Close Call Brings Awakening

Posted on June 4, 2016 by Scott Ranck

Over the past several months, I’ve begun each day with a simple three-part prayer. I asked God to allow me surrender fully to Him just for this day; I ask for anything in me that isn’t good to be made clear to me and finally, I ask Him for someone to serve during the course of the day with no expectation of return.

Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, we went to church as always, then I headed out for a little motorcycle ride before lunch. In November of 2014, I bought a small Harley Sportster 1200 custom with some money I inherited from my mom. I’m sure she’d be thrilled with my choice! I’m learning so much about being selfish and self-centered over the past year and a half, but my pride and joy, that sweet blue Harley never entered my mind.

Sunday morning about 11:30 when the bike and I were both down after having a car turn into me, the bike down in the road with parts and pieces scattered and me in the back of an ambulance waiting to be transported to the hospital, I began to have my eyes opened. I’m not speaking for anyone else in the world, this is just for me. I realized spending that much money for something only I would enjoy, knowing Gayle would never ride and then when I rode, it was just me usually going off for some personal enjoyment while others waited and wondered if this ride would be the one I don’t come home.

I couldn’t slice it any other way than this was not something I had ever thought about. Now it seemed like one of the most selfish choices of my life. At the hospital, Gayle said, this was my second most feared call. I said, what is your first, she said, someone other than you calling to tell me you’d been in a wreck. She also told me every time I went for a ride and came home, when she heard the rumble coming down the street, she felt some relief. Mind you, she never said anything to me but enjoy your ride and be careful.

Always liking life on the edge, I’ve really enjoyed having the bike. I’ve seen how quickly things can change. I know I could be killed any number of ways when my number is up. I also believe I’m indestructible until God is done with me. The issue isn’t the bike, it is how self-centered the entire choice and effects have been. I’ve come to see at the heart of most my life’s issues is selfishness and self-centeredness.

PS I fractured my left foot and am bruised and scrapped up pretty good but not bad considering!

Blessings,

Scott

 

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Love or Fear

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Scott Ranck

I read recently, our two primary emotions are love and fear. Most other emotions are secondary to these two major ones. For example, most agree anger, is really fueled by fear. If this theory is true and I believe it is, then almost all our thoughts and actions are motivated by one or the other.

Wow, has that had me pondering for a week! Like most guys, I thought I really didn’t have much fear in my life. But when I consider my actions based on what is motivating them, I’ve come to see I have more fears than I realized.

I fear, I may lose something I want or may lose something I already have and I fear I may not have enough. But there are some deeper seated fears like the following example.

For example, I catch myself regularly “sharing,” things that in my mind make me appear to be more important than I feel inside. Self-promotion is driven by the fear of not living a significant life. Ultimately, it comes from a place of insecurity and is seeking something from outside that is lacking inside.

My goal is to have my actions fueled by a genuine love that is seeking to serve others while guarding against anything self-centered, self-seeking or self-promoting. To humbly serve others with no need for recognition or accolades would let me know love is the fuel.

blessings,

Scott

 

 

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Character Transformation

Posted on February 13, 2016 by Scott Ranck

Christianity calls the process of character transformation sanctification. It means to make holy or set apart. 12 step recovery programs ask for a willingness to have God remove our character defects. Galatians 5:19-22 in the Bible contrast the works of the flesh as opposed to the fruit of the spirit. So, on one side we have sexual immorality and the other we have love. On one side hostility, quarreling and jealousy while the positive side calls for patience. The dark side has drunkenness and wild parties and the positive side calls for self-control.

So, how does character transformation happen? Not in a vacuum that is for sure. So, I got a first hand lesson about character defects and change the past couple weeks. I’m coming to see if I am disturbed with some person, situation or issue in my world, the problem is within me. I have absolutely no control over other people, places or things, so the only thing I have to work with is what I can change!

