Tweet for Jesus

By Dr. Russ,

Today is Palm Sunday.  It was a springtime Sunday in about the year 30 A.D.  The holy city of Jerusalem was crowded with Pilgrims who had come for the annual Passover celebration.  And, Jesus made his triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem to an expectant and excited crowd who had heard about the many recent miracles he had performed.  He was being called the Messiah.

The Jewish religion will celebrate Passover in 2011 beginning at sunset tomorrow, Monday, April 18 and the celebration will run through April 25.  The Christian holy week begins today, one day sooner, April 17 and ends with Easter on April 24.  Both celebrations celebrate freedom.  The Jews are celebrating freedom from Egyptian rule and slavery, and Christians, freedom from sin through the redemption by God’s sacrifice of his only begotten son for all of mankind.

Both the story of Passover and of Holy Week are GOOD NEWS stories steeped in the optimism of belief in a better life to come.  As Jesus entered the city on a donkey, symbolizing peace, both Jews and Gentiles alike were shouting out:

• Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace on Earth and Glory in Highest Heaven! Luke 19:36

The Pharisees asked Jesus to muzzle and rebuke these followers proclaiming Him as King.

Jesus replied:

• If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers. Luke 19:40

I got to thinking and reflecting upon the image of "stones cheering" and realized that the Middle East has been rampant with “stones” of a modern day kind sending out both cries for help and cheers.  These "modern day stones" are inanimate objects called cell phones that have been cheering and crying out on Twitter; letting the whole world know of the GOOD NEWS of the new rebellion for democracy.

Taking the idea of Twitter one step further, I came up with the idea to:

TWEET FOR JESUS

That’s right let’s start sending out 140 character messages that convey the GOOD NEWS and OPTIMISM of Holy Week to all of your Twitter followers.  Here are a few examples of possible Tweets you could send.

• Miracles performed by Messiah: Two blind men were made to see by his touch alone.
• Crowd spreads garments and tree branches on road in front of Messiah riding on donkey into Jerusalem.
• People are shouting: “Praise God for the son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
• Everyone in Jerusalem is asking who is this and they have been told it is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.
• Prophet Jesus turns over tables in the Temple and declares His Temple will be called a house of prayer not a den of thieves.
• Jesus stumps priests when they admit to not knowing whether John’s authority to Baptize came from heaven or was merely human. 

The written word of the Bible makes it easy to make up 140 character messages that reflect the theme of Tweet for Jesus during Holy Week.  The writing is very succinct and many versus can be quoted directly, pared down, or paraphrased to fit the format. 

I call upon you during HOLY WEEK to: “Tweet for Jesus.”  Not on Twitter? Then Facebook or email some GOOD NEWS and OPTIMISTIC messages for Him this week.  Just go to one of the four Gospels and turn to the section that gives an account of Holy Week, and you will find ample material to tweet and re-tweet!



NCAA Final Four, Easter and Passover Inspire Theme of Rebirth

By Dr. Russ

Today is Dr. Russ Busster day; the day I offer up TIPS to rid your upcoming week of any pessimism standing in your way of progress and self-improvement.  Today’s Bussters are inspired by the theme of rebirth and self-reinvention so much a part of the Easter week, Passover celebration, and the grit of teams not expected to win an NCAA championship let alone be in the Final Four.

Dr. Russ Bussters for Re-birth and Self-Reinvention

1. Let Go of the Fear of Rebirth with Self-Acceptance

The first step in the re-birth process is acceptance of the circumstances in which we find ourselves; acceptance of circumstances we cannot change.  Acceptance of a job loss, disease state, loss of a loved one, boredom of midlife, natural disaster, or debilitating injury is the first essential step of the self-reinvention process.

It is not easy to think about building a new life or path when we were pretty happy with the old one. But, sometimes the choice is either to stay stuck and mired in a “dead-end” situation or to try to find a new path and aim towards self-reinvention. 

• When Kalin Lucas, the star guard of Michigan State University's now Final Four bound team, went down with a season ending injury, the team and coaches only had a few moments during a halftime to accept the circumstances and make-up an new game plan.

• Michael J. Fox was pretty happy with a twenty-five year career in a job he loved and a wonderful wife and family.  However, a worsening Parkinson’s condition was taking the “acting career” option off the table.  He worried he might lose the other parts of his happiness if he actually gave up his career.  The first step to a new Michael was accepting and announcing to the world he had Parkinson's.

• Nine months after widowed man had lost his wife to cancer, he realized he had no choice but to move on.  He accepted his circumstances and two years later remarried; had two more children.  

2. Let Go of a Precious Self-Persona

How fixed are you on that precious self-persona; that fantasy of a projected future that can no longer be a reality?  What persona do you have to forsake in order to move ahead?

• The widowed man thought he would grow old with the love of his life.
• Michael J. Fox thought he would be a smooth, agile, skate board riding, “non-shaky” actor.
• The factory worker looked forward to lifetime employment, with a good pension, and relaxed retirement.
• The disabled athlete thought he would have a long and productive professional career.
• The family thought they would live in their four bedroom home until the kids were grown; never imagined foreclosure.

While the desired but clearly imagined projected future may be gone, the cherished past is never to be forgotten.   Muhammad Ali too old and “shaky” to fight any more can still have great afternoon watching highlights of his best fights.

That’s right, to let go of that precious self-persona that has no future, but does have a memorable past worth preserving.  Put the persona in a photo album or other archive so that you can go back and view it with delight and a little pride, as needed, without a sense of loss, but of a sense of treasure stored.

3. Let Go of the Comfort and Certainty of Familiar Day-to-Day

Focus on what you can control, not what you can’t!  

• If Tom Izzo and the now Final Four bound Spartans had focused on the loss of their star player, Kalin Lucas, to an Achilles tendon tear, they would not have been able to focus on the factors remaining in their control. Instead, they focused on promoting the back-up point guard to starter; on game plans that used more reserve players, and on the motivational significance of winning for Kalin, the fallen player.

4. Let Go of the Fantasy that Life Would be Better Off if Everything Just Stayed the Same

The sameness we seek to keep is found not on our outer surface or surroundings, but is locked safely deep in our inner core of character.  Our external surroundings are always changing and only an illusion that they stay the same.  Focus inward to find the OPTIMISTIC strength to go on.

• Tom Izzo has taught that while the external appearance of the team has changed, a new starting five, it is the inner strength of the team that carries it through tough moments in a game; and that remains the same or gets even stronger with adversity.
• The widowed husband is the same caring, devoted family man he always was.
• The laid off worker has a skill set and work ethic that is of value.
• Michael J. Fox has his creativity and enthusiasm for life forever.
• The house in which one lives does not define or redefine the character and values of the family.