As any happy person with any life experience will tell you….
When there is a choice to be made.
Choose art and not science.
Choose faith and not doubt.
Choose beauty.
It was good to be at the house of the Lord today. It was too wonderful for me.
1 Kings 10:1-9
Eye has not seen….ear has not heard…
The young man and the old man can say the same thing or things.
The difference is that the old man has lived it.
It’s not an age thing. It’s a life experience thing.
As well, the young man thinks he will grow old slowly but as all old men know, it happens suddenly. Seemingly overnight.
One day, as you look out into the sea of people, everyone looks older than you.
Then suddenly,
One day, as you look out into the sea of people, everyone looks younger than you.
It happened to me suddenly and not slowly.
I’ve met young men who were old men and I’ve met old men who were young men.
Life.
It’s about submission and surrender.
It’s about Love, so we can only hope.
Jiu-Jitsu was a passion of mine. It is a passion of mine again today. Be thankful for your passions, you aren’t promised them tomorrow.
Recently, I was rolling with a white belt. Big, strong, maybe in his late 30s or early 40s, quite possibly with many life experiences outside of the gym but on the mats of life, he’s a novice.
I am not sure if he knew he was a novice or not but I’m sure he didn’t know what he didn’t know.
I know this because I was a white belt and will always be a white belt now that I know what I do not know.
As we started the “roll” and I got grips on him, I could feel his entire body trembling with anxiety and uncertainty. White belts are incredibly dangerous because they don’t know what they don’t know. They can hurt themselves and they can hurt you because of their “fear” or because of their ”lack of fear.” I could feel him try to assert himself but to no avail. I could feel him try to escape but to no avail. At that point, the panic sets in and they fight harder.
I know this and I know what he was feeling because I was once him and from a skill level I am still him with more experienced practitioners. The main difference between me and the white belt I rolled with is simply, I know that I don’t know.
Jiu~Jitsu and life are art. Jiu~Jitsu teaches you much about life and life teaches you much about Jiu~Jitsu.
Fighting life instead of surrendering and rolling with it will get you hurt.
The white belt didn’t know that I knew he was in a bad place and that the entire time I was keeping him safe and keeping myself safe. Toward the end of our roll, I could feel him surrendering to what I knew the entire time and I could feel him trusting that I wasn’t going to hurt him or let him hurt me.
Again, trying in my own weak way to share what God has put upon my heart this morning and mean no disrespect or to claim to be a good practitioner of the art. I have submitted to young men, old men, and women on the mats thousands of times but I have learned to surrender, to learn, to grow from each role.
Life. Life. Life.
Roll with it. Don’t fight against it. Life happens to us all and the real Blackbelt learns to go with the flow and that losing isn’t losing, it’s learning. Trust that even when life has you down and it seems that its grip is too strong that it has the best intentions.
This morning am thankful for all of the young men, old men, and women that I’ve shared the mats with. You’ve taught me so much. Mostly you’ve taught me how much I don’t know and still have to learn.
I suspect, that the true Blackbelt in Jiu~Jitsu and in life knows deeply what I’m about to say…..
The Blackbelt is a Blackbelt because he or she has learned just how much they don’t know and how much they still have to learn and that growth in Jiu~Jitsu and in life is never ending.
The Blackbelt has learned how to not kick against the pricks because life always wins.
The Blackbelt has learned to just roll with it and to have a thankful heart. The true Blackbelt knows it’s not about winning. It’s about how you handle loss and never quit.
Yours truly,
Travis Whitebelt
It is said that an old dog can’t learn new tricks. I think generally speaking, that is true. At more than a half century old (52), it’s easy to stop learning and to stop growing. You know, easy to become set in your ways.
Yet, I find the most impressive people have decades of experience, but still have the exuberant joy of a teen. These people are thought provoking in conversation and a joy to be around recreationally.
I can see that I’m not evolving and am becoming so set in my ways that I may become a grumpy old man if unwilling, as an old dog, to learn new tricks.
Recently, I was having fun, being silly, and almost childlike in my behavior. I was behaving as if I were young, wild and free. The kids around me were loving it and I was enjoying their company as well. Immediately I felt healthier, alive and giddy. It was as if I had gained twenty years back. Later, a person a wee bit older than me said, “Isn’t it time to act your age?” I began to relive in my mind how goofy and foolish I had looked. Instantly, I felt sad and felt even older than my age.
I’ve been thinking about that a lot.
Look your age, act your age, and so on!
From birth to grave, so many are in bondage not to the laws of God but to the laws of all of the little gods of this world.
Freedom is feeling alive, happy and free. It’s feeling confident, open, and sexy even if you’re 100!