Due to situations beyond my control and by doing the right thing, we have our daughter, our sixteen month old granddaughter and our newborn grandson living with us. We have been empty nesters for some time and have enjoyed the empty nest. Through a process, I’ve surrendered to God in the circumstance and have come to see, I ask for Him to remove my defects of character. He is using this circumstance to highlight what needs to change in me. God’s yellow highlighter has identified large quantities of selfishness, impatience, greed, lack of love and love of comfort to name a few.  Over the course of the weeks, He has helped me go from frustration, to acceptance to enjoyment. I’ve begun to notice my sixteen month old runs to her mom or my wife but not to me. I’ve asked, what is it about me she doesn’t come to me? My defect of being too impatient,  gruff and rough is being replaced by patience and gentleness and trying to gain her interest rather than demand it.

I’ve not allowed myself to go beyond today. What the future holds, I’ve got no clue. Just for today, I have plenty of opportunity to have my character defects highlighted so I can make the necessary adjustments in me, so I can maintain a high level of love, joy and peace on my insides. So my daughter and grandchildren see something attractive in grandpa and want to be around him. I know I will have gained some serious ground the first time my granddaughter runs to me for comfort! Until then, it isn’t important how many people are living at our address, what is important is my willingness to allow the Lord to make me more like Him and less like me.

Blessings,

Scott

 

 

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The Christmas Gift

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Scott Ranck

It is more blessed to give than to receive. After spending several days with two of our granddaughters, who are 6 and 4 years old, I was reminded of a valuable lesson.

All of life is designed to teach us to bend our wills to line up with the Divine Will. Seeing the children, who are sweet as can be, yet still have a very robust will that can be beneficial or destructive, was like looking at myself in the mirror.

I was reminded of how willful I can be. Having a strong will can be a great asset but only when it is bent the right direction. When I exert my will against the clear will of God it is just as ugly as when a child exerts their will in defiance of their parents.

Virtually every major problem I have faced in my life has come when my will is more important to me than the will of God. So then, how do I focus that God-given gift to choose in the right direction?

One day at a time is the answer to that question. I make a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of God and then daily surrender praying for the knowledge of His will and the power to carry it out. Continually looking to do the next right thing.

What a gift to give to God this Christmas. The gift of a surrendered will!

blessings and Merry Christmas,

Scott

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Making the Holidays Great!

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Scott Ranck

Holidays can be the best and worst of times. I want to share 3 things that will help you maximize your joy through the season.

  1. We are all selfish by nature! It will take an intentional effort to not be that way, especially when someone else’s plans don’t line up with our own. Whatever gathering you find yourself going to, whether with family, friends or even those you aren’t particularly fond of, ask yourself these questions on a moment by moment basis. “What can I bring positive to this encounter? What good thing can I bring to this gathering?”
  2. Focus your attention on how you can serve others. Develop a pattern of looking to offer a helping hand. Initiate with others anything you think would be nice if it were done to you. Little acts of service to make someone else feel like someone cares, not only helps them, it will bring joy to you. The only thing that really matters in life is your life intersecting with someone else’s life and making a positive difference.
  3. Give something of value to some random people in your world who would not expect it.  A card with some cash, a gift card or whatever you feel nudged to give. Seek out a couple people you are acquainted with who aren’t on your Christmas list and just bless them in someway! You will be reciprocated with a large dose of joy.

As I reread these 3 principles, the common denominator is they move me out of myself and into another’s world. Someone said long ago, it is more blessed to give than to receive. I believe he was correct!

blessings,

Scott

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Three Practices That Will Change Any Life

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Scott Ranck

Over the last 10 months now, though I’ve been a Christian for forty-one years, I’ve learned so many things that have been revolutionary. Maybe it is the culmination of everything I’ve experienced in life, or maybe it is actually DOING some critically important things. I want to share three key principles, that when practiced on a daily basis will change anyone’s life for the good.

Surrender to God is the first. Surrendering everything, being willing to say yes to whatever the Lord says. Taking my willfulness out of the equation except to bend my will to His will is he key to life. His way is for sure the best way and the only way I can know His way is to give up on my way!

