The old...passes away!

 "Jacob’s Ladder’ is a weekly Sunday post, and the blog history is at dreliatjacobsladder.blogpost.com

This is a Fellowship of the Spirit. It is not a church construct and incurs neither mission, fund raising, nor religious participation. God desires our participation in all of life, and not via the false gospel of corporate and culture formatted selectiveness. This effort pursues Christian growth as human growth. It completes Social Holiness and moves into Personal Holiness. God wills community for all of us. And Jacob’s Ladder will keep on growing.

2 Cor 5:167, continued…… ‘the old is passing away’

Dearly beloved,

Remember last week? If needed, read it again; lots of good stuff - in a nutshell! And if you have a sense of what newness amounts to, then the question is ‘how do we phase out the old?’ It doesn’t disappear by itself. Indeed, it’s a lifelong process! If we do it right, it keeps getting better. Like an onion, we keep peeling old layers off; and then we keep growing new ones! Quite amazing! So, for me the “I’m old and set in my ways’ and ‘I’m old now it doesn’t matter anymore’ makes little sense. Those notions do not apply. I’ll just keep on being myself and living as I always have. Some things will change. Then you move with the times and your times and adjust accordingly. Instead of varying bits of paper, these days I’ve got everything on a cellphone when I travel. Neat and easy. Life is always changing, and human beings are built to be flexible, so we can do this. just remember…

 

1.do not frame i.e. think of, God’s power as being supportive of earthly goals like property, possessions, wealth, or looks. These are all transitional in this frame. God is not involved in any of them, though many would like us to think otherwise. Do not be misled. They will pass because we are passing through the frame. It begins and it ends, from birth to death. But the limits can change when the Kingdom intervenes. It depends. That is something to adventure into and learn how to manage! You can stretch the frame as needed, not as wanted. As Jesus says, build up treasure in heaven. It will be there for you. The rest you cannot take with you. But manage it well. Better to have enough than to suffer insufficiency. But there are too many reasons for this in our world today and too many people are blamed unfairly for being weak or poor when too many Governments fail to distribute justice and wealth equally. No need to say more. We can see it for what it is. How to fix it is always the struggle, for power controllers don’t give up easily and there is always greed and the desire for wealth involved.

2.control your emotions; they are often the greatest cause of human sorrow; this is about keeping your feelings in balance so they cause no harm. It is doable, but takes discipline and practice. Jesus died for you and bled for you. His blood shed for you is the value of your life. Keep that value. Take care of it. When others fail, they fail. They must deal with their choices and improve on them. Hard at times, but we cause harm to ourselves if we intervene when we should not. Growth comes of itself. But if your helping carries no vested interest, then it can be good. Often this can mean coming across differently, but if you do it well, you can point out a flaw in how an issue is handled without making it personal.

3.Set eradication goals. Some things you can fix first time around, you never really liked them, and succumbed to someone else’s push. Or pull. Others may be more difficult. Then you have to work at them incrementally. Just be consistent, it does not matter how long it takes you, as everyone is different. But all habits can be managed. It is always a matter of exercising your will. Great opportunity to practice strength of will, a critical key to every good thing happening in your life. Work at it.

4. Do your hard thinking over issues that you have too easily accepted as ‘the new norm’, another trick of the world in deceiving us! Read Jim Wallis’ False White Gospel. It’s important. Culture influences religious thinking in more ways than we realize. We need to separate ourselves from that to find the real essentials. Think about scripture like ‘wives should be submissive to husbands’ and ask yourself if it makes any sense at all today. We are not hunters and gatherers anymore. K and I max our joint ability. Think about single mothers and ask why there are so few single fathers! Obvious, isn’t it? Nah, there’s a lot in the Bible that we have to figure out, and God has given us both the intelligence and the strength of will to realize what is just and what is fair; and we have the strength of will to make the needed adjustments. The time for non-involvement is past, and we must work to make a better world and a better life for our children and our children’s children. Instead of listening to idiots talking about TFR like women are a bunch of cows. Honestly! Cows would be offended!

