I love that old song by The Scorpions from 1990.  I can almost hear the whistling now, can you?  It reflected a very real set of changes I was facing at that time. Leaving high school, deciding on college or the workforce, career path, finding a girlfriend (my wife can attest to that one) and the list can go on.  
 
Change.

It it inevitable, it is often for the best, and it can be difficult to deal with at the beginning, yet it doesn't have to be scary. Change really, is just moving from one place to another - emotionally, spiritually, or physically.  It's the moving part that is the hardest to cope with from my perspective.  Fear of the unknown is one of humanity's greatest obstacles to overcome.  What exactly is waiting around the comer?  Will I lose what I have?  Will my new situation afford me the same luxury I've grown accustomed to?  

Ah... I think I've hit a nerve!  The comfort factor.  Yes, we are creatures of comfort and really do not like to be disturbed. I can understand that, especially when it's cold outside, and that thick, warm comforter is telling you to stay put.  But what if we never moved from our current location and just decided to stay in bed?  Besides obviously making an eventual mess of your bed and yourself, there would be no warm shower, no smiles from the outside world to greet you, ......no leaving high school, no finding your career, and no finding your soulmate.  

Change is not always comfortable at first, but you will adapt - until the next set of changes comes along.

Can you hear the winds of change calling your name?  

JZ

​What a warm summer it has been. 
Lots of heat and sun with buckets of swampy, thick humidity.  Gallons of iced tea and sitting by the pool was the plan of action for many.  But change is coming.  Change as in the shorter days, which have already started, along with cooler nights the first sighting of light, fall jackets.  The air will soon have a crisp, but gentle bite that lets us know we are still among the living, evidenced by frosty breath and chilly fingers. 
In one way, it will be nice to break out the heavier clothes and feel the warmth of a soft, flannel shirt, on a cold and dark morning.  But yet, I doubt many of are looking forward to scraping car windows when we are already late for work or getting the kids off to school.  Not much fun at all.  So what to do?
Nothing.
There isn’t much we can do to change the seasons by our own accord or make the summer last forever.  So it is with life I suppose.  There are seasons of warm sun and there are seemingly endless days of cold winter.  But remember, those days won’t last forever.   Perhaps we should just soak in what makes each season so special and be thankful for the place we are presently at?  Who knows, it make to heat more bearable and the cold more tolerable? 
Just a random thought from a guy fanning himself as he writes this piece.  Please excuse me while a grab a glass of iced tea.
JJZ

Uncle Rico Kip, I reckon... you know a lot about... cyberspace? You ever come across anything... like time travel?
Kip Easy, I've already looked into it for myself.
Uncle Rico Right on... right on.
You may recognize that familiar dialogue from the hit movie Napoleon Dynamite.   I still never tire of watching that movie for some reason?  Maybe I can relate to Uncle Rico looking to go back in time - looking to re-write history , or so he believes.
For many of us if given the opportunity, I think we'd take that chance to redo things, to fix mistakes, or to mend broken relationships.  The good news is that we don't really need a time machine to do those things.  If you are reading this, then the opportunity is yours for the taking.  Go fix a mistake.  Re-create an opportunity you may have missed out on.  Fix that relationship with an old friend before its really too late.  The good news is that you and I still have time to work with.  Make the most of it!
Now if I can only find my nunchucks and bow staff. 
JZ

As I reflected on the death of Jesus this Easter season, my focus was drawn to the two criminals who hung next to Christ while he was on the cross.  Two different people, yet ultimately the same; thieves, convicted criminals, condemned to death – sinners. 

What separates one from the other is a matter of the heart.  The one criminal hurled insults and mocked Jesus asking him to get them down from the cross.  A jailbreak if you will.  And what if that man were to be freed from his cross?  Would he repent, change his ways, and give up his life of crime?  Most likely he would continue down the same path, only to be eventually brought to the same bloody cross in the future.  His heart was riddled with arrogance, deceit, and treachery.  An unrepentant heart.