Clear away the wreckage of the past. Though I know Jesus died for all my sins, I rarely find a Christian who doesn’t have a deep-seated sense of guilt. I found for me, it was because I accepted the forgiveness blanket coverage but never really dealt with stuff I had done that caused me a huge sense of guilt. When I went back and made a list of all my resentments, fears, and misdeeds and confessed them individually to God and another human being there was a huge sense of relief and the removal of that guilty feeling I’ve had most my life. A new-found sense of calm and peace began to permeate my life. When the opportunity to own my wrongs and apologize to someone I have wronged comes my way and I take it, more freedom follows.

Serve other people. Waking up in the morning and asking God to give me the opportunity to bless someone else by DOING something for them, has brought an inside joy to me that my self-centered living never allowed. Looking for an opportunity to help someone else keeps me from focusing on me. I’m finding there are ways I can do things for others that never entered my mind in the past because I was totally unaware being too focused on my own needs.

These three simple things practiced as a way of life transform everything. More peace, less worry and a better connection to God are sure to follow.

Blessings,

Scott

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Surrender

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Scott Ranck

I recently had a talk with an Army Ranger. I was asking him about the difference between Ranger training and the standard boot camp all military people go through. My conclusion was both trainings are designed to break a person down to the place, they are willing to listen to and obey commands from their superiors. When the breaking is done the only acceptable reply is, “Yes Sir!” The elite forces training is more difficult because the participants are stronger and it takes more to break them. Once they are at the end of their resources and surrender to the training, they are rebuilt to be a team of elite people who know what it is to follow orders.

This put all of life in a different perspective for me. Life is God’s boot camp. His goal is to bring each of us to a place of complete surrender. A place where every bit of our will is surrendered to His will.

I was always of the opinion that I was very weak-willed. What I’ve come to see is I have an immensely strong will but for most of my life, I was not willing to surrender my will fully to the Will of God. I would surrender parts of myself but always hold back a portion of my life that I would manage. Often those areas were in conflict with what I knew God wanted from me.

The struggles of life both common and those I brought on by my own poor choices have ultimately broken my will. For the first time in my nearly 62 years of life, I said “Uncle.” I have given up. Over these last nine months being willing to listen to everything God was telling me, surrendering everything I am and have, has put me in the rebuilding stage of useful living. In many ways I am sorry it took so long. What I see now is a new strength in my life. A very strong will bent toward doing the Will of God.

There is a sweetness in surrender. It really doesn’t matter what is happening in my world whether good or bad as long as I know I am seeking to know and do the will of God. I’ve known for a long time surrender is the key to everything valuable life has to offer. I’ve surrendered in major areas of my life in the past, just never the whole of my life.

The key to joy and peace in this life is to only worry yourself with two things. To seek God’s will and the power to carry it out. To stand before Him and say, “Yes Sir,” even before you know what He is asking of you.

blessings,

Scott

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Nine Months

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Scott Ranck

The first thing that hits me when I think of nine months is the time it takes a little human life to fully form and then enter into the world. A lot can happen in nine months.

Nine months ago today, I began on a journey to make some serious changes in my life. The first change was to totally stop drinking any alcohol. That one change started a chain reaction. Shortly after that I joined Crunch Fitness and started reclaiming my physical life. I dropped 18 pounds and honestly am looking pretty good for an old man. Gayle regularly tells me how nice I look. A neighbor just said last night, you look muscular!

Spiritually, I can’t begin to tell you the changes that have occurred with a fresh surrender and willingness to follow the Leader in whatever He leads me to do. This weekend I felt the most alive, present and connected than I ever recall.

I am amazed myself at all that has transpired over these nine months. I’m humbled and thankful for God’s grace to me. I’m grateful He gives us choice and opportunity to move from belief to action.

Finally, I’m thankful for a loving and supportive partner in life, and for a group of men who I am thrilled to be doing life with. I’m not sure what is next for me but I believe the best is yet to come!

blessings,

Scott

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Thoughts on “The Key.”