5. Work on the body temple. Change diets. Cut the oil, the carbs, the fast food, the processed food. Freak out once in a while, with durians, big breakfasts and the like. Teach the children. They’ll thank you when there is no diabetes, no weight issues that strain bone structure, and the engine is running smoothly because its well cared for. Be wary of oversimplified answers, like ‘it’s in your genes so you’re stuck with it’. Nope. Medicine is limited. Has always been. But within those limits a lot can be done if you’re working with it and doing your part. Use it well. Don’t rely on it. It does not have the answers by a long shot.

6. Be kind to yourself. Your conscience is not your enemy but a God given ally. Never waste time on guilt. Fix the cause. Be flexible, be fluid. Fixed attitudes kill creativity. There are very few ‘musts’ in our world, not counting the uncountable idiosyncrasies we impose upon ourselves. Be free of them. The stars still belong to everyone. Allow Lent to shape the rest of your year, dump the stuff that’s a waste of time and energy.

7.Everyone likes to say ‘time flies’ but it does not. It moves steadily, slowly, incrementally; it is the turtle in all our lives. And it almost always wins the race. If we realize this is not a race, we win. Remember Jesus and Mary and Martha at Lazarus’ house. One is listening, the other is busy doing this, that and the other. No end is in sight, just frustration. Finally, a complaint; and Jesus says, ah but you know, she chose the best part; no one is constraining you. Choose wisely. Discover new ability of will, new energy and power, new life In Jesus. It is here. And it waits for you. But it comes out of a combo that you must learn to live with and use. Treat everyday as a gift, and you yourself as you are, a being that is precious in the sight of the Lord. Walk accordingly. Grace and peace in Jesus unto thee and thy household. G.

 

The Newness of the Kingdom

 

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, they are the beginning of a new creation; the old is passing away; behold, the new begins..

And from 1 Cor 5..

Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. And a Happy Chinese New Year to all of my Chinese friends and relatives!

( posting time shifts and divides into Sat/Sun for this weekend because I am on Pacific time and am traveling Sunday morning!)

Dearly beloved,

When we speak of newness, or of a new experience, most of the time it belongs to an experienced order, framework, or it reflects a current understanding of what it means to be alive and experience newness in some way, shape or form.  It’s not new, other than that it is new to us.

But the new creation that this vs speaks of refers to a true ‘paradigm shift’ i.e. when that phrase is used correctly.  An anomaly occurs which no longer fits the existing definitions so the experience does not fit the current framework of understanding. We have to recalibrate in order to get the new understanding and experience correct. We spoke a little about this last week and the week before.  Mind is always in the middle. But now, in Christ, the physical and the spiritual aspects of what it means to be human are flipped over! Newness in Christ brings the spirit of God into our lives. Nothing stays the same. Instead, our potential for realizing Gods understanding of what it means to be human now begins to kick in. If it does not, then we have gotten off to a wrong start and are not yet in the new creation phase. We might need a restart! Or a planned relational kick-start! It depends.

The dimensional reality of the Kingdom of God can become increasingly real in our experience with each passing day. What happened with Elijah when he moved from place to place effortlessly? We do not know. Scripture seems to indicate that the Lord God moved him as needed. Ask, where did Jesus go to, each time he disappeared, in post-Resurrection incidents? How could he move through a wall, and still be touchable? Shades  of Star Trek and beam me up Scotty? Matter that is disassembled, and then reassembled at will.  

The Kingdom of God is an inter-dimensional experience. It is NOT the remaking of human society into the ‘Kingdom of God’ on earth. That claim has never been validated. The Kingdom is never of talk, but talk with action and life-changing power alongside! That is the true meaning of The Word of God. God speaks, and a thing happens. Movement of creative sound that makes a thing become. Remember again what was said to Moses – I cause to be that which I cause to be. The Kingdom is not of this earth. Remember what Jesus said to the question of are you a King? His reply – my Kingdom is not of this earth.

But it does mean that human society can learn that this life is the precursor of life in the Kingdom and that such a precursor begins now, even here. This carries with it an understanding of the finite, transient limits (not limitations) of our physical life. It is why I have always lived as though this very day might be my last. It carries a different attitude, a different expectation of that which can happen, and that which is to come. It is a You don’t have to wait until you die to find out what the Kingdom of God is like. It is also in the here and now. How much of it you may experience depends entirely on us – on how we choose what we choose. And how we live accordingly with our choices. When God says walk before me and be ye perfect it means that in my being with you, you will find your true perfectness. It is not, as many have said, that the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ serves as an ideal. It is not an ideal. It is the reality of the Kingdom that may be experienced.

