26. September 2008 by BruceSmith.

http://blog.optimuschoice.com/__oneclick_uploads/2008/09/great-sex-death-of-taboo.doc

Have you ever wondered about God’s plan for sex?  Is there such a plan?  Does the cultural view that “anything goes” work?  Does it offer a truly fulfilling path to sex, relationship, and love?

If you are looking for something more in your love life take a look at Bruce’s new addition to the “LATEST WRITINGS” section and find an excerpt from his new book (now being written).  Bruce’s latest writing on this subject deals with real life, real sex, and real love.  Just click on the link under LATEST WRITINGS which is just to the right in the upper box.  Then click the link on the title “Great Sex? …” then click on the small text title again…and, “Bam!” …you’ve got your roadmap to Great Sex!!

Or just cut and past the link above or below into your browser.

http://blog.optimuschoice.com/__oneclick_uploads/2008/09/great-sex-death-of-taboo.doc  Optimuslife.org

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24. September 2008 by BruceSmith.

Just a little reflection/prayer of sorts for those who are wrestling with the issue of romance, love, and belonging…enjoy!  A Would Be Lover’s Question

Where is She?

Where is He?

You told me that it was not good for me to be alone,

Where is she?

I thought two were better than one,

Where is he?

I waited, and waited, and waited,

For who am I waiting?

I thought I saw her today in the coffee shop,

It was just another fantasy.

I thought I saw him at lunch today,

There was no dessert.

Is she at the movies?

Is he at the office?

I dreamed high above in the clouds,

Then we landed and took separate cabs.

She was a vision upon the sands,

Then the vacation ended and the hopes washed away.

I was sure I found him in church that day,

He turned out to be less than free, and certainly not for me.

She looked so well put together,

Then she took off the mask.

Where is she?

Is she beautiful, smart, touchable, lonely, broken, bashful?

Where is he?

Is he strong, handsome, powerful, sweet, secure, bald?

I’m about ready to give up,

Is it up to me?

Are you bringing my lover?

Am I looking in the wrong places?

I’m not lonely, but I sure am alone,

Won’t someone just talk to me on the phone?

Does my heart have to be so broken to find love?

Can’t she just find me?

What happened to the knight in shinning armor?

Are all the horses dead?

Tell me, please, where is my lover?

Or is love a fable?

I would love a fantasy, but they love me and then leave,

Is there no one with which to cleave?

If I settle, I die in quiet desperation,

If I don’t I may be alone forever.

Am I wasting my time?

Can two ever become one, really?

Can someone lead me to that oasis that was promised?

Is the fruit tree just a mirage?

Will she ever be mine?

Will I ever be his?

If its not to be why do I want it so bad?

This thirst for love, its driving me mad.

I ask again:

Where is my love?  I am looking,

Is anyone looking for me?

A Would Be Lover’s Poem by,

Bruce Smith

Optimuslife.org

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22. September 2008 by BruceSmith.

Readers, bloggers, listeners…the podcast is up from this past Saturday’s radio show, Think Out Loud.  Here is the link:  http://wgso.com/content/blogcategory/107/260/             Happy listening! optimuslife.org 

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14. September 2008 by BruceSmith.

Folks, the podcasts are up for this week!  Bruce was a special guest on Jeff Crouere’s daily political talk show this week and you can listen to the podcast at the wgso.com site.  Here is the link:  http://wgso.com/content/view/7793/172/Also, Bruce’s Think Out Loud radio show featured a great interview with Ravi Zacharias this past saturday.  You can hear their discussion on the pursuit of purpose through pleasure and the problem of pain and suffering.  The is here for your listening pleasure!  Go to :  http://wgso.com/content/view/7795/172/Simply cut and paste the links into your browser to hear the shows. optimuslife.org 

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11. September 2008 by BruceSmith.

September 11, 2001.  We all remember where we were, who we were with, and what unfolded.  In one instant, one moment, one event, one act of evil the world changed for each of us.  It has not been the same sense.

