and as God communicates with us. If we don't consider the context, we might hear accurately but miss the true meaning of the message. Here is another contributor to miscommunication that causes problems.

There was another part of this teaching which I will write about next time. God bless all who visit here and I hope as we consider these points we will hear and discern more accurately. This will profit us in our personal relationships and our relationship with God. Bless you ! Mitch

What is YOUR Motive?

2007-12-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

I recently heard ' It is not what you do, but why you do it!' Our motive will can change our experience. There are many people who do good things but maybe for the wrong reason. They volunteer time at the the local homeless shelter but the question is why? Some do it because it is the cool thing. Some do it because their friends do it. Some do it because it is expect of them. The question is who is expecting them to do anything?

How often in political campaigns have we seen candidates spooning mash potatoes onto the plate of some unfortunate person. You look at that scene and think to yourself, they are not really trying to help people, this is all about a photo op. Their motive is not helping the homeless. Their motive is really themselves. Making themselves look good so people will have a better opinion of them. It is not that the homeless shelter doesn't need help or even some press but a person's motive is huge in the reality of the action. As we analyze the whys of life, and adjust our motives, I think we will receive the true satisfaction that comes from our actions.

Who do we live for? Why do we do what we do? What gives us that reason to get out of bed in the morning? The answers to these questions will give us help in identifying our motives. Many people are living life to please others and it is never enough. There is never that sense of accomplishment or satisfaction because we are living to try to please someone's unstated reason for their approval of us and our actions. See, that is the problem, it is the unstated standards that we are trying to live up to. How much is enough? How can I fulfill an undetermined standard or expectation? We find ourself driven to perform, motivated by the approval of others. The end result is frustration and anger because we can never measure up. We are either driven to burnout or concede to defeat and give up completly.

As we define the motive of our life there is an accompanying peace and satisfaction that becomes ours. We begin to live, really experience life in its purest form. I love to help other people. But I can not live for other people's happiness. If that was my motive I would feel like a failure because I found out long ago you can't please everyone all the time. I personally am motivated to make my heavenly Father happy. How many times I say to Him I just want to put a smile on your face. Or when you think of me I want you to have a smile. He is my motivation. He is the reason I get out of bed in the morning.

I do want to please Him but I also know that my flesh is weak and in reality I can not please him. That is why I must trust the gift of his Son's shed blood to cleanse me and make me accepted in Him. In Jesus I am accepted now. I love God and want to please him but I am not accepted or rejected by the Father, based on my actions alone. I am accepted by my Father by Jesus' actions. I am accepted in the beloved Son Jesus.

So here is the question what is your motive? Why do you do what you do? And who are you living for ? Yourself? Others? Some undefined standard of living that will gain you acceptance? Think it through and make adjustments if necessary.

A Miscommunication Image

2007-12-04T19:27:00.000-08:00

I found this image after I posted my last post on Miscommunication. I think this says it all, another great example. Enjoy!!! Mitch

Miscommunication one of the greatest problems on earth

2007-12-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

When you read this title you may think what can this be about. Mitch has announced a new dog and now he is going to take on the problems of the world?!! I have been thinking a lot about how we can talk to one another and never really communicate.

Sometimes we hear the words and understand the words but misinterpret the meaning or intent of the speaker. My thinking is that the context determines the meaning of things. If we don't take into account the context of the speaker it could be very easy to miss the real intention of the one trying to communicate with us. Maybe you are understanding these words I am writing but you are not tracking with me right now. Let me give you an example to clarify.

One time Ranae (my wife) and I were watching Survivor on television. There was a women on the game whose occupation was an office designer kinda like an architect for office. Any way she was used to telling people working for her what to do. The group she was with in this remote island needed to have a shelter built before night fall so they wouldn't spend the night in the cold. The problem was no one wanted to be the leader because if you were the leader sometimes you would offend people and they would vote you out of the game. When they found out what she did for a living they instantly asked for her help in getting the shelter "designed" and built. She was kinda flattered and began to kick into a mode I am sure was very normal for her. She started to take charge and began to tell different people what to do. Put these corner post over there. Make a hole over here. Tighten up these ropes, etc.