People take longevity drugs, supplements and all kinds of things to try and live longer but really what we need to do is put more life in our living….
Smile more.
Love more.
Dance more.
Be silly more.
Reinvent your clothing and style more often.
Dance and speak love, peace and prosperity more.
Forgive more.
Dream more.
Go for it more.
Life is a grand adventure and you only lose out when you think there is anything to lose.
The Bible says, until you lose this life, you won’t gain life.
I’m ready to lose life. Not my values (my values matter for me, not someone else’s) but lose the dogma and restraints that others enforce upon me. I’m so tired of living in a way that restrains me because I’m afraid of being judged or making a mistake.
Living unto the Lord, for me, is accepting His grace, still adhering to my deepest values but being happy and free.
The life I live is making me sick and depressed.
Worry and fear based living has got to go.
And the people who would judge me for living my highest and best, authentic life, are all complainers, miserable, gossipers, and hurting.
Sure, most of them go to church every Sunday, smile as they look up into the first heaven from the choir, and are good people as they themselves define good people but as soon as church lets out, here we go gossiping, complaining, whining, and finding everything negative to think and talk about.
I am NOT saying all Church people are this way but I am saying a lot of US are acting like OLD DOGS who can’t learn a few new tricks before this thing wraps up. Some of the best people I know are also some of the most unhappiest people I know outside of church. They aren’t having fun and yes, I know there is more to life than having fun but if you aren’t having fun then you’re not doing something right.
I’m ready to be part of the party and to show folks that you can love the Lord and still have a lot of fun. Life has to have some adventure. It’s so easy to get in a place mentally where you take yourself to seriously.
I want to be the old man that has experience and wisdom but that the young people can relate to! I want to be the old man that the old people say ”act your age to”, “you are too old to act that way”, “you are too old to dress that way” and so forth.
I’m holding on too tight and I’m going to learn some new tricks.
So who is in? Who wants to give ‘em something to talk about and learn some new tricks?
Cause this sexy, confident, positive, loving old dog is about to learn some new tricks!
Absolutely. Words and ideas are the weapons of our warfare. The weapons of warfare are not carnal but are spiritual, mighty, and are of love and of power. They are mighty indeed and pull down strongholds that are in our lives.
Sasha and I are taking inventory of our past and of our lives. As a couple, who are we? What do we value? Are our actions in line with our values? If not, what action steps will we take in order to get in alignment with our shared values?
One of the things we realized during this discussion is that we value faith and charity above all. Yet, we often act on our fears and insecurities rather than acting in love and faith. We are determined to get more in line with what we value.
In a world gone mad with judgements and fear, we have decided to begin each day centering ourselves and making it our purpose to live in such a way that the fruit of the Spirit abound in our lives.
All the shall nots that we are judged for wouldn’t be an issue if we spent our time exhibiting love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self discipline, and faith.
The Law ~ Moses commandments (not all the sundry laws) was the school teacher that brought us to repentance and grace. Notice the commandments never attack someone’s life, liberties or lifestyle. Each of the commandments helps one avoid self harm or harm to their brother and sisters. The commandments help us realize we cannot live it without grace. To me, they basically say not to become enslaved by anything or anyone and to devote one’s self fully to Yeshua.
Grace ~ When grace abounds in one’s life, the fruit of the Spirit will abound. Who can possibly speak against the fruit of the Spirit? Love and joy? No commandment against those? Self control and gentleness? Beautiful living and we aspire to have the fruit of the Spirit abounding in our marriage and life so that all we come in contact with, experience unconditional love. To love you, I must learn to love myself, to forgive myself and show my own self grace. Deeply, I believe that Yeshua is much more interested in the shall dos than the shall nots.
While it’s easy to get confused with all the people in our lives pointing a finger and making accusations, if you really take a deep dive, one will find that living out your faith is quite simple. Do your best to avoid the shall nots but realize that God’s Grace abounds and LOVE covers a multitude of transgressions.
Abide in Christ with intentional living and you will have confidence in Christ.
This will be hanging on our wall in 2023 to remind us that God’s grace is sufficient and that we can have confidence that God is with us and taking care of us.
What are your values? Goals? Are they written?
2023 is going to be a breakthrough year for us. How about you?
Keeping it simple here and living our faith daily. Loving and communicating with each other without fear of repercussion. Playful. Happy. Trusting. Work hard. Play hard.
One today is better than two tomorrow.
Don't procrastinate. Your life's mission should be to LOVE and to have lasting happiness. Don't indulge in the things that yield only temporal happiness.
Indulge often in the things that yield long term happiness. Begin with LOVE and end with LOVE. Do your best and defeat procrastination.
