Month: August 2022

Living Light

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Photo by: cottonbro

I have moved at least thirty-five times in my life. No, my father wasn’t in the military either. Thirty-one of those relocations took place after I was eighteen. No, I wasn’t in the military. Changing circumstances in life prompted most of the moves. So, needless to say, I know how to pack. And I am extremely good at it. Quick and organized. (I’m not soliciting for a job to help someone move!) I have lived in five different states. I think one of them was the state of “Confusion!”

Here is one of my secrets to packing: place the items you will need first in your new location into boxes with fluorescent duct tape on all four top right corners of the box. This would include towels, bathroom items, sheets, and electronics like the alarm clock. Once the truck is unloaded, set up the bed first and make it. Then when you are tired and ready to sleep, you can shower and go to bed because it is prepared for you. Those bright tape boxes are easy to find. That info is free. No need to send me any money for that professional moving advice!

I have been known to pack and unpack all my boxes in only 24 hours. One fundamental way to make that happen is to live light. No collectibles to speak of and only a few sentimental items, and the rest is pretty much only the things I need to get by in life. Things don’t weigh me down.

One can make an easy comparison between moving and living life. I have seen people so weighed down by issues, hurts, and disappointments in life that they are almost entirely paralyzed. They struggle to move through an entire day. Jesus didn’t want to see people like this, so He invites us to give the things in life that can be difficult to carry ourselves and to give them to him.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me, and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me, and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Mat. 11:28-30 (MSG)

This isn’t simply a well-known verse but an invitation to allow Jesus to take what burdens us, and when we do seriously give them to him, then forget about them. I know it can be challenging because the pain is cut deep, and letting it go seems impossible, but Jesus offers to carry it for us because He doesn’t want to see us suffer. He knows what they did or said wasn’t right, fair, or just, but He still says, “Give it to me.” So take him up on his offer. Stop packing your pain in boxes and moving them from place to place. You will feel better and live life lighter with less of a load.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Full Tilt

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments
Photo by cotonbro

My father taught me the love of playing pinball as a young teenager. He was good. When my parents added other fun items to the “game room,” located at the back of our house, they bought a pinball machine. The rule was that my homework had to be done first before I could play, which became a great motivator to finish up fast!

If you have ever played one, you will recall the dings and buzzers, the fast action, the heavy steel ball that, at times, could move lightning fast, and of course, the flippers. Those two rubber paddles at the very bottom could keep the ball moving unless, of course, it managed to just slide between both paddles. That’s when your game was over unless you had more balls left.

Sometimes, shaking the pinball machine in a certain motion would help you get the steel ball to go where you wanted it to. But if one shook too hard, the game would end, and you would see “TILT” lit up.

Life can be likened to that steel ball in a pinball machine. It can move fast and bounce from one side to the other while noisy sounds are being made around you, and yes, it can even get stuck sometimes. You try so hard to keep things going as with those flippers but inevitably, life will end by losing control or with a full tilt!

While playing pinball, there can be times when people are standing on the sides of the machine rooting you on, or worse, perhaps yelling out instructions on how to play the game. It helps to go through life with friends and family members that love you, care about you, and only want the best for you. They are like those paddles that help you keep things going. This past week I saw one of my friends whom I have not seen in three and half years. Our visit was short but pleasant.

We always talk about life, people in our lives, people he wants in his life (a wife), and of course, God. We encourage each other to continue to follow God and, more importantly, allow Him to continue to do a good work in each of us. Neither of us wants to see the other lose at the game of life or end up tilted. Jesus is a great friend as well. Not only is He always there, He has no hidden agendas, and only tells you what you need to hear that will draw you closer to the Trinity of God.

Thank you, God, for good friends, and for your Son, Jesus. They are indeed a blessing from you.

There are companions who harm one another,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Pro. 18:24 (NET)

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Christian Knock-Offs

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Photo by: Anne R

Knock-offs are a massive problem in America. Every day, thousands of imposter items attempt to enter the U.S., and everyday custom agents are trying to find them and keep them from being sold. They can be hard to spot at times. At first glance, the items may look authentic, but upon further inspection, one will see the flaws.

