Tag Archives: love

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

The Tithe: Religion Over Love!

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Recently, I discussed the Old Covenant Law, pointing out that Christians aren’t required to follow its religious or civil rules. Most Christian leaders agree, yet they often push congregants to tithe. However, there is no obligation to do so. Yes, God desires giving — but for charity, not for church expenses under the pretense of an Old Covenant tithe.

The tithe, meaning ‘a one-tenth part,’ was part of the ancient pagan suzerain-vassal (king-servant) covenant system that God adopted to establish His salvation-focused relationship with people, starting with Abram. However, as far as we know, God did not command a tithe until He renewed the covenant through Moses. Then He instructed the eleven tribes who received land to tithe to support the priests, their families, and the temple. Eventually, they disobeyed, which led to starvation and disrepair, prompting a sharp rebuke (Malachi 3:6-15). Today, there are no physical temples or priests: we are the spiritual temple and a priesthood of believers (e.g., 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Peter 2:5), and therefore, do not need a tithe.

So, there was no New Covenant tithe until Constantine reinstituted it in the fourth century to fund religious leaders and buildings. Previously, money was collected only for charity. For example, Paul collected funds from regional churches to support the beleaguered saints in Jerusalem. Additionally, Tertullian wrote: “Though we have our treasure-chest, it is not made up of purchase-money, as of a religion that has its price. On the monthly day, if he likes, each puts in a small donation; but only if it be his pleasure, and only if he be able: for there is no compulsion; all is voluntary. These gifts are . . . to support and bury poor people …”. Today?

Many church leaders misuse Scripture to guilt or excite congregants into tithing for things God never asked for, ignoring charity and discipleship—things that God and Christ commanded. Beyond misinterpreting Malachi 3:6-15, Luke 6:38 is often distorted to promote a tithing pyramid scheme, where giving more money supposedly leads to receiving more. Read it along with verses 1-36, and you’ll see the context is about judging and the exchange of justice and mercy, not tithing. Still, little return is seen from today’s tithes. Fewer than 5% of American churches make disciples that make disciples. Fewer than 20% of church members engage in spiritual disciplines. Typically, less than 1% of church budgets go to missions, and there’s usually nothing allocated for charity or discipleship—the core things we’re called to do. The solution?

Leaders: don’t misuse the Scriptures! Be open about church business needs and teach your people to prioritize charity—starting at home, then within the Body, and finally to others. I could write much more about solving this issue, but I’ve run out of space! Maybe in a future article…

In summary, there’s no New Covenant tithe, but loving others is essential. Next, we’ll revisit “Christmas, the Retold Story!”

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley (MDiv, DMin)

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World, Uncategorized

What God Hates

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While God loves many things, there are things He hates. Some, such as sexual immorality and deviousness (Proverbs 3:32), are disgusting—an abomination, according to the ancient language (Hebrew to-ay-baw’, to-ay-baw’). This makes sense, as He designed us to reflect His character and behave as He created us. Anything else is disrespectful and counter to God’s design. Here, we’ll focus on several categories of disgusting things after considering why they happen. But, before we do, a caveat: All rebellion against God is bad, and none is better or worse than another—the same fate awaits all who practice such things.

Why do we do stuff that God hates? Self-centeredness that seeks personal pleasure over obedience to God. Verse 1 John 2:16 states that, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life;” these become the root of all kinds of abominations. Sexual immorality is an excellent example and one that deserves special attention because many Christian leaders have turned bad into good and corrupted the Church.

Sexual immorality. This includes adultery, prostitution, incest, bestiality, pedophilia, and homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13; Deuteronomy 22:5). Redefining the ancient language, distorting history, or promoting a self-gratifying love to legitimize disgusting behavior in the Church won’t make it less so or soften God’s response. See my related article for additional information (https://ronbraley.blog/2022/11/10/weed-patrol-weeds-beget-weeds-part-two-sexual-immorality/). Dishonoring God in a variety of ways is also something He hates.