Today, seven years after 9/11 the country has paused again to remember.  What is striking about the news coverage today is the theme of Oneness.  Indeed, in moments of such tragedy all the separations of class, race, status, political affiliations, doctrine, and all other divisions, seem to fade away.  When events of life changing magnitude touch us all so profoundly we recognize and even act as if we are one.

Listening to CNN coverage of the memorials and remembrances this morning, I was struck by one story in particular.  The story came from the floor of the NYSE where the commentator was reading from a letter, penned, I believe, by an employee in one of the buildings which collapsed.  The letter, in the face of unthinkable evil, focused on the collapse of human walls on that fateful day.  The writer told of the care of one for another which unfolded as the people of NYC forgot everything which divided them and simply helped one another get out of the unfolding carnage.  Black helping white, even as each were turned solid gray by the soot enveloping them, rich helping poor even as the symbols of wealth and status were crumbling around them, and busy disinterested New Yorkers engaging nameless faces with no regard for payback or commendation.

Amidst the reality of tragedy we all gain a new perspective on what it means to be human.  When all the trappings of this life are pulled away from us and all we have left is our soul, our humanness, our compassion, beauty and oneness emerge from the rubble of life.  Let us be reminded today that in an instant all that we know, hold dear, and cling to for safety can be snatched away.  In the span of one breath life can change altogether.  It is during those moments we become aware of our need for something, someone, MORE.

As we take time to remember 9/11, may we also remember we are called to be one in love and deed.  Such oneness, in daily life, ought to define us.  Such oneness, attainable only through the One who offers such ability, is desperately needed in our world today.

May we be one in Him, who offers us the key to the riddle of life and offers us life to the full.  As Jesus, prayed, “Father make them one even as you and I are one”.

Amen,

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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8. September 2008 by BruceSmith.

Thanks to so many of you for your thoughts, prayers, and concerns during the Gustav evacuation.  It was an interesting week for me and my crew, to say the least.  Three years post Katrina, almost to the day, Gustav came toward us and was threatening to be a Katrina 2 type storm.  That being so, my crew and I hit the road and headed out of town.  Ironically enough, I was scheduled to be in California the same week to tape a television show featuring my book Soul Storm (soulstormsite.com).  Under threat of a killer storm and following a mandatory evacuation order I realized that heading out on Wednesday after the storm would be impossible, so I loaded the crew on a plane and we evacuated to Beverly Hills.  I know, sounds tough, but someone had to do it!

I went out to SoCal with a fresh awareness of the subject matter of Soul Storm (dealing with disaster), and the television interview went well.  It was a pleasure to present just how faithful God is to make Himself present and known amidst the storms of life.  What I did not expect to encounter on my trip was the tangible sense of my insignificance in the world.  Let me explain.

While in Beverly Hills (the mid-point between places I needed to be while out there) one cannot help but notice that nearly everyone is smashingly, breathtakingly beautiful, the weather is perfect, everyone is smiling, everyone is fit, everyone is dressed to kill, and it seems as if everyone drives a Rolls or a Ferrari.   Walking around town for lunch, Pink Berry (an amazing yogurt stand out there), and taking in the sunshine, an outsider can feel, well, very “outsiderish”.  Without looking beneath the veneer of wealth, cosmetic surgery, and to die for clothes, you can begin to feel as if you are alone in a very hip, rich, healthy, and pleasure-a-plenty world.

Just about the time I was wondering if this bookish Southerner from tiny town U.S.A. had somehow missed the train ride to Happyland, I was greeted with a timely and seemingly out of place reminder of what life is really about.  As I was going about my workout one afternoon in a swank health club in Beverly Hills, I was shocked to see a man (clearly a Hills insider) wearing a Wheaton College t-shirt.  Unless you have spent any time in this secluded bastion of pleasure and privilege you can’t fully understand just how out of place this t-shirt really is.  As a Wheatie myself (I attended Grad school there) I just had to make my way across the room and find out what the story was behind that shirt.

