Rediscovering Jars of Clay in the Desert!

“GOD takes everyone HE loves through a desert. It is HIS cure for our wandering hearts, restlessly searching for a new Eden. The best gift of the desert is GOD's presence. The protective love of the SHEPHERD gives me courage to face the interior journey." — Paul E. Miller

I have been richly blessed by everyone who has ever been part of Jars of Clay, especially the original members Dan Haseltine, Charlie Lowell, Stephen Mason, & Matthew Odmark.

“Worlds Apart” has been a prayer of my heart countless times through the years & I am grateful that the CD I bought in 1995 still functions.

25+ years ago I was in training with International Teams in Prospect Heights, Illinois because I would eventually be heading to the Spanish Language Institute in San Francisco de Dos Ríos, Costa Rica & then Medellín, Colombia to work in a youth ministry. 

During that missionary training on February 18, 1996 I thoroughly enjoyed a concert at the Rosemont Horizon that included Three Crosses, Jars of Clay, & Michael W Smith.

The "Boys" from Jars of Clay have become men who are inspirational living examples of simply doing what the LORD created us to do.

"We are GOD\"s workmanship, created in JESUS CHRIST to do good works, which GOD prepared in advance for us to do." — EPHESIANS 2:10

“Discovering El Salvador!” is my story of how a 2 week mission trip to an orphanage in Santo Tomás, El Salvador in June of 1990 changed my life forever. 

Why am I sharing this with y’all?

Despite serving the LORD the majority of my adult life, I have recently begun to break free from the darkest 20 months of my existence emotionally, mentally, physically, & spiritually.

“We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from GOD & not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” — 2 CORINTHIANS 4:7-9

“Rediscovering Jars of Clay" is invigorating me as “live” versions of songs I know are filled with new meaning & songs I am hearing for the first time are ministering to me precisely where I need it.

I am embarrassed to say that I only had the first 3 records but the combination of new with old excited me so much that I now have ALL the CD’s I did not have.

"Silence” is a song that I first encountered several years ago on YouTube that included heartbreaking footage of Tsunami destruction in Thailand causing me to wonder if GOD is even listening in the midst of suffering.

“The Box Canyon Sessions” version of “Silence” has brought tears to my eyes that fueled my spirit with an intense longing for GOD to rescue me out of the darkness. 

Why?

First of all, the setting that night brings back awesome memories when my wife & I took kiddos from 3 different foster care group homes to an outdoor concert by Dominic Balli in the backyard of a home in Tucson, Arizona & his song/video "Favela" featuring Nengo Vieira in Río de Janeiro, Brazil reminded me of ministering throughout the "barrios" of Medellín, Colombia.

Secondly, I cried for 2-3 hours every night when my wife & I were houseparents in Key West, Florida & then Oro Valley, Arizona because I was so frustrated & upset with the horrific abuse, neglect, & trauma those kiddos had experienced & a system that does not help any of them break the cycle within their families.

It is as if I needed to feel their pain at night but then get it out of my system in order to provide them with a home filled with joy, love, & peace the next day.

“Experiencing terrible pain opens our hearts & minds to express compassion for other people & communion with ourselves.” — Kilroy J. Oldster

Hopefully y’all have been encouraged by my words a fraction as much as I have been encouraged by the lyrics & music of Jars of Clay.

I pray that y'all will be richly blessed emotionally, financially, mentally, physically, & spiritually.

"Now glory be to GOD who by HIS mighty power that is at work within us, is able to carry out HIS purpose & do super abundantly, far over & above all that we dare ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams." — EPHESIANS 3:20

Peace be our journeys,

BPK aka Brian Pedro Keyes aka Weasel

P.S. The following quote when understood will fuel us to work supernaturally!

"Trying to do the LORD's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, & tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the HOLY SPIRIT, then the ministry of JESUS just flows out of you." ― Corrie ten Boom

Feel free to share this blog with your family & friends.

ABC’s of BPK

"Once we recognize the fact that every individual is a treasury of hidden & unsuspected qualities, our lives become richer, our judgment better, & our world is more right. It is not love that is blind, it is only the unnoticed eye that cannot see the real qualities of people." ― Charles H. Percy

Adventurous 

Boyish 

Charismatic 

Devoted

Emotional

Funolicious

Gentle

Humble

Inolvidable 

Joyful

Kind

Lovely 

Marvelous

Nitpicker

Opinionated 

Punctual

Quirky 

Resolute

Strong

Thoughtful 

[]_[]nique

Vexing

Weasel

X-Rayable

Youthful 

Zoetic

"The grace of GOD means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful & terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It's for you I created the universe. I love you." ― Frederick Buchner