When Jesus said of his disciples actions on the Sabbath, with reference also to David, let them eat corn (or bread, or wheat…) he downplayed both tradition and culture. And both lead us into habit and custom and so create identity. But this is a different newness. Not of the old described as the new. The difference? True spiritual power. It is not gained by words but by action. Correct action in synchronization with the will of God.

And it is a newness in which God’s leadership plays out in our lives, hence the line in the 23^rd Psalm that says ’He leads me in paths of righteousness for his Name’s sake.’ That is exactly how that 1^st section ends.  Again, it is the story of the prodigal son, who was comfortable enough, remembering his father’s love, to head for home when things seemed hopeless. God enables our walk, it is not entirely of our doing. But also of God working with us to achieve His will. Amazing as you watch how God can make a thing happen! But what is key is the degree to which we want to will ourselves to walk with Him in our daily lives.  In a word – our relationship. The closer you are to God, the less you need to say, and the more you are able to do. See this for what it is, in this continuingly sinful world of ours. The more cups of cold water you find yourself giving out, without even having to think about it. God watches, but God also leads. And his leading always brings good ie godliness into the lives of others. It is never self-serving.

Remember also that newness of the spirit into which the God of Jesus leads us is a process for the human condition. It is not like going out and buying a new car. There is no ‘new car’ smell on you the day after you have been baptized.  You are pretty much the same person. It is action oriented. If your will is in synch with God’s will for you, the right action starts to happen and keeps repeating. And with reach repetition it grows stronger, newer, and even more different than before.  Behavioral patterns start to transform. It is the beginning of the Kingdom of God within. It is your link  - of your Spirit with the Spirit of God. The world may hate you, and even persecute you when you are true, but you will prevail because God is not mocked. And the love of God is always victorious in the end.

But as I say, it is a process. And we have allowed ourselves, even in the church, to become so very worldly. We dress up in business suits, or we wear ‘identifying’ vestments, when all we are – are prodigal children who have come home. And who can now rejoice. And celebrate beyond the influence of the world. And our celebration is always of a different kind. 

This is why I keep saying we have no mission, need no money, ask no membership, have no agenda. Ask the hard question – are these things really of the Kingdom? Or are they the result of structures we have created, and hence, as in history, all of the division that ensues whenever we disagree and there is no true Spirit present to show us the truth. We cannot see or hear and so we go separate ways. That is no witness. We  might argue that we are all different, and so this manifests in different ways. Really? Then how come the basic functions are still the same? Jacob’s Ladder is a Fellowship of The Spirit. That is enough. It challenges us to seek the empowering that all Christians must seek. Why?  So that they may go out and be, unconsciously, unthinkingly, the children of the Father! Children know this. That is enough. It is how we behave towards others that convinces them. It is how we behave towards our children that convinces them of whom we are and of the values we carry. We are a witness to them, and in most cases, that is never forgotten. We all know this.

You see, the newness that Jesus brings is the newness of the Kingdom of God. Not some vague ‘mysterium tremendum et fascinans’ but rather of an enabling Father who walks with His children and leads them by the hand. They are loved, protected, challenged to grow beyond themselves, not as shaped by the corporate and institutionally constructed limits of this world, but into becoming spirit beings of strength, wisdom, and power.

Newness is a growing ability, manifest in skill and character. And the good news for the old is that this newness continues. When I was young much of me was sustained by youthful energy. But that is not spiritual in its power. It’s just enthusiasm most of the time! It ages, and slows, as the body ages (its prime functional consciousness is of the body – see?)  and so when you look at older pastors et all, what do you see? I know a few who are exceptions, but they are, as I say, a few. Most get tired… and then retire. Can’t re-tread this tire, can you? Not quite. Newness changes that. You will age, indeed, as I do also. Less hair, eye stuff to deal with, some of it so inevitable. I watch my limits. But beyond these, this is a newness that will continue to remake you, so that as the physical slows some, the spirit keeps renewing mind and body. Find out for yourself. I am satisfied that the God who is both ageless and timeless, brings that to bear upon our relationship with him. Nothing is stopping us. Except the limits we ourselves place on our relationship with God. May the coming time of Lent bring a great newness upon all of us in Jesus; for we are all precious in God’s sight. Find the vs that says that. It’s there. Grace, peace and love to you all. G.

