What Glenn Writes

I am blessed.

My parents were over each day this week helping us move. My mother-in-law helped my wife keep things in order. Our children helped (sometimes). And, last night, I had a group of loving and generous friends help us complete the rest of our move in about two-three hours.

Now I feel every muscle in every part of my body complaining.

When we were moving, I found out the problem with downsizing is running out of room. This morning, I have my entire life packed into a box somewhere in the garage, porch, office (well, actually a dining room), or bedroom… and I’m pretty much ok with that. Some of my things were lost or broken in the move… and I’m pretty much ok with that, too. My clothes, underwear, socks, and toothbrush are packed in an unmarked box somewhere in the garage… I’m mostly ok with that.

I thank God for giving me peace through this move, counting the blessings instead of the complaints.

God is good. God is generous.

While my back and legs have their own version of the story, I am glad for the blessing the Lord showered into my life this week.

Praise you Lord.

As I am about to start another grueling day of moving my family about one mile across town… it is a small town… I am left wondering what it must have been like for the Hebrews moving across the desert after leaving Egypt. I am struggling with packing for about two weeks, moving boxes and furniture for two days, and getting settled in a new house, but these folks had everything they ever owned packed up on camels, donkeys, and carts… and, here’s the real kicker – they had no known destination! All they knew is God had promised them a home.

The Bible records some grumbling and challenges they had to endure, but in the end it was about the promise. God had promised them a home and He was good on His word.

I am reminded of a similar promise I hold very close for my family. I find this promise from God in Acts 17:26-27:

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

I specifically like the part where… “he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live…” Of course, it is easy to see how this relates to my life when I am in the middle of a move, but this trickles into every aspect of all of our lives.

Think about this for a moment.

• He sets the times for us – the times for us to work, play, sleep, celebrate, and fellowship.
• He sets the exact places where we should live – this applies to work, play, sleep, celebrate, and fellowship.

He did this for what reason? “God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”

I find this promise encouraging, especially as I start this day with aches and pains (and if you read yesterday’s article, with less hair). As some readers have shared their specific battles and requested prayer, I know these problems are really minor in comparison with what others are enduring. There is hope. God has set the time of your endurance. He has set the place where you will fight your battle or stand in your struggle. Throughout this time, you are not alone – He is with you always.

Let me encourage you today to seek the Lord as you work, play, when you rest or prepare to sleep, when you celebrate, when you fellowship, and when you endure your battle or struggle. He is not far from each one of us. Seek Him in prayer – He will be found.

Contact me if you need help seeking Him in prayer.

Glenn Sasscer

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I think my wife purchases special shampoo for each of my daughter’s hair. She also buys shampoo for her own hair, different than what she gets for each of my daughters. There is also an assortment of conditioners, additional cleansers, and treatments. There is stuff in there to make your hair grow faster or give it more volume.

I think we have our own hair salon supply store right in our bathroom.

I used to grab whatever bottle was closest, squirt out a glob, and lather up. I’m was not interested in shiny, split ends, or no tangles, I just want to get the job done and move on with the day… until my forehead started creeping upward and slipping backward on the sides. This widow’s peak stuff takes on a whole new meaning when you are looking at it in the mirror. Along with a moving hairline, I’m also experiencing a thinning of the crop, which… well, is just plain sad.

Have you ever seen a grown man cry? › Continue reading

Sometimes this blog takes on a theme of sorts, working through whatever area God is pressing on me at the moment. In my relationship with God, He tends to focus on broad areas of my life for months at a time, yet presses through the details during the course of addressing these larger issues. He will use Scripture and apply it in different ways or reveal new depths to verses I have read numerous times.

He is cool that way.

The subject of my writing, teachings at church, or other ministry, is usually whatever God is taking me through at the moment or whatever is being revealed. Fortunately, I am so messed up, He has plenty to reveal and press through, so my ministries will always have an abundance of material.

As I reflect on this current season, I know He is expressing the importance of our relationship with Him. Through this larger issue, the topics of recognizing His presence, He is always with us, we communicate with Him through prayer (prayer is conversation), and repentance are coming up in the details.