Dishonoring God. Besides what I’ve already listed, God hates our prioritizing other gods, spiritual or material. Lying, especially to the detriment of others, and wicked behavior are also disgusting according to God (Proverbs 12:22; Exodus 20:16). God hates the abuse of His name (Exodus 20:7), which concerns His character and authority, not syllables. For instance, Ezekiel 13:6 condemns prophets who “see false visions and utter lying divinations” and claim, “This is what the Lord declares,” when He has not spoken. See also Jeremiah 14:14 and 23:16 and Deuteronomy 18:20. If I only had a dollar for every time I heard, “The Spirit said this…” or “God told me that …”)! God also hates the poor treatment of people.

Hurting people. Sexual immorality, lying, and injustice that God hates, as I’ve already mentioned, negatively affect humans. Add murder, theft, malice, slander, and envy (e.g., Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). God commands us to love our neighbors charitably. So, the lack of love would be something He also hates, as evidenced by the hell-bound nature of those who don’t care for the less fortunate. Matthew 25:31-46 tells us that we’ll be judged for how we care for them. And Jesus chided the Pharisees for honoring the religious tithe instead of treating people appropriately (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42).

Summary. God hates, and often finds disgusting, behaviors that violate His standards and dishonor Him and hurt people. Next, let’s learn more about God through His names and attributes!

God’s blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

What God Loves

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God is Love; He does love, and He experiences love … just like we do.  He loves things like justice, mercy, purity, righteousness, obedience, and loving kindness. As imagers of God, we should love what He loves and hate what He hates. Let’s focus on the things God loves here (we’ll cover rebellion and the things He finds disgusting next time!).

I began this article with the phrase, “God is Love.” Read 1 John 4:7-16 (at least!) and you’ll find these golden nuggets: “for love is from God” and “for God is love” and a reminder in verse 10 that He loved us so much that He sent His Son to satisfy our sin debt. Finally, verse 16 states that, “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” God is love … and He, therefore, loves actionably. Salvation and discipline are but two examples.

God loves His creation (even if He doesn’t always like us or what we do (e.g., Genesis 6:6-7)). In fact, He loves us so much that He provided a way back to Him through Jesus’ death and resurrection (John 3:16). This is how “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). And He corrects those He loves as any good father would (e.g., Proverbs 3:12 and Hebrews 12:6). God also loves righteousness, which is ‘right action’ according to His standards, and justice.

So, what is justice and its relationship to righteousness? Fairness and moral rightness in the way people are treated and how laws are applied. Because God loves His creation, it’s easy to see why justice and righteousness are essential. Psalm 37:28 teaches that God “loves justice, and does not forsake His saints”—a sentiment echoed in Psalm 146:8 and Isaiah 61:8. And Micah 6:8 reiterates that God desires for us to love kindness, do justice (as He does), and walk humbly with Him. OK. God loves us, justice, righteousness, and mercy. How do these manifest in practice?

As God’s ambassadors and partners, we are called to care for the less fortunate. In mercy, we must be fair and impartial. In righteousness, we must behave as God intended, as He loves: sexual purity, patience, self-control, and charity (see Matthew 25:32-46). Our charitable actions toward the poor may include sharing money, food, time, or talents; we give to others what God has given to us. In other words, our spirit, created by the ‘Father of Spirits, ’ must move the human mammal to do good, pure things. This is what God desires, what He loves.

Summary. God loves the charitable, merciful, just, and righteous person. Love what He loves; do what He does. In the next installment, we’ll, conversely, learn about what God hates.

God’s blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World, Uncategorized

When Love Grows Cold …

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In my last article, I taught that real, unconditional, godly love is “doing the right thing no matter how we ‘feel.’” It doesn’t come and go with an emotional or sexual wind; it’s constant and actionable. That’s God’s love for us, as proved by Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection from the dead to pay our debt to the Creator and give us hope. Similarly, we do real, unconditional love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19). How can we summarize and do real love?

