Bruce R. CrossBruce R. Cross

Baggage Claim or Not?

Bruce — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 08:45:35 +0000

Focusing One's Thoughts on Things Which Matter

For some people, air travel is old hat. For others, it is a periodic and somewhat foreign process. Whatever the case, you know the drill.

Pack your bags.

Drive yourself to the airport or connect with Mr. or Ms. Uber and hopefully arrive on time and in one piece.

Park your car or drop off the rental and subsequently catch the complimentary shuttle to terminal X, Y, or Z.

Once inside the aviation cathedral, the fun awaits. You get to navigate the mine field called TSA security.

Once you have been screened (and probed!) you grab a snack, proceed to your gate, wait for the boarding process to begin, and finally take your seat on the plane.

With any luck, the plane actually takes off on time unless it is parked like a beached whale (for what seems like hours) on the runway while time delays play havoc with your patience levels not to mention the ongoing uncertainty of whether you will miss your connecting flight.

You think, “Smile, you’re on candid camera” while inside you are an exhausted and perhaps irritated mess.

Your flight eventually takes off and the complimentary snack service begins as the flying metal tube makes its way across the landscape 35,000 feet above Mother Earth.

Once you arrive at your destination, baggage claim is the final hurdle to bring your trip to a conclusion, at least as far as the airport is concerned.

You are inwardly praying your underwear is not in another time zone!

This year has been unusual for Jackie and me. We typically fall into the “intermittent traveler” category.

However, this year has been out of the norm for us as we have flown the friendly skies more than ever.

In February we went on a mission trip and traveled to Israel on an adventure of a lifetime.

In April, I flew to North Carolina to join Jackie in welcoming a new member of our family, our newly adopted granddaughter.

This summer we also made a trip “out west” to visit our oldest daughter and her family in California.

To me, walking toward and following the signs which say “Baggage Claim” shouts “I’ve arrived”. It also signals the beginning of the adventure for which I came.

On several of my trips this year, the treks to “Baggage Claim” left me to address the thoughts tumbling around in my mind. I was not going off the deep end, nor did I hear any audible voices.

However, over the years I have come to discern the moments when I hear God’s voice and His whispers in my ear. I know when He is trying to get my attention. Suffice it to say, He did get my attention.

In retrospect, the questions could be distilled along these lines.

“What baggage will you be claiming and what baggage should you leave behind?”

Interesting thoughts. On the surface, the answer seemed simple.

I want the baggage that is mine. I don’t want the baggage that is not mine.

If the tag does not say, “Bruce R. Cross”, it should remain on the conveyor belt. Otherwise I should grab the fabric rectangle on wheels, usher it off the merry-go-round, and make my way toward the exit doors.

I was asked to go deeper, to ponder the question, and to truly think about the answer.

In theory I need the stuff in my bag – the toiletries, the pants, shirts, socks, and yes, the underwear.

I do not need the stuff in a bag which is not mine, whatever it contains. That which is not mine needs to remain.

A milestone birthday is on the horizon for me later this year which has triggered much contemplation. I have not talked much about it on the outside, but there has been plenty of dialogue on the inside.

At times the thoughts have been relentless in their pursuit.

Thoughts like:

“You are nowhere near where you thought you would be at this stage of the game.”

“You should have done this instead of that as “that” would have altered the equation.”

“Are you really making a difference?”

“What is my purpose?”

“Will it ever change?”

The above list is a sampling of many more thoughts, some which go much deeper. It is natural to take stock of things and make assessments.

It is not healthy to own stuff which weighs one down.

At times I have dwelt on the glass half empty vs. focusing on the glass half full.

We all go through moments where life throws curves at us or places obstacles in our way. It’s what we do with these moments that can either have us toting along excess baggage or taking what we legitimately own and going on our merry way.

At times, the excess baggage with which I wrestle has made me feel stuck. I have become so consumed with the elephant in the room that I fail to see or recognize the moments where I should elicit gratitude or feel content.

I know better not to dwell on the baggage which weighs me down. I have found my way around such things time and time again.

However, there are times which catch me off guard and unprepared and the cycle of carrying the extra baggage seems unavoidable.

Like me, if you find yourself in a place where the baggage carousel is dumping unwanted cargo toward you, consider this:

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

Adjusting our thoughts, even in the slightest manner, can make all the difference in whether we carry excess baggage or not.

