I think of their legacy that has impacted my life.

I’m reminded of my own time of serving in the Air Force in Thailand, during the Vietnam War.  Our base was a key F-4 launching point thus we were actually attacked by the Viet Cong on three separate occasions during my year stay in Udorn.  One of my roles was to be the investigation organizer for stolen or lost items on base.  Part of my process was to choose an officer to be the lead investigator and I would help record the process and the outcome.

During that year of being involved in “Reports of Survey” I had an interesting moment when I heard a list read one day of those who, during the last month, were POW/MIA.  At the top of the list was one of the officers that I had previously assigned as lead investigator on a case.  He was at the top of the list because his last name began with the letter “A”.

That made me stop and appreciate the legacy that he left behind of bravery, courage and willingness to serve His country no matter what.  (By the way, I had not yet come into a relationship with Jesus at that time.  I was a hippie on the inside and an Air Force Airman on the outside.  So, it was a rude awakening for one who was all about fun and drugs and living in the now!)

I was so impacted that, while I was still in Thailand, I obtained a POW/MIA with his name on it to help keep his memory alive and pray for him (even though I wasn’t a praying person).

AN INTERESTING THING JUST OCCURRED – I just took a break from writing this blog and thought I’d research the internet regarding this officer who was shot down in Vietnam.  Surprise and amazement just overwhelmed me!  I typed his name in Google and came to a page that gave details of his time in Vietnam, recounting his time at Udorn and how he was captured and stayed for a while in the “Hanoi Hilton”.  Then, I read what my eyes couldn’t believe – He, yes, he wrote that he lived through the experience, was released in January of 1973 and now lives in Texas!

Thanks to the internet I just discovered thirty-seven years after the fact that my prayers were answered!!!!

After catching my breath, I’m now ready to continue the blog entry -

Then there are those that leave a legacy in the spiritual realm.  One person I speak of is my first Bible study leader, Mr. Ray Iken, who lives just outside of Altus, OK where I came to faith in September 1973.  For over 40 years God has used him to lead regular Bible studies in his home, typically for folks from Altus Air Force Base who are young, searching and need answers.  Hundreds and hundreds have been impacted and only God knows how many have been impacted by those hundreds!

I was one of those folks back in 1973.  Hats off to Mr. Iken, and his wife, Sue.  This past Saturday May 29 they celebrated 60 years of marriage.  What a legacy that is!

While Memorial Day certainly commemorates the fallen heroes of the day and past wars, let’s also use it as a springboard to honor those who are still with us – be it those who serve our country or those who serve our Lord.

Who has left or is leaving a legacy in your life?  Have you thanked them?  Maybe you need to take some time after reading this entry to email them, call them or arrange to drop by and see them.  Let’s tell those “legacy-leavers” how much we appreciate them while they are still among the land of the living.

(If you’re interested in reading what I wrote to Mr. Iken regarding his legacy in my life as well as getting some detail about my personal faith testimony, go to www.stankellner.com and click on the Stan’s Testimony tab.)

Sounds simple.  In fact, too simple.  Can one actually learn a spiritual life lesson from Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream?  I think so.

I’m the type of guy who tries, at all costs, to avoid highway driving.  My travels to and from my office take me through some beautiful country roads, along a serene lake, a pristine golf course, among other scenery amenities. My journey always takes me past an ice cream stand that just reopened recently, after a wonderful but cold and snowy winter here in Ohio.

Yesterday, I felt a wooing of the Holy Spirit to stop at the stand.  Wait a minute!  That’s just too spiritual sounding. Truth be told, I’d had a hankering all day for a savory ice cream cone, small enough so as not to ruin dinner but rich enough to quell my sugar cravings.

I was not disappointed with my experience.  I stopped, got my ice cream cone – mint chocolate chip – and it was simply heavenly.  I sat in my car, windows wide open, fresh air blowing through and just enjoyed the moment.  In fact, it was one of the more invigorating moments I’ve had recently.

