While Jesus hung on the cross, there were seven phrases he uttered that were remembered in the Biblical gospels. This week, I offer a reflection of these seven phrases. Today, I look at, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)

It’s Easter Sunday 2012. One of Jesus’ final words while he hung on the cross were, “It is finished.” What did he mean by that? The crucifixion was finished? The pain and agony he was suffering was finished? The day was finished?

No. Here is exactly what he meant when he said, “It is finished.”

• Hopelessness is finished
• Eternal death is finished
• Sadness is finished
• Evil is finished
• Pain is finished
• Desperation is finished
• Sacrifices are finished
• Depression is finished
• Longing is finished
• Separation is finished
• Insecurity is finished
• Suffering is finished
• Poverty is finished
• Injustice is finished
• Ugliness is finished
• Debt is finished
• And the list goes on…

While you still may experience these feelings in life, Jesus says you don’t have to because his sacrifice finished them all. He paid the price for all of the negativity you face in life. It’s a matter of giving them to him and believing that he will see you through.

There is hope for everyone because his death gives you life beyond this rock. This place is just a rest stop in our eternal journey and the pain you feel today doesn’t have to define you. He can define you. He can make you beautiful. Your life. Your soul. Your spirit. All beautiful.

May you celebrate the price being paid for your pain, may you celebrate that he has finished all that is bad, and may you go throughout this next year believing and trusting in him to show you the beauty that exists in your life.

Happy Easter!

While Jesus hung on the cross, there were seven phrases he uttered that were remembered in the Biblical gospels. This week, I offer a reflection of these seven phrases. Today, I look at, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

Commitment…such a loose word in our American culture these days. Take work for instance. The baby boomer generation and before believed in finding a good job with a company and staying until retirement. Going 40, 50, or even 60 years with one company was not unheard of and in the end you got a watch and a nice retirement party.

Starting with Generation X and beyond, the average stay for an employee at a job is 4.4 years according to a recent report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With those rates, a person will (on average) work for 10-15 different employers during their adult life. If you are in the resume development or headhunting industry, business must be good for you!

On the religious and church scene, an article  by Time magazine said that 44% of Americans have changed faith at least once. That number is staggering…and that number just represents people who actually go to church, which currently stands at only about 30% of the American population.

Commitment is definitely a lost art in our society, yet the most popular religious figure of all time (Jesus) used one of his final breaths to say, “I commit my spirit.” This was more than just an “I’m coming home” kind of phrase. It was a public reaffirmation of Jesus saying, “I belong to my Father…always have and always will.”

What about you? Do you daily say, “Father, I commit my spirit”? Do you stand at the threshold of life everyday and have a feeling within you that says, “I don’t know what today holds, but I trust in God to see me through it”? Or do you say, “My spirit, my journey, my destiny is in my control”?

It’s been said that the number one time most people finally “commit” to God’s power in their life is when they’re lying on their deathbed. However, there is a higher power in God for your everyday life that promises to guide you, give you wisdom, help you make better choices, and so on. Committing your spirit to God on a daily basis doesn’t allow you to avoid the storms of life, but it does give you shelter during those storms. And when the storms pass, if God has been your shelter, you can learn your lesson, get up, and go on stronger and better than you were before the storm hit.

Commitment doesn’t have to be a scary word. It doesn’t mean you have to become a monk or go serve in a third world country. It just means you are devoting your life to the very one who gave you life in the first place. This Easter, make that commitment of your spirit to God. Let him be your shelter and your guide. Show him just a little appreciation for even giving you the opportunity to live this life and enjoy the beauty it has to offer.

While Jesus hung on the cross, there were seven phrases he uttered that were remembered in the Biblical gospels. This week, I offer a reflection of these seven phrases. Today, I look at, “I thirst.” (John 19:28)

We all crave things in life. On a simple level we may crave pizza, soda, chocolate, etc. On a higher level we may crave success, financial security, acceptance, or love.

It’s easy to get lost in the simpleness of this saying from Jesus while he hung on the cross. I thirst. What did Jesus thirst for? Water? Or perhaps something more that got lost in translation by the roman soldiers?