I believe our prayer conversation with Him is especially important. I used to think prayer was a ritual we need to go through each day, check it off our list, and move on. When we sit for a meal, let’s get that prayer thing out of the way and eat. When we go to bed, a quick prayer with the kids and put a cap on the day.

This rarely addresses our concerns and we end up feeling like all we are getting is a dial tone.

Do you see the problem with this approach? Can you imagine what sort of relationship I would have with my wife if all I did was communicate with her in some form of ritualistic poem or memorized statements? We can easily see any form of a relationship we value requires depth and understand that only comes through communication, whether we communicate vocally, through sign language, through expression, or other means. To get beyond the superficial, we must be able to communicate in some way.

Why would it be different with God?

Some are challenged to gain an awareness of God in their lives. I find it easier to communicate with my wife when I have an awareness of her in the room with me. I can physically see her and hear her to have an awareness of her, and then I can communicate with her. This path is reversed with God. We start with faith in knowing He is there, then we communicate, then we receive the awareness He is there.

His Word promises it in several places, such as Deuteronomy 4:29:

If you seek the LORD your God, you will find him, if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.

I especially like the way this promise is expressed in Acts 17:26-27, specifically as I am in the process of moving from one house to another:

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

Do you get it? In both of these passages, His promise is we find Him IF we seek Him. 

I communicate with my wife at all hours, at all times, and in all conditions. We do not need to get cleaned up to talk to one another. The same is true with God – God does not expect you to be perfect before you start talking with Him, there is no reason to get cleaned up, and there is nothing He cannot overcome… He just wants you to come to Him, and you will find Him.

I encourage you to pray. Ask God to guide you in learning to talk with Him. Contact me if you need some help and we can talk to Him together.

Glenn Sasscer

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www.glennsasscer.com

I have a confession to make (this is where everyone in the room grows quiet, some lean closer while still not looking, others feign an interest in another direction while straining to hear): I struggle with anger and frustration. (Oh! Gasp!)

When I share this bit of admission with other people, I am told to join the crowd. Well uh… no thanks. This is not a crowd I want to hang with for very long at all, although that might make them angry and frustrated to hear.

I did catch myself yesterday. One of my precious darling teenagers… quit laughing, I meant to put those three words together… decided to agitate one of my other precious darling teenagers while we were driving down the road. No, I didn’t lay out the familiar, “Don’t make me pull this car over” banter, but when I felt my pressure point boiling over, I caught the rage before it spilled over into my mouth.

Step one of our million steps to anger management.

I have counseled many people about re-training themselves to overcome habitual sin or bad habits, so it was high time for me to put some of my advice into practice. In this case, I had established a trigger point to catch myself when my bad habit starts… this is the point when my irritation begins to climb but much before my blood is at a full boil.  I caught myself at this point, took a deep breath, prayed about the situation, took another deep breath, and then handled the situation in a meaningful manner… I grounded all three teenagers until the end of summer. Actually, we talked through the situation after everyone calmed down and some apologies were dished out appropriately.

Now some may claim the deep breaths and calming down is what changed the situation from a total volcanic eruption to a family Hallmark movie, but I find it difficult to credit the deep breaths for changing this moment. I have danced with my anger for far too long and no sort of breathing technique has ever been able to keep pace. The difference here is not catching myself and breathing deeply, but catching myself and praying. The deep breaths is what made the praying possible, but by themselves did very little to curbing the fury simmering just below the surface.

Let’s take a look at what Paul has to tell the Philippians in Philippians 4:6-7:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I firmly believe when prayer and faith dance together, we nearly have the answer to every situation… nearly. We still have our part in the dance, but when God choreographs with faith and prayer, we have perfect rhythm and the result is far better than stomping around in anger.

Paul instructs us that “…in everything, by prayer and petition… present your requests to God.”  Notice, Paul doesn’t say, “…in everything except when you are angry…” or “…in everything except when you are frustrated…” There is no exception here. This verse begins with the word anxious and ends with God’s peace, with no exception. Our part in this dance is to bring it to God in prayer, laying out our request in a way searching for a solution, then to follow His instruction and guidance.

