August 13th, 2025
by Paul Cypert
by Paul Cypert
It was early year 2025, the deer have shed their horns and spring has begun to gradually wrestle away the cold grip of winter. Life will soon spring forth from the ground, the does and their suckling fawns soon walk the prairie trails, the sound of the chicks of many different birds with their high-pitched calls for food in the woodlots will be heard. And little furry babies of many sorts will nestle warm in their dens.
It is the early - early days of the transition from old man winter to new man spring. It is unique but consistent, it is change but predictable. In the High Plains of Texas where I live it happens every year. Our seasons are discernible for the most part and the season is changing.
Granted, a native of the Plains I have accepted the fact that our weather has extremes and not everyone will appreciate that fact. Our springs? Windy with dirt storms of biblical proportions. The spring thunder storms with their massive lightning displays, large hail and tornado activity. It can snow in April or be in the 90’s. The summers here are hot and drought, a part of the rhythm of the Plains. And Fall can be upon us in a single day as a cold blue northerner arrives and you go from short sleeves to a heavy jacket. Winters are harsh with temperatures that swing wildly from warm days to days in the teens.
When we get snow, not always but most times it comes as a blizzard. For the most part although the seasons do come and go with some predictability. On the flip side what I love about the Plains is their unpredictability, they are still wild … and untamed.
Walking the ranch that day looking for shed antlers, I reflect on how much comes with the changing seasons and the joyousness of their arrival but also their departure.
Many have used the seasons to describe our lives, life as season; spring, summer, fall and then winter.
And so my life has tracked and changed as the seasons have come and gone. I have begun to experience the winter season of life. Where the years that remain are less than the years I have lived.
And though I resist the change and attempt to slow it by many means that will not prevent its inevitability. Told some folks the other day; I exercise, eat well, get plenty of sleep but I don’t do this for the sake of longevity only that my body would be user friendly. Longevity is not my call, it’s the Lord’s. A user-friendly body is something I can work at and to a degree, control.
What is rare is to find those who have greeted the seasons of life with the ‘certainty of faith’.
Being a self-proclaimed Christian hedonist (Definition: hedonist: a person who believes that the pursuit of pleasure is the most important thing in life; a pleasure-seeker. Therefore, I strongly adhere to this passage, a Miktam as written by David. The meaning of a Miktam?: possibly good enough to be written or stamped on gold. You know, put it on the refrigerator.
To me? Psalm 16:11 is golden...
Psalm 16:11 ESV
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
I wonder if the short version of the West Minster Catechism question and answer concerning the chief end of man isn’t clarity for us?
Catechism:
Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
And so, He has made known to me the path of life and as traveler through the seasons of life, to have found joy and pleasure in God. Golden!
And I think, oh to glorify Jesus, finding joy and pleasure in the seasons of life.
Seasons can be transitional, as I have matured the target moved … What was being aimed for … From the full-blown business of evangelical/charismatic ministry and motivations of saving the world.
The daisy picker religion of He loves - He loves me not based on a relationship that is measured by my fickleness and sinfulness rather than Jesus faithfulness and full comprehensive work in the atonement (salvation) of men and women. To know and understand that when Jesus said, “It is Finished” that it was really finished. That sin has no hold and death no sting. I can’t mess it up! So, if you are a Baptist you are not off the hook with your once saved always saved routine that often winds you up walking the sawdust trail back to the altar to rededicate your life. That obviously has been effective in a small number of folks like one of my best friends who years ago worked hard to find peace with God but did not. Eventually he did have one of those moments at a Promise Keepers event years ago. It forever changed him. He often describes the experience as I was born again - again! The struggle became not about what he did or didn’t do. The struggle came in the form of learning to accept! That based upon no merit this side of heaven He was now a friend of God. Forgiven, loved, accepted, adopted, and perhaps most importantly invited’.
And for you smugly secure charismatics who think your well-being is based upon who you have identified with be that a person or movement, and all the spiritual gifting that come with this group. How faulty! You may be like the group that Jesus spoke so plainly about, “depart from me you workers of lawlessness because I don’t know you”. And as we look over that sector of church world about the only thing that can be said is, ‘Oh how the mighty have fallen’.
How about some of this, the simplicity of love, just happy to be counted as one of his and in His presence, joyous to find Him in the normal-ness of life. To enjoy and find his pleasure in the everyday.
Everyone needs something that is their own. We need that, this is mine and mine alone. What I mean by this is mine is that it’s not for sale.
So, I asked this question of a bunch of my friends, ‘What is it that you have that you know for sure that is yours and uniquely your own?’ It’s not for sale? Got answers like these, my relationship with my wife, my family, for some their calling, God called me. One guy said his sobriety. Which I thought was astute. It was fully his and it was not for sale. Would that we all had a side of us that was uncompromising and a sign out front, ‘Not for Sale!’
