2023: The year I will never forget

As the final hours for 2023 tick off, I find myself astonished at everything that has transpired in my own personal life this year.  I could go on and on detailing some examples, but of course, the biggest thing that happened was when I was found myself in a hospital emergency room, closer to death’s door than anyone ever could have imagined.  Today I find myself so grateful to be alive, and so pleased to be able to welcome in 2024.

It was only a few weeks ago when I first heard Toby Mac’s marvelous song “Faithfully”.  The song was released in 2022, but it captures what I’ve endured in 2023 so well.  The song begins with these words:

“It’s been a long year; it almost took me down, I swear.  Life was so good.  I’m not sure we knew what we had.  I may never be the same man; I’ll never feel like I felt before.  It’s been a hard year; it almost took me down.  [Chorus] But when my world broke into pieces, You were there faithfully.  When I cried out to You, Jesus, You made a way for me.  I may never be the same man, but I’m a man who still believes...In my darkest hour, You met me, so quietly, so gently.  You said You’d never leave, and You stood by Your word.  So quietly, so gently.  In all my pain, You met me.  You said You’d never leave, and You stood by Your word.”  

Amen!  First off, as this song states, I also declare, in no uncertain terms, that while I may look like the same man, I’m not who I was a year ago.  Secondly, I also echo that even though 2023 introduced one fiery trial after another, through it all, God has been so faithful to me.  I wanted to forever inscribe to you here that I’m humbled by the Lord’s faithfulness, kindness, and goodness to me.  Not because I deserve it, but because of His grace – His unmerited favor – that never ceases to amaze me.      

In conclusion, back in June, I came across a social media post from Russell Wilson; essentially, he said that God is in control, even in the bad days, and to trust in Him.  In the throes of another trial at that time, Russell’s words encouraged me so much that I wrote the quote out, and I still have it with me to this very day.  So thank you for that, Russ (I probably shouldn't say this, but I confess I’m salty that the Broncos will likely part ways with him soon; 26 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions in 2023 isn't too shabby; I’m rooting for him in 2024).  The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding.  In all of your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path” (Proverbs 3:5-6).  Yes, the path may be rocky and treacherous, but I’d rather walk a difficult path with God than an easy one without Him any day.

God bless,

Kevin

Christmas aftermath reflections

Hope is extremely powerful.  In fact, the Bible declares a “deferred hope” can actually make the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12).  I actually don’t think it’s possible to live without hope.  Furthermore, the sad fact is it is possible to put your hope in the wrong thing.  Let me begin today by illustrating this: The Denver Broncos football season has been a wild one.  It started off slowly, with Denver notching an abysmal record of 1-5; at one point they surrendered a whopping 70 points to the Miami Dolphins. 

I blogged about that Miami game.  I effectively wrote off the season at that point, calling the Broncos “hopeless.”  But then Denver went on an impressive winning streak notching a 6-1 record over the next seven games.  With a 7-6 record, hope and expectations high, Denver was shellacked by the Detroit Lions 42-17 (the Lions are currently 11-4, by the way, I say good for them!)  And then on Christmas Eve, the Broncos were defeated by the lowly New England Patriots (the Pats are currently at 4-11).  This defeat led to the benching of Russell Wilson sadly, at least in all likelihood, ending his time as a Bronco.  I read an article from yardbarker.com (it can be found here at this link) where the writer, Olie Coen, contended that the Broncos should have given up when they found themselves at 1-5.

Whether one agrees with this assessment is neither here nor there.  What caught my attention was when Coen states: “Why play for nothing?  Why risk injuries?  And why give the fan base hope when there was never was any?”  The truth is, there may be a hope that promises but ultimately fails to deliver, be it in football, personal aspirations and dreams, Christmas expectations, or even relationships.  Now don’t hear what I’m not saying: by no means am I suggesting to give up on any of these items; absolutely not, far from it.  What I am saying is, no matter what, there is always hope in God.  “And now, Lord,” writes the Psalmist, “where do I put my hope?  My only hope is in You” (Psalm 39:7; NLT). 