I have begun to notice in our world “Christian Knock-offs.” By that, I mean Christians that look and even sound authentic but aren’t. Oh, they will show you their spiritual practices, instruct you on what “you” are doing wrong in your life, and they may even pray for you, but when it comes to being relatable, they fail. They often work harder trying to find someone else to help you than it would take them to help you themselves. Oh, but they will take your help in an instant, so in their mind, they can be of greater service to God.

I may sound bitter, and I assure you I am not, although I have encountered many of these “Knock-Offs,” The real problem with them is they use people and then hurt them, but they never see it that way. If someone has an issue with them, they turn things and convince themselves the problem lies with the other person. What makes this matter even worse is if the fake has a position of authority. These individuals remind me of the Pharisees and or the Sadducees. Both were religious sects during the time of Jesus. They didn’t like Jesus very well; in fact, they killed him, all because the people loved and were drawn to him.

People were drawn to Jesus because He was so relatable. People felt at ease with him, accepted, and loved. This means that if we want to imitate Christ as Paul directs us to, then we need to be authentic, the “Real Deal!” The way to do that is with love. To have and to let the love of God within us shine brightly. It should shine so bright as if a light upon a hill, so others have no problem finding us, especially in a time of need.

“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” 1 Cor. 11:1 (NKJV)

 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Mat. 5:14 (NKJV)

“ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Mat. 5:16 (NKJV)

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

With Childlike Delight

/ Mark Brady / 3 Comments
Photo by: Jessica Ticozzelli

I have been reading from the daily devotional “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young this year. I highly recommend it. So far, I have seen an underlying theme in the book. It is this; Jesus calls us to himself and his presence, which is an excellent place to go to and stay.

Learn to enjoy life more. Relax, remembering that I am God with you. I crafted you with enormous capacity to know Me and enjoy My Presence. When My people wear sour faces and walk through their lives with resigned rigidity, I am displeased. When you walk through a day with childlike delight, savoring every blessing, you proclaim your trust in Me, your ever-present Shepherd. The more you focus on My Presence with you, the more fully you can enjoy life. Glorify Me through your pleasure in Me. Thus you proclaim My Presence to the watching world.

What got my attention in this selection was the line, “with childlike delight.” Have we forgotten the joy and excitement when a child discovers something new, wonderful, and unexpected?

I saw a glimpse of that kind of delight the other day. April had ordered some new earbuds, and the service said they would be delivered on Sunday. They arrived on the preceding Wednesday, two days after she had purchased them. Four days early! I hid them under her pillow and later that evening asked if she was going to adjust her pillow before sleeping. You should have seen the joy in her eyes and on her face when she saw the result of her conquest.

That’s the kind of expression we should have when we discover that no matter what is going on in the world, in our families, or at work, when we concentrate on staying in the presence of Jesus, we can have incredible joy and excitement.

Stop striving and know that I am God; Psa. 46:10a (NASB)

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

The Greatest Moment in the History of Sportsmanship

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Photo by: Tima Miroshnichenko

It happened in the very first inning of the Southwest Region championship. Two boys who when they woke up this morning only cared about one thing… get to Williamsport. Suddenly everything changed, because in real life things happen just like that … things change in a heartbeat.

Kaiden Shelton is the big man on the powerful Pearland team, their big pitcher, their big hitter. Isiah Jarvis is the shortstop on the scrappy Oklahoma team that had through incredible perseverance made it to the championship game . One team has already been to Williamsport, the other has never been.

The Pearland team scored 3 runs in the top of the first, but Oklahoma came right back at them in the bottom of the inning , they scored 2 runs and had a big rally going on, there was noise everywhere, coaches were yelling for the pitcher Shelton and the batter Jarvis to ”Battle” “win the battle.”

Then it happened, a twist of fate, Shelton lost control of a fastball and hit Jarvis right in the helmet, and Jarvis fell in a heap at home plate

Suddenly nobody was thinking about Williamsport anymore. With Isiah laying there and coaches and medical staff rushing to his prone body, Shelton kind of circled around the area between home and the pitchers mound. The staduim was silent. Jarvis’s mom stood in the stands , one hand clasped to her face, the other to her heart. And every mom who has ever sent their boys into these games was right there with her.

The Pearland players took a knee, eventually so did Shelton. Seconds seemed like hours. On one knee, Shelton was totally alone with his thoughts. But going through his mind were the words of the umpire immediately after Jarvis had gone down .”Oh my God” the umpire had said.