The other man, also a thief, also sentenced to death, had a different perspective on his pitiful circumstances.  Realizing he did indeed deserve what was happening to him, and that Jesus was innocent of his crimes, scolded the other man for speaking to Jesus in such an insulting way.  Realizing he had nothing to lose and possibly everything to gain, he simply asks Jesus to remember him when he enters his kingdom.  This man’s heart was broken, sincere, and most of all humbled.  A repentant heart.  Jesus of course, tells this man that he would be with him forever more. 

The book of Jeremiah in chapter seventeen, verse nine says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?”  It seems only one can truly understand matters of the heart – none other than the one who created the everlasting human soul - the mender of broken hearts – Jesus.  The cure itself for the deceitful heart is love, humility, and forgiveness – everything Jesus truly represented and still represents today. 

If you were asked to choose one of the criminals that hung beside Jesus on that horrific and beautiful afternoon, and offer that man a chance to go back in time to redo any part of his life, who might you select?  The answer might just be a matter of the heart.
JZ

Where does salvation lie? 
Is it found in ancient scripts or is it locked inside the vault of our hearts?
What is the cost of salvation?  If there is a cost, does it come at the expense of our freedom, or is freedom gained through salvation?
To have need of salvation means that someone needs to be saved from something.  So what then, do we need to be saved from?  A habit, a disease, death – ourselves?
Further, when does the moment of salvation occur?  Is it a ritualistic phrase uttered at a moment of decision or is salvation a gradual process that evolves throughout an entire lifetime?   
These are some of the questions I ponder in my new book, tentatively titled, The Third Chamber.  It’s still being written, but I like where it’s headed and I think it will push the boundaries of what traditional Christianity defines as being “saved.” 
My new book will still invoke the speculative elements of the paranormal and supernatural, but this time around it will center on two souls destined to be together, yet separated by an un-crossable chasm. 
Is love defined by salvation or is salvation the result of love?
I’ll save more details for another time!

For this post I thought I'd share a very short story of mine.  For those who've read it, they've told me it touched their soul.  I hope it does the same for yours.  Enjoy.


Snow Angel
Quarter-sized snowflakes landed carelessly across a crisp blanket of snow that morning.  While the cold but still air felt undoubtedly like winter, it seemed to hold the slightest hint that Spring was not too far in the future.  It was a typical Saturday in early February that awakened fresh memories of a not too distant past. 
He trampled the unbroken sheet of white and made his way up the slight hill to where she lay.  The sleepy sun cast long shadows against the tomb stones and head markers in the distance.  Everything about this place told him to remain quiet, yet he wanted to scream.
So he did – then he laughed, and finally cried.
Her marker stood as a memorial, but to what – a life that never had a chance to begin – a rose that’s taken before its petals are unfurled?  It seemed beyond the point for questions but not out of the realm of reason to ask them.  He knew he’d see his daughter again someday, but standing there very much alone that morning, he needed something more than a promise.
As the sun rose higher, the snowflakes began to wane and finally disappeared giving way to a small, chilly breeze.  He tucked his hands in the deep pockets of his jacket and buried his beard into his chest.  His right hand tightened around a folded piece of paper which felt oddly familiar.  Realizing it was a photograph, he brought it to his chest, keeping it folded.  The pictures in his mind were much clearer and required little effort to open. Closing his eyes tightly, the tears still came but dried quickly against the cold air and a steady stream of sunshine.
He let out a sigh and turned to leave but something bid him to stay.  Whether acting on impulse or simply obeying the still, small voice that spoke to him that morning, he fell to the ground and lay on his back.  He grinned, then laughed out loud while wildly flailing his arms and legs.
“I’ve made an angel for my angel,” he said to himself.
A sudden burst of wind caught him unaware and he shuddered a bit as he caught his breath.  Rising to his feet, he brushed away the icy pellets that clung to his jacket and tucked the photograph into his chest pocket.  As he slowly turned to say goodbye, the sun hid bashfully behind a large, white cloud – the air stood strangely calm and gave some indication of what he would see.
A small snow angel lay nestled next to his.

JJZ

Cleaning their rooms - alas!  Such a hard and laborious task.  Perhaps for children around the ages of four and seven I suppose that may be true.  Anyone who has kids knows how hard it can be to get them to clean their rooms.  And by "clean" we simply mean picking up their toys.  Why is so hard to get kids to clean up after themselves?  Too many other things to do, like making a mess in another part of the house.  But I digress, the chore must be done and someone must do it.  That usually means me or my wife putting doll's clothes and marbles into their respective and temporary homes.  