Life goes by as quick as a puff of smoke becomes invisible. Has your spirit evolved? Have you found yourself and your purpose?
Fix the temple first. Fix what is broken inside of it and the outside will take care of itself.
The world would change if we truly exercised this…
Why can’t we stop judging one another?
Everyone’s individual righteousness is as filthy rags. No one should judge
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Unconditional love is the way. A wife and husband are best when they are besties. They are at their highest and best when they nurture and trust one another. They don’t seek ownership of one another but allow one another room to grow into their individual highest and best. They aren’t jealous of each other and don’t seek their own. They can approach one another not only with their light but even with their darkness without fear of repercussion or judgement. I love you my Sasha.
Thank you for teaching me how to love and for forgiving me of my many “screw ups”. You’re the only person that I’ve ever shared my deepest fears with and you’ve rewarded me with your love, honor, and trust. You’ve never judged me. I never feel like I have to lie to you in order to avoid your anger or rebuke.
You accept me the way I am and that is the best Christmas gift I can imagine. Your dreams are my dreams and your heart is my home.
Merry Christmas my love. I adore you.
Matthew 8:8 ~ 8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
The centurion is one of my heroes. His Faith was so great he even prompted Jesus to let the crowd know how marvelous and pleasing this man’s faith was.
The centurion had the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He basically was saying whether you will or you won’t Lord, I know you can and all you have to do is say the word and healing takes place.
The centurion was acknowledging his faith in Jesus’ omnipotence and omnipresence. He knew that even there in that location, Jesus was elsewhere too. Jesus was with him and Jesus was with his sick and tormented servant elsewhere.
Jesus is everywhere and in everything. If we humble ourselves as the centurion soldier of high ranking did, have faith, and make our requests known, I am persuaded to believe it pleases God and that miracles can happen.
I desire to have the faith of the centurion soldier. I don’t have it. Lord help my unbelief. I have the faith of a grain of mustard seed and will continue to exercise it. I will ask. I will be unwavering believing I will receive in my due season and even if I don’t receive, I will not bow to fear, judgment and hate.
How can I increase my faith?
Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes from the Word of God. How can they hear without a preacher?
I will keep reading the Word. I will keep listening to The Preacher. I will keep moving forward
Fake it until you make it? I never liked that saying but it’s true. At times, you just have to fake it for a while. Meaning, you may not ”feel” like it or you may not believe it will happen, etc. Example: You don’t feel like going to the gym, but you go ahead and put a smile on your face and tell yourself that you love going to the gym. You’re faking it but once you get there and get started with your workout and those feel food hormones begin to flow, you actually DO feel like working out and are glad you MADE yourself go! Perhaps, you’re not feeling it with your spouse, and the romance and romantic feelings once held are no longer feeling the same or even there at all but you tell yourself “I love my spouse!” Over and over again. (Sasha has to do this a lot concerning me, I’m sure of it.). You even plan a romantic outing with a cute picnic box, wine and bring along some music you both love, and then suddenly the romantic feelings return and are real again. There are times you have to DO IT ANYWAY and wait on the Lord to give you the feelings for things you once loved again.
This happens with relationships, jobs, diets, vocations, etc.
When the feelings aren’t there many of us look for greener pastures only to find out that the grass wasn’t so green on the other side of the fence after the new wears off. New diet. New relationship. New job. New. New. New. New…..ends up being a vicious cycle of highs and lows with no real progress or growth being made.
Never throw the baby out with the bath water.
If you’ve lost that love and feeling, don’t fake it until you make it but rather….
FAITH IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT!
Tell yourself the things you want to have to happen before they happen.
Speak powerfully and positively about yourself and the future.
The anchor. Once while praying in my prayer closet I got caught up in a loop of fear based thoughts. I really let it all out before the mercy seat of God. I shared things I wouldn’t trust any human with. Deep things. Dark things. Terrifying things but The Holy Spirit came and comforted me with three words. “Trust and Anchor”. I knew exactly what was meant and as soon as I found myself saying aloud, “Trust and Anchor” over and over my fears, anxiety, and depression began to dissolve. Just speaking positive and powerful words aloud actually helped me rid myself of the fear. Trusting God’s love and mercy while anchoring to faith. I have to do this many times every day now. Trust and anchor to God’s unflinching love and devotion to me.
Looking forward to this new t-shirt. It’s my life right now. Waiting on the Lord. Repenting. Reading. Praying. Hoping.
The Lord says we live and we live. He says we die and we die.
I can’t do anything without His Holy Spirit and everything is tedious and tasteless without the Holy Spirit’s fellowship. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
My Testimony December 14, 2022
