Walking in Integrity

I will share a verse that has been a key part of my life -- primarily in the context of raising my children because of the promise it provides, but certainly applicable to our whole life by its very nature.

Proverbs 20:7 (NKJV)

The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.

First, who is a "righteous man." In Hebrews, we're told that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Scripture also tells us that the righteous live by faith. So, true integrity (or a righteous character) begins with our salvation experience as we place our faith and trust in Christ building our belief system around Him.

Secondly, our behaviour reveals or is evidence of our integrity. The righteous man "walks." We must put "feet" to our faith. It must be manifested in the way we live. Our behaviour at work, in public, with our family, and even when we're alone must be consistent as evidence of our belief system and values.

Third, integrity is virtue found in a man who adheres to moral and ethical principles, soundness of moral character, and truth. God's character is evident and consistent throughout scripture. He placed His image in us but it has been flawed by sin. In Romans 8:28, and Phil. 1:6 we see the truth that God is at work in us conforming us into the image of His son - he's restoring the image of Himself in us that we had messed up. Having a relationship with God and allowing him to live through us (Gal. 2:20) leads to a life of integrity.

And finally, this results in impact or influence. In this specific passage it refers to a man's children. I believe this extends to those beyond our family however. Our children are blessed because they benefit, learn, and grow from a biblical example of integrity in action. People around us can also benefit from our impact if we take the time to invest in them.

Serving under Poor Leaders

I have been blessed in my life to serve mostly under people who were strong leaders. I have served under those who weren't strong leaders -- and, in some cases, just plain incompetent leaders. Recently, I was having discussions with a friend who is struggling under poor leadership. The leaders are authoritarian, controlling, and rarely engage in an open exchange of communication and ideas.

"How do I operate in this environment" was the question. This situation is not unusual and there are probably as many opinions on a proper response as there are people in the world. I'll offer one perspective.

First of all, there are some behaviors to avoid:

• Don't be rebellious. We are admonished in scripture to "submit to authority."

1Peter 2: 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. 13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Romans 13: 1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same ...

• Don't gossip. Do not undermine the leadership.
• Don't become cynical. Becoming cynical or bitter is a self-destructive behavior that produces little positive results. If cynicism takes root, it can become a behavioral trait that follows you into future engagements and limits your potential to motivate others and to execute well and above reproach.

What can you do?

• Pray for your leaders.
• Be excellent in accomplishing your responsibilities.
• Encourage your leaders by pointing out positive behaviors that you want to reinforce.
• Focus on your personal growth and development and practice good leadership behavior for the people under your responsibility.

Attempting to live under the guides above may actually begin to create a change in your leaders as they observe you. At the end of the day, if you cannot operate in the environment, and efforts to change the environment are futile, you should consider changing organizations. I've been in both situations -- being able to effect change, and having to change organizations. Life is too short and too important for you not to be able to fulfill God's call and purpose in your life. Keep in mind that sometimes, he places us in difficult situations so that we can grow and effect change. At other times, he uses the circumstances to spur us onward to new adventures.

Whitewashing Our Lives

In Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer, Tom is made to perform a chore of whitewashing the picket fence around Aunt Polly's home. He manages to get this done through his friends and passers-by as he deceives them into believing the chore is fun. Whitewashing is often used to improve the image of rough areas as it hides flaws and provides a temporary covering.

A definition:

1. A mixture of lime and water, often with whiting, size, or glue added, that is used to whiten walls, fences, or other structures.
2. Concealment or palliation of flaws or failures.

Whitewashing is inexpensive because it is a watered down mixture. Unfortunately, it is not as long lasting as more permanent forms of paint.

In Ezekial 13, God chastises the nation of Israel for whitewashing their lives. Metaphorically, he refers to them whitewashing and plastering a wall.

10 "It is definitely because they have misled My people by saying, 'Peace!' when there is no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash;
11 so tell those who plaster it over with whitewash, that it will fall. A flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones, will fall; and a violent wind will break out.
12 "Behold, when the wall has fallen, will you not be asked, 'Where is the plaster with which you plastered it?'"

How often do we cover up pain, mistakes, and flaws in our lives? We put on "airs" because we don't want people to truly know who we are. We have a different face when we're alone or in our home than when we are around others. We claim "peace" when our lives are in turmoil and we've separated ourselves from what God has called us to or desires for us. We plaster our lives with whitewash.

God says that won't last. When the storms come, the plaster isn't strong enough to hold.

There are several truths to be found in this chapter of Ezekial.

First, God is not tolerant of those who mislead others.

2 ... say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration, 'Listen to the word of the LORD!
3 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have seen nothing.

Leaders often allow pride to lead to overconfidence and a dependence on self rather than on God. In verse 6, it says that they "see falsehood" and "they hope for the fulfillment of their word." They may fall into the trap of telling people what they want to hear rather than the truth of God's word.