"Trees" by Hermann Hesse

For me, trees have always been the most penetrating preachers. I revere them when they live in tribes & families, in forests & groves. And even more I revere them when they stand alone. They are like lonely persons. Not like hermits who have stolen away out of some weakness, but like great, solitary men, like Beethoven & Nietzsche. In their highest boughs the world rustles, their roots rest in infinity; but they do not lose themselves there, they struggle with all the force of their lives for one thing only: to fulfil themselves according to their own laws, to build up their own form, to represent themselves. Nothing is holier, nothing is more exemplary than a beautiful, strong tree. When a tree is cut down & reveals its naked death-wound to the sun, one can read its whole history in the luminous, inscribed disk of its trunk: in the rings of its years, its scars, all the struggle, all the suffering, all the sickness, all the happiness & prosperity stand truly written, the narrow years & the luxurious years, the attacks withstood, the storms endured. And every young farmboy knows that the hardest & noblest wood has the narrowest rings, that high on the mountains & in continuing danger the most indestructible, the strongest, the ideal trees grow.

Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning & precepts, they preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life.

A tree says: A kernel is hidden in me, a spark, a thought, I am life from eternal life. The attempt & the risk that the eternal FATHER took with me is unique, unique the form & veins of my skin, unique the smallest play of leaves in my branches & the smallest scar on my bark. I was made to form & reveal the eternal in my smallest special detail.

A tree says: My strength is trust. I know nothing about my fathers, I know nothing about the thousand children that every year spring out of me. I live out the secret of my seed to the very end, & I care for nothing else. I trust that GOD is in me. I trust that my labor is holy. Out of this trust I live.

When we are stricken & cannot bear our lives any longer, then a tree has something to say to us: Be still! Be still! Look at me! Life is not easy, life is not difficult. Those are childish thoughts. Let GOD speak within you, & your thoughts will grow silent. You are anxious because your path leads away from home. But every step & every day lead you back again to our FATHER. Home is neither here nor there. Home is within you, or home is nowhere at all.

A longing to wander tears my heart when I hear trees rustling in the wind at evening. If one listens to them silently for a long time, this longing reveals its kernel, its meaning. It is not so much a matter of escaping from one's suffering, though it may seem to be so. It is a longing for home, for a memory of the family & friends, for new metaphors for life. It leads home. Every path leads homeward,

So the tree rustles in the evening, when we stand uneasy before our own childish thoughts: Trees have long thoughts, long-breathing & restful, just as they have longer lives than ours. They are wiser than we are, as long as we do not listen to them. But when we have learned how to listen to trees, then the brevity & the quickness & the childlike hastiness of our thoughts achieve an incomparable joy. Whoever has learned how to listen to trees no longer wants to be a tree. He wants to be nothing except what he is. That is home.

Feel free to share this blog with your family & friends.

TWO WOLVES WITHIN

A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles to his grandson in this manner. 

“Inside of me there are two wolves. One wolf is angry, antagonistic, apathetic, erratic, evil, harsh, hateful, intolerant, mean, sad, treacherous, violent, vociferous, & vulgar.”

 

“The other wolf is affectionate, caring, compassionate, devoted, gentle, good, joyous, kind, loving, merciful, patient, peaceful, pure, sweet, & tolerant.”

“The angry wolf fights the affectionate wolf all the time.”

When asked by his grandson which wolf wins, he reflected for a moment & replied, “The one I feed the most.”

* Credit goes to Sitting Bull with additions by BPK.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños Jesús!

Enjoy what Christmas means to me via a simple "click" on the orange links to songs/videos, quotes, & SCRIPTURES!

Silent Night ― Sixpence None The Richer featuring Dan Haseltine

Happy Birthday JESUS!

You are in for a treat if you have never heard this version of "Silent Night" as the voices of Leigh Nash & Dan Haseltine sound amazing together!

Oh Holy Night! ― Carrie Underwood

"This is how the birth of JESUS CHRIST came about: HIS mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the HOLY SPIRIT." — MATTHEW 1:18

"Christmas is built upon a beautiful & intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home." — G.K. Chesterton

Mary Did You Know? — Pentatonix

"How many observe CHRIST's birthday! How few, HIS precepts!" — Benjamin Franklin

Do you think that Mary knew the awesomeness of what her son JESUS would do not only for her, but for all of us?

When I enjoy "Mary Did You Know?" tears begin to well up in me for who JESUS is & what HE did for you & for me.

 White Christmas ― Bing Crosby in "Holiday Inn" 

"Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won't make it 'white'." ― Bing Crosby

"My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?" ― Bob Hope

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." ― HEBREWS 13:2

I Love the LORD! ― Whitney Houston in "The Preacher's Wife"

The "Preacher’s Wife" is a modern take on "The Bishop’s Wife" & the song "I Love the LORD!" is sung by Whitney Houston.

Even if you don't like church or haven't been to church, this amazing rendition will either disgust you or the joy of the presence of the LORD may get you on your feet to dance as David danced!