Finally they helped Jarvis to his feet , on replay you could see how the ball had hit his helmet in a good spot , it got more helmet then anything, Jarvis had been more frightened then anything . He trotted down to first , but now the trouble was with Shelton.

Before that pitch he had only one thought – Battle… win the battle … the words of coaches…now the only words he could hear in his mind… were the words of the umpire: “Oh my god.”

And just like that he started to cry. He was standing on the mound crying, and nobody went to him, not his teammates, not his coaches . Then one person did go to him… Isiah Jarvis left first base threw his helmet off, walked right to him and hugged him. That hug said… it’s okay. It was just what Shelton needed at that particular moment , I am sure his mom had wanted to Rush out there and hug her boy, Isiah took care of that for her , because Shelton was a big kid with a big heart and he didn’t want to hurt anybody , he didn’t want to hear an umpire say “Oh my god” over something he did . He was there to play baseball and make new friends, he hadn’t bargained for this

The game resumed , somebody won , somebody lost, one team went to Williamsport, the other packed their bags for home, it will all be forgotten , but that moment of perfect sportsmanship will live for as long as there is human competition

Before the tournament Isiah Jarvis said his biggest dream was to make sports center . I think it’s going to happen.

His name is Isiah and in the book of Isiah there is a famous passage about coming quickly to the rescue “I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” It’s almost perfectly symbolic that a boy named Isiah would come quickly to the rescue and do it when it was most needed.

(I searched but could not find the author of the above post.)

Hundreds reacted to this post with comments they were fighting tears. This true story touches our hearts because for a moment love was displayed. We don’t always see it sadly, these days, but when we do we sit up and pay attention. Whether a person is a child of God or not their spirit man sees the love of God in action and is drawn to it.

You see, in real life, we are the pitcher who throws a foul ball but in our case sins and hurts a real person. The batter is Jesus Christ. And like in this story He comes over to the mound and offers us forgiveness. If you were touched by this story then perhaps the Holy Spirit is tugging at your heart. Saying, “It’s okay. Don’t get hung up on what you did that was wrong, that hurt people, or yourself. There is One who has already paid the price for your foul ball. His name is Jesus and He died on a cross for you, because he wanted to demonstrate just how much He loves you and cares.” I pray you will react to the Holy Spirit by accepting that forgiveness and accepting Jesus into your life.

for all have sinned (thrown a foul ball) and fall short of the glory of God, Rom. 3:23 (NKJV  Italics are mine)

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

A 4:46 AM Meeting

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Photo by: Blaz Erzetic

My wife, April, starts her work day early in the mornings. Sometimes, due to the number of pending orders to get out, she has to be there by 4 AM. The other day was one of those mornings. Because I drive her to and from work, I also have to get up early.

“I would like mornings better if they started later.” Garfield

I certainly agree with Garfield. So, as a result, I do not have the best demeanor that early. As is usually the case, now I can’t even recall what April did that I chose to get upset about. I dropped her off without a proper “Goodbye” and proceeded home.

On the drive home, I remember the Holy Spirit whispering, “Watch Steven Furtick.” He comes on a local TV channel at 4:30 AM. I responded with a, “No! I don’t want to.” When I got home, I knew I needed to do as God instructed me, so I did. Sure enough, Rev. Furtick was delivering a message that had to do with attitudes. The word of God ministered to me as well as convicted me. I prayed and asked God for forgiveness and to help catch those situations before they escalated.

Later that morning, April texted me about something going on in our life. I responded with the requested information and included some humor with a “Love you!” After reading my reply, she texted back, “What happened? Your attitude is much better.” I wrote back, “God called a meeting.”

I don’t like it when my attitude gets out of alignment, but when it does, I am so thankful that God is right there and quick to make the necessary adjustments. That’s the work of a loving Father.

19-21 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. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. 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. James 1:19-21 (MSG)

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Growing Up

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Photo by: Anna Nekrashevich

“Mark, if you could find a way to invest as little as $25 a month, you would see your investment grow and grow over time. Yes, stocks do go up and down, but over a, say thirty-year time frame, they increase.” I did. I started my Roth IRA account by only depositing $25 a month, and twenty-nine years later, he was right. By the time I needed to use the money, it had grown beyond my wildest dream.

I eventually increased my deposit to $50 and later doubled it to $100 monthly. And I think I recall making a one-time deposit of a few thousand dollars, but the point is, it grew.