Recall back to the story of the woman at the well in John chapter 4. In verse 14, Jesus said to the woman, “But whoever drinks of the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Do you see the parallel? Perhaps what Jesus is really thirsty for is his Father. Recall back to one of his previous sayings on the cross when he said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

What this simple two word phrase should do for us is remind us that, while we have cravings, where does our craving for God fall? Where is our craving to end poverty? Where is our craving to stop world hunger? Where is our craving to stop human trafficking? Where is our craving for living a life that is different from the world’s standards; a life of integrity and humility and peace? Are these cravings and all other cravings of God hidden behind our cravings for financial success, external beauty, getting ahead at work, etc.?

I’m not trying to judge because I fall well short in so many categories. But, in one of Jesus’ final breath he said, “I thirst.” Do you thirst?

May you thirst for the things that God sees, may you prioritize your cravings according to God’s heart, and may you feel satisfied and quenched in all you do.

While Jesus hung on the cross, there were seven phrases he uttered that were remembered in the Biblical gospels. This week, I offer a reflection of these seven phrases. Today, I look at, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34)

I remember when I was a kid back in the 80′s, I was watching a show on TV, like a 20/20 or 60 Minutes type show, and they were talking about a recent study that showed the importance of love and acceptance a child must receive from their parents. They even went on to talk about how some kids who had died for no apparent reason, and how the only link they could connect was the fact that their parents didn’t love them.

In February 2010, the Mayo Clinic released a report about the reality of “broken heart syndrome.” It said the heart has a lot of signs of a real heart attack, just without the blockage part, and it is all attributed to situations that fall outside of the norm. You can read the report here if you’re interested.

Most of us can agree that “outside of the norm” when it comes to relationships with our parents or family members means feeling rejected or unloved. There may be fights or many miles that come between family members, but the idea of stone cold rejection does not enter the realm of a “normal” family in regards to our western view of family.

Yet, that is exactly what Jesus felt in this moment. Stone cold rejection. We don’t know if Jesus was hallucinating or seeing things at this point, but we can imagine he was. We can imagine that the sheer physical stress his body has endured, and the emotional toil of the last 24 hours have him at a place that is not of this world. We can imagine that perhaps at this moment he has caught a glimpse of God only to see God with his back turned.

Why would God do this? Why would he turn his back on his only son at this critical point? Why didn’t he send angels to come save the day?

Or, let me ask another question. Have you ever felt like God has turned his back on you? Have you ever felt abandoned by him? Have you ever wondered why he won’t answer your prayers with something, anything?

As a father myself, there are things my kids go through that I just have to turn my back and wait for the end result. For instance, and this pales in comparison with the crucifixion of Jesus, but my kids need root canals. I’ve had a root canal before, and it’s not fun. When my kids go back for their procedure, all I can do in that moment is turn my back and wait for it to be over. Could I do something different to help them avoid the misery of a root canal? Sure I could…I could pull their teeth with my rusty pliers. But, is that what’s best for my kids’ oral health? No. What is best for them is that they endure this momentary suffering so that their future can be better and brighter.

The same is true in Jesus’ case. He prayed the night before to be spared from this event, and no answer. Then, in the moment, he cried out to God and again, no answer. Why? Because God knew that, in spite of the physical and emotional pain, this was the best choice to give humanity a better and brighter future.

Perhaps you’re in a season where you feel like God has abandoned you. Perhaps you are crying out for him to rescue you from this moment and you’re getting no answer.  The truth you need to remember is that there is a better and brighter future that you can’t see right now but he can. He is molding you and preparing you for that future. He is sending you through the fiery trials of life to refine you. Has he turned his back on you? I don’t know. But, has he left you? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. Absolutely not.

May you feel comfort during this lonely season in your life, may you remember that even in the silence God is still there, and may you be open to the shaping going on right now for the better and brighter future that is to come.

While Jesus hung on the cross, there were seven phrases he uttered that were remembered in the Biblical gospels. This week, I offer a reflection of these seven phrases. Today, I look at, “Woman, behold your son; behold your mother.” (John 19:26-27)

It’s been said that the worst pain a parent will ever have to go through is the death of their child, no matter the age. I have been fortunate not to have experienced that. But, we can imagine the immense pain Mary, the mother of Jesus, was feeling as she stood there helplessly watching her son die a cruel death on the cross.

There are many opportunities for misinterpretation of these verses and how they align with what we know about Jesus’ life and family. However, there are two important examples that Jesus showed us that we can take with us.

