ChaSIng ThE wINd

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Ecclesiastes 2:11 (NLT) says "But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless--like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere."

This is a very common phrase usage in the Bible. Wonder why? Maybe because if we're not chasing God, we are "chasing the wind". A circular path that has no definite destination, a string of meaningless tasks, a point that adds no virtue or value.

Have you ever tried to catch the wind in your hands?

It is literally the most time consuming, fruitless, ineffective, wasting of energy and effort there is on the planet. You can gain nothing from this futile exercise. Why? Because one, it is not possible to achieve this feat. And two, there is nothing to be gained that holds value or merit even if you could accomplish this task. In the magical whimsy in the mind of a child, they may think this is worth the effort and they may even find it challenging to try to do it, even though all the adults in their life watch them, knowing it will not happen. They probably view the wind as a convenient but unseen babysitter that gives them a spell from their arduous every day. But honestly, most recognize that this is just not time well spent. Still so many adults that I know personally waste their efforts, traipsing down the same unproductive path they have in the past, and still expect a varied result. Basically, they make the same mistakes, thinking the outcome will change each time.

King Solomon spoke often about the fruitlessness of life and wasted energy. What do you value in this life and/or the next life? What do you see as precious? What do you see as worthless? People throw hundreds of dollars into the stock market daily because they believe that a company has the propensity to produce profitability and their product is worth purchasing and using so they invest. They want to capitalize on the boom that's taking place. Where do you place your valuable insights? What value do you place on your time? What energy do you put into relationships? What conversations, in person and online, do you invest time in listening to? How do you spend your free time? I think King Solomon is onto something. He encourages us to fear God, which is the starting path to attaining wisdom. If you can live in peace with the little that you have, (which I guess could be considered a minimalist lifestyle) then it is perceived to be better than chasing after things that are not worthy of attaining and missing out on what is important and valuable.

"Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind." (Ecclesiastes 4:6 NIV)

I watch friends, family, and church mates buck against the authority they are under, clamoring and chasing after things that tantalize their flesh. All the while, they are being drawn away from what matters the most. Not much different than the thinking in that eighteenth verse of the opening passage.

"...For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

The stuff that we waste our time going after is not worthy of achieving if it doesn't better us spiritually. We can have all the frills of the "good life" and all the popularity and all the accolades, but if we retain a soul that is still out of alignment with the "manufacturer's" purpose and plans, then we as the "product", are ineffective, of little use, and carrying diminishing value. Our value comes from not only our proximity to Him who has forged us into existence but also in the functionality of the purpose we are called into. A life without purpose is a life wasted.

We all want lasting happiness and we all want value but either we don't know where to find it or we don't know what true value looks like when we see it. Bigger paycheck. Multiple intimate relationships. Fuller bank accounts. An abundance of hobbies. A larger family. A bigger house. The list goes on.

What are you chasing? What are the priorities in your life? How much time do you invest in those priorities? Are you able to detect a tangible result for all of your works and energies? Or are you running into a wall at every turn?

If nothing else, I just want to encourage all of you that despite all the bad theology out there and the horrible role teachers in our social and spiritual circles giving us the wrong advice, we have hope. Wisdom seems hidden at times but it is easily locate-able. When I was at my wit's end, and the only options I could see were dark and pretty permanent. I called out to God (despite limited knowledge and no relationship with Him to speak of) and he gave me answers that led me to a peace I hadn't experienced in ever.

You are not as far away from those answers as you think you are. Please don't give up hope and please don't think you have no other way out. It is a lie and not the truth. Just like the initial passage in 2 Corinthians teaches us, we are not to focus on things around us, meaning current circumstances, people issues, etc. They won't always last and they will eventually fade. They are, in effect, temporary. What is permanent and forever? What makes your life worthwhile? What adds to yours and the lives of others? What challenges you to step out beyond your limitations and previous foul ups? What enriches you and takes you beyond what you think or imagine? What brings you true joy?

You can answer in your own way but my answer is God. Instead of chasing what He has made, I simply chose to chase the Source instead. Maybe someday you can see that as worth your time and energy. Please let us know if this blog has inspired and touched you personally. Thank you for reading.

"Your diamonds are not in far distant mountains or in yonder seas; they are in your own backyard, if you but dig for them." ~ Russell H. Conwell

To LoVe iS DiVInE ❤️

If I may, I'd like to tell you a story. A story about love.