Now, don’t get me wrong – I LOVE my role at ICU National.  Nine months into it, God has “birthed” an unbelievable fire and passion for our work, one that takes me on regular trips around the U.S. sharing our vision, working on our materials to continue to enhance our processes, our communication AND watching God grow our efforts – we now have nine affiliates in eight states!

If anything, this stop at the ice cream stand showed me a lesson that so many of us experience – it’s great to love what we do but because of that passion it’s hard sometimes to disconnect, to unplug, to just set aside some quiet time.

My Jewish upbringing taught me a key principle called the Sabbath “buffer”.  As you probably know, every Friday night Jews around the world celebrate Sabbath or Shabbat (Hebrew transliteration).  What you probably don’t know is that there is a built-in buffer of time leading up to the celebration that begins at sundown on Friday and a built-in buffer after celebration ends Saturday at sundown.  In other words, while Sabbath calendars might show a clock-time for when Sabbath begins, it’s not like one moment it’s not Sabbath and the next moment it is.  There is typically a gentle lead in and lead out.

My point – the culture in which we live and breathe has provided little opportunity for buffers.  I love technology.  It has simplified much of how we carry out business and ministry from day-to-day.  However, I’ve noticed that it has also obliterated the “buffers” in our lives.  How about these examples – catching up on calls while driving down I-5 in Seattle; feverishly working on emails at every airport layover; cell phones on 24/7 because we want to be available for that all important phone call (or at least it’s important in our mind).

How about this seeming oxymoron from the Bible – talking about a Sabbath rest for God’s people it says in Hebrews 4:11, “…therefore, let us be DILIGENT to enter that rest…”  Interesting sounding contradiction – we have to be diligent to enter the Sabbath rest experience?  Another translation says, “let us labor…”  I think what God is telling us is that it is actually hard work for us to let go and let God do His thing.  In another part of the Bible (Psalm 46:10) is the famous passage, “Be still and know that I am God”.  Literally, the Hebrew says, “CEASE STRIVING and know that I am God”.  Ooh!  How convicting!

So, back to the ice cream stand experience.  It was a moment in time when I didn’t care what emails were waiting, what the next day’s deadlines were, etc.  By the way, a wise friend once said, “Stan, when you leave the office for the day, remember there’ll still be a pile tomorrow).  In other words, we are not expendable.  It isn’t a sign of super-spirituality to run ourselves ragged.  We aren’t blest more by God because we work 16 hour days.  Okay, okay.  I’ll hop off my soapbox!

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream will ring in my memory for days and weeks to come as a reminder that God is in control, I’m not.  I need to put forth my best efforts BUT trust God for the results.  Finally, an old preacher once said, “Unless we come apart and rest a while, we may just plain come apart!”

How about enjoying an ice cream cone today?  Who knows what depth of spirituality that experience will bring?

If only I had…If so and so had been here this woulda…You have the ability to fix this but you didn’t fix…

As I sit in my hotel room in Roanoke VA I was struck with the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead (John 11).  Tons of good stuff to dig out, ponder and apply.  For me, most of my ponderings and applications from this passage have centered around Jesus’ power to raise from the dead and then the instructions to the family and friends, “Unbind him that he might be set free”. 

Wow, power-packed words for any of us facing challenges, needing to see God’s hand in our lives, needing to feel that sense of community and the healing derived from it.

But something different struck me today.  It said clearly in the passage that Jesus knew Lazarus was sick and this was a sickness unto death.  Even when He was with His disciples He basically said that Lazarus was asleep.  But, He had to explain to them that that meant Lazarus was dead!

Even some of the onlookers said this about Jesus, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”

Pretty fair question, if you ask me.  After all, Jesus is the God of the universe, the Great I AM, the Word who was in the beginning with God and is God, our Mighty One to Save.  But, wait a minute, He is all these things but yet let Lazarus died?

Uh, God.  Am I missing something here?  Yes, Stan, my beloved.  My ways are not your ways and My thoughts are higher than your thoughts.  (I’m letting you in on a bit of my discussion with God). 