The other day I was thinking about my growth in God, and I was a little frustrated that by now, I had not matured to me to a higher level. Quickly the Holy Spirit comforted me and showed me an image similar to the one in this post. I thought about the picture and realized that over time I have grown, and given more time, I will grow and mature in God even more.

Therefore, I must not quit and should not beat myself up when I stumble or fail. I should continue to fight the good fight of faith with God’s grace and help. The growth will come if you are consistent with your investment. When it comes to God, that means spending time in His word and talking to him on a regular basis. It’s listening to good sound Biblical teachings and being around others who can share what they have learned and experienced.

There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. Phi. 1:6 (MSG)

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Registered Mail

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A woman entered the area of life called “Grief!” This time hurt worse, for it was her mother. She had cared for her mother for the last several years, doing her best to meet her needs even while struggling to take care of her own.

About a week after celebrating her mother’s life and laying her to rest, a friend felt prompted to send her a message. A love letter from God. They prayed, typed out the message, and sent it via “Messenger.” If you are unaware, Messenger lets you see if your message has been read. The friend felt another prompting and went into the app only to see the note from God had not been opened yet.

They cut and pasted the words of love and, this time, sent it as a text message to the friend’s phone. It worked, and the message was read and received. Here is the grieving daughter’s response to God’s message:

“I want you to know your message is very timely and divine. It feels like God himself is speaking to me.”

The friend replied, “God was speaking to you. He likes to partner with those who take time to listen to his still small voice and then take action—obeying his promptings. God wanted you to know you have been on his mind, and he loves you, cares for you, and knows what you are going through. He wanted to wrap you up in his favorite comforter, the Holy Spirit”

It’s essential to be an agent of God, a messenger for those who struggle to hear his voice for themselves due to a number of potential reasons. It does take time to receive the message and then transmit it to the individual. But then go the extra mile to ensure the message was received and opened. Just like sending “registered mail.”

Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!
1 Peter 4:10-11 (MSG)

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

We’re Going to Need Another Angel

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

With the blessing of April getting a new job that God is using to meet our financial needs comes a new path home. A much busier, longer, and more opportunities to encounter distracted drivers path. Although driving her to the employer at 4 AM is a bit safer with fewer drivers on the road, some reckless drivers are still out there.

A few days into our new thrill ride, we encountered a busy interchange. As I maneuvered into the cloverleaf while dogging cars entering the highway, I was almost rear-ended by someone going way too fast, considering the number of vehicles, short ramp, and rapidly slowing traffic. I was fearful as I watched the speeding car approach. I just knew they would hit us, but they didn’t. My heart raced as I thought that was close!

The next day, in the same spot in our travel, it happened again, but this time the car speeding toward the back of ours seemed to be guided by a laser determined to cause mass destruction. I cried out in horror as I watched in the rear-view mirror, “Oh God!” There was a look of sheer fear on the face of the driver as he dropped his phone and stood up on the brake pedal. I knew today we wouldn’t survive with a “close call.”

But then, at the point of impact, I watched as the driver moved forward in his car as if he had hit a wall, but there was no direct strike to the back of our car. I continued to look in the mirror as we made our way around the leaf and onto the intersecting highway. I was bewildered, trying to figure out how in the world we were not struck.

The only “satisfying” answer I could come up with is this; it wasn’t anything in our world but out of this world. Yeah, I believe an angel positioned himself between the back of my car and the other car. But the impact on that angel had to be so devastating that I could only imagine he was killed in the line of duty protecting April and me from harm. Or better yet, keeping us from the interruption of having to get our car fixed or replaced.

I was humbled and appreciative of God’s hand of protection upon our lives and the things, like the car that He provides to help us in our daily lives. The next day, I prayed over our commute, pleading the blood of Jesus over us and taking dominion over that spot on the highway. Declaring out loud that any demons of destruction had to go in the name of Jesus and that no harm to our lives or property could come upon us.

I am convinced that God’s hand protects us more than we know. Yes, I saw this angel do his job, but more than not, we don’t. Only when we get to heaven will we see God’s love in action for those who call him “Father.”

No, I don’t honestly believe the angel died, and there is currently a job opening in heaven, but I do know that Jesus died on a cross for us so that this relationship with the awesome loving God could be possible.

9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone. Psalms 91:9-12 (NKJV)

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.