True love seeks the highest good in others. It is always actionable and even translated occasionally as ‘charity.’ For instance, the apostle Paul mentions these actions (or lack of certain actions) in a not-all-inclusive true love list (1 Corinthians 13:4-6): “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.”

Furthermore, Jesus gave the following examples when teaching about last-days judgment in Matthew 25:31-40: “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in … Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’” In other words, do love and live.

Still, Jesus said true love will ‘grow cold’ in the last days: “At that time many will fall away … Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” (Matthew 24:10-13) What does that mean? What would, or does, cold love look like?

If true love = action, cold love is the opposite: diminishing charity, patience, self-control, truth, etc. Look around, and this is the predominant posture in America, which has earned the title of “the most self-centered nation in the world.” What will be the end for the loveless? “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment …” (Matthew 25:45-46)

Summary. True love seeks the highest good in others through actions like charity and self-control. Cold love deceives, deprives, and hurts others. What’s next? Let’s explore evangelism in “What’s Your Story?” In the meantime, don’t be lukewarm in your zeal for God and don’t let your love run cold! The results could be devastating!

God’s blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

Will the Real Love Please Stand Up?

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“Love is love!” The battle cry implied that any gratifying feeling could qualify as love (ungodly sex, in this case). How can the same word reference both good and bad emotions or behaviors?

Our English language limits how we express feelings and actions, including love. We use that single word to reference emotions, lust, and charity. However, the Bible uses different words for each to ensure we understand what’s really happening when we encounter ‘love:’

  • Lust (usually sensual). Greek epithumia represents a firm intention to have something. Jesus said that someone who lusts after another’s spouse sins (Matthew 5:27-28).  Conversely, the Bible states that we should lust after the things of God.
  • Fondness (emotional love). Related Greek words begin with ‘phil’ and represent a fondness for something. For instance, ‘philadelphia’ is a fondness for brothers and sisters in Christ (Hebrews 13:1). Fondness for money is ‘philaguria’ (Hebrews 13:5). Lust and fondness are emotion-driven and, therefore, come and go. You may like me now but hate me tomorrow—especially if my articles contradict your beliefs. Neither emotion-based lust nor fondness is the unconditional love God has shown or that we must have for each other.
  • Unconditional, real Love (selfless, sacrificial). This love doesn’t come and go with an emotional or sexual wind. It’s doing the right thing for the right reason despite feelings. Greek noun agape is this love that God has for all creation, and the verb agapao is love in action. God is love (agape); God loves as we should (agapao). Let’s dig a bit deeper into this love.

God hasn’t always been happy with humanity but still loved (and loves) us so much that He gave His Son, the one we call Jesus, as an ultimate covenantal sacrifice to bring us back to Him. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) God then raised Him from the dead to assure His children that they too will be raised at the end of this world. Similarly, we do real, unconditional love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19).

We must honor God with all we are and have and be charitable with time, treasures, and talents: “… ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’” (Matthew 22:37-39). Check out Matthew 25:31-46, and you’ll find that true, actionable love includes charity (feeding, housing, clothing, etc.).

Summary. Love can be a strong intent to have (often sexual lust), an emotion, or an unconditional loving action. What’s next? Let’s explore biblical perfection. In the meantime, love as God loves instead of chasing lusts and emotions.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

Make a Difference!

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God didn’t create us just to consume resources, tend only to ourselves, and then pass out of this life without making a difference. He made us to be like Him. He loves; we’re to love. He’s merciful; we’re to be merciful. He created us for partnership and to make a difference while we can—not suck air and be selfish. Check out what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10, and you’ll see that we’ve been created for good works. Read Matthew 25:31-40; you’ll discover the demise of all who don’t do them. By the way, Luke 10:28 tells us that we will live [spiritually] if we honor God and love people through our works.

Anyway, I thought, “Hey Ron—what examples of making a positive difference can you think of?” As it turns out, there are plenty! I’ll offer a few to encourage you. What follows is just a sample—plenty of organizations and people in Taylor and around the world make quite a difference. I’m not playing favorites (although I AM partial to Shepherd’s Heart!).