It was interesting to see the dynamics in the group as she began to do what they had asked here to do, take charge. The project was completed quite rapidly and very successfully but she was the first one voted of f of the show because everyone said she was bossy. They said, who does she think she is telling us what to do. But they had asked her to assume a role no one else wanted to accept and frankly were unqualified for, but yet they hated her for being bossy.

I believe the answer here is the context problem that caused miscommunication. She was used to giving orders. She assumed the position thy asked her to fill. In fulfilling her role she assumed they would be subordinated to the authority they had given her. They never lowered themselves to receive her instruction. Or they never submitted to the authority she had be ask to operate in. So when they heard her orders they did what she asked but they never saw her as the boss. The proper context needed to be her as the leader for that moment and the others as subordinates. It did not mean she was better than them what it meant was that she took her position and they all completed the task. I might add when this particular task was completed she would return to her role as a peer with the rest of the group.

There was miscommunication because they others did not understand what was going on. Maybe this example did not help you to understand but if you will begin to consider the context of the one speaking to you it may help you to understand not only the words but the meaning as well.

I am not saying we should begin to analyze every situation so that every conversation becomes wooden and uncomfortable but if we will begin to examine the context surrounding our coversations and relationships it will begin to bring light to possible miscommunication.

I would love to hear some comments of personal examples of this kind of miscommunication.

The Latest Addition to Our Family !!

2007-12-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

This little boy's name is Cubby. He is a 9 week old Yorky. Ranae was really wanting a new companion since returning to the USA. She called me in Wisconsin after she had found this little guy. She was smitten with him and called to ask if she could bring him home. Of course I said yes.

We have been enjoying all his crazy antics. He loves to growl at his reflection in the sliding glass door. He is really hilarious to watch. We are looking forward to enjoying Cubby for years to come.

Ask me and I'll post more pics. See ya Mitch

God is Good

2007-11-30T07:06:00.000-08:00

Hello all. I have been slowly inviting different ones to this blog so I thought I needed to write something here today. I have a lot of different ideas of ways to use this space so stay tuned for the future posts.

Last night I had the joy of attending a worship service in Dallas with Bill Johnson as the speaker. He is the author of a great book called When Heaven Invades Earth. I had read this book in the past and had really enjoyed it so when I was invited I thought this may be a great time to see the author.

Sometimes an author is a good writer but not he greatest speaker. This was not the case with Bill. In his storyteller's style he casually walked and talk for awhile talking about the scriptures and Jesus' life here on earth. His chat was interspersed with testimonies of healings that had taken place as people from his congregation had simple believed that God wanted them to do what they were created to do... the same works that Jesus had done as he walked the earth. Many people have been healed as believers prayed simple prayers.

One testimony was given about a young man who was at the mall saw a man limping and pursued him to ask if he could be prayed for. He ask if he could pray and what was it that had happened to make him limp. The man made a motion towards his hip and made a hand gesture of a gun. The family that was with this man said he had been shot in the hip. The young man prayed a simple prayer and you can guess what happened he was completely healed.

Needless to say he had the family's attention as they rejoiced in what God had just done in healing this severely damaged hip. The young said to the family can he not talk? The family said no he has never talked in his life. The young guy said hey lets pray again for that. The family had some confidence now... as he prayed again the man spoke the first words of his life. His first word was JESUS. How cool as a young person simply obeyed Jesus commission to lay hands on the sick this great healing took place not in a stadium but in the mall.

I recommend this book and Bill Johnson. It is great as it challenges you to get off the bench and get into the game. So go get 'em. Blessings to all. Mitch

P.S. Please post a comment so I know you have been here. Thanks

2007-11-25T20:43:00.000-08:00

Here is some of the vintage retro decor in our recently purchased house. This is the great tile in the entryway of our new house. We kept saying we just need a house with good bones and we could fix up the rest. We found the good bones but now we are in the process of fixing up the "flesh" supported by those good bones!! We know we have entered a long term project but we hope to have it cleaned up and some of the major stuff done in the next 6 weeks.

We will keep you updated on the progress.

Stop by I will be posting other pics as I get them.

The first try at this thing called Blogging

2007-11-25T20:02:00.000-08:00

Well for a number of years I have heard and read a few blogs. I realize that this is a great way to interact with people from all over the world easily. I am going to practice here for a while before releasing this blog to many people.

So this is only a test... testing testing 123

Mitch