First, Jesus’ intense love for his mother. Here he is, hands and feet nailed to the cross, thorns buried in his head, the rest of his body unrecognizable from the beating he received earlier, and yet this is the one and only time he acknowledges the pain another person is feeling. I think we all have a tendency to go there in times of crisis. We don’t think about our bills. We don’t think about the work we’re missing. We don’t wonder who won the game last night. But, we do think about those closest to us during times of extreme anguish. My question is, though, why don’t we have that same level of care and concern when things are going good?

Second, Jesus prepares for when he is gone. Jesus didn’t have a lot of material possessions or assets, so he didn’t need a will or anything like that. But, he did want to make sure that his mother was cared for. So, he calls on his dear friend John to assume the responsibility of making sure his mom was going to be okay. If I were to die today, I have no doubt where I will spend eternity, but I also have no clue what will become of what I leave behind. That’s a scary thought. What about you?

In this phrase, Jesus shows us the importance of caring for those that mean the most to us, both in life and in death. Once again, he displays the depth of his love by momentarily putting aside his own pain and anguish and showing concern for his own mother.

How is your relationship with your family? Are there areas you need to show more love and concern? Are there battles you are fighting that you need to be the bigger person and lay down your arms? Do you need to pick up the phone and say “Hello,” or “I’m sorry?” As long as you have air in your lungs, it is never too late to care for the ones you share flesh and blood with.

Easter is symbolic for death and new life. So, may the bad areas of your family relationships die and may a new, healthy relationship be born this week that brings joy, hope, and peace.

While Jesus hung on the cross, there were seven phrases he uttered that were remembered in the Biblical gospels. This week, I offer a reflection of these seven phrases. Today, I look at, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

When Jesus was placed on the cross, there were two guys crucified with him on either side of him. Both were thieves. Why were they there? If it truly was God’s will for Jesus to be crucified, why didn’t he let Christ die alone, thereby highlighting his death? Thinking about all of the details of the cross we do and don’t know, why is this one detail so vivid in the crucifixion story?

The part that these two thieves play in the story is critical, and Jesus knew it. That’s why, even in his dying breath when he’s struggling to get even one word out, he chooses to address the situation.

On one side of Jesus was a thief who was mocking. In fact, what we know of this thief was that he was a hell raiser…probably the kingpin and the alpha male of his little pack. On the other side was a more repentant thief. This guy was probably a loner in his early years, struggled to make friends, got caught up in the wrong crowd, and made some bad choices that led him to this moment.

Knowing the mortality that faced him, the more humble thief turns to Christ and says, “Remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” In his final moments, he begged for forgiveness and mercy.

And Jesus’ response? “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

(As a side note, this is an interesting twist…normally, when someone was hung on a cross it took them several days to die…how is it that Jesus would say, “Today…” Was he just delirious? Did this prove his claim of being God? Who knows, but let that stir around in your thinker for a while.)

Anyway, the thieves being a part of the crucifixion story was about so much more than just coincidence. Today, when we read this part of the story, it should give us two glimpses of our own reality:

1. We never know when our final breath will come.

2. It’s never too late or the wrong time to run to God.

Perhaps this story was played out just recently with someone who changed the world as we know it. When Steve Jobs passed away on October 5, 2011, his family said some of his final words were, “OH WOW! OH WOW! OH WOW!” Was Steve experiencing a vision of Heaven? A vision of God? Did he ask to be remembered in the Kingdom? Oh, I don’t know, but I can only hope.

This Holy Week is a reminder for us that God is waiting for us to run into his Kingdom. He sits with open arms and says, “I don’t care what you did…today you will be with me in paradise.” They key, though…the most important part…is that we take the heart of the humble thief and simply. Ask.

May you not wait until your final breath to run to God, may you call out to Him in your everyday joys and struggles, and may you live with a sense of peace and awe that this earth is just a rest stop on our eternal journey.

While Jesus hung on the cross, there were seven phrases he uttered that were remembered in the Biblical gospels. This week, I offer a reflection of these seven phrases…starting with, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

This phrase was a fulfillment of the prophecy made in Isaiah 53:12, “He made intercession for the transgressors.” In that moment, Jesus was asking God to forgive those who were putting him to death. Even more, he was pleading for God to forgive the people of Jerusalem who, just 5 days earlier hailed his arrival in the city and even threw a parade for him when he entered.

His trial was tainted and he knew it. He didn’t speak much, even when asked if the accusations against him were true. He knew that the very people who welcomed him 5 days earlier and were now calling for his crucifixion didn’t have a clue what they were doing. He knew they were out of their mind.