Nearly sprinting across the room filled with perfect bodies, many perfectly artificial, I jumped into this guy’s space and demanded to know if he or a son/daughter of his went to Wheaton.  He understood my curiosity without my having to voice it.  He went on to tell me that his daughter graduated from there some time ago.

As our conversation developed he shared with me a vacation story from some time ago.  I had just told him I was “evacuating” from Gustav and shared with him that I am from the New Orleans area.  As most do, he went on to tell me how fond he is of our city.  Then he made an interesting comment that was totally unsolicited.  Standing in the middle of Beverly Hills amidst all the symbols of pleasure, wealth and health, this guy shared with me that he thought, perhaps, those of us down in NOLA may be on to something about life that he and others he knows seem to miss.  Startled by the comment, I asked, “How so?”  He went on to tell me that one of his most interesting experiences in travel was going to NOLA and eating at Commanders Palace (a world class eatery).  He went on to explain that while eating a meal which costs over $100.00 a plate, he was dumbfounded as he looked out of the window while eating and noticed he was overlooking a graveyard!  He went on to explain that he thinks “we people” may get something they miss in Beverly Hills…we will all die.

As the conversation continued, this distinguished, hip, ridiculously wealthy, and engaging fellow shared with me his concern that “his people” don’t remind themselves of their mortality very much.  He suggested that they tend to feel as though through proper nutrition, good doctors, lots of sun, and plenty of plastic surgery (he seemed to suggest they all have plastic surgeons on call!), they can stay young forever.  His experience of dining within a stones throw of a cemetery seems to haunt him with the reality of his mortality.  His simple comment, “You guys may be on to something.”

As we wrapped up our conversation, and still recovering from his decided rejection of my plea to use the Ferrari for a day or two, I was reminded of Jesus’ words, “What does it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul?”  I was also reminded of the many tragic stories of Hollywood personalities who have traded their souls, families, health, and lives for the “Hills life”.  When surrounded by so much “plenty” we, myself included, are tempted to think we are missing out on something.  And while riches and fun and health are certainly not bad intrinsically, we must be on guard to remind ourselves of what life is ultimately about.  In an instant a monster storm could take all we have held dear.  No surgeon, bank account, toy, or pleasure can secure our soul in those moments.  Going to LaLa Land to be interviewed on television to remind others of that reality, I had to be reminded of it myself.

So, as it turns out, my evacuation turned out to be an education on many levels.  During my interview I was reminded again of the hope we all have amidst disaster.  The nearness of God to the afflicted is a great comfort.  During my workouts I was reminded that indeed without God my life is insignificant, but with him “I am on to something”.   Whether rich, poor, hip, in, or out, intimacy with God is what gives all of our lives focus, purpose, and hope.  Without him all the maintenance and fun we could imagine will never provide for a life well lived.

Hipper than ever, in His hands,

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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29. August 2008 by BruceSmith.

As all of you know, New Orleans and the Louisiana Coast are under threat of another major storm.  Katrina, three years ago to the day, blasted us as a Category 3.  Gustav, making its way to the Gulf, looks as if it will be at least a Cat 3 as well.  As one news story, just aired, demonstrated, many here are still trying to overcome Katrina, and are scared to death.

One woman, just interviewed, and just now getting out of a trailer which she has lived in for 3 years post-Katrina, said, “I don’t know if I can handle another blow.”  Many feel that way.  Unless you live here, or have served here in the aftermath of Katrina, you cannot begin to understand how that storm altered all of our lives here.  Still today, in every coffee shop, health club, workplace, and playground, everyone demarcates their lives around the storm.  Still today, every day, you hear conversations peppered with the phrase, “Since the storm…”.