(Note from the editor: This is not designed to mimic any previously told stories or to convince our readers that this is fiction or non-fiction. We'll let you decide how you feel about the story and you can share those thoughts in our comments section. Hopefully, this will do what most of our posts have been doing and that is even if you laugh, even if you cry,  or even if you get angry, it will always make you think.) 

One cool but sunny Sunday morning in the heart of the city, a handful of members began to file in through one of the side doors of the church to get ready for the day's service. It was clear that no one notices a man in a dark overcoat and a tattered hat huddled at the front door of the church. He sat there for more than an hour before any one noticed he was there on the porch, leaning against the wall of the building. Some of the members, arriving with their families, looked over at him and even pointed but no one approached.

Very close to the start of the service, the front door of the church was opened from the inside and members and visitors alike began to enter the front door of the church, some looking down at the mystery man huddled near the door and some not acknowledging him at all.

One of the leaders came out of the door and asked the man what he was doing. The man didn't respond initially. The leader asked him to please move away from the door so that the visitors can come inside.

One visitor and her young daughter walked through the front door of the church and the little girl stopped and looked into the eyes of the disheveled man and then they walked inside.

Another leader came outside to greet the members and guests and he stood a few feet away from the man and asked him what his name was. The man didn't respond. The leader shook his head and continued to stand at the door to greet people who entered the church. Another greeter came out to him and they both stood at the door greeting but none further acknowledging the man.

The Pastor stepped outside and saw the man huddled at the door. He crouched down and asked the man if he needed anything or we could help him. The man didn't respond. The Pastor told the man that he could come inside if he wants to and that we would be honored to have him. He then went back inside and left the man outside. The leaders that were standing outside greeting looked over at the man and continue to greet the guests and members.

After about fifteen minutes, all of the greeters went inside and the man remained outside, sitting on the ground next to the front door.

Inside the church, praise and worship had just concluded and the Pastor stood up with His Bible in his  hand as he approached the front of the room. He asked everyone within earshot one question.

"Do you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord", he asked.

Almost everyone in the congregation nodded in agreement or responded verbally with an "Amen".

He shook his head and scanned the room and asked another question.

"Do you believe that the Word of God and every account in it is true?" he asked everyone with a slightly louder voice.

The response from the congregation was identical to the first.

He put his Bible down onto the podium next to him and asked yet another question.

"How many of you saw the man sitting at the front door this morning?"

The congregation began to rustle in their seats with some nodding as if to say yes. But there was not any verbal responses to this question. Many dropped their heads or looked away from the glare of the Pastor. There was a long and uncomfortable silence before the Pastor said anything further.

The Pastor opened his bible and began to read from Hebrews 13:2. He said, "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have show hospitality to angels without knowing it."

He then closed the book and one of the young children darted out of the service and into the hall. He quickly opened the front door and looked around for the man but could not find him. The young man ran back into the church and looked at the Pastor.

"The man is gone!", he yelled across the room. "I can't find him."

The young man appeared confused and very concerned. The people in the pews began to grow unsettled as the grumbling and mutterings can be heard throughout the room.

The Pastor shook his head and looked around the room watching the confusion began to build. He wiped one of his eyes and became emotional as he held his head down.


"I think we all need to re-evaluate some things. I'd like to know what you guys are thinking right now.", he says as he waits for responses.

"I thought he was homeless. I can't give him a place to stay so I....."

"I've seen this before. I just figured he didn't want anything. He didn't say a word."

"The church is not very big right now. I wonder why he showed up here."

"I used to be homeless and it brought back really bad memories for me."

"If they were still there after service was over, I was thinking about giving them some money."

"I didn't know what he wanted. He kind of scared me."

"With all the church shootings lately, I didn't know what to think."

One young woman stood up and was fighting back tears as the Pastor and then the entire congregation turned to her as she spoke.

"I don't know what to say.", she muttered as she began to weep again. "I saw the man or the angel or whomever he was. I'm new here but I have heard the Word for years but I just didn't know what I should do. I just figured one of the leaders would talk to him or try to help him. It was so strange but...I felt like I knew him from somewhere. He was sooooo familiar."