The ironic twist, though, is that Jesus knew EXACTLY what was happening. He knew this was how his life was supposed to play out. He knew he would be crucified by the very hands that praised him.

As I think about my life and this world today, I can still hear that cry from Jesus ringing in my ears. “Father, forgive Jason because he doesn’t know what he’s doing.” “Father, forgive America because they don’t know what they’re doing.” “Father, forgive the world, and keep forgiving the world, because they don’t know what they’re doing.”

There are many times in life I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. In business, as a father, with my finances, the list goes on. I like to consider those moments as “building the plane in flight.” Imagine if you boarded a plane and the captain came over the loud speaker and said, “Folks, don’t mind the mechanics outside of our plane during our flight as they attach the final wing.” Well, sometimes that’s what my life is like and I react and make bone headed decisions.

Many times that’s where we all mess up is in the “reaction” phase of the unexpected. Sometimes we get it right, and other times we blow it. The peace I live with, and the peace I hope you live with, is the subtle whisper I hear in my ear 2,000 years later of Jesus saying, “Father, forgive him, because he doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

And this measure of forgiveness is the central message of the life of Christ. Love him or hate him, believe him or deny him, he still offers forgiveness and second chances. You will react with boneheaded decisions many more times in life, but you don’t have to carry the burden of that guilt with you anymore, because every time Jesus turns to his Dad and says, “Forgive them.”

May you reflect on the forgiveness you receive everyday, may you learn from your mistakes and never make them again, and may you walk with the peace of a guilt free life.

According to the old proverb, “The shoemaker’s children always go without shoes.”

I can’t believe how blessed I have been to be able to start my own business and actually make enough money to pay my bills. As I have moved through this journey, I have realized that there is such a huge market for the type of service I provide. In fact, the opportunity is so great that I sometimes feel like a kid in a toy store on Christmas Eve. Having options on the kind of work you will accept is a pretty cool feeling.

With all of this opportunity, though, comes a daily decision that I am forced to make. Do I allow my company to go without shoes or not?

Let me spell it out in plain english…there is so much work and so many clients that I don’t even have the time to tend to the needs of my business. This frustrates the hell out of me. It keeps me up some nights and at times paralyzes me in fear that one day my business will collapse if I don’t address this issue. At some point, I am going to have to spend time on the innards of my business so that the outtards can expand and grow. Here are some examples:

• I need a website, but I don’t have time to build a website.
• I need to develop a business plan and strategy, but I don’t have the skills to do that correctly (I’m an artist trying to figure this whole business thing out).
• I need to manage my books and make sure my invoices and bills get paid, but I don’t have the time to devote to it daily and things pile up.
• I need to market the business to drive in new business, but I’m too busy dealing with the current clients I already have to even find new clients.
• I need to manage my social networks better, get business cards made, get involved in local business networks and events, join organizations, and all that stuff that builds relationships with people, but there just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day.

The catch 22 is that I need help, but I don’t currently have the resources, but I know that if I had the right person helping me I would draw in more business, thus providing the resources, and in turn starting the cycle all over again.

This business is my baby. I’ve seen the dream I had within me birth and now it’s in the infant stage, then eventually it will start toddling, then driving, then hopefully one day it will be mature enough that I can hand it off and retire on some private island with the love of my life and not a care in the world. I have dreams of growing this baby into something beyond what I can envision right now, but it seems as though it’s wanting to grow a little faster than I anticipated. While that’s cool in some regards, I feel like I’m stuck in that “in between” stage right now and I’m left feeling like the shoemaker’s child.

I’m not quite sure what the answer is, but I’m ready for it to come. I am humbled so far that things have turned out the way they have. I always believed in my dream, but I never thought it could be this good. Life is good. God is good.

I remember as a kid, when you found a penny on the ground, you weren’t supposed to touch it if it was tails up because that was bad luck. You could only pick it up if it was heads up. Do you remember that?

Finding pennies has become a daily opportunity for me. Almost like a game. Not pennies on the ground, but pennies in my overall spending habits.