The point is that all of us here remember, feel, and process Katrina as if it happened yesterday.  Now, a day later, we are facing another “big one”.  As with Katrina, should Gustav hit, many lives will be altered and many will need help.  Pray for all of us in Louisiana that God would bring us tremendous grace.  If you are at relative peace in your life and geographic region, remember, statistically speaking 9 out of 10 Americans live in areas where they are open to disaster (tornado, flood, fire, hurricane, earthquake, etc.).  We are all open to the same realities of life.

God will, no doubt, use His people to do great things in the aftermath of this approaching storm.  And, wherever it hits, stories of grace, mercy, generosity, and healing will play out.  God always works amidst disaster.

Ironically, scheduled months ago, I will be taping a television program this coming week (provided I can get a flight out of town) which will feature my book Soul Storm (soulstormsite.com).  The interview will focus on how God worked amidst Katrina and how He works in the lives of anyone who experiences disaster of any sort.  I will do that interview with a fresh sense of the need we all have for God’s tangible touch amidst life’s tough realities.  Please, pray for me as I attempt to encourage many through the show.  And more critically, pray for God’s grace and goodness to be demonstrated in the lives of many as this storm makes its way to land.

As always, we appreciate you prayers, financial support and your cheer-leading our cause.

Grace amidst the storms,

Bruce Smith

please, consider a financial gift to Optimus at this critical time.  Simply mail to:

Optimus Life

4 whippoorwill

covington, la 70433

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28. August 2008 by BruceSmith.

In light of the fact that tomorrow is the three year “anniversary” of Hurricane Katrina, and in light of the fact that those of us in the New Orleans area are staring the possibility of another major storm in the face, and because we began the week talking about the place of the Church in our society and personal lives, I thought it would be smart to focus a bit more on our need for the Church, especially amidst the storms of life.

That being so, I offer the following portion of Soul Storm (www.soulstormsite.com) which focuses on the healing power of the Church in our lives when we are facing the winds of life.  As you read, please, pray for those of us who are in the New Orleans area and are having to make plans for yet another evacuation.  Remember, also, those (many) who are still healing from Katrina even as this new threat appears.

Grace and Peace in the storm.  Enjoy the read.

The Church: levee and shelter from the storm

National Public Radio’s coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans included a feature on EMS workers and their reports of the massive increase in suicide rates and psychological trauma. The emergency workers interviewed told of suicide rates in New Orleans doubling in the months following the storm. Though the population of the city has diminished by at least one third and perhaps by as much as fifty percent, the number of suicides and attempted suicides continues to rise. Distress call levels each day now match what would have been weekly totals prior to the storm.

One of the disturbing accounts given during the NPR interview was that of an elderly woman who had been left behind by her family when they evacuated. Intoxicated, depressed, and without hope, this woman went to her kitchen, turned on the gas at the stove, and then sat down in a chair to die. EMS workers told NPR that these kinds of things are happening everyday throughout the city. The darker reality is that even these heroic emergency workers are not immune from the soul-wrenching pain brought by Katrina. Many of them have lost their own homes and yet have to spend long hours helping those around, leaving little time to deal with their own issues. One EMS worker, Paul, told of his battle with depression. Paul shared his grief with listeners telling of his struggle with the overwhelming sadness that blankets his soul. Daily, he sits alone and weeps. Paul went on to share that his mind is so overcome by the emotional stress that he often forgets where he is and why he has ventured to a certain part of town while running errands and tending to his own business.

Where are people to find hope when everything around them is in shambles? Is there any protection from the soul tsunami that threatens to bring more destruction as each day passes? Where does one turn to find help for the challenge of removing the debris inside, which clutters the heart and overwhelms the emotions? The good news is that God has given us a protection system, and He has provided shelter from the storms of life. That shelter and protection is to be found in the Church. By this I do not mean, simply, the four walls of a building. Rather, the Church is the community of faith devoted to God and living daily life out of a passionate and authentic attempt to honor Him and striving to do life His way.

