They stayed for a while, and then Judas and Silas were sent back to Jerusalem, with the blessings of the Christians, to those who had sent them. 
I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven...Phil 3:13-14
There is a very fine line between persistence and stubbornness.
It's almost as thin as the hair that splits honesty from rudeness or bravery from plain stupidity. Who can really tell the difference anyway until time and hindsight have their say? If we can't determine the value of our efforts ourselves, we can always ask our favourite go-to advisors: #, £, €, $ and %. And they never lie do they?
So how can we know if we've encountered something worth doing?
I recently discovered some very interesting facts about my favourite pink fish of river and sea: the Atlantic Salmon. Various cultures worldwide have deemed salmon the King of Fish for similar reasons. To start, they actually transform their guts from the inside out in order to go from fresh water beginnings and out into the dark salty sea. It's as impossibly miraculous as us moving to Mars and only needing a warmer coat.
Once out in the wild blue yonder they strategically store enough fat and muscle to prepare for one of the greatest journeys known to any creature: the long wet ride home. When a salmon even gets a faint sniff of the familiar fresh water from which they came, it triggers a simple decision that will determine their inevitable fate: to go home is to die.
They immediately stop eating and focus all their strength and energy on this one thing. It's such a drastic shift that their immune system shuts down in order to conserve enough energy. This alone leaves them vulnerable to wounds and disease. This really comes to play when their soft bodies slam against the sharp rocks while confronting powerful rushing waters fueled by tons of melting snow. And if that's not enough, did I mention the bears?
After all is said and done, the brave and bruised few who make it to the top then have have to battle for their lady fayre or fight off any sleazy manfish; all so they can have one first and last romantic encounter before rolling over to die. What a life.
As the quickly decomposing bodies of these new parents fill the still waters, it provides all the essential nutrients needed for the newly formed eggs to hatch and grow so they too can go out and do it all over again. Please pardon the pun here, but did you catch* anything?
Jesus had to die to provide us what we need to live on and on and on and on...
Thankfully there was no need for bodily decay. Instead he gave us eternal Words and his Spirit to hear and live them out. But we are sincerely stupid if we think that following in his footsteps requires no amount of salmon-like qualities. Some may call you stubborn and rude, while others may simply ask to see some concrete proof that you just can't show. And then there are the bears who just want to take a bite out of you---just because they're hungry.
So take encouragement from the King of Fish today. Bears may think they are just stupid (and sweet) creatures, but I for one am amazed.
Since the day I decided to swim home to the Lord, I cannot complain in the least. I've slammed against some rocks, taken a few bites on the bum, but I have found some amazing friends to swim with on both sides of a very big pond. Many of you are reading this now.
Most of all, I know at the top of this great journey home, there is much more than certain death. There's is a river of life the never ends...
Just Keep Swimming,
Brandon and Pamela Muñoz
WWW.FREEDOMHOUSE.ORG.UK
Wednesday:
How much effort does it really take to alter history?
When living in a land of a thousand tasks and responsibilities, it can seem like a quaint luxury to try and make a difference in the world. Even hearing those cliché covered words can deport our minds back home to Smallville*; that quiet place where bright ideas and good intentions go to die. Smallville is an idyllic village where dreams and hopes can live contently hidden in our heads for years. These lonely aspirations look out of the living room windows (our eyes) everyday and scan the vast horizon of possibilities. They can see open doors and opportunities all the time, but they are constantly discouraged from going outside by the Reasonable Police, who keep them on house arrest. Then the nowhere-neighbours drop in for a visit with a fresh batch of homemade excuses, reminding us that all is fine just as it is.
But once in a awhile, a great escape occurs! A rogue inspiration will kick through the back door - run past the gates of Coulda - march through the valley of Shoulda - and scale the mountains of Woulda; turning a mediocre moment into a monumental event within the blink of an eye. The most amazing thing is that this jailbreak isn't that hard to plan. All it takes is a drop of faith and scrap of compassion to sow the seed that changes everything.
We aren't talking about amazing feats of heroism here. It's simply about spotting the moments you were made for; those mysterious yet very common occurrences that can never be scheduled, but are so regular that we can set our watches to their rhythm.
Don't believe me? Just tell the neighbours to go home and chuck their complacent casserole in the bin while you gaze outside the window for a minute...
Most of the Bible's miracles occurred on average days in normal places. And many of the paradigm shifting ideas and events of the last century can be sourced to a few undistinguished people with a little inspiration and alot of guts. The funny thing is...is that we don't even need a 'world changing' ambition in order to do just that. All we have to do is choose to use our words and actions for a fruitful cause as carefully and often as we can. This usually happens in some of the smallest and insignificant places of the day.
I remember when my dad let a curious 7 year old play (let alone touch) his vintage Gibson guitar. And when a certain youth pastor let a freaky new convert paint a strange mural on a blank wall in the church. Both had no idea what kind of forest they were planting in the heart of a growing soul. All it took was a second of their time and and an ounce of their patience to say, "OK". I have no idea what they were really thinking then, but the point is, their Reasonable Police were at the doughnut shop that day.
Over the years I've tried my best to extend this kind of favour to others - little by little: teach a guitar chord, build a shelf, share a Scripture, buy some lunch, etc. By the way, I ain't no super-saint. I get trapped inside Smallville as much as anyone else, but I've learned that sowing seed is much more fun than moaning.
King Solomon advised that we should sow our seed and spread our bread in various places, because we never know what could happen. Sowing seeds of encouragement and truth in others will always be a better investment of time than using those same precious seconds to build our case. This case I speak of is a an ever expanding file cabinet of blame and justifications concerning the actions of others, along with the many circumstances that keep your life stuck in Smallville. So many people consistently share the contents of these whiny files with their online friends so everybody can join the un-fun.
Are you a seed sower or a weed grower? Every second holds the soil into which we can either plop a gripe or plant a seed. What kind of seeds we sow and how often we do it is up to us. Where it goes and what it becomes is up to the Farmer.
And it doesn't even matter if we taste the fruit or not, this will always be life's sweetest endeavour.
Lost in the Fields,
Brandon and Pamela Muñoz
FREEDOMHOUSE.ORG.UK
MONDAYMESSAGE.TUMBLR.COM