It’s funny how I used to consider myself a coffee snob and would only drink the premium priced coffee, and then the other day I got so excited because I bought a huge tub of Maxwell House coffee for about 8 bucks. I didn’t get excited because I bought Maxwell House because quite frankly Maxwell House is not so good to the last drop…but, it’ll do. I got excited because (according to the tub) I will get about 270 cups of coffee for about 8 bucks. That comes out to about 3 cents for each fluid cup of coffee. Three pennies. I normally drink a half a pot every day, which is 6 fluid cups and about 2 coffee mugs worth of coffee for me. That comes out to costing me about 9 cents for every mug of coffee I drink. Nine pennies. Compared to $2 for a small cup of coffee from Starbucks. With each cup of coffee I drink that I make in my home, I find 191 pennies.

I also like sweet tea. The other day, I bought a box of iced tea bags. I paid about $3 for 100 tea bags. That comes out to about 3 pennies for each tea bag. I use 2 tea bags to brew one pitcher of tea…6 pennies for each pitcher. Each pitcher gives me about 6 tall glasses of sweet tea…1 penny for each tall glass of sweet tea…add in the cost for sugar and water and I’m probably paying about 2-3 cents for each glass of sweet tea. Yet, I go to a restaurant and pay about $2 for a glass of sweet tea. With each cup of sweet tea I drink in my home, I find about 197 pennies.

Fifty pennies off of a Redbox DVD rental with a code they send me. Fifteen pennies per gallon off of my next gas fill up because I shop at Winn Dixie and get the Fuel Perks. Who knows how many pennies I find by not running my home air conditioner as much.

I don’t consider myself a cheapskate. This isn’t even about not having enough money to enjoy the finer things in life. It’s about a respect for money and a desire to not let it spin my life out of control ever again. As gas prices continue to rise causing everything else to cost more, I see my drive to finding pennies becoming stronger. One of these days I will be completely debt free and pennies will have an even greater value for me.

What are some areas in your life where you’re finding pennies? Are you valuing them more now than ever before? Or, are you passing them over?

I’ve never been without health insurance my entire life until recently. It doesn’t really scare me, but that’s because today I don’t have to go to the doctor or the hospital for anything. But, I realize that every time I get behind the wheel of my car I face a huge risk. It’s funny how people say, “drive safe.” Honestly, I am a safe driver…it’s everyone else around me that doesn’t realize the time bomb I’m sitting on.

I have my opinions about the healthcare system in America. I don’t blame Obamacare, because I believe the system has been broken for a long time.

Why is it that I can go to an American hospital and pay up to $70,000 a pop for a back surgery, but I can get the same back surgery outside of America for around $5,000? Are the drugs really that much better in America? Are the utensils that much cleaner in America? Are the doctors that much more educated in America? I don’t know the real answer to that, but my guess is NO. I don’t see anymore disabled people in other countries with bad backs because of botched surgeries than I do in America.

It comes down to the health insurance companies. They are the reason healthcare is so incredibly expensive. It’s a modern day monopoly going on in that industry. THEY decide who gets coverage and who doesn’t. THEY decide how much a procedure is going to cost. THEY decide whether or not they are going to pay for the procedures and treatment.

And yet, here I sit uninsured because of a bad back that was taken care of almost 4 years ago, and a congenital heart and brain defect that are asymptomatic and will more than likely not require surgery in my lifetime. In fact, chances are I’ll need health insurance because of a stray bullet being shot in the air on the 4th of July at a community picnic while riding a three hump camel more than I’ll need it because of my birth defects.

Honestly, I’m not a fan of getting insurance, but I know it’s what I’m supposed to do as a responsible adult. Instead, I would rather put that $200 a month into a savings account that I have full control of that is specifically designated for medical emergencies and just pay cash. I know health savings accounts are out there, but I’m talking about my own bank that no one else has control over but me and not another company. The problem is that most (not all) doctors and hospitals won’t treat you without insurance unless it’s a life or death situation.

I think the modern health insurance system is the biggest rip off of our generation. We’ve been duped into getting it because it will protect us.

Yet, it’s ironic that I am required to have car insurance in the state of Florida, you know, in case I run into someone and injure them, yet I’m not required to have health insurance, you know, in case I get put in the hospital and my family is screwed for the rest of our lives because of an overpriced healthcare system.

The world has become a smaller place and more and more people are choosing to get their major medical care done overseas in places that provide top notch care for a fraction of the price. I truly hope that this global health economy forces the American healthcare industry to get in line.

Until then, I sit here and wait for another health insurance application with the expectation of what the end result will be. And I pray that in the meantime I will not be taken out by a distracted driver, a falling tree limb, or a rogue alien ship falling on my head. (Although, the rogue alien ship would be pretty cool.)