So....I've decided to try an experiment.  I purchased for each one of my children a toy that has been in dire want for some time and am holding it "hostage," so to speak.  Once each of their rooms have been kept clean for a yet undetermined time, each child will receive their long overdue and much anticipated toy.  I'll let you know how it pans out.

Motivation.  It's what moves us.  It's why we do what we do.  For some on this planet that working more hours at their job for more money to buy a a new and bigger house.  For others, it could mean finding a dry spot underneath an overpass to stay alive for the night.  

What's your driving force?  Why do you do what you do every day?  Is there a shiny new toy waiting for you, just out of reach? Or are you spending your days kicking around the same old toys that have been lying on your floor for years?

In either case, is it your motivation, or lack thereof that keeps you coming back?  I'd be interested to know.
JJZ

Isn't it amazing how one element out of its designed environment,  can affect a much larger, complex moving organism?  
A nail.  
Yes a nail.
As I stood watching the repair technician remove the nail from my tire, it occurred to me that I was stuck - going nowhere.  At least not until the repairman patched and sealed the hole and put the wheel back on the truck.  Then I'd be back on my merry way.  But not before a piece of pointed metal, not even an inch long disrupted my day, and threw my plans out the window.  Despite the best efforts of a nearly 5000 pound truck and a powerful motor to get me where I was going, I was at the mercy of something tiny by comparison.  
One little nail.
It made made think about the powers of darkness and their best laid plans.  Plans for the destruction of God incarnate, Jesus Christ and their perceivable victory of death, hell and the grave over mankind.  But something went terribly wrong for the armies of evil that crucifixion day.  Despite their best efforts, a humiliating defeat was inevitable for the race of darkness, beaten at their own brutal game.
I think upon a tired and weary hand carelessly thrown across a wooden beam, blood pouring from a deep and painful wound and...
One Little Nail.

JZ

Spring is finally here despite the lingering effects of a stubborn winter.  With warmer temperatures slowly edging into our days and that smell of the earth awakening from a long slumber, I can't help but think of new beginnings.  Where the road ends just means that there is simply a new path that needs to be forged.  Whether it be paved or not, we must continue to walk toward our new destination.  

"Where is that," you may ask?

"I don't know, "I 'll answer quite frankly.

But isn't that the fun part of life?  Going on to new, uncharted territories, discovering new ideas, dreams, goals and whatever else we find along the way - guided by sunlight during our days and the endless stars by night?   Yes, Heaven will be watching over you as travel. You'll never walk alone.  

So, are you ready to go forward?  If not, that empty road behind you will always be waiting.

JJZ

The fresh, icy breath of a new year has arrived and with it the many hopes, dreams, aspirations, and challenges that typically are born with a new awakening.  I use the word "awakening" because to me a new year is similar to arising from a long, deep sleep.  Perhaps a little groggy at first, and maybe we need to wipe away the old sleep from our eyes, but we eventually become fully aware that a new day has arrived.  The shards of light trying to break through the blinds, remind us that we have appointments, obligations, responsibilities, and commitments that must be dealt with as well - some good and maybe some not so good.  But also, they remind us that we can try new things, do things better, and travel down a path we've never trod before.

The interesting thing to me is that our new inspirations and plans directly intersect with our daily "chores" for lack of a better term.  Its is at that crossing point that we sometimes find the futile results of our labor.  The important and good things (God, family, friends, etc.) seem to consume our time and eventually our desires and ambitions wane like the setting sun.  We (me) then blame the clock on the wall for not having enough numbers.  

So therein lies the dilemma.  How do find the time (and strength) to do both?  That is a question I will try to answer in 2015.  Perhaps in realigning my goals with my obligations so that they are on a more parallel path?  Maybe better time management?  I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.  

I do find one verse from Philippians that says "I can do all things through him who gives me strength."  I think the key word to that passage is identifying who the "him" really is and could be.  Should be an interesting year.

JZ