5. January 2009 by BruceSmith.

We rarely, if ever, send more than one email to our readers in a day, but today we beg your forgiveness for a second interruption to your life.  Actually, we hope the first email, the first blog of 2009, is more a help than an interruption, but you can decide that when you read it.This second email concerns an update we just received with regard to Bruce’s television interview which was recorded earlier in the year in Los Angeles.  The interview will air in two days, Wednesday, nationwide on TBN.  The details follow.Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) nationwide Wednesday January 7, 2009 at 9:30 AM Pacific Standard Time (PST) 

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5. January 2009 by BruceSmith.

Like many of you, over the holidays, I watched a number of movies.  Of those I watched, I think the one which captured me the most, emotionally speaking, was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.  In the press build up for the movie the main theme was touted in  ”what if” terms.  What if you could live your life backwards?… this was the common tag-line for those reviewing the movie.  While that theme is certainly present, I am convinced the bigger idea strikes a much more poignant cord in each of us.  Essentially, in my view, the movie is about human longing, big life “moments”, opportunities seized, those missed, and our deepest desires, drives, and wishes.  The movie challenges the viewer to consider that life, in its splendor and horror, can and should be lived to the full.  While everything in the movie is certainly not of redeeming value, especially the clear lack of critical thinking and truth telling as it pertains to sexuality, there are yet many great lessons and thought provoking issues dealt with.   Whether it is my coming to an important mile marker in my life in the last couple of months, or if its just one of those seasons of intense reflection, I am not totally sure, but lately I have given a great deal of thought to who I am, what I am not, past hopes, current fears, and the unknown future.  Wrapped up in all of this is my grand, mostly unspoken, life “wish list”.  This is the list we all have, but too seldom reflect upon with the kind of focus we ought.  This is that deep and relentless pull to live a kind of life we have not as yet experienced.  This is the wish which too often goes unfulfilled in the human experience.  This is the nagging feeling that life has not given us all that we would have hoped for. So, what about this?  Are we doomed to live in a state of reflective angst?  Are we destined to live our lives with the background soundtrack always asking, “What if things were different?”  At 40, perhaps, I am beginning to understand that indeed I have missed some moments, dropped the ball at times, failed at certain things, and seen some wishes come and go unfulfilled, yet, I am also learning to savour the journey.  Amidst all the lost hopes and dreams, and the unrealized wishes (an intoxicating romance to last a lifetime, daily domestic bliss with my kids, another metric foot in physical stature, a life mission that tangibly changes the world and brings fame and notoriety, a Wimbledon victory, moral perfection, perfect faith, unwavering joy, unshakable peace, financial ecstasy, a best-selling book, a high-profile speaking tour, …), I am learning that life has offered so much and I am to take it all in and drink it up savouring each moment to the fullest.  Each moment this life offers is full of potential to “begin again” and to fully experience the splendor of existence.  I think this is the major reason I am so fond of photography.  This form of art seems to offer us the ability to capture, retain, and to experience again and again, those moments in life which are so full.  Benjamin Button drew me back into the process of capturing life’s moments and experiences in my soul and taking each one in as fully as I possibly can.  The moments with my kids (the thrills of watching them smile, succeed, hope, dream, love, give, … and the important moments of failure, sadness, uncertainty, and fear), the spark in the eye of another human being who is alive to life’s possibilities, the glory of a beautiful woman’s figure, the texture of a leaf, a snowflake, the majesty of a mountain, the wonder of a ballet, the soul-shaking horror of unthinkable evil played out in the news each day, the depth of pain which lingers in broken homes and broken hearts, the grace and statuary of a talented athlete, the wonder of creation, the wounds of war, the travesty of selfishness…  On and on, this life is full of experiences which, if truly taken in, enlarge our hearts, increase our compassion, fuel our drives, nurture our understanding, and grow our hearts and minds.  All of life, the good, the bad, the mundane, it all has a place in our journey.  None of it should be taken lightly.  The reminder of Benjamin Button, for me, and the 40 year mile-marker, have heightened for me, a truth I have attempted to embrace fully, but am now taking in even more.  That truth is simply this, life offers us a host of experiences.  The landscape of our souls is largely determined by how and if we respond to those realities with vigor and passion.  We must embrace the potential for failure while recognizing the opportunity for goodness.  In approaching each potential relationship we must remember that past failure does not prevent us from future joy.  Each moment presented to us in a day offers a world of new experiences.  The girl in the coffee shop who has lost her way could, in reality, have her heart lifted by our kind words or compassionate glance.  The son or daughter who has failed miserably could find himself or herself spurred on to greatness by our wisdom and grace.  The husband or wife in great need of encouragement or confidence can find what they need in our cheer-leading efforts.  Those with whom we do business with can see themselves challenged to live noble lives as we live and practice our business with a stern and impassioned resolve to lead and not follow the crowd. I am not sure what your wish list consist of today, but I am sure that God intends for you a life much more interesting that you could have ever imagined.  Amidst all of your broken dreams and unfulfilled desires stands the cross of Christ which is a symbol of abundant life exploding from the ruins of tragedy and the unthinkable.  Whether your life is characterized by a series of defeats or one win after another, pause and consider the depth and wonder of the moments which have been given to you.  Your life is but a vapor.  You are here for a short time and then gone.  Will you take it all in?  Will you love her fully?  Will you encourage him in inspiring ways?  Will you extend compassion which uplifts a hopeless heart?  Will you worship not only in church but also at the symphony, the ballet, the park, the zoo, the classroom, the boardroom, and the bedroom? When you look back on this curious thing we call life will you be able to say that you lived if fully?  Jesus has offered us that ability.  I would submit to you that to understand, experience, and thrive as we all wish, we must begin with the Man who suggested that in knowing Him we know life and that to the full.  He has said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…”  To take this life in, and to live life to the full, truly experiencing every moment, begins with an understanding of why we are here, who we live for, and how life is defined.  This is where life begins and this is where your future opens up.  You will not get all you thought you wanted, but the journey is full of adventure, and you may just get more than you ever imagined.  We live forward, we cannot go back, but each moment is a moment to “start living again”.  Enjoy the journey,Bruce Smithoptimuslife.org 

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