 

 

The Body....a temple.

 

1 Cor 3:16

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

This seems to be a difficult verse, and yet it is not!  it is saying that there is 3rd aspect of the human condition that we need to be aware of! The body is a temple; it houses both mind and spirit; we have some idea of mind, but spirit seems to be difficult to pin down; for the longest time it was spoken of as a ‘matter of the heart’! These days we understand better that the heart is a muscle, the hardest working muscle in the body; it never stops, even when we are asleep.

Our children need to learn these things. Almost doesn’t matter which order you state them in i.e. ie mind, body, spirit.  But balance is the key word. All 3 are God’s gifts to us. We are stewards. Just as mind rules the body, spirit rules the mind. But if we do not use the Spirit, Spirit remains dormant, unused; and we are poorer, because we have not learned how to do all that God knows we are capable of doing, having created us to be able to.

The notion of ‘Temple’ has always referred to a physical place. But that’s religious tradition and custom. This scripture is very different. Here it is one of dimensionality. It is where you are able to separate yourself from the world and its influences as you differentiate and distinguish between mind, body, and spirit.  

Read last week’s post and this one again in the week if you can; reflect; our senses provide essential function; but when we move into the realm of the spirit we are in a kind of extra-sensory place in-between where the earthly sensory functions simply distract. And we need to be focused. In common language, we almost always use ‘spirit’ interchangeably with ‘personality’. But with meditation, as opposed to a talking to God type of prayer, it is being in spirit or spiritual communion with God. No words are needed. This is why Scripture teaches that God is Spirit and that God is light. But, what gets between spirit and mind and body so that our ability to be Godly and our capability to exercise Godly power does not reach and fulfill God given expectations? That is a freedom we each need to discover, beyond the limits of body and mind!

God is Spirit, and God has created us in God’s own image, as spirit beings. Then we are of the mind, and then we are of the body. We have kind of reversed that order, somehow. I guess we chose to. But reversing the order does not help. It hinders the proportionate balance needed.

When you can reduce ordinary sight and sound, then you can focus on extraordinary new sight and new sound. And your adventure of the spirit begins. If there is an issue, the answer will come. The biggest error most of us make where God is concerned is that we fail to realize the incredible degree to which God is a loving tender caring Father to us. Jesus says this again and again. But we’re busy with stuff…..gotta go to church; or spend time in prayer or read the Bible. Sure. All good stuff. But mostly, all that is needed is to walk and live in the Father’s love. Through the loving things you do His love becomes clearer and stronger with each passing day! Quite amazing, really. Just don’t expect to hear the voice of God talking to you. God speaks without speaking. We just think we hear God within our ability to hear.

But whatever it is, it won’t be a thing God does for you as much as God does with you. Your will is a clear part of this. Your conscious decision to always live in the Father’s presence. Your will to make it so – a  part of prayer that still remains so undiscovered! The space between makes time irrelevant. You drift or seem to and it seems long but only a minute has passed. Very strange. God is timeless. Every day, make time, step into your temple of the Spirit. Your spirit. God waits for you.

Remember those 3 blessings we spoke of last week. Think of Galatians 5:14 and righteousness, peace and joy. Think of them, if you will, as a test phase for Lent this year. Find out for yourself.

Inner peace. Certainly a spirit and mind issue. As Jesus says, my peace I give unto you, not as the world gives! We are to be calm, patient, low key. But we will get the point across. Clearly, and with integrity. Never personal, always issue oriented. Let others be loud. No energy wasted on other’s negativity. Quite a goal, really. Learning to speak in their silence. More effective. Genuine concern. Sincerity makes a world of difference in all we try to do everyday. And people know fake smiles vs genuine care.