I’m not going to minimize any pain, challenge or distress you or I might be under today.  The Lord knows that when we stand for righteousness in a culture filled with death, immorality, non-absolute thinking, the list goes on, we’re going to face battles day in and day out.

What I’m trying to say is that we are not going to end every day in victory.  We’re not going to end every week in victory.  We may not even end every year in victory.  But does that mean that God is not there?  That He’s not involved?  That He doesn’t care?

There’s an awesome Christian band out these days named Fireflight, one of my personal faves.  In their song Unbreakable, Dawn (the lead singer) says this -

“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 love this song and that part of the song has convicted me a ton and a half times during the last 3 years since discovering that tune.

Woulda, Coulda?  God this coulda been avoided?  God, if you had been here, woulda…?

Abba, our intimate Father, has precious lessons for us to learn personally and professionally.  It isn’t all about winning or getting ahead or being the best of the best of the best, sir (a quote from Men in Black).  The raising of Lazarus, in fact, brought greater glory to Himself and far greater impact to the onlookers than would have happened otherwise.

It’s all about trusting God’s unseen Hand and His often unseen purposes in our every day life.  God wants us to be found faithful – faithful in trusting Him, not trusting ourselves, our circumstances or whatever else we depend on.

Would you join me in asking Abba to help us remove the “woulda, couldas” in our everyday life?

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.  Can’t you hear the haunting music now?  In the middle part of the song, when the group of men are singing, I have no idea what they are saying but I have always felt that it sounded something like, “Walk…Wiggle”.  Listen closely next time. 

I’m amazed, not so much with the content of the movie, but with the fact that the title of the song has been added to our culture as what is called an “idiomatic expression”.  Similar to phrases like, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water”.  (Yikes!) Or “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”.  (Humph.  What do they do?)

Just last week our worship pastor was sharing some thoughts between songs, songs related to sin and God’s marvelous forgiveness and in his explanation he said, “…and the good, bad and ugly of sin…”  Everyone knew immediately what he meant.

Why do I bring this up?  I haven’t the foggiest!  Just kidding.

One of the slides of our ministry PowerPoint describes some details of the cultural mandate that explain why we are so motivated to see God grow our mobile ultrasound fleet –  to reach more and more abortion-minded clients at their “crossroads of decision”.

•Since 1973 1.5 million babies aborted per year (in the U.S. alone). 

    That’s 45,000,000+ missing Americans!

•Recent debates surrounding such issues as the Tim Tebow Ad during 2010’s Super Bowl brought to light the true agenda of groups like NOW and Planned Parenthood. 

•Increasing flow of legislation aimed at limiting or closing pregnancy centers, as in Washington, Virginia and Maryland, with more to follow 

•A recent article in Weekly Standard Magazine “Mugged By Ultrasound “(01/25/10) emphasizes the change of heart of many who are pro-choice to pro-life when they see life on the screen.

•Many, if not most, of the Pregnancy Centers in America cannot afford the medical and legal costs of doing ultrasound. 

God wants us, in the life-affirming movement, to utilize every creative and effective tool in order to promote a culture of life.  This challenge will not go away tomorrow but we can thank God for increasing reports of victories, breakthroughs, turning points and changed hearts when it comes to life-affirming principles and practices.

I guess I could say that all the news that is reported – through electronic news media, blogs, political action groups, legislation, etc. remind us on a daily, no,  minute-by-minute basis of the “good, bad and ugly” of the battle for life vs. death.  If we’re not careful, we can tend to live life on a virtual roller-coaster every day.

ICU National prays for and is thankful for the various efforts taking place around the U.S. (and the globe) that are providing a light at the end of the tunnel.  We are obviously in the thick of the whole issue ourselves, as our mobile units go to where culture hangs out so as to reach the abortion-minded client in their hood, at their crossroads of decision. 