Little Drummer Boy — Jars of Clay

"If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." — MATTHEW 10:42

Joy to the World — Dominic Balli

"Joy to the World" is a classic song that seems to always sound the same.

Until now!

Enjoy Dominic Balli's acoustic version with some additional lyrics after the familiar lines we have heard so often.

May we always be filled with Faith, Hope, Joy, Love, & Peace!

A Strange Way to Save the World — 4HIM

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name JESUS, because HE will save HIS people from their sins." ― MATTHEW 1:21

"If you confess with your mouth, “JESUS is LORD,” & believe in your heart that GOD raised HIM from the dead, you will be saved." ― ROMANS 10:9

Offering (Christmas version) feat. Paul Baloche, Lincoln Brewster, Kari Jobe & co.

"Christmas can be celebrated in the school room with pine trees, tinsel & reindeers, but there must be no mention of the man whose birthday is being celebrated. One wonders how a teacher would answer if a student asked why it was called Christmas." ― Ronald Reagan

Above All — Michael W. Smith

"Great is our LORD & mighty in power; HIS understanding has no limit." ― PSALM 147:5

"As I read the birth stories about JESUS I cannot help but conclude that though the world may be tilted toward the rich & powerful, GOD is tilted toward the underdog." ― Philip Yancey

Christmas Is All in the Heart! — Steven Curtis Chapman

"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree." ― Roy L. Smith

Have you ever wanted to have a little talk with JESUS?

Did you know that Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, & Johnny Cash really did have a talk with JESUS & all of us should spend a least a minute or two each day of our lives just to have a little talk with JESUS!

Just a Little Talk with JESUS ― Million Dollar Quarter  Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, & Johnny Cash

"Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't going away." — Elvis Presley

"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." — Galileo

Clydesdales Christmas Commercial

No snow to enjoy having lived in Alajuela, Costa Rica or Christiana, Jamaica or Homestead, Florida or Key West, Florida or Medellín, Colombia or Miami, Florida or Oro Valley, Arizona or Stock Island, Florida or Tucson, Arizona means I'm jealous? 

I was born in Minnesota, so yes.

However, the majestic beauty of Clydesdales gracefully trotting through the snow, melt away any hint of jealousy I may have. 

In Key West, B.O.'s Fish Wagon help as well with their famous Grouper Sandwich on fresh Cuban bread with all the fixings topped off with Key Lime Mayo & a refreshing Key Limeade.

I really miss Garbo's Grill which makes amazingly delicious food & the Cayo Yellowtail Snapper Tacos, Korean BBQ Beef Shortrib Tacos & the []_[]Mami Burger which is 1/2 pound angus, topped with a heirloom tomato, applewood bacon, chipotle gouda on a brioche bun are all absolutely awesome but if you desire pure gluttony, you will drool over the Lando Calrissian which is the []_[]Mami Burger topped with Korean BBQ Beef Shortrib!

Silent Night ― Jordis Unga

My fellow Minnesotan Jordis Unga that I first encountered on RockStar INXS several years ago blessed me in December 2013 with an awesome rendition of "Silent Night" that is stunningly beautiful & takes me back to my roots in Minnesota which meant caroling in the snow & cold but the closest thing to a White Christmas in the desert that is southern Arizona or the Florida Keys or other tropical locations would be the foam of the ocean meeting the sand so instead of snowmen there are sandmen!

Last year in Arizona I was blessed that Christmas Eve brought snow to the Santa Catalina Mountains & Mount Lemmon.

¡Felíz Navidad! ― Michael Bublé y Thalía

¡No voy a olvidar a mis amigo latinos porque me hace faltan todos de ellos!

The Bishop’s Wife Sermon The Meaning of Christmas (The Empty Stocking)

Tonight I want to tell you the story of an empty stocking.

Once upon a midnight clear, there was a child's cry, a blazing star hung over a stable, and wise men came with birthday gifts. We haven't forgotten that night down the centuries. We celebrate it with stars on Christmas trees, with the sound of bells, and with gifts.

But especially with gifts. You give me a book, I give you a tie. Aunt Martha has always wanted an orange squeezer and Uncle Henry can do with a new pipe. For we forget nobody, adult or child. All the stockings are filled, all that is, except one. And we have even forgotten to hang it up. The stocking for the child born in a manger. It's HIS birthday we're celebrating. Don't let us ever forget that.

Let us ask ourselves what HE would wish for most. And then, let each put in his share, loving kindness, warm hearts, and a stretched out hand of tolerance. All the shinning gifts that make peace on earth.

Born in Bethlehem ― Third Day

"After JESUS was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem." — MATTHEW 2:1

Christmas Like A Child ― Third Day

"Truly I telly you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of GOD like a little child will never enter it." — MARK 10:15

Christmas Time Is Here ― Charlie Brown 

Just because!