Energy – certainly a body issue for starters; this is where the spiritual impinges on the mind and the body; We all know the word ‘tired’. But why? What causes ‘tiredness’? Many reasons for sure, but the end result is we are not operating at peak. So we settle for ‘good days’ and ‘bad days’, but these really reflect emotional states. Stay focused on your goals and your objectives, meet them, and keep everything second that should be second. Every day, we will ourselves to do any number of things; this, that or the other. We can build on that easily. We just need to learn how to choose well and make it a matter of will,

Sleep – that meditation time is so critical when it comes to sleep and rest. Why? Because it cuts off all of the extraneous stuff in our lives that we don’t need and that will just plague us anyhow! Sleep is never a matter of quantity as much as a matter of quality. More than time for the body to rest, recuperate, heal etc. Time for the mind and body to shut down for a bit. Time for the Spirit to lead you. What does this mean? For starters, commit to your sleep time the issues that bother you, and then let them go. Some will say ah then the subconscious will begin to work on resolution. More than that, it is the synchronization of your will with Gods will on these things. It takes work.

More to say on these 3 as we go, but one key is important – the cup of cold water you give to the one who needs it, whomever, wherever, whenever. When you do this, the energy of the blessing that comes from God comes right upon you, no time wasted! Unbelievable. It is the Father’s way of showing us that He is always with us and He watches. That’s what it comes down to - that the children of the Father dwell and live in the Father’s love. And He will continue to hold them close. Next week we will turn to what it means to be a new person in Jesus and then we are into Lent and we will move into some challenging possibly confronting work on social holiness and what scripture says about the reform of a nation. Walk with Jesus. Peace, G.

 

Be still, and know....

 

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God.....…

Dearly beloved in Jesus,

This week, we begin to look at this verse in the context of that which says ‘know ye not that ye are the temple of God’ and then go on into newness in Jesus. May you move in uncharted territory.  

It’s not about ‘prayer.’

The church, historically and in present structure, has continued to present prayer as a great form and method of Christian identity and function when it comes to speaking with God and reaching out for what we believe is needed in our lives.  You get on your knees, your hands are clasped, your head is bowed, your eyes are shut, hands stretched out, perhaps. And so forth. If this works for you and you are content, there is no need to read on. You’re all set and it’s where you want to be. Jacob’s Ladder is not about comfort. It is about active, life changing, spiritual ability….. now.

Not for nothing did Jesus give the Lord’s Prayer when he was asked. Short, sharp, and no more. Enough. God is not a vending machine. God does not need our money. But God is loving, merciful, and Father to us all, whomever. Believers and unbelievers. We all have equal opportunity. We will get to prayer and healing in due course. But an example of God’s mercy  – remember the  ‘discussion’ between God and Abraham over the judgement and  destruction of Sodom? Lot, Abraham’s cousin, lived there. If I can find 50 good guys, don’t destroy it ? Ok. What about 40? OK. What about 30? Ok. What about 20……hmmmmm…Ok. Let me open my mouth just once more, please Lord, don’t get mad with me…..what about 10? Hmmm…ok. God is persuadable? Wow! It comes down to childlike asking in the confidence of a Father’s love. Not faith, not belief, but confidence. As when your child comes to you. We all know how that works. Loving parents care for their children. All of them. And the heavenly Father? Much more so.

It’s about meditation.

Whenever Jesus went aside for a bit, it was reported that he was going to pray. So he said the Lord’s Prayer and returned? Doesn’t seem like it. He would go alone, away from discussion, from teaching, from eating and other social things, to be with the Father. So the teaching is …and when you seek the Father, do so alone. Go into your room/quiet space/whatever works - but alone, where you will not be distracted. If indoors is not possible, find an outdoors spot. But you get the idea. No distractions. Why?  Because you must distance yourself from the sensory interactions of this world in order to free your senses to hear and be in touch with God . The stuff your eyes see distracts. The stuff your ears hear distracts. The stuff your mind seems to constantly turn its attention to distracts. So does that itch that must be scratched. You must go beyond these. From the body into the mind. We know this. We all have moments of intense concentration, don’t we? We are so caught up in something that we ‘fail to notice’ other things happening.  Why? Because we have switched off certain sensory aspects of our interactions with the world around us. We are focused, concentrating on the one thing before us. But there's one other element here – we are also relaxed. This is why pre-bedtime often seems best. Just give yourself a headstart timewise.