Our hope and goal is that each and every client says yes to life and yes to Jesus.  While we know that may not always happen (although statistics tell us that 80%-90% of the time when life is viewed on an ultrasound screen, the client says YES to life)  we are convinced that ultrasound is our greatest God-given medical tool to effect change in our culture!

So, when I ponder the “Good, Bad and Ugly” of the life vs. death issue in our land, I’m reminded of a key verse:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”.  (Ephesians 6:12, NASV)

Oh, I know.  On any given day, the person that is opposing our views, our actions, our organization, etc. can feel pretty real, can feel very ”flesh and blood”, especially when they’re in our face!  But, folks, let’s step back and be reminded that the person with which we are in debate or disagreement isn’t our enemy.  Satan, the evil one, has blinded many “to the light of the gospel” (II Corinthians 4:4).  Jesus said in John 8:32, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free”.  (Boy, am I being spoken to as I write this.  Oy Vey!)

The Good? That’s God.  The Bad and Ugly?  That’s Satan and his demonic powers.  Let’s never forget that.  Some closing thoughts:

• Let’s stay engaged with our culture (Acts 17:16-34)
• Let’s be like the sons of Issachar who discerned the times and knew what to do (I Chronicles 12:32)
• Let’s get on our knees and talk to Almighty God on behalf of His precious creation, unborn and born (Jeremiah 33:3)
• Let’s endeavor to hear the Shepherd’s voice more clearly in our various ministry efforts (John 10:4)
• Let’s put on the full armor of God (Eph. 6:11)
• Let’s stand in God’s strength, NOT ours, as in David and Goliath’s confrontation! (I Samuel 17:45)
• Let’s lighten up and laugh a little (Proverbs 17:22)

As crazy as it might sound, maybe next time you hear the 1960′s spaghetti western’s theme, it will remind you of Who you serve and Who is fighting the battle on our behalf.  The Good, The Bad and The Ugly?  I guess that sums it up.

What are your thoughts?

Much is happening nationally (and internationally) regarding the development of Image Clear Ultrasound and our mobile fleet, “Fleet for Little Feet”.   

The controversy surrounding the ad that Focus will be doing with the Tebows is a fresh reminder of why we sense such urgency to get more mobile units on the road…the more RV units in action, the more clients reached who are in the throes of a challenging  life situation.

Our vision is simple – Revealing life…at the crossroads of decision. 

Our mobile units are able to GO TO  the client rather than WAIT FOR the client.  We see two results from our efforts – clients saying yes to life and saying yes to Jesus!  

Join us in this ride as we help to make ours a “culture of life”.  Log on to www.icumobile.org to explore ways you can hop on board!

Had a singular experience at church tonight.  Very creative church – creative approach to communion – the instruction was to go to a table where the elements were set up.  Next to them flash paper, a pencil and a lit candle contained in a deep glass.  The idea – write down a sin that is plaguing your life then hold it over the flame and the paper burns in an instant.  The lesson – that’s how quickly God forgives us when we repent (connected to the sermon for the evening from Matthew 3). 

So if that wasn’t enough of a singular experience, when I walked up for my turn at the table I wrote down my sin and put it into the flame.  Well – the paper sort of stuck to my finger, fell out of the candle and WHOOSH the whole pile of paper burned up in a flash.  Sort of like a KISS concert or Skillet’s latest video for the song Hero. 

No one was hurt, my finger hair a bit singed.  But, yikes, what a moment in time.  I felt rather embarrassed.  Now I understand the scripture better that says, FAN INTO FLAME and the impact to those around me that results.  But, Oy Vey, what a way to learn.  I will NEVER forget that practical illustration! 

So, any embarrassing moments for you in church  or elsewhere that ended up being a spiritual lesson that you’ll NEVER forget?

[Our purpose for existence is to grow a fleet of mobile ultrasound RVs nationally to offer free ultrasounds to those who find themselves at the crossroads of decision, providing them with resources to make a fully informed, life-affirming decision.   While we are not a pro-life news agency, periodically we want to bring prayer needs to the forefront regarding issues that we hear about that could affect the pro-life movement in general or pregnancy center operations in particular,  such as what is presently happening in Washington State.]