Rebecca St. James is one of my heroes.  I recently happened to hear one of her older songs that is an underrated track from her 2000 album titled “Transform”; it’s a song called “Reborn”.  She sings, “If you see a change in me, don’t wonder, there’s someone in my life; a peace I can’t describe, for I’ve been reborn.  If you see a change in me, don’t wonder, I’ve found a whole new life, a hope that I can’t hide, for I’ve been reborn.  Have you ever felt a longing, a searching, within your soul for something more, but you don’t know what for?  There’s One who will reach across the distance from the Heavens to the Earth, because He loves you.”

In John 15, Jesus actually likened it to a vine and branches.  He said that He is the true vine, and we are the branches, and the person who abides in Him will bear much fruit.  I have experienced this in my own life.  To be transparent with you: whenever I choose to abide in the wrong vine, I soon find myself completely regretting it.  I love the way Jonathan Evans puts it in his book “Your time is now”: “Putting all your eggs in any basket other than God himself will only do one thing for you: teach you not to do that again.  Because when it fails, you’ll realize in the spiritual life, it is only God who deserves – and has earned – your confidence.”

In conclusion, as the dust of Christmas 2023 settles, I want to encourage us (because I’m talking to myself here too) put your hope in the only Person that won’t disappoint, the God of universe named Jesus.  Look to Him.  Abide in Him.  If you find that you’ve gone off course, run back to the Lord; He’s ready and willing to give the peace, hope and joy that comes from personal restoration via a renewed fellowship with Him. 

God bless,

Kevin

"A very special Christmas"

As I return to some semblance of my old everyday routine, I clearly don’t have as time to write these days.  But I have to document how much I am anticipating Christmas this year.  That’s not to suggest that I haven’t anticipated it in years past, but after my recent health crisis brought me closer to the valley of the shadow of death than I ever could have imagined, I am looking at things with fresh, super grateful, eyes.

A song in a Christmas movie I was viewing recently caught my attention.  The song is entitled “This Christmas”; it was written by Tim Kenneth Rogers, and performed by Donny Hathaway.  It was released way back in 1971.  “Fireside is blazing bright,” the song rings.  “We’re caroling through the night and this Christmas will be a very special Christmas for me, yeah.  Shake a hand, shake a hand now; a hand now.  Wish your brother a merry Christmas all over the land.”  I resonate with those words.  This Christmas is going to be a very special Christmas for me.

I love Christmas.  But unfortunately, the beauty of this time of year can easily get lost.  We run around trying to check off our list of treasures to give loved ones.  We attend various Christmas events.  Don’t get me wrong: these activities have their place, but once again, if we aren’t careful we can easily miss the whole point of Christmas in the first place.  Every December 25th, we honor the fact that Jesus Christ, the unique God-man literally entered our world. 

Sometimes we forget that Jesus didn’t actually stay a baby.  He lived a perfect, sinless life.  He orated amazing teachings; He initiated events that could only be classified as miracles.  And then the time came when He shed His blood and died on a cross.  This was all part of the divine plan from the beginning.  In fact, an angel even told Joseph to name this unique baby “Jesus” as He would “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  Only Jesus, being God in human flesh, could pay the price of humanity’s sin.  What is that price?  The Bible says, “The wages [or the price] of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.”  Three days later, Jesus confirmed His deity by rising from the dead!

Jesus is far from some obscure figure from history to admire at Christmas and Easter.  No, Jesus is the Savior of the world; He is able to completely revolutionize a life today.  I know this because He changed mine!  I promise you, if there’s anything good or virtuous from me, it’s a result of Him living in and through me (see Galatians 2:20).  Furthermore, a relationship with Jesus is not merely about going to Heaven one day – as great a perk as that is – it’s having Someone who will walk you here and now, no matter what wild and crazy storm life may throw at you. 

What if it’s all true?  What if God really did become one of us – in the person of Jesus.  It’s not a fable or a fun story; it’s a historical reality; it’s what Christmas is all about.  I heard a sermon where Greg Laurie put it this way: Christmas is not about the presents under the tree; it’s about His presence in our lives.  What’s more, you can begin a relationship with this Jesus, even now, if you’ve never done so.  The Bible says, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  Pour out your heart to God in prayer.  Ask Him to give His gift of salvation – the forgiveness of sin – to you; ask Him to enter into your life now and forevermore.  He will do it.  And therefore, to return to the song lyric from the beginning, this Christmas will be “a very special Christmas” for you.