The room grew strangely quiet. The young lady sat down and dropped her head as did any in the room that heard her words. The Pastor looked up and walked up the aisle and walked through the front door as the entire congregation turned around with the eyes fastened on the front door of the church. He walked back into the sanctuary with the man right behind him. He walked up to the front of the room as did the man that was huddled outside the front door of the church all morning.

"He should be familiar to all of us, not just because we're Christians but because we should especially  know those that labor here with us.", the Pastor said as he looked at the young lady who spoke as well other members of the church.

The man opened his coat and took off his hat as the entire congregation gasped and the young lady stood up onto her feet, with her hand over her mouth, gasping. She began to weep even more as did several members of the congregation.

The Pastor asked one more question.

"Do we know love when we see Him?"

eDiToRs NoTe fROm tHE MTWM dESk

Good morning, friends, family, and fans of Mirror Time!

It's been our great pleasure to hear from so many of you that are enjoying our work and those of you that are seeing the value of what we are putting out in a world with so much other "stuff" all over the social media pages, forums, and throughout the blogosphere. 

It's our desire to continue to uplift, encourage, inspire, and shine a little light wherever possible. 

Let's be honest for a moment. This is not the most popular blog you can find. I would like to believe that's because don't know about us yet or perhaps we don't offer to delve into the world many blog enthusiasts want to live in. We don't talk about technology and gaming. We don't offer insights into the minds of Hollywood's elite. We don't teach you "How To" tips on how to make your old house look new. All we do is, in our own unique way, to try to offer something hopeful and inspiring in a time where it is needed the most. That may not amount to much to the masses but I know enough people that say they need this and it matters to them so as long as there is a demand for it, Dang! will continue to live on another day....

We reached a small milestone where we have published 80 blogs to date and that is a great accomplishment for us due to the time we started and how many blogs we could get out to our readers monthly. I fully expect that number to rise even higher and we're excited about our 100th blog. Maybe we will do something really special that day for one of our faithful readers. Apologies for the formatting issues that we had with the page for several weeks. They have been fully resolved and we're back to the professional look that we come to expect from TTMYGD! Thank you for your patience!

This is not the first blog I have been associated with or have built but this is definitely the best and most honest. The reaction to the pieces are not always without controversy as we don't shy away from tough topics. But even though our readers have both laughed and cried, I think they will agree that more than anything they have thought about and saw things a little different than before they joined our readership. That is the greatest prize of them all and the goal of Mirror Time! Be outraged. Be somber. Be aware. Be demonstrative. Be active. But by all means, be thoughtful. The moment we start reacting to the headlines and neglect to read the content, we slowly lose our ability to be introspective, to educate ourselves, and to make competent decisions. We will simply react to "external stimuli" and lose a very valuable and necessary part of ourselves. This blog was born as a response to that and an alternative for those that get why this is critical for all of us.

As much as we can clearly see the growth of this blog that is near and dear to our hearts, we see much room for growth. As much as it is shared on social media and in the email inboxes of our friends, we know we can't do this without you, the reader. That's a perfect time to say a sincere "Thank You" to all of you that have been reading Dang! from day one and have subscribed with us. I can't say enough about your support and even some of your hilarious and thoughtful comments. You are even making us think too and that's something we appreciate. Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!!!

One of the coolest things about our blog is that there is no limit to what we might post about. From our mobile office, we could write and post our blogs from anywhere we are in the world. Some of the most beautiful landscapes and the most interesting of conversations with strangers could become the backdrop for our next piece. That's exciting! You never know where we might end up next and who we might meet.

We look forward to giving you more insightful posts about everything from the world of sports, to issues on personal and spiritual growth, politics, and even some of the fun quizzes that have left most of our readers stumped and surprised. Keep your suggestions and those comments coming! We love to see them and we love to hear from you. I don't know how long this blog will live but we're committed to doing all we can while we can.

If you haven't been reading from the beginning, go back to the beginning and grow us with us on this incredible journey. Thank you again,

Sincerely yours,

Mr. Yu

'You might laugh. You might cry. You might get mad. But my ultimate goal is to make you think!'

MilK aNd MeaT

Good morning. If you can see this, you are a beneficiary of a mercy and a faithfulness we didn't do anything to deserve and by all accounts, we can not earn with our own goodness. It was simply granted to us out of a love many of us still struggle to understand. This was and is definitely my struggle.