I was talking with a dear pro-life friend in Washington State yesterday.  He alerted me to a couple bills that will be discussed at a hearing at the State capitol in Olympia on January 27, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. – 10 a.m. (PST).   I did some further checking with some key folks who stay on top of state pro-life issues.  I was told that similar bills have been introduced in Virginia but the possibility of passage there is not as likely (but still pray for them as well). 

I served as the CEO of  pregnancy center group north of Seattle for a season, so having lived in that area and experiencing first-hand the spiritual darkness and challenge, I believe my friends there when they tell me that the passage of these bills could very possibly take place in a state like Washington.  After this, who knows where else?

We need to stand in prayer with our brothers and sisters there.  We need to be like the sons of Issachar “discerning the times”.  Also, we need to jointly “put on the full armor of God” and remind ourselves that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood…” even though it feels that way more often than not.  Further,” God did not give us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, of love and a sound mine!”

Excerpt of a Washington state PRC email alert -

We recently learned of two bills introduced in the Washington State House and Senate that are a direct threat to the survival of pregnancy resource centers in Washington State. This letter is a call to action to assist us in defeating these terribly misguided bills.

House Bill 2837 and Senate Bill 6452 are nearly identical and apply to “any organization that advertises, offers, or provides pregnancy tests or ultrasounds, and information about adoption or abortion, whether for a fee or as a free service, but does not provide…abortion or referrals for abortion.” In other words, the bills apply to pregnancy resource centers, but not to abortion providers. Under the bills, PRCs would be required to post a sign on their front door and in the lobby stating that the center “does not provide medical care for pregnant women.” The bill requires that sign be “in 30 point font size or larger.” Additionally, the bills require PRCs to make that same statement “upon first contact with a person seeking services.” In other words, these bills require that the first words we utter to a young woman entering one of our centers be that XYZ center ”does not provide medical care for pregnant women.” We will be compelled to make this statement even though it is not true!

 The regulations contained in these bills are based on the drafters’ “findings” that “some” pregnancy resource centers “have misled people about the nature of their services,” have “provided medically inaccurate information about reproductive health,” and have “withheld healthcare records…from individuals seeking services.” These “findings” are completely without foundation; we are not aware of any pregnancy resource center in Washington engaging in any of these practices. In contrast, it is well documented that these tactics are the stock in trade of the abortion industry. Amazingly, the drafters of this legislation explicitly exclude abortion providers from the bills’ regulations.

 Finally, these bills would expose pregnancy resource centers to lawsuits for violating any of its provisions. The bills place pregnancy resource centers under the regulations of the Washington Consumer Protection Act, which allows a successful claimant to recover up to $75,000 in punitive damages as well as all of their attorney fees, which can exceed $100,000 per case. This is the very kind of tool that opponents of our ministry-opponents of real choice-can and will use to bankrupt PRCs throughout the state.

Click the link above to get the latest scoop on what’s been happening in and through Image Clear Ultrasound National.  We give God all the glory!

Blessings to you,

Stan Kellner, President of ICU National

The apostle Paul took seriously the charge to reach his culture any way that he could.  As I Corinthians 9 describes – he became all things to all people.  Here was the goal – “that I might, by all means, SAVE SOME”.  He recognized that he couldn’t save everyone, that was Jesus’ job.  But Paul could do his part in “saving some”.

Regarding the “Save Some” concept, my mind darts back to 1997 and the first Israel trip my wife and I took.   (We’ve been on a number of others since then as hosts).  We were soaking up the sights, sounds, smells, historical insights and faith lessons of the ancient middle east.  Wow!  What an experience.   I’d encourage all of you to get to Israel at least once in your life, God-willing.