Shelter in the Early Church: Acts 2

Acts 2 offers us an amazing view of what it is like to know, love, and serve God in community. The image offered is one that provides a source of healing and protection for people like Paul and anyone else who has been confronted with life’s cruel realities. The Church, as revealed in the book of Acts, is a testimony to what God can do in the world when people are willing to take Him at His word and live life according to His plan. It is a picture of selflessness, provision, friendship, and support. Those early believers, who had just endured the disaster of seeing their leader crucified, had come to know the hope and new life offered through the Resurrection, and found the promise of a better life. The life of the Church in the book of Acts demonstrates how a relationship with God, lived out in community with others, can lead to a journey that promotes emotional, psychological, and spiritual health. It is a testimony to the Church’s call and ability to be an influence for properly functioning communities. Let’s take a look at the inspiring picture of the Church in community in Acts 2:42-47:

“And they devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

I don’t know that I can ever read that passage without being moved toward great aspiration and a hunger for that kind of community. Each time I read that text, something happens in me. For me, that is one of the special “moments” captured in scripture that causes the hairs to stand up and gets the goose bumps popping. Don’t we all hunger for that kind of existence? That is what life was meant to be about.

The passage tells us that as the Church goes about its business, the result is awe. I don’t know about you, but I have seen too much in the Church that is far from awe-inspiring; awful is a more apt description. But we have the promise that the Church can function appropriately, and the result will be that those looking in on our activity will be drawn to it. The life of the Church, the unselfishness demonstrated by the early church, gave hope and inspiration to every soul within reach. Those living life around us need to see the life-transforming power of the Church in order to find shelter from the storm and protection from the coming flood waters. The Church is to be a levee for the world. We are called to keep at bay those forces that seek to bring havoc to our communities and to our world.

They had everything in common! This is a big one. One of the major stumbling blocks for non-believers coming to the Church for help is the fact that they see far too much lack of commonality among church-goers. It remains true today that the most segregated hour in American society is the Sunday morning church hour. It ought not be. If we are to ever see a society in which the issues surrounding race are overcome, it must begin with the Church. Government, politics, and all the other initiatives out there have no hope in addressing this one. This can only be pulled off as God brings reconciliation through the Church. All the battles over reparations will never bring a resolution. Reconciliation is the answer. Black, white, Jew, Gentile, and every other stripe will find peace only through the common denominator of knowing, loving and serving God.

In the weeks and months following the devastation on the Gulf Coast, the Church has come alive. Thousands of church volunteers from across the country and the world have rushed into the area to bring food, supplies, and encouragement. While FEMA and our government found the task too huge to handle, it was the Church that showed up quickly, without delay, and provided much-needed help for those in desperate situations. Church workers from far and wide came to build, hand out food, give money, provide medical care, and offer comfort. The surroundings did not matter to them as they ministered. For days, weeks, and months, they came and slept on the floors of churches, in tents, in campers, and on cots. The help continues to pour in as day after day the Church extends its provisions to any who have need. The world needs the Church. The Church, the Bride of Christ, is the hope of the world. As the Church fulfills the role God intended for her, she finds favor, people respond, and communities are transformed. This is God’s process for changing our world. As the people of God walk with authenticity and live life from a compassionate perspective, God adds daily to the ranks of those finding meaning, significance, hope and purpose.

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27. August 2008 by BruceSmith.

The scriptures tell us that the Church is special in the eyes of God.  In fact, so special is the Church in the eyes and heart of God that it is called “The Bride of Christ”.  God is intimately connected to the Church.  In a world where we often see the failures of the Church advertised in spectacular fashion sometimes we can question why we need the Church.

In the book of Acts, chapter 2, we find a description of the Church which all too often is foreign to us in our modern era.  In verses 42 and following we are offered a picture of the Church as it was intended to be.  When the Church functions this way it, she, is the full expression of God’s redemptive love story for this world.

