How do you choose to live life? Out loud, in relative obscurity or just a normal life accepting whatever comes your way? It's all good unless the out loud is all about how good you are, how many great things you have accomplished and how much you have.

Personally, after years of wavering through all three of those phases, some lingering more than others, I chose a path several years ago of Living Large. It's really all about Step Twelve of the Alcoholics Anonymous program: Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps. we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

There's 3 large things there: I found God and who he is, and he's a big, big God, way larger than I could ever imagine. Then I wanted to tell everybody about him and go to heaven taking as many as I could with me.  And I realized that to do this I had to live like I meant what my faith was - I had to practice living a large life with the humility that my leader Jesus showed while he was here. What was that?

Philippians 2 tells us: Your attitude should be the same as his, he didn't consider equality with God something to be grasped, instead he made himself nothing. and then he humbled himself. He became the ultimate, most quoted, most admired, most talked about figure in mankind's existence, he was the true definition of someone living large because of his impact on the entire human race..

I can never be him, but I can be like him. When people look at me I want them to say, that's what Jesus would do. That's living large but at the same time making it about you not about me!

Like He would have done!

During my years of addiction there were many times where I bailed on commitments, avoided when I should have completed and generally was lackadaisical in keeping my word. This was all about my selfishness and self centered attitude that if I said yes and then said no it was always acceptable.

Of course there are always extenuating circumstances that change our commitments, but when it comes to the very important ones we have to ensure our stick to it attitude sticks. Like our faith, and our subsequent desire to find recovery from addiction or other recurring sins we are dealing with.

In Mark 4:35-41 Jesus gives us a great lesson in this.  Going over to the other side of the lake in the boat with his disciples they encounter a storm (in our case something so difficult we can't keep our commitment), and they find him sleeping while the storm batters the boat (our life). They ask him a question, Teacher don't you care if we drown?

In those situations we either don't consult God or keep asking for guidance and he doesn't answer. We forget several things as the disciples did. Jesus said Let's go over to the other side.  First, that implies they will get there, no storm will stop the arrival, they forgot his power. Next he taught a lesson of faith, in other words, stay in the boat don't bail out, you may get wet and battered but staying in the boat gets you through it, faith is the key. As he said Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?

The one who can stop the wind, calm the waves of daily troubles can do anything, but sometimes the lesson is simple, have the faith to believe that if we commit our lives to God he will do what he says he will do - we will get to the other side. It may be tough, it may require selflessness, but when we feel like bailing:

Stay In The Boat!

Yesterday two people asked me to take a picture with them. Saturday I got to take a picture with my new Great Granddaughter. It got me thinking about what matters in life. Certainly there are many things we can think of, but my question is what really matters in our relationship with other human beings?

One of those pictures was with a person I recently met who was referred to me by one of our Board members who also preaches at the Great Awareness Church at ATB. The woman in the picture's name is Amanda, and she is a connector,  Podcaster and strategist.  She is a strong Christian woman who has some incredible ideas. She can help ATB.

Another is my first female great grandchild Bellezza (Belle). She is my 5th, but the first for my grandson Logan and his wife Liz. As I watched the interaction with her Dad I thought back to when I used to take him to the movies, take him around on the riding lawnmower with me, go to the baseball and football games with him, and when I used to read him bedtime stories. Belle can help me love my family better.

Then the third is with a man whose name I don't know yet who I just met yesterday. He came up to me after a meeting and asked to take a picture with me. Don't know all the reasons why but I know he was touched by my message Reckless Love God's Way.  We are in different places, much different ages and different colors, but we are brothers loving the same God. This man whose name I will get to know will help me love others.

My point is that every person we come in contact with provides a value to our lives to teach us what does matter. Family, Friendship, Influence, it all carries a weight of presence to us but we tend to rate it by importance. How often do we overlook the simple encounters when in fact they are God moments to strengthen our faith and encourage someone else who has been under valued? 

Every person we encounter matters. Ask Jesus about the Canaanite woman, the paralyzed man on the mat, the woman caught in adultery, the wild man running around cutting himself, the woman at the well - these are just a few who he validated by his presence and healing.

We are certainly not Jesus, but we can always act like we know him. That matters!

I remember. It was 47 years ago that I came to Atlanta from Washington DC where I was born. Struggling with addiction, pending divorce from someone who really loved me, leaving three beautiful children behind,  and full of PTSD, addiction, anger and uncertainty I arrived lost and alone.

This Friday I embark on a journey to return to visit my two remaining sons, one of whom is struggling with recovery from cancer. The 9 hour trip in my truck will certainly bring back many memories and allow time for thought and reflection. In the years since coming to the ATL miraculous things have happened and I am praying that would also happen to my son in his recovery.

What I know is that God uses every situation, every tragedy, every triumph to school us on who he is and what he wants us to do. Micah 6:8 relates that feeling directly to us:

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God!

These instructions seem so simple but they take cultivating to put into action. 47 years of a roller coaster ride that pulled into God's station of life seemed like a second lifetime for me and it has taught me what is important, and it most certainly isn't my accomplishments, my possessions or my intelligence.

Family, Children, Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren, Friends, all these fall just below a relationship with the Lord but right into the wheelhouse of his will, they mean everything, they are to be treasured and nurtured so that future generations reflect those words in Micah that we should try to live.

I haven't always lived up to that standard but every day I have left on planet earth is another opportunity to get it right. Thank God he has never given up on me and that the redemption of Christ paid the price for our own redemption no matter how many times we have missed the mark.

Every day alive we have one more day to do the right thing, and to right the wrong thing from our past.  I am so ready for it because now I am in the stretch run of The Long Way Home!

Nothing is more destructive to our growth and sobriety than hypocrisy, the wearing of masks - particularly masks of false piety. Masks keep us from being straight about who we are, prevent others from seeing us, set up barriers and make true fellowship impossible. (Quote from the Life Recovery Bible)

In the book of Mark it speaks about false piety, and I get that, I see it quite a bit, but I always go back to the scripture about why you see the speck in your brothers eye when you have a plank in your own. In my mind I can't judge others but I can help myself and others see the masks we wear and try to help remove them. I know because I wore one for such a long time.

To be authentic and be really free we need to be real, and choose who we can be really real with. I have a couple of guys that I speak to regularly, one who I have known for more than 25 years. We are truly real with each other there are no holds barred and when I finish talking to them there is a feeling of true freedom.

Knowing that allows me to be better with others, in that when I speak with them also I can be me and say whats on my mind unless it is hurtful to them in a "pious" way. I was that way with someone else recently and I tell you that to this day I feel like it was one of the best series of conversations I have ever had. An expression of faith, love and sincerity poured out from me like a pitcher of sweet tea.

And what I heard back from that person came out the same way, even exposing some of my flaws, but in a sincere and loving way.  The masks came down and the truth came out and it was again, freeing. And I realized that after 41 years of sobriety God has truly transformed my heart. Still got some issues to resolve but now I am me, the one God intended for me to be, the authentic Glenn.

Now, armed with no masks, I can embark on the good ship reality, tossing aside the waves of fantasy, and the storms of hypocrisy, sailing into the wind of freedom. 

Man that feels good, thank you Lord!