Back to the story – during a certain part of the tour, we found ourselves in modern Jerusalem standing in front of Yad Vashem, the holocaust museum.   Our wonderful tour guide (who is a believer and has lived in Israel for almost 3 decades) started to weave the story about what is called, “The Avenue of the Righteous Gentiles”.  ( Today, it is called the “Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations”.  Click the link to view a short video -  http://www1.yadvashem.org/yv/en/righteous/index.asp.)

Our guide went on to explain the concept.  Lining both sides of the walk way are Carob trees, planted in honor of those Gentiles who did what they could to save Jews during the horrific holocaust period.  (A number of my extended family perished in those days – they were primarily from Vilnius, Lithuania).  It was truly fascinating to see the plaques at the bottom of each tree.  Wow, there was one dedicated to Oscar Schindler and even one dedicated to Corrie Ten Boom!! 

Our guide answered the question that was in everyone’s mind – why Carob trees were planted as symbols of the efforts of Righteous Gentiles.  Carob seeds, in ancient days, were used by those who would weigh the preciousness of gems.  In other words, a gem might be described as “24 Carob gold”.  Sound familiar?  It should.  Over the centuries, carob got changed (perhaps through mispronunciation) to the word “carat”, which is what jewelers and gem cutters use now.

He finished his story by describing that the Jewish people planted these Carob trees in honor of the Righteous Gentiles because of how unbelievably precious (like gems) their efforts were to save Jews.  Did the Jews honor them because they were able to save all the Jews?  No.  Nevertheless, the Jews recognized the risks, the sacrifices, the danger of protecting Jews during that time and they wanted to plant a memorial to those precious Righteous Gentiles that would be a reminder of their victories in the midst of troubling times.

As I pondered the impact of this lesson my mind quickly darted to the Apostle Paul where he said, “that I might save some”.  Also brought to my mind were the words of  Oscar Schindler, in the movie, when he said something like “I wish I could have saved more Jews!”  

My mind camped on a truth that has impacted me to this day.  We are living in the midst of a modern-day holocaust, millions of babies having their lives cut short.  They will never see the light of day.  Significant portions of generations will never know what it was like to play baseball, experience a hug, become a math scholar, write beautiful music, enjoy loving parents, become an Olympian, raise children of their own, much less embrace the love of Jesus this side of heaven.

The task seems impossible when one considers how many abortions take place in the U.S., not to mention worldwide.  God is not happy with mankind.  I don’t want to get off on the “politics” of this issue but rather focus on what you and I can do about it.  Legislation can certainly impact a generation, no doubt about it.  But what are you and I doing today, tomorrow and the next day to change a heart, change a perspective, perhaps even change a culture?

SANCTITY OF LIFE SUNDAY is January 24.  I would challenge you to do more than just attend church and “enjoy” a pro-life message.  The time is now to act and, as the old saying goes, “the only thing needed for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing”.  

PRAY that God would have mercy and pour out His favor on a culture who seems to value the choice of death over the choice of life.  Consider volunteering at a local pregnancy center (as a receptionist, counselor, perhaps even a board member), get involved in your community at large in whatever way God might lead (what a novel idea to bring light and life to those around you); inquire in your church about how you can help mentor a young woman or couple facing tough life issues (an unfortunately high percentage of abortions come from within the church walls!); consider becoming a regular giver (time, talents, resources) to pro-life causes in your area. 

You can’t save everyone.  That’s Jesus’ job.  But, you can save some!  When you do your part and your friend does their part, and your Bible study group does their part, and your church does their part, and…  You get the idea.  When we ALL do our parts then the “part” that we save added to the “part” that someone else saves multiplies the impact and the impossible becomes possible.  Above all, trust God for His empowerment, guidance AND results.  Last I checked, Jesus was quoted to say “This is impossible for mere humans but with God, all things are possible”.

(Interesting detail – as I did research for this post today I learned that the state motto of my fair state, Ohio, is “With God, all things are possible”.  What a fascinating discovery!)

I’m reminded of a young news guy who came onto the scene in cable news some years ago.  Somewhere along the way he coined the phrase, “No Spin Zone” and now people all over the world recognize this as the famous catch phrase of Bill O’Reilly on Fox News.  I’m not here to comment on Bill’s strengths, weaknesses, etc. 