This truth, the tangible expression of God’s love for the world, brought to life in the proper functioning of the Church, is one we need in ever increasing measure.  We are all too aware of the failings of the Church and of Church goers, but I wonder how many of us spend any time reflecting on the beauty of the Church when it is operating as God intended it to operate.

In order to offer us a glimpse of this encouraging reality, I am pasting an excerpt from a Pastor I know well.  This is simply a brief description, a little glimpse, of the impact of one small community of faith in one area of the country.  Take note of the breadth of this faith community’s reach in just the last three years, following Hurricane Katrina.  Then consider that this is but one Church.  If you do the math, and multiply this staggering amount of grace by untold multiples, you begin to see just how thankful we must be for God’s working in the heart of His people and in the life of the local church.  Multiply similar efforts by untold thousands the world over and you begin to see how profound the impact of God’s Church is in the world.  Truly, this is how God makes His love known in a world racked by pain and need.  Here are the numbers from Trinity Church in Covington Louisiana alone:

Statistics

This ministry highlights list was recently put together for St. Tammany Parish officials as we try to secure a permit to build our Disaster Response Building and deal with zoning issues:

a)     We have assisted almost 1000 residents of St. Tammany Parish alone in post Katrina clean up and reconstruction through the Compassion Ministry.

b)     We have assisted another 1500 residents across the Lake and in surrounding Parishes.

c)      We have served approximately 1500 additional residents of the Parish through the Trinity Cares Ministry, a food pantry for those with on going needs.

d)     We have and plan to continue to supply the Parish Social Services and Storm Storehouse with donated goods and supplies that we receive.

e)     We have and plan to continue to support the Elderly Protective Services by helping to meet needs of some of their clients in the community.

f)        We now serve as a voting center for the Parish.

g)     With the approval and assistance of the Parish in resolving these zoning issues, we plan to continue to help residents of St. Tammany.

h)      We have directly invested over $1 million dollars into the local economy through the Compassion Ministry alone.  We estimate at least another $2.5 million has been invested through local purchase of goods and services by the volunteers who have served here

i)        We have facilitated thousands of volunteers coming to the region to help with the outreach efforts who have further invested into the local economy.  They have contributed over 500,000 man-hours of donated labor, valued at over $10,000,000.

We thank God for over 13,000 volunteers from 42 states and 7 countries who have come to New Orleans with compassionate hearts and helpful hands.

Again, this is merely one incomplete glimpse of God at work in one Church, in a very brief window of time!  Is it any wonder that the Church is often called “The hope of the world”?  No government, religion, man-made program, political party, or any other force in the world as we know it can ever match the power of God’s people, living as He has called them to live, to effect the world for good.

Despite all its imperfections, failures, mis-steps, and shortcomings, the Church remains, indeed, the hope of the world.  Are you burned out on “church”?  Perhaps, you should give it another look.  Perhaps, you need to find a faith community where God is actively involved and at work in the lives of His people.  Read the book of Acts and see what the Church can be if you are dissatisfied with what it has been.

Are you looking for a bigger life?  Do you want to pursue an endeavor larger than yourself?  Wanna know that your life matters?  Be the Church.

Give Him a shot,

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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25. August 2008 by BruceSmith.

The podcast for Bruce’s radio show “Think Out Loud” is now up!  This past Saturday’s show featured a great line up including Mr. Louisiana Politics, Jeff Crouere, Chad Garrison, and Author Matt Rogers.  The show also included a surprise interview with Rev. Jesse Jackson!!

The show covered local and state politics, the national Presidential race and the Obama/Biden updates, McCain strategy, and Rev. Jackson’s reaction to the Biden pick.

Bruce talked with Matt Rogers, author of When Answer’s Aren’t Enough, about the V Tech tragedy and the role of pain in our lives.

This is a show you have to hear, and features Bruce’s impersonation of one of America’s most colorful political figures.

The link is here for your use:

http://wgso.com/content/view/7532/172/

Just cut and paste the link into your browser, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the show!

optimuslife.org

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