God bless,

Kevin 

Batman v Superman (Part 3 - Legacy/Conclusion)

In September, I began sharing my thoughts on the film “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (as per usual, I’m now going to shorten it to “BvS”).  Today I want to give my final thoughts on this maligned film.  One of the criticisms of “BvS” is how Batman (Ben Affleck) murders.  It’s true that he does, but it’s a mistake to presume that it’s the end of his story.  There’s more to his character development.  In fact, I submit to you that Affleck’s Batman leaves this legacy: no matter how dark the path they may be on, a man or woman can change.  Let me unpack this.

Batman misunderstood Superman (Henry Cavill), and this gross miscalculation drove him down a dark path.  For 18 months, Batman had bitterness, seething anger, and increased violence.  So much so, he actually came within an inch of taking the life of Superman with a kryptonite spear.  He was so deluded that he thought doing this was a service to humanity.  However, when Superman mentioned that Martha was going to die, Batman saw that he was wrong; Superman wasn’t the villain as he had thought he was. 

By the way, unfortunately I can only hit and run on this, but the controversial “Martha” scene in “BvS” is one that probably could have been executed a little bit better.  But the change of heart is not simply because Clark and Bruce both have a mother named Martha!  Whatever your opinion on the scene, the result is Batman ultimately fights alongside Superman.  Moreover, as a gesture of friendship, he promises Superman that he will save Martha.  And in a dazzling scene (one of my favorite scenes of the film), Batman singlehandedly fights off probably 30 men, and rescues Martha. 

At the film’s end, Superman selflessly died to save the lives of humanity, including the lives of Batman and Wonder Woman.  This was the only course of action; only Superman was capable of this heroic act to save the world – a clear picture of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.  This picture was completed in 2017’s “Justice League” when Superman returned from the dead.  And it was Superman’s influence that had changed Batman.  One example of this is when Batman visits an incarcerated Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg).

Speaking of Lex, while Eisenberg’s performance as Luthor in “BvS” receives a lot of criticism, I think Eisenberg is a lot of fun to watch in this role.  He is brilliant, calculating, and manipulative.  Interestingly, the dialogue also suggests that this is actually Lex Luthor Jr (like father, like son).  Anyway, Batman confronts Lex in jail.  Luthor is sure that Bats will use a branding iron on his neck, just as he had done to other criminals earlier in the film, but this time, he doesn’t.  His transformation is further evidenced by his concern for life in subsequent films in this cinematic universe.  For example, in 2016’s “Suicide Squad” Batman saves Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) from drowning, even though she essentially thanks him by turning around and trying to kill him.

Let me conclude with a fascinating contrast.  There’s another live action presentation of a Batman that went down on a dark path.  In 2019, the CW presented an epic crossover event titled “Crisis on Infinite Earths”.  In part 2 of this saga, we were treated to Kevin Conroy playing an aged Bruce Wayne, only able to move around with the help of an exoskeleton suit.  Batwoman and Supergirl travel to his Earth (referred to as Earth-99) to recruit him, but in a stunning development, it is revealed that this Bruce Wayne was far from honorable (spoiler alert).  This Bruce, by his own admission, murdered without remorse or guilt.  In his consuming hatred of all things Kryptonian, he tried (unsuccessfully) to murder Supergirl.

As a result of the fight, the Bruce of that alternate Earth died.  His last words to Batwoman were: “There is no hope.”  Shout-out to the talented Kevin Conroy here (I confess I’m still in grief over Kevin’s death); he was chilling as a hardened villain, rather than a noble hero.  Conversely, Ben Affleck’s Batman – his cinematic legacy as I see it – showed us the truth: there is always hope.  Christmas will quickly be here.  As November of 2023 ends in a matter of hours, I want to conclude my thoughts on “BvS” by saying there is hope for you and for me today, no matter what – because of Jesus.      