Not having a father makes the concept of receiving the love of God, our Father is a challenge I grow through daily. I have three beautiful daughters and six incredible grandchildren that I love so deeply. Still I struggle to fathom the "why". Why would He make such a significant sacrifice for someone with the numerous flaws, scars, and a propensity to do so much wrong? Why would he attempt to stand tall during His scourging which only caused the Roman soldiers to react with an even greater level of brutality? Why would he remain on the cross until He presumably choked on His own blood, slowly asphyxiated and died for a people who didn't seem to see the big picture of such a sacrifice? Why would He give His life when He could have called down a legion of angels to undo what was being done? Why, Lord? These and many others are questions that don't even matter to the common mind.

Generally speaking, we are living as we see fit. We say what's "on our heart" and we don't care where it lands. We mistreat others out of a direct dysfunction that we carry around as an outer garment. Everything around our world seems to be disintegrating at a rapid pace. Fingers are being pointed but very few look within to locate the cause for why we can't make ourselves care beyond offering a blanket prayer, or why we can't feel anything more than a passing pity for our fellow man, or why we just can't get out of the endless negative cycles we find ourselves bound to. We appear to be missing the purpose for the greatest sacrifice ever made for us.

Maybe you don't see this as a real issue.........Maybe from your view everything looks great and promising. There is no reason for critical thinking and over-analysis--just let it ride, live, and enjoy the fruits and pleasures. Maybe this specific blog post isn't your cup of tea.

What floods my mind is gratefulness for a grace that covered me when I could have been in a place I could not come back from. I am painfully aware of the kind of person I used to be. I am cognizant of my mistakes and errors in judgment that once plagued my current walk with Christ. The wise see their second chance as an opportunity to turn a corner and make a critical adjustment. Some see it as a fallback option that provides wiggle room to intentionally make some more questionable decisions. There is a passage in Hebrews 6 that I think hits the mark here.

"Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about the Christ, advancing on to maturity and perfection and spiritual completeness, [doing this] without laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God..." (Hebrews 6:1 AMP)

The danger Paul is speaking about are those who consider themselves "believers" are not advancing. They are not getting further beyond the elementary principles of their faith. They walk in one direction for years and are still unable to discover their place. (Or in some cases, they search for purpose that can only be defined with a specific ministry title. That's a separate situation altogether.) John Calvin even added this thought: "As in building a house one must never leave the foundation; yet to be always laboring in laying the foundation would be ridiculous."

It's expected that once the initial, introductory functions are received and understood and put into action, there needs to be a "moving forward" so that progress can begin. Progress can't be gained in a believer's life if they are too content in the stage of "milk-drinking". What a sad visual to see a believer retreat back into a cage that has an open door! They are free because Christ has made them free but they live as if they were still bound.

Paul emphasizes the point more than once in scripture so it must be a consistent problem.

"There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong." (Hebrews 5:11-14 NLT)

You are spiritually dull? You don't seem to listen? You should be teaching others because you have believed so long? Instead, you need to learn the basics over and over again? If this is an accurate description of where we are, then we can't be relied upon to do the right thing until we start doing the first thing. We simply need to grow up. If a 13 year old child was being breast fed in a public restaurant, we would find that out of the ordinary. If a 15 year old child was still be carried by its mother or placed in a stroller, we would gawk at them, wondering what the problem was. How can we look at our lack of growth in the basics of our faith and not be at all concerned?


Remember the short story about the elephant?

"As my friend was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not. My friend saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

"Well, " he said, "When they are very young and much smaller we use the same size of rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free." My friend was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were."

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8:36 KJV)

What made what Peter did in Matthew 14 so incredible was that he broke rank from the norm and took a significant and literal step. He exercised his faith. It could very well be just that simple for the believer that returns nightly to a cage that Christ Jesus has already opened up to free them. We can listen to all the preaching our ears can take. We can cry out to God with tears and shouts. We can surround ourselves with all the positive influence and mentors we desire. Ultimately, we still have to get up and away from the "common view" and take a step in our faith. An old mentor always taught me that to have something you never had, you often must do something you've never done." If you never had deliverance and healing in a specific area, you need to put yourself in a position you've never been in.....a position of true sacrifice and humility. It's time to move!

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2 NLT)