Religion binds us up in what we do or don’t do rather than who we are. For me I am sure beyond doubt that what I have that is my own is I am loved, I am forgiven, I am accepted, I am adopted, and I was invited. Like the story of the parable of folks who want the best seat in the house and took it but they got moved to the back of the building there are some of us that were sitting in the back but were invited to as guests of honor have a best seat in the front.
We are invited. I didn’t do any of this, earned none of it, there is no merit that adds, none at all. I simply accepted the invitation to be with Him. For sure above a shadow or a shimmer this is mine. And like the Kingdom that it came from, it is now unshakeable, immovable, immutable. It cannot be changed by any actions, sins or epic fails. It is mine. It is immutable, which means it is unable to be changed.
A target rich environment...
Learned a long time ago as a hunter and in particularly as a bow hunter ‘ye old shooting wisdom’, “aim small miss small” religion has you doing everything but Jesus only a few important things. Like love yourself so you can love your neighbor.
Here’s a great target, I find Him in the Beauty, Goodness and the Joy of the world around me. Love this verse of the old hymn, ‘this is my father’s world’. Look for Him there, in His world …
This is my Father’s world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world:
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas–
His hand the wonders wrought.
And for instance, those moments in the community of believers, as they worship, as God’s presence fills the house it becomes easy to see the Beauty, Goodness and Joy on the faces of people as the infinite touches the finite. In His presence the hardened seem less hard, and the broken less shattered, and the fearful more faith-filled. For in many ways we have the hard hearts of unbelief that come from living in an unenlightened and un-sober world. Religion, as known in the 21st century and church have done little to enliven and awaken His light filled world to us.
I love solitude. In particular, the moments of solitude found tucked away in a corner of nature. A spring pasture, a mountain vista, a sunset, a lake, the ocean, where creation is so large that it shouts and testifies to us about the creator. A place where we become little bitty and God becomes large.
It’s okay to be little bitty! Point of fact I enjoy the hiddenness found in the Christ. Where like his cousin John, who said, you (Jesus) must increase and I (John) must decrease.
We are like God in many ways because we were created in His image, but in particular in this way, we are creative by nature and nothing kills the creative and worship filled soul faster than letter of the law to do list of religion.
It is so very far from the beauty, goodness and joy that inspires in us creativity and deepens the pools of desire within us to know Jesus.
Don’t seek religion it doesn’t invoke a lot of creativity … and it may well quench that which you have!
Psalm 96:6-9 KJV
6 Honor and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.
8 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
So, I pause and give thanks for the seasons of memory that span from the beginnings until now, Although winter is upon me, I am not afraid …
Today? Well, looking forward to today! With no angst! Finding the presence of God in the beauty, goodness and joy that’s all around me.
Let Nothing Disturb You,
Paul Cypert
It is the early - early days of the transition from old man winter to new man spring. It is unique but consistent, it is change but predictable. In the High Plains of Texas where I live it happens every year. Our seasons are discernible for the most part and the season is changing.
Granted, a native of the Plains I have accepted the fact that our weather has extremes and not everyone will appreciate that fact. Our springs? Windy with dirt storms of biblical proportions. The spring thunder storms with their massive lightning displays, large hail and tornado activity. It can snow in April or be in the 90’s. The summers here are hot and drought, a part of the rhythm of the Plains. And Fall can be upon us in a single day as a cold blue northerner arrives and you go from short sleeves to a heavy jacket. Winters are harsh with temperatures that swing wildly from warm days to days in the teens.
When we get snow, not always but most times it comes as a blizzard. For the most part although the seasons do come and go with some predictability. On the flip side what I love about the Plains is their unpredictability, they are still wild … and untamed.
Walking the ranch that day looking for shed antlers, I reflect on how much comes with the changing seasons and the joyousness of their arrival but also their departure.
Many have used the seasons to describe our lives, life as season; spring, summer, fall and then winter.
And so my life has tracked and changed as the seasons have come and gone. I have begun to experience the winter season of life. Where the years that remain are less than the years I have lived.
And though I resist the change and attempt to slow it by many means that will not prevent its inevitability. Told some folks the other day; I exercise, eat well, get plenty of sleep but I don’t do this for the sake of longevity only that my body would be user friendly. Longevity is not my call, it’s the Lord’s. A user-friendly body is something I can work at and to a degree, control.
What is rare is to find those who have greeted the seasons of life with the ‘certainty of faith’.
Being a self-proclaimed Christian hedonist (Definition: hedonist: a person who believes that the pursuit of pleasure is the most important thing in life; a pleasure-seeker. Therefore, I strongly adhere to this passage, a Miktam as written by David. The meaning of a Miktam?: possibly good enough to be written or stamped on gold. You know, put it on the refrigerator.
To me? Psalm 16:11 is golden...
Psalm 16:11 ESV
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
I wonder if the short version of the West Minster Catechism question and answer concerning the chief end of man isn’t clarity for us?
Catechism:
Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
And so, He has made known to me the path of life and as traveler through the seasons of life, to have found joy and pleasure in God. Golden!