For you, what will it be baggage claim or not?

Only you can determine the answer to the question. My suggestion is to focus your thoughts on those things which help you step forward and leave the thoughts behind which weigh you down.

There’s no sense in claiming baggage which is not your own.

The Beauty of a Lifelong Friendship

Bruce — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 08:45:51 +0000

Wishing My Wife a Happy Birthday!

Today is a special day and one worth noting. It is the day, six decades ago, God brought into the world my wife and best friend, Jackie.

I know I am taking a chance by disclosing her age as most women do not care to have this piece of their bio publically revealed.

However, it is worth the risk!

Jackie and I met at college in 1975 during the first weekend of our collegiate experiences. I attended an all guy college whereas she attended an all girl institution.

How in the world did we meet?

The brother-sister schools coordinated the social calendars so that the students could mingle and interact.

I was immediately drawn to her for a stand she took which displayed her convictions. We were sitting around a picnic table when someone in the group stated their intention to get “hammered” that evening.

Jackie immediately questioned why they would want to do such a thing. She was sensitive to alcohol abuse as her father spent many years battling an alcohol addiction.

I was distinctly impressed and thought, “This girl might be the one for me.” Shortly afterward we began to hang out, spend time together, and started the process of getting to know each other. We took time to care and listen to each other’s stories.

I could say “the rest is history”, for indeed it is.

There are days when it seems as if it were a lifetime ago when I first laid eyes on Jackie. At other times it seems as if it were yesterday.

Quite honestly, she has not changed one iota except she is more beautiful than ever.

She is honest, caring, and has a loving heart. Her sensitive nature and concern for others are distinguishing characteristics.

In short, she personifies love.

We have shared a lifetime of ups, downs, and in-betweens.

I am honored she said “Yes” to my marriage proposal and doubly honored we followed through with our marriage plans.

She has stuck with me through much more “thick” than there ever was “thin”.

The most important decision I can or ever will make in this life was the direct result of her loving and caring influence. Her life reflected the love of Christ to me in such a real way that I invited Him to make His home in my heart.

Nothing will ever surpass this moment in my life and I am thankful to God for her influence in this manner as it has eternal ramifications.

As far as a role model goes, our daughters (pictured left to right Brittany, Jessica, and Bethany) are privileged to call her “Mom” and in her they have a deep, deep, treasure.

She has sacrificed as most Moms are inclined to do and they are the beneficiaries of her caring nature. Each of our daughters are now Mom’s and they have tapped into her wisdom on more than one occasion.

She now carries the same legacy to our grandchildren (not all pictured).

She is referred by them as “Gammie” and they are truly blessed to have someone in their lives to spoil them as well as pray for them. She is a godly influence and they are her true treasures. She makes them all giggle!

I would be remiss if I did not mention the hundreds of students she has taught over the years. Only eternity will disclose the rewards of how she has influenced each life.

She is a sister, an aunt, a cousin, a neighbor, and a friend to many. She always considers others more important than herself.

I concur with the writer of Proverbs,

“Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her and she will greatly enrich his life.”

Jackie, this day I honor you! You have indeed enriched my life greatly and in more ways than I can count!

Thank you for giving me the beauty of a lifelong friendship with you. I am honored to call you my wife, my lover, and my friend. You have shown me Jesus on many occasions, even when I was at my worst.

I love you and wish you the happiest of birthdays!

Although at times we seem to have more questions than answers, I honestly believe our best days are ahead and I am blessed to get to share them with you.

To those who read this, if you personally know Jackie I would ask you to consider sharing this post on social media as appropriate – thank you!

Book Review: Play the Man

Bruce — Fri, 12 May 2017 08:45:52 +0000

Becoming the Man God Created You to Be

There have been many times I have listened to a song, watched a movie, or read a book where the instantaneous and overwhelming thought has been – “this one is a winner”.

In other words, the content has the potential to be life impacting, if applied.

Such is the case for a book I recently read as part of Mark Batterson’s book launch team.

Mark’s latest masterpiece, Play the Man: Becoming the Man God Created You to Be, is more than a book.

It is a call to action!

Mark introduces the book with a history lesson which took place in AD 155.