The True Meaning of Christmas by Linus of Charlie Brown

¡Feliz Cumpleaños Jesús!

I never really liked the song "Happy Birthday" & it's not because last year 
on Thanksgiving I passed the half century mark which ended 20+ months as a house parent with GAP Ministries in Oro Valley, Arizona which meant I was not only unemployed but also homeless so of course my wife Martha Luz & I did what any normal couple would do, we took an almost 2 week vacation to Miami & then all the way through the beautiful Florida Keys to Key West!

So...I want to share my favorite song about the birthday of JESUS & since my voice is a bit scratchy today, I will not make you endure hearing me sing which is a good thing as my trying to hit some of the high notes might destroy any crystal glasses in your home.

It was amazing that every time I hear this majestic song, my eyes are filled with tear like that of a crystal clear mountain stream because the LORD has blessed me so richly to know I shall always have a home filled with joy, love, & peace if I worship JESUS as my LORD & SAVIOR!

"As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for YOU, GOD." — PSALM 42:1

I hope that you enjoy "O Holy Night" by Celine Dion

The words are so powerful & are much better than anything that I can come up with so, click on the link & allow yourself a few minutes to truly feel through music what CHRISTmas is all about.

"O Holy Night" ― Celine Dion

O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear SAVIOR's birth
Long lay the world in sin & error pining
Til HE appeared & the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks, a new & glorious morn

Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine
O night when CHRIST was born
O night divine
O night, O night divine

Truly HE taught us to love one another
HIS law is love & HIS gospel is peace
Chains HE shall break, for the slave is our brother
And in HIS name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy, in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise HIS holy name
CHRIST is the LORD
Their name forever praise we

Noel, Noel
O night, O night Divine
Noel, Noel
O night, O night Divine
Noel, Noel

If you don't want to take the time to click on all those links, I've made it easy to watch each & every video by simply clicking the link below!

Happy Birthday JESUS! ― YouTube Playlist

Share this blog!

Adoption Is Another Word For Love!

I was born in Saint Cloud, Minnesota on Thanksgiving Day in 1966 but I  was adopted on Pearl Harbor Day in 1967!

"Love By You" by Joan Armatrading wrapped up an episode of Miami Vice as a Colombian woman whose baby son was kidnapped & sold via a fake adoption was going to pick him up several years later as the police had discovered where he was living.

After seeing his tears in not wanting to leave the only parents he ever knew, she let him stay with those whom he loved.

It struck intense feelings & emotions deep inside of me as I love the only Mom & Dad I have ever known in spite of recently discovering my biological family to all 8 great grandparents & beyond!

"Adoption is a beautiful picture of GOD's sovereign grace. The child did not choose the parents. The parents chose the child. That's how GOD has placed us into a relationship with HIMSELF. We did not choose HIM. HE chose us. When GOD adopts us, HIS act of adoption is a supernatural act. We take on the nature of JESUS. We become like HIM. We become what HE is." ~ Arielle Wallace

"HE chose us in HIM before the creation of the world to be holy & blameless in HIS sight. In love HE predestined us to be adopted as HIS sons through JESUS CHRIST, in accordance with HIS pleasure & will — to the praise of HIS glorious grace, which HE has freely given us in the ONE HE loves." ~ EPHESIANS 1:4-6

"The adopted child is treated by law as if he or she had been born to the adopting parents upon the entry of the final adoption decree." ~ Intestate Inheritance Rights for Adopted Persons

Here is the definition of adoption from Wikipedia: Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another who is not kin and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents. Unlike guardianship or other systems designed for the care of the young, adoption is intended to effect a permanent change in status and as such requires societal recognition, either through legal or religious sanction.

My being adopted did not change the world, but my world was forever changed 50 years ago today through being accepted & loved unconditionally by my family!

Has being adopted really changed what I might have been?

How could it not?

I've been blessed to experience so much throughout my life & I tried to make sure that children & youth experienced a "HOME" in their lifetime even though I only made that happen for 10 children at a time.

My hope & prayer is that they all discovered joy, love, & peace through my wife & I being house parents if only for a short moment in time of their precious lives.

Was the choice my wife & I made to give three years of our lives an answer to prayer?

"Every child of GOD is not called by the LORD to establish schools & orphan houses & to trust in the LORD for means for them. Yet, there is no reason why you may not experience, far more abundantly than we we do now, HIS willingness to answer the prayers of HIS children." ~ George Müller

Is there anyone in your journey of life who you could richly bless by simply making them feel welcome in your home?

"Tenderness & kindness are not signs of weakness & despair, but manifestations of strength & resolution." ~ Kahlil Gibran

It's amazing what simple kindness can do to make a lifetime of heartache be soothed & begin the healing process.

Share this blog!