God bless,

Kevin             

Thanksgiving Day reflections, 2023

I wanted to take a moment to express a heartfelt “Happy Thanksgiving” to you.  Psalm 136:3 says, “Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.”  I’m so grateful to the Lord for the incredible blessings He has given.  I’m thankful for family and friends; I’m thankful for eyes that can see, ears that can hear, and a mouth that can speak.  I’m thankful for a beating heart, health, and the opportunity to enjoy another day (this year has reinforced the idea that every day is truly a gift that should not be taken for granted).  But most of all, I’m so grateful for my personal relationship with the God of the universe.

You say, “I appreciate your unbridled positivity, but I’m not feeling that way.  I’m feeling miserable.”  I get it.  2023 has been incredibly difficult for me; it seemingly has been just one thing after another.  Just so you know, I’ve had times this year where I’ve felt weighed down with fear, anxiety, sadness, frustration, and heartache.  In those moments, how thankful I was for the hope, help, peace, and safety found in Jesus!  Proverbs 18:10 states, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it, and are safe.”

Months ago now, I began revisiting the 2016 film “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”.  Its progress has been much too slow, I admit it.  But I haven’t forgotten about it.  For today, I bring it up because I’ve re-reading Paul Asay’s fine book on Batman titled “God on the Streets of Gotham: What the Big Screen Batman Can Teach us about God and ourselves”.  In chapter 6, Asay writes these words that have helped me; may they help you as well:

“Our faith doesn’t keep us from suffering.  It doesn’t save us from the anguish of losing a parent or child, the pain of losing a job or failing a class.  It doesn’t keep us from the real horrors that life can inflict on us - the abuse, the betrayal, the unimaginable anguish that, for whatever reason, sometimes we have to deal with.  But faith can save us from the mortal blow, the fire that would otherwise consume us.”  In the next section of this chapter, he quotes from an anonymous believer who puts it so well: “Finding God does not mean building a house in a land of no storms, but building a house that no storm can destroy.” 

God bless,

Kevin

Praising God in a very stormy 2023

2023 has been a difficult year.  I’ve documented some of what has occurred: for instance, in August I likened that portion of 2023 to Humpty Dumpty falling off of the wall.  I felt like that storm shattered me into a million pieces.  And, as the rhyme goes, all the king’s horses and men couldn’t put me back together, because as I heard a preacher rightly declare, “Only the King Himself can put Humpty back together.”  That’s what God did for me. 

Then, a few months ago, I was thrown into another massive storm when a sickness put me in the hospital.  After being diagnosed with an ulcer, internal bleeding and anemia, I was thrust, once again, to an intense road of suffering.  Even now, I’m sidelined, and still unable to return my old routine.  As I’ve battled moments of sadness and discouragement during these months, I’ve told myself inwardly a hundred times that there is hope; hope in a great God who has been faithful to me in days past, and to this very day, continues to be.

But, in the midst of all of that, today I find myself reeling from a new episode of stormy weather.  It’s too fresh for me to go into detail now – that’s for another day – but it left me spent and literally shaking.  What do you do when this new development occurs?  I mean, 2023 is already a year I will never forget for the rest of my life, and then to have this new stuff on top of it all.  It leaves me reeling and overwrought.  In the throes of this, I made the choice to look to God in trust, surrender, and worship, even though life hurts.  Such a choice is not easy or automatic.  But it’s as I heard a worship leader declare years ago; he said, “The proper response is worship.”

Someone needs these words.  You find yourself in the midst of a difficult year as well.  It’s been one painful circumstance after another.  And you find yourself weary, fearful, and despairing; wondering what’s next.  There is hope for you today.  The Bible speaks of “lay[ing] hold of the hope set before us.  This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:18-19).  In context, what is being spoken of here is God’s reliability, faithfulness, and trustworthiness.  Back in August I quoted these great words from Superman: “Even in the darkest times, hope cuts through.  Hope is the light that lifts us out of darkness.”  That’s my prayer for anyone who reads this content today.