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Scott Ranck

TheKey2015GroupI received this writing from a man who went on our men’s retreat to Key Largo, FL. I thought is was worth sharing.

I am not sure where to begin. I’m not much of a writer and have often had trouble communicating my feelings in any way or shape, less so into the written word but I feel like something has to be said about this weekend’s men’s retreat so others may possibly benefit from our time.

First, thanks to the Almighty Creator and His Son for what was done for us for those who believe. Also, thanks to the Holy Spirit which I believe is enabling these words to be typed. Again, I am not much of a writer, blogger, or even a Facebook poster so forgive me if my thoughts do not come out as coherent as I planned.

This weekend’s retreat was very moving. There were testimonies given by selected speakers who shared some of the deepest experiences men can share with one another. There were talks before and after these testimonies among smaller groups of men who may never have interacted with each other before this weekend about the discussed subjects and sometimes even more painful ones that were gripping their lives. There were some discussions that even got heated, but in a good way, with the intent of love, care and understanding behind the reason, not commendation or finger pointing. Grace and truth abounded.

There were interactions between men from different walks of life, different stages in their walk with Christ and even differing views or how they understand Christ and faith. What was almost supernatural was the brutal honesty of what was shared among men who barely knew each other except for the fact they knew they shared a common bond in Christ. I’m not sure if the average person not in attendance would understand how big of a deal it is for a broken man to share some of their deepest, darkest and troubling issues to almost a complete stranger and have them put their hands on their shoulders and pray for them. To my knowledge, none of these talks happened with a licensed counselor or a mental health professional. I’m not advocating against professional help, but I do believe the first step can occur at any time and with any person. I hope and pray that those who were moved continue to seek guidance and help from those best suited to do those things since God has given all of us different gifts. I saw grown men cry. And that’s a good thing when it comes to starting down the path of spiritual healing.

I also hope and pray my meager words encourage other men who read this and who yearn to grow in their faith, have struggles or find something lacking in their life to consider the camaraderie of brothers in Christ where bonds so strong that growth can happen and shared experiences with the Grace and Truth of God may open the path to the next big thing He has for your life. Amen.

Thank you Anonymous!

blessings,

Scott

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Marriage and Driving

Posted on September 6, 2015 by Scott Ranck

motorcylejustmeOne of the longstanding issues in our marriage has been driving skills and practices. Our driving tends to mirror our personalities. So my driving has always been calm and reserved while Gayle drives like a wild woman! Yes, that was a joke, just the opposite is true. Gayle always drives very near the speed limit and I usually drive as far above it as I think I can without getting a ticket. Gayle is very cautious and will never take a risk while driving. I’ve mastered the art of driving with my knees while multi-tasking at the wheel and am perfectly comfortable doing so. Years ago, due to this skill and engaging in conversation while driving a 15 passenger van, our men affectionately gave me the nickname of gravel!

We are heading off for a few days to visit St. Augustine. Last night my bride said, “I’m not looking forward to riding five hours with you tomorrow.” It felt like an arrow to my heart and I went silent and was internally ready to not go at all.

This morning lying in bed awake in the first few moments of the day, I was surrendering the day to the Lord and having a meeting in my head. I imagined sharing in a group of friends the exchange last night. I must add, I was looking at my phone while driving when Gayle made the comment! In my group meeting, everyone laughed at me for being upset. The committee in my head told me I was being selfish. Then in the quietness I sensed that whenever I have the privilege of driving someone else in our vehicle, my job is to serve them not be defensive about how good I perceive my driving to be. It isn’t about me, it is about someone else who is entrusting their very life to my care. When I drive someone else I should feel like I am a hired, professional chauffeur who wants desperately to please my client!

So, what if it takes me thirty minutes longer to arrive at the destination? What if all those people I passed get ahead of me? What if there is a complaint about my driving? None of that matters as long as my customers are satisfied.

This should be an interesting and somewhat amazing transformation!

Blessings,

Scott

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