My point is I’m adopting, for 2010, the phrase “No Speculation Zone”.

intransitive verb 1 a : to meditate on or ponder a subject : reflect b : to review something idly or casually and often inconclusively
2 : to assume a business risk in hope of gain; especially : to buy or sell in expectation of profiting from market fluctuationstransitive verb 1 : to take to be true on the basis of insufficient evidence : theorize
2 : to be curious or doubtful about : wonder <speculates whether it will rain all vacation

I saved you time and looked up the word “speculate” for you in Webster’s online dictionary.  Speculation isn’t all bad.  The oil business literally mushroomed in growth due to those willing to speculate about oil locations, output probabilities, etc.  The stock market is another place where speculation is a huge factor.

Let me distill it down to practical daily living.  As a follower of Jesus I’ve come to recognize that as the Apostle Paul said, “I am the chief of sinners”, I can say that there are times when I feel that “I am the chief of speculators”. 

My definition of speculation is simply this – taking thoughts about Bible promises and as I apply them to practical living, begin to make voluminous lists in my mind as to how these promises should take place, how often, in what manner, etc.  You get the idea.  Of course, since I’m the only one on planet earth plagued with this tendency, I’ll just assume that you’ll have to strain to gain some kernel of truth that will be helpful to you. 

Also, don’t go getting your hackles up.  In the definition of speculation above, I appreciate and regularly exercise the concepts of examining, pondering, meditating and reflecting.  I’m not arguing those points at all. But, go back up to the definition and notice the sections I put in bold.  Ah!  Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!

Let’s look at it this way – all through the Bible we have examples of God’s promises and how common ordinary people, like you and me, tried to apply them. 

Abraham was told by God about his future as the leader of a nation.  Good ole Abe stands as an example of my definition – he knew he was too old to have children and his wife, Sarai, was barren so, in the process of his speculations, he chose another route – had relations with Hagar, his handmaiden.  Well, 3,000+ years later we know the outcome of that decision.

Joseph found himself in a pit (of despair) and then in leadership, then in prison, almost let out of prison, then in leadership again!  I realize the Bible is rather silent on this, but my sense is that Joseph accepted God’s path without a whole lot of speculating or figuring out.  He certainly, in his wildest dreams, never thought that he’d be second in command in Egypt and be God’s instrument for the physical salvation of Jacob and his tribes. 

Am I saying it’s wrong to make goals or plans or strategies, etc.?  Absolutely not.  There are many places in the Bible where we are instructed to “count the cost”, “examine carefully”, “search things out” among tons of other references.

What I am saying is let’s make our plans, goals, etc. but do them knowing that we are going to allow God to confirm, affirm, overrule, redirect, reconfigure, re-engineer, etc. in 2010.  Sort of reminds me of passages like “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).  Or this one, ”Faithful is He who has called you, and He will also do it”. (I Thessalonians 5:24).  Let’s not forget this famous passage, ”Trust in the Lord with all your heart and LEAN NOT on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge Him and HE shall direct your paths”.  (Proverbs 3:5-6).

In my personal walk with the Jesus and in my professional walk as the head of an awesome ministry such as Image Clear Ultrasound National (www.icumobile.org), I desire to hear God’s voice more clearly and be willing to be much quicker in my obedience, without resorting to the usual habit of allowing voluminous thoughts to flood my mind as to why this will work or why that won’t work.  Rather, my desire is to take those thoughts captive and allow the Creator of the Universe (who, by the way, has a bit more experience than I) to guide my path as 2010 unfolds.

A few random thoughts as a New Year begins.  Sounds simplistic and perhaps even radical in our culture of exponentially increasing technology, success-driven business models, human potential, carving out my own destiny, the list goes on.  I know this sounds radical but then, the One whom I follow was viewed as a radical in His day as well. So, I think I’m in good company.

Happy New Year!