Second, people who are not following God are vulnerable to lies and deceit. They believe lies: "I'm okay; you're okay." In verse 19 it refers to those who are "put to death" because they are "people who listen to lies." Test the words of people against the words of God. Do not be deceived by talk that makes you feel good -- that whitewashes you. This passage says that they claim peace when peace isn't present. They cover up the truth.

Finally, in the end, the truth prevails. Those who have been whitewashed are exposed and all will know that God is sovereign -- he is Lord.

14 "So I will tear down the wall which you plastered over with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare; and when it falls, you will be consumed in its midst And you will know that I am the LORD.

Be truthful with yourself. Be careful of falling for "feel good" messages or schemes. In Matthew 7, Jesus contrast two foundations:

24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
26 "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27 "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall."

Note that both groups experience the storms of life. We aren't guaranteed that life will be easy even if we are Christians (and sometimes especially if we are Christians). The difference in life is in the response and the strength of the foundation of life. If our life is whitewashed or built on sand, it may have the appearance of peace. However, when the storms hit, the life is in shambles and falls apart. On the other hand, if we've spent a life learning of God and practicing his word in our lives, we can have peace in the midst of the storm and strength to endure by his presence and grace in our lives.

Don't be whitewashed. Learn of God's truth and trust in a relationship with him.

Costa Rica Mission Team Video Slide Show

Praise God for His amazing work through our Costa Rica Mission Team. Take a look at some of our experiences:



God is good -- all the time!

God was the first surfer!

God can relate to EVERYONE -- including surfers. God, the Spirit, was the first surfer:

1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. (Genesis 1)

The definition of surf (dictionary.com):

v. to float on the crest of a wave ...

So, the Spirit of God was a surfer -- in the beginning -- the very beginning.

God loves all of us (John 3:16) and shows no partiality (Romans 2:11). He calls all of us. How will you respond?

Abigail Prichard Holt (1996 - 2009)

About ten weeks ago, we said good-bye to Amos Moses, a brindle Scottish terrier. Today, July 1, 2009, we said good-bye to another member of our family, our West Highland terrier, Abigail.

Abigail was a birthday present for Patty. She picked her up from a small town in SC in October of 1996. Our children were adolescents -- not yet teenagers. Now, our youngest is a junior in college. Abigail was truly part of the family. She grew up with our family. She became a part of our family here in SC, traveled with us to Texas, and returned with us to SC. She's been with us longer than any other pet. She's simply been with us -- and, today, we let her go.

For the past week, she had begun to throw up regularly (one to two times a day). We thought it was just a temporary illness, but this morning we discovered through the vet that her kidneys were shutting down.

Marie, a family friend and a dear friend and often caretaker of our pets, was with us today. Marie wept with us as she said good-bye to Abby. She was with us when Amos passed also. We're grateful. Thank you, Marie.

Patty and I wept together as we put Abigail to rest. She died in our arms.

In memory of Abigail, I leave this tribute and these memories:

• Some of her "pet" names: Lolly, Lolligail, Abby, Nani.
• She had a character mix of a dog and a cat -- incredibly independent, but often ready to lounge in a lap.
• When we called, if she didn't want to come, she wouldn't. Most of the time she was obedient, but sometimes it was obvious that she wanted to make a point. It was if she wanted us to know that her obedience was her choice, not our mandate.
• She was the alpha bitch. She made it clear to our other pets (and sometimes us) who was in charge.
• Although she was Patty's dog officially, I typically won the calling contest. Calling Abby from different corners of the room (or sides of the bed), she almost always came to me.
• She was very well mannered. When we had guests over, she rarely "jumped up" on anyone. However, she would greet them with a nose-nudge against the leg inviting a back-scratch, head-rub, or offering a licking if you wanted.
• She'd often play with her bones or treats. She'd run into a spacious area and begin flipping it into the air (much like a cat playing with a mouse).
• She loved playing tug-of-war with her toys -- either with us or with the other dogs.
• She loved to walk. In the last year, I began having to carry her near the end because she didn't have the energy to finish the full walk.
• She had almost a human personality.

• She was often moody.

  When we were preparing to go on vacation, she'd hover around us as we packed. She loved being around us and didn't like it when we left.

  When we went away on vacation, upon return she would "ignore us" for a while making sure that we knew she didn't appreciate not being able to accompany us on the trip.

  When she was ill, she'd follow Patty around the house trying to communicate with her.

  Patty and I often fed her dinner with a fork.

  She enjoyed sharing my snacks --pretzels, peanuts, ...

• She loved back scratches. She'd let me know when she wanted them by climbing into my lap and starting to lick my face. She'd be content as her back was scratched. If I stopped, she'd lick my face incessantly until I started scratching her back again. I usually had to set her aside to stop the cycle.
• She didn't care to much for getting into the lake but she loved the boat rides.

As with Amos, I wept at her passing. But, having written the blog about my sadness with Amos and discovering what God's Word says about animals, I'm no longer confused about my grief. All creatures -- great and small -- are part of God's plan, his story, and the abundance that he provides for us.

I loved Abigail. I'll miss her. Goodbye Lolly.