He recounts the story of Polycarp who was a disciple of the John the apostle. Polycarp faithfully and selflessly led the church at Smyrna through a period of persecution.

John encouraged Polycarp to not be afraid of what he was about to suffer and admonished him to “be faithful, even to the point of death” (Revelation 2:10).

As Mark writes:

“John had died a half century before, but his voice still echoed in Polycarp’s ears as the Colosseum crowd chanted – “Let loose the lion!”

That’s when Polycarp heard a voice from heaven that was audible above the crowd – “Be strong, Polycarp. Play the man.”

Roman bounty hunters had tracked Polycarp down. Instead of fleeing, he fed his captors a meal and they granted him a final request – an hour of prayer.

Afterwards, the Roman proconsul implored Polycarp to recant his belief in Christ – “Revile the Christ and I will release thee.”

Polycarp refused, “Eighty and six years I have served Him. He has done me no wrong! How then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?

Polycarp had confessed himself to be a Christian and was sentenced to be burned at the stake.

He prayed one last prayer, “I bless you because you have thought me worthy of this day and this hour to be numbered among your martyrs in the cup of your Christ.”

Although flames engulfed him they did not consume him. He was then pierced with a spear and bled out. He had lived out John’s exhortation to “be faithful, even to the point of death”.

As Batterson summarizes, “Polycarp died fearlessly and faithfully…the way he died forever changed the way those eyewitnesses lived. Polycarp played the man.”

I don’t mean to wig you out with blood and gore. This account makes our modern day trials and problems pale in comparison.

When was the last time your life was in danger because of your beliefs?

Mark then introduces the thought as a society we have forgotten how to make men and calls men to play the man.

He outlines seven virtues to help men play the man with chapter titles such as:

Tough as Nails
A Gentleman and a Scholar
Unbroken
The Three-Headed Dragon
Sockdolager
Born for the Storm
Call of Duty

Each chapter is introduced by a real life account of someone(s) who embodies the concept or character trait he wants to drive home.

The book concludes with his attempt to make men out of his sons by showing them a Rite of Passage which he conceived for them.

It is a refreshing look at what our society so desperately needs – men who will love others more than themselves, to honor their wives, to guide their children well and to be an example for them.

Time does not permit me to elaborate further.

This book is real. It is honest. It is funny. It is sincere. It is life changing.

More importantly, it is for you.

Looks do not make the man.

Money does not make the man.

Possessions do not make the man.

God makes the man and it is an inside job!

If you have longed to live a life you know can be “more” than what you may currently experience, do yourself a favor and buy the book.

Graduation season is right around the corner and I could think of no better gift to give to a young man than add to his “life account” and to bless him with this book.

We celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend and by no means do I want Mom’s to think they are second fiddle.

However, Father’s Day soon follows.

Why don’t you consider getting the man in your life – whether son, or husband, or father a gift in which both he and you will reap the benefits?

You will not regret doing so.

You can check out the Play the Man website to further explore this gem of a book for yourself. A sample chapter is available for you to check out.

I highly recommend it whether for yourself or another.

In closing, if you are a man reading this I urge you to Play the Man. Others are counting on you!

The Ultimate Ground Zero

Bruce — Sun, 16 Apr 2017 08:30:02 +0000

Celebrating the Resurrected King

The term “ground zero” as found in the online version of the Merriam-Webster dictionary is defined as the point directly above, below, or at which a nuclear explosion occurs.

In short, it speaks of something which causes a radical change to the landscape.

In our twenty-first century understanding, it is a term which we often use in reference to the horrific events of September 11, 2001, as in the location of the World Trade Center collapses being referred to as Ground Zero.

The definition to which I defer is used to describe the very beginning.

Today is Easter Sunday.

I prefer to call it Resurrection Day as it tells the story which actually occurred as Scripture describes, “early on a Sunday morning, while it was still dark”.

For Christians, it is the very beginning.

This day caused a radical change to the landscape of the human heart, assuming one yields to its invitation.

This Resurrection Day is inherently more meaningful to any other we have celebrated to this point in our lives as we now have a better frame of reference.

Jackie and I had the awesome privilege to be in Israel for ten days this February on a mission trip with Global Celebration Ministries.

Places read about in Scripture and once left to our imaginations to navigate are now very real and personal to us.