And I think, oh to glorify Jesus, finding joy and pleasure in the seasons of life.
Seasons can be transitional, as I have matured the target moved … What was being aimed for … From the full-blown business of evangelical/charismatic ministry and motivations of saving the world.
The daisy picker religion of He loves - He loves me not based on a relationship that is measured by my fickleness and sinfulness rather than Jesus faithfulness and full comprehensive work in the atonement (salvation) of men and women. To know and understand that when Jesus said, “It is Finished” that it was really finished. That sin has no hold and death no sting. I can’t mess it up! So, if you are a Baptist you are not off the hook with your once saved always saved routine that often winds you up walking the sawdust trail back to the altar to rededicate your life. That obviously has been effective in a small number of folks like one of my best friends who years ago worked hard to find peace with God but did not. Eventually he did have one of those moments at a Promise Keepers event years ago. It forever changed him. He often describes the experience as I was born again - again! The struggle became not about what he did or didn’t do. The struggle came in the form of learning to accept! That based upon no merit this side of heaven He was now a friend of God. Forgiven, loved, accepted, adopted, and perhaps most importantly invited’.
And for you smugly secure charismatics who think your well-being is based upon who you have identified with be that a person or movement, and all the spiritual gifting that come with this group. How faulty! You may be like the group that Jesus spoke so plainly about, “depart from me you workers of lawlessness because I don’t know you”. And as we look over that sector of church world about the only thing that can be said is, ‘Oh how the mighty have fallen’.
How about some of this, the simplicity of love, just happy to be counted as one of his and in His presence, joyous to find Him in the normal-ness of life. To enjoy and find his pleasure in the everyday.
Everyone needs something that is their own. We need that, this is mine and mine alone. What I mean by this is mine is that it’s not for sale.
So, I asked this question of a bunch of my friends, ‘What is it that you have that you know for sure that is yours and uniquely your own?’ It’s not for sale? Got answers like these, my relationship with my wife, my family, for some their calling, God called me. One guy said his sobriety. Which I thought was astute. It was fully his and it was not for sale. Would that we all had a side of us that was uncompromising and a sign out front, ‘Not for Sale!’
Religion binds us up in what we do or don’t do rather than who we are. For me I am sure beyond doubt that what I have that is my own is I am loved, I am forgiven, I am accepted, I am adopted, and I was invited. Like the story of the parable of folks who want the best seat in the house and took it but they got moved to the back of the building there are some of us that were sitting in the back but were invited to as guests of honor have a best seat in the front.
We are invited. I didn’t do any of this, earned none of it, there is no merit that adds, none at all. I simply accepted the invitation to be with Him. For sure above a shadow or a shimmer this is mine. And like the Kingdom that it came from, it is now unshakeable, immovable, immutable. It cannot be changed by any actions, sins or epic fails. It is mine. It is immutable, which means it is unable to be changed.
A target rich environment...
Learned a long time ago as a hunter and in particularly as a bow hunter ‘ye old shooting wisdom’, “aim small miss small” religion has you doing everything but Jesus only a few important things. Like love yourself so you can love your neighbor.
Here’s a great target, I find Him in the Beauty, Goodness and the Joy of the world around me. Love this verse of the old hymn, ‘this is my father’s world’. Look for Him there, in His world …
This is my Father’s world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world:
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas–
His hand the wonders wrought.
And for instance, those moments in the community of believers, as they worship, as God’s presence fills the house it becomes easy to see the Beauty, Goodness and Joy on the faces of people as the infinite touches the finite. In His presence the hardened seem less hard, and the broken less shattered, and the fearful more faith-filled. For in many ways we have the hard hearts of unbelief that come from living in an unenlightened and un-sober world. Religion, as known in the 21st century and church have done little to enliven and awaken His light filled world to us.
I love solitude. In particular, the moments of solitude found tucked away in a corner of nature. A spring pasture, a mountain vista, a sunset, a lake, the ocean, where creation is so large that it shouts and testifies to us about the creator. A place where we become little bitty and God becomes large.
It’s okay to be little bitty! Point of fact I enjoy the hiddenness found in the Christ. Where like his cousin John, who said, you (Jesus) must increase and I (John) must decrease.
We are like God in many ways because we were created in His image, but in particular in this way, we are creative by nature and nothing kills the creative and worship filled soul faster than letter of the law to do list of religion.
It is so very far from the beauty, goodness and joy that inspires in us creativity and deepens the pools of desire within us to know Jesus.
Don’t seek religion it doesn’t invoke a lot of creativity … and it may well quench that which you have!
Psalm 96:6-9 KJV
6 Honor and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.
8 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
So, I pause and give thanks for the seasons of memory that span from the beginnings until now, Although winter is upon me, I am not afraid …
Today? Well, looking forward to today! With no angst! Finding the presence of God in the beauty, goodness and joy that’s all around me.
Let Nothing Disturb You,
Paul Cypert
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