Snapshots and Synapses

“The one thing consistent about me,” I told my wife early in our marriage, “is my inconsistency.” Well, looking at how long it’s been since I’ve added to this blog, I have to admit that I’m still basically that same inconsistent guy. I also have to confess that I’m a bit overwhelmed. I could go in lengthy discourse about my battle and subsequent victory over chronic Lyme disease as well as vocational demands added to the challenges of raising teenagers, but the reality is that I haven’t felt much like writing for several months… and I didn’t have much to share. At least I didn’t have anything healthy to share.  If despair is the absence of hope, then I was despairing. Whether by sheer force of will or through the muscle memory of repetition, I plodded through the motions in 2014. But if on the other hand Tolkien’s definition of hope is accurate (i.e. – refusing to despair), then I kept hope. I kept moving. I kept adjusting… all through the grace and strength of my God. I ...

An extremely wealthy man of great esteem was throwing the most spectacular party this world has ever seen. He sent invitations to all of his friends, noting that the invitation card would need to be presented at the entry gate to his estate. A man showed up to this extravaganza without the invitation and was turned away. Indignant, he hurled obscenities at the servants and asked that they pass on his sentiments to the wealthy man for having such stringent rules. However, those that presented the invitation were allowed entrance and praised the wealthy man’s generosity. Did the man turned away at the gate have a right to enter the estate or was it within the wealthy man’s right to accept only those who presented his invitation? Of course, the wealthy man had no obligation to provide open access to just anyone and everyone. So why was the indignant man so embittered? Apparently, he felt entitled to be at the party despite the fact that he disrespected the wealthy man’s terms for en...

Thinking about the Kingdom values we are called to represent, I’ve come to the conclusion that nothing is more important than relationship. God wants a relationship with each of us, desiring a close, on-going walk with us. Only He can fill me to overflowing with His Love (24x7x365!) while at the same time filling countless others... never taking His eyes off each of us... showing the same intense passion for all His children. It’s His desire for each of us to reflect that same love to others, especially other believers (John 15:12), but to non-believers as well… don’t forget the great commission to make disciples and preach the Good News of His love and salvation to all peoples, tribes and nations! This world has so many needs, and while we’re each called to minister to the needs of others, no one can do everything. It’s true: I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me (Phil 4:13), and I can learn to be all things to all people (1 Cor 9:22), but we can only understand ...

I’ll not rejoice when Ishobeth’s beheaded      I will mourn his great loss and his betrayal Though his father pursued and tormented me      I will remember his brother as my friend Though his hand held claim to my inheritance      His sister was my first beautiful betrothed His scepter is my burden not my birthright      And his family I will shelter and protect I’ll mourn the loss of Ishobeth my brother      And portray the heart of God as I protect I will not rejoice when Ishobeth is dead copyright ©2014 Mitchell Malloy ( http://mitchellmalloyblogspot.com/ )

As I’m typing this, I am privileged to be celebrating over 20 years with my bride, and I’m fortunate to have a very happy marriage. I know there are so many things that go into a happy marriage, and I know that it takes both God’s grace and our willingness to cooperate with Him that ultimately creates and sustains a happy union. Life is sometimes hard, and when marriage gets difficult it’s easy to think there’s only one of two options available: 1) suffer through it or 2) get out of the marriage and have a chance at happiness. But there’s a third choice, and I believe it’s the best choice: Join God in making a happy marriage. By the way, to all the young, unmarried people out there, don’t think this message doesn’t apply to you. The habits and attitudes that you develop now will go into your marriage, so much more than you realize!  So flash back over twenty years and relive a scene with me: a much younger, thinner, and more arrogant version of me late one night in Washington...

As a follow-up to “ The Missing Fathers ”, I’ve collected some tidbits of conventional wisdom about what it is to be a man and thought I’d compare them with what I’ve come to believe. Like Descartes in his Meditations, I tend to doubt everything, building upon the truth that I do know. I also have a general rule that I follow: when conventional wisdom doesn’t match what I see in the Bible, I throw out conventional wisdom. I’ve found the Bible to be true and reliable. Yes, there are paradoxes in Scripture, apparent inconsistencies that challenge us to pray for greater understanding, but I’ve found that God is faithful to grant wisdom and insight when we turn to Him for it. (Proverbs 2:25, James 1:5, Colossians 1:8-10)  “Real men don’t cry.” – Conventional Wisdom  “Jesus wept.” – John 11:35 (NIV) It’s okay to cry in sympathy with others. It’s okay to cry tears of joy. It’s okay to cry, especially to cry out to God. It’s good to feel and to understand what’s behind our fe...

I took a day to be alone with God, a “personal retreat day”. It was long overdue, and I was looking forward to just spend time with God. My life has been very busy the past several months, and the idea of just spending time with Him gave me a feeling of both expectation and apprehension. I’m writing this at the end of that day, trying to stay focused on just one thing He showed me. I’ll try to keep this all rated-PG in nature, but I guarantee it is not G-rated material. Stop reading now if you are easily offended or wish to shield your eyes from some ugly truths. At one point in the day, I drove by a store specializing in adult materials. I could add that this chain of stores is heavily tied to witchcraft (although that is not advertised) and that it sits as a snare, the temporary pleasures of this world appealing to the lustful desires of men and the controlling urges of women. I was stopped at a traffic light on my way to an inexpensive restaurant about a mile away, and my ...

After some time away, I thought I'd write just to say: "Hi, I'm back." I've been busy just keeping up with life. Nothing bad; just busy. I've also created a Twitter account, having held back on that for so long. If you have been encouraged or positively impacted by this blog site, please send me a "tweet" and let me know. @Mitchell_Malloy Now, I don't want to sound like a pessimist, but I'm not very optimistic about 2014. I think it's going to be a tough year.  I believe I'm not the only one who's been overly busy the past several months. The world is busier than it's ever been without a corresponding increase in "value". Sure, we have a lot of new tech gadgets and more entertainment options than ever before, but Big Brother has started prying into the details of our lives. Any IT professional will tell you that collecting the information is just the first step. It's a scary time for Americans... b...