Is it easy? No, but since when is it better to do what is easy instead of what is right? Too many believers are getting hammered by demonic attacks in their lives or by their own fallen nature overwhelming them. Their homes are in chaos, fear is crushing them, and they carry guilt around as if it is an obligation instead of an option. (You ever try to dance with guilt? It is not a pretty sight.)

My encouragement to you is to turn your burdens over to the Lord today, right now, instead of waiting another minute to end your torment. Read the beginning of the verse above: “Do not be anxious about anything…”, and then further on, “…present your request to God…” No, not an easy task, but definitely something we are all capable of completing.

A simple prayer… a simple plan… and instead of dancing with anger or anguish, you are dancing with peace and a different perspective.

Now don’t think for a second I have this all figured out, but I’m working on it. Contact me if you need some help in this area or some ideas on how to apply this encouragement to your life.
 

Glenn Sasscer

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www.glennsasscer.com

Throughout this past week, I have heard a variety of opinions on social media. Some advise we should shun social media outlets as it causes relationship breakdown, division, and isolation; others claim the popularity of social media outlets is a sign of people wanting to connect and build relationships.

I think we are far from the lazy, isolated, individualistic society painted by some pessimists who will never quite “get” the social media experience. If you ever saw Wall-E, this movie illustrates a futuristic view of a society completely dependent on social media for conversation and other interaction. While the movie primarily focuses on robots, the people in the story finally realize there is life outside of social media when their “screens” are turned off – they are amazed at life outside of the screen.

I classify these type of extreme examples with the giant ants and spiders portrayed in the 1950 movies warning of the dangers of atomic or nuclear experiments – funny, entertaining, and good for a story, but let’s not take it all too serious, huh?

› Continue reading

After some comedic banter back and forth, Shrek finally makes his point with Donkey in expressing how Ogres are like onions in having layers. Donkey goes on twisting this around in his mind, talking about a layer of cake and parfaits. You never really think the Donkey character gets it until he brings it up later in the story, telling Shrek he is so caught up in his onion layers, he has suppressed his feelings.

Hello! Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

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Rocky: “I can’t see nothin, you gotta open my eye. Cut me Mick.”

Mick: “I don’t wanna do it.”

Rocky: “Go ahead, cut me.”

If you ever saw the first Rocky, you know this is the scene where Sylvester Stallone is just getting hammered in the boxing ring and his eye is so swollen he can’t see. He is practically begging for his manager, Mick (Burgess Meredith), to slice his eyelid to release the fluid so he can see. › Continue reading

In an article last week, I shared how my prayer time changed from being an obligation to a desire. At some point, I became intentional in my relationship with Jesus and began looking forward to my times with Him in prayer. This has changed my entire perspective in our relationship and how I interact with Him.

Perhaps I’m behind the curve here and you have been at this point for quite some time or maybe this whole idea makes you uncomfortable. I know I was a little uneasy when others would talk about their relationship with God in this manner, but now I am realizing what they meant… now this whole faith thing and being saved thing is making sense to me.

The challenge is not so much spending the time with God in prayer, but it is being intentional in your approach to the prayer time and recognizing you are having a conversation. This is not a one-sided deal – you are having a conversation and God will respond to you in this discussion. You may be blessed with the audible voice, although this is rare; mostly, I think, you will be answered in the silence of your prayer, when you shut up, clear your mind, and let Him impress His answer upon you.

I know some believers have a rigid, scripted prayer. They begin their prayer time with these memorized words and when they are finished, they move on with their day. I have some of these prayers I say every day, too, but I also have a conversation when I am finished. › Continue reading

If you have ever been a fan of Saturday Night Live, a casual viewer, or perhaps a viewer hoping to catch something remotely funny, you might recognize some definite seasons to the show. There was the funny season, when Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, and John Belushi were serving out the skits and you actually laughed because it was funny. There was the almost funny season when Mike Myers and Dana Carvey shared some original characters and scenes. Then there were all the other times when the show never quite made you laugh unless it was out of embarrassment for the poor saps having to dole out the lame jokes.

Somewhere in the mixture of comedians and wanna-bes, there was the off the wall humor of Jack Handy. These quotes were just whacked enough to keep me watching the otherwise dense or lackluster show, which probably reveals my sense of humor is a bit off from normal. › Continue reading