And to get into it – this ‘stillness’ refers to the stillness of the body, yes; but it is a relaxed effort, not an uncomfortable stiffness; sitting comfortably perhaps in a corner that you can always come back to. Like in your bed! The body-temple is not of the body, not of the mind, but of the spirit. We are intensely body conscious creatures. We are very clear about what body is and how it functions. Not so clear when it comes to mind. And quite ‘vague when it comes to how Spirit functions and operates! And we need to balance these, all of which are God given. Jesus said I stand at the door and knock; open the door and I will come. Seek to make this happen. And it will. Go ‘backwards’ or ‘inside’ i.e. from body to mind to spirit. Detach yourself step by step. It takes discipline and practice. Leave the sensory distractions behind. Not so easy. You will have to single out your distractions and then work on distancing yourself from them, one by one, step by step. And if you suffer from tinnitus, don’t worry about it, it will not stop you. It will actually fade.

Begin by adopting a relaxed position; close yr eyes, ignore whatever ambient sound might be around. Earplugs? Sure, they can help. Either that or find a very relaxing piece of music that you can play at low volume, that will run for about 20 minutes or so. Something that works for you.  For starters, to get away from your body consciousness you will use your mind; then the real challenge comes when you transition from mind to spirit. The body has 2 operating physical eyes that ‘see’ whatever they think they see and the brain works with that; you must now be prepared to ‘see’ beyond these things. Remember, it is God who gives spiritual insight. Such insight is not akin to our usual perspective in vision.

But it is one of the experiences we seek, for with it comes understanding of why people act the way they do, and this helps us navigate the situations around us. The goal is the dimension between the spirit of God and your spirit, starting with the space in-between, which you must navigate.  What will come of it I cannot tell, it depends on how much we want it. As it says, if you seek, you will find. Expect nothing but be consistent. What you need to see, what you need to know, will come. If you would chant, start with a 2 syllable in-out breather, like A-men, or some other 2 syllable phrase that works for you with your breathing.

 Seek the Lord, for having found the Lord all else will fade in value and experience.

If you are persistent, you will find 3 results happening within a fairly short space of time.  You will begin to find inner peace, and it will grow steadily. As Jesus says, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives. Do not let your hearts (yr mind, yr spirit) be troubled. Then, you will find an energy that is not physical but spiritual. There is a difference. Know the difference. This is not a food = energy type thing. Further, physical energy is so tied up with emotion and feeling. Spiritual energy is not. It is true that spiritual energy can impact physical energy, but only as needed. I cannot comment on that. Only God decides that and allows you what you need. It is almost always crisis directed. And finally, you will sleep better.

One of the best reasons to meditate when everything’s done, the day is over, you can put stuff aside and focus on the presence of the Lord, is to prepare to leave this earth in some way, shape, form. Leave aside all of the sensory bombardment that this life dumps on us, and find peace in sleep. And what happens when you sleep?  Your sensory connects cut off. The world goes away. And you are finally free to discover the incredible beauty of the Kingdom, it’s grace, it’s power, it’s different strangeness.   At least, this is what I have found to be true for myself. If I do not experience a thing, I will not speak of it. It becomes theory, and we have no time for such entertainment. I am just inviting you into your own self-discovery.

Worldly interpretations have so much to say about the disadvantages of growing old and how we can assuage this with creams, botox, etc. But all of the people God called, beginning with Abraham, were not young. Age is irrelevant to God and is never a liability, unlike the ‘economic’ perspective of much of this world!  And God’s will enables our individual will. Not intellectual strength. Not physical strength. Learn of the spirit of God. Doors will open. Your mind will cease to wander restlessly. And on that one we have to deal at some point with thought control and the neuroscience of plasticity, which is very sharply applied when Jesus says if you think of doing a thing with desire in your heart it is the same as doing it! Think of the positive side of that! Substitute good will for desire! Not an easy step, but a doable one. It’s the consistent walk that shows results. And that is always incremental. Never mind the sudden miracle wannabe talk.

There is much to be discovered beyond playing at church. Church is more real than most realize. But God is everywhere. You must choose for yourself. As the Lord said, if your eye is filled with light i.e. your spiritual eye, not your physical eyes, then your mind will find that same light, and your body will be filled with such light. Quite different from the games going on now that leave us feeling helpless and hopeless because leadership suffers from a vacuum of integrity. Integrity is goodness and goodness comes from God. Know where we are, avoid folk who have no light in their lives, and know what we must aspire towards in order to take all of this on. Every blessing in Jesus, G.