Time does not permit me to give you a blow-by-blow description of our itinerary and the many places we visited. The outreaches we shared with the 2017 Holy Land Miracle Tour team, approximately ninety strong, were the focus of our time during our stay.

We ministered to both Israeli and Palestinian children, Palestinian widows and orphans, wounded and active Israeli military personnel, and to those we met who were out and about in the marketplaces.

The point of this post is to invite you to join us on our final day in the Land of Promise, with the words of Scripture and the power of images to guide the way.

After all, pictures are worth a thousand words.

We visited the spot traditionally believed to be Gethsemane, an olive grove where Jesus told His disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray“.

The trees in this olive grove, we were told, were two thousand years old.

If I can draw your attention to the picture above I’d like to ask you a question – do you see anything or anyone in the tree?

On what we call Good Friday, we are told that Pilate turned Jesus over to the leading priests to be crucified.

As they took Jesus away, He was made to carry the cross by Himself, as He went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha).

We started our final day in Israel by taking a tour of the Garden Tomb.

We were surrounded by lush plants and a serene garden, a place to reflect.

My hunch told me what my eyes were seeing was not what they would have witnessed had I been alive 2,000 years ago in the very same spot.

Our tour guide supplied us with an array of historical facts with respect to the soil we were standing upon and what transpired at the time.

Quite honestly, it was a lot to take in.

To stand in this place at that moment overshadowed whatever factual information could be conveyed or absorbed.

It was emotional and personal.

Once the tour guide concluded his presentation, we made our way across the garden to an isolated spot to participate in a Scripture teaching and a communion service focused on the importance of where we were.

We had the awesome opportunity to connect with a group from South Africa and we joined them in worship outside the tomb. Two groups of people, from many nations, joined together to focus our attention to the One we call Lord.

Prior to the communion service, we individually and collectively had the opportunity to witness first hand where Christ was laid to rest.

We are told in Scripture “the place of the crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before.”

The burial plot was offered for use by Joseph of Arimathea, who was a secret follower of Jesus and was well off.

Many of us took the opportunity to stand outside the entrance to the tomb to reflect and to take pictures.

After doing so, we proceeded into the tomb itself to find it just as He indicated it would be – empty!

Personally, it will be a moment I treasure for the rest of my life. In many ways, it was surreal. Words cannot adequately describe the thoughts and emotions of the moment.

Although I realized it before as experienced in my life, being there lent itself to emphasize His promises are true and His word can be more than counted upon.

He declared Himself with power to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead.

We saw a facsimile of the stone which was rolled away (reported to be much smaller in size and thickness than the actual stone) from the grave on the first Resurrection Day.

Our eyes bore witness to that which our hearts believed for many years without seeing.

We came to understand what the angel said to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary as they visited the tomb.

As the angel spoke to the women he said, “Don’t be afraid…I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here. He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen.” (Matthew 28: 5-6 NLT)

On the surface, it appeared when Christ died all hope was lost. In our human thinking, death equates to an end or finality.

Are there areas of your life where death has shown its ugly head and where hope seems to be lost?

I can tell you in my own life I have experienced a death of the soul in several forms over a period of time.

What Jesus did on the first Resurrection Day has always given me hope to continue my journey, despite what my eyes may be seeing or what my ears may be hearing.

At times it has been hard.

Now that I have had the opportunity to be placed in the actual setting of His resurrection, my belief is cemented.

We attend Life Center of Harrisburg and are now part of this body of believers since our move to the area in 2015.

During the first part of this year, one particular song has been sung many times by our worship team and is called Resurrecting by Elevation Worship.

A music video of the song is provided below. The words of the refrain have done a work on the inside for me. It has ignited a new found sense of purpose and passion in my life.

I invite you to allow the words and music to be a blessing to you this Resurrection Day.

Allow the message of Resurrection Day to take you back (or to invite you into) the place of the very beginning or your own personal, ultimate Ground Zero.

By Your spirit I will rise

From the ashes of defeat

The resurrected king Is resurrecting me

In Your name I come alive

To declare your victory

The resurrected king Is resurrecting me

Photos Courtesy of Creative Commons, myself, and my new friends on the 2017 Holy Land Miracle Tour Team

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