Back in June of this year, Brandon Lake released his powerful song, “Praise You Anywhere.”  It begins this way: “Sometimes you’ve got to dance through the darkness, sing through fire, praise when it don’t make sense.  Sometimes you’ve got to stare down the giant, worship from the lion’s den…I’ll praise You anywhere.  Praise, give Him praise, give Him praise, in the highest.  Praise, give Him praise, give Him praise, in the highest.  He is worthy, yes, He is worthy of all of the praise.”  And then there’s this stanza: “Faithful all my life, blessings day and night, countless reasons why I’ll praise You anywhere.  Every promise kept, goodness every step, each and every breath, I’ll praise You anywhere.”

God bless,

Kevin

Batman v Superman (Part 2 - Hope?)

It seems like it was a long, long time ago now when I presented the first installment of my thoughts on the 2016 film “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (just as I did last time, I’m going to shorten it to “BvS” throughout).  There was a time when I enjoyed this film, but as the years passed – with the general consensus of other moviegoers – I disliked this film.  Today, having recently seen the ultimate edition (the superior version) of this film on DVD, I appreciate it for what it is, but I am in no way declaring that this is the best superhero film ever made either. 

In part 1, I spoke about Batman in “BvS”.  While eventually I plan to return to my thoughts on Batman and his arc in this movie, today I want to talk about Superman.  The Man of Steel is out of character in this whole film, as I see it.  Please understand that I’m not bashing Henry Cavill at all. I think Cavill was a good Superman, but in “BvS”, he was not given all that much admirable content to work with – at least in my opinion.

Before diving in, there is one other thing I need to cover in this introduction: the concept of a multiverse.  The CW network presented a connected universe of heroes someone dubbed the “Arrow-verse” and the name stuck.  The idea is entirely separate universes, similar in some ways to ours, but in other ways, significantly different.  This concept really helped me to understand “BvS”.  For instance, the Batman of this “universe” may not have the smarts that other Batmen typically do (did Batman ever figure out Clark is Superman in “BvS”?), but in what has commonly been referred to as the “Snyder-verse” after Director Zack Snyder, that’s just the way he is.

That said, I still can’t get behind Superman’s attitude in this film.  They already established in the previous film “Man of Steel” (2013) that the S emblem on his uniform on Krypton means “hope”; yet Superman doesn’t radiate much hope in “BvS”.  In fact, there’s a scene where Lois reminds Superman of the family crest he wears and what it means, he basically shrugs it off, and calls it the dream of his father.  Now I get that Superman is inexperienced, mistrusted, debated, and manipulated all throughout the movie.  But no matter how dark the situation, I don’t believe that any Superman in the multiverse would ever say, “No one stays good in the world.”  The first time I heard him deliver that line, my jaw dropped.

Let me contrast this with another superhero film.  Until recently, I had not seen “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” (2014) since that day in the theater 9 years ago.  The reason for this, in large part, was because I knew that Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) dies at the end of the film.  But I had completely forgotten what transpired after this sad development.  Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is devastated and broken-hearted.  But he decides to watch the speech Gwen had given at Graduation Day – he had originally missed it, of course, thanks to his duties as Spider-Man.  Gwen’s speech, in part, was as follows:

“It’s easy to feel hopeful on a beautiful day like today.  But there will be dark days ahead of us too.  There will be days when you will feel all alone, and that’s when hope is needed most.  No matter how buried it gets, or how lost you feel, you must promise me that you will hold on to hope.  Keep it alive.  We have to be greater than what we suffer.”  Gwen’s hopeful words inspired Peter.  And frankly, they inspired me too.  They made me wish that Superman, even in his dire situation in “BvS”, rather than saying "No one stays good in this world" had instead said something like, “There’s always hope.”  But that wasn’t to be.

Despite all of this, I applaud Superman’s selfless act at the end of “BvS”.  Lex Luthor had created the ultimate weapon, he dubbed it “Doomsday”.  This creature was on a destructive rampage.  Contrary to some critics, no one was going to be able to stop it; not even Batman or Wonder Woman.  So Superman decided to act: he gave his life to destroy the monster, saving countless lives in the process.  I also disagree with those who contend this has moment no emotional impact, because he would just be resurrected next year in “Justice League”.  I confess I cried as I viewed the scene.  In that moment, whether it was intentional or not, I saw my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His life for humanity on a cross.  “So that whoever believes in Him,” states the famous verse in John 3, “will not perish, but have everlasting life.”

To be continued!

Kevin