You may not have heard, but, Marcia Brady (yes, the one from the Brady Bunch) was a drug addict who regularly traded sex to appease her habit. In her new book, apparently, she tells all. In the early reads and television interviews one thing is clear, Marcia Brady, the girl we all had a crush on “back in the day”, was not the saint we perceived her to be. That sweet smile and those glistening eyes veiled the turmoil inside.As is the case with any living human being, Marcia Brady had to deal with the allure of life beyond the boundaries. The tug of temptation to break free from moral constraint, and the overwhelming craving for pleasure, lurk around every turn. What we all want to believe is that a little “freedom” from the rules will quench our desires and lead us to Happy Land. Sadly, what Marcia and too many others find, again and again, is that life beyond the boundaries is no vacation. We have come to recognize this reality recently as we have all witnessed, and been impacted by, the economic turmoil which has spread across the globe. The desire for more, more, more which took hold of so many who controlled purse strings on all levels, has led to a meltdown. We pushed passed the boundaries of economic sanity and now find ourselves drowning in troubles of all kind. Life beyond the boundaries, in pursuit of excess, is not so enjoyable at this point.What Marica’s story and that of our global crisis must remind us of is the need we have to embrace life “between the lines” of God’s love. He knows what is good for us and what will result in our demise. He has drawn the lines as He has because He desires that we flourish, that we have life to the full. As alluring as it may be to attempt to find a full life on our own, it will never work. The promise of illicit sexual fantasy is a trap. The exchange of the soul for a bigger barn, more wealth, and more stuff, will always leave us internally bankrupt. We too often take the bait and find ourselves “hooked” into a lie that destroys psyches, souls, and societies. The truth is there are absolutes. Any attempt to deny this leads to intellectual, moral, and spiritual insanity.The church game will never work. Moral rectitude will not suffice. Our hope for the kind of life we so crave, but look for in all the wrong places, is fulfilled only in an authentic relationship with the One who created us. Jesus, the Man who still lives today, is our only “fix” for life. The One who lived a quality of life beyond anything that has ever been known offers us that life today. He is able to offer us the same kind of love which sees others as God sees them thereby surpassing the kind of view we typically take of others in a world dominated by physicality, title, and fame. He is the one who can reestablish our view of what it means to be rich in this world. If you, like Marcia Brady, have recently looked in the mirror and seen for the first time that the glistening smile and sparkly eyes hide the reality within, turn to Jesus and ask Him to remake you from the inside out. If you, like so many, have sought to amass all the toys and titles you could get your arms around, and have come up empty inside, turn to Jesus and ask Him to give you life to the full.All of us are guilty of embracing the false life, and each of us needs to seek a continual readjustment as we live and move in a world racked by falsity. If you have tried life beyond the boundaries and you have come up wanting, give God a chance. Just as the Prodigal Son who despised his father and squandered his wealth in wild living came to realize, we too can find, even amidst the mess we have made, that God, our Father, is standing in wait for us to return to our senses. He anxiously awaits our approach in order that He might run toward us and celebrate with us, our new life in Him.Before you quit on all of it, give Him a shot. You may find that life within the boundaries of God’s love is the one thing you have been missing. As I have written many times before, life inside the playground of God’s love surpasses anything we have known. Inside the playground of God’s love for us is safety, freedom, adventure, and meaning. Life’s troubles do not disappear because we know Him. However, many of the pitfalls can be avoided as we take Him up on His plan for us. Moreover, in Him we find forgiveness amidst our failures and missteps. Amidst the good times and the bad, His truths remain and His plan unfolds. Without His presence in our lives we are merely groping for a future without focus, hope, meaning, or purpose. Bruce Smithoptimuslife.org We would appreciate your financial gift during this time. Thank you. Gifts can be sent to :Optimus4 whippoorwillcovington, la 70433