A Lucky Starfish. Do you ever feel that nothing you do matters? A boy once walked the beach throwing washed-up starfish back into the water. A man observing him yelled, “There are so many! You’ll never make a difference!” The boy responded while throwing another starfish into the sea: “Well, it matters to that one!” The smallest efforts can have the biggest impact!

The Good Samaritan. Ancient Jews and Samaritans were enemies. Yet, a Jewish Jesus spoke about a charitable Samaritan who found a man beaten, robbed, and left for dead (even bypassed by a Jewish priest) and nursed him back to health. I guess we CAN all get along!

“Good News” by Isabella Tebeau. Looking for encouragement and examples of positive differences and influences? Check out Isabella’s Taylor Press article, which has challenged us to “Always remember there is goodness everywhere and kindness matters!”

Shepherd’s Heart. Our renowned food pantry and thrift shop feeds hundreds of people every week. Money donated by good-hearted folks and earned in the thrift shop continues to provide utility relief for families in danger of being without electricity or water. Shepherd’s Heart certainly reflects God’s heart!

Anchored in Grace Fellowship. Albert and his small crew love the community in big ways! This fantastic church provides hygiene items such as soap and toothpaste to hundreds of people each year. They also often come to the rescue with socks, gloves, food, blankets, and school supplies. Look no further for a model of true love!

Summary: The world can seem dark and unloving at times. But there are always bright spots of love and difference-making. The following article will be the first of a two-parter addressing how we can be confident of the biblical texts and the people in them, including Jesus. Until then, be kind and pure.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

The God Box, Part III: Endless Possibilities!

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So far, we’ve learned that a ‘God box’ is anything that keeps God’s Spirit from moving and stifles transformation (e.g., walls, business, religious rules and practices, and passivity). To be free, we must devote, love, transform and be transformed through discipleship. Worship God through action, not religion. Give of time, talents, and treasures first to honor God and love people. Fine. But what can we do with our newfound freedom?

With no God box, the Spirit moves; we can move. And where the Spirit is, there is freedom (2Corinthians 3:17)! We can be joyful and empowered as God’s partners led by His Spirit! Being and making disciples becomes a reality as we build deeper relationships than are possible in one hour a week. Our transformation happens as we move by the Spirit and are illuminated spiritually and scripturally once the restrictions are gone. Healing, love, and intimate prayer become possible when we are face-to-face instead of passively existing side-by-side in an experiential state during a typical service. And we can be God-fearing Christ-followers by focusing on Their instructions instead of human religious rules and practices. Thus, we can worship freely with like-minded Christ-followers of different backgrounds. Religious constraints on things like Communion, prayer, and baptism, which were done freely and intimately without segregation in the earliest Church, disappear. We can build intimate relationships beneficial for spiritual growth, discipleship, and charity. After all, we can’t give to and for what we aren’t aware of!

Speaking of giving, we can be free to care for others in unimaginable ways without the box. In my decades as a churchgoer, I never heard anything like, “Please, give first to care for people and then, if you’re able, give to the church’s business” from the pulpit. Yet, that’s what God commands (e.g., Matthew 22:39 & 25:31-46). Joanne and I visited a home church for a few weeks many years ago and witnessed firsthand the freeing effect of ditching the box. Without a church-imposed financial obligation, and being in such an intimate setting, we learned of others’ needs and finally had resources to help. Obedience to God’s order to love became possible! By the way: The Old Covenant tithe was used for Temple upkeep and an inheritance for the priests and their families. Now, we are encouraged to give without compulsion or limits (2Corinthians 9:7) to care for others and bring God’s Kingdom near to the yet-to-be-churched (see my first article in this God Box series for more information).

In summary, God, people, and discipleship first—religion second. Let’s lighten things up in the following article, where you’ll learn about my ‘faith-based’ computer skills. PS: Don’t tell anyone I couldn’t do my job without help!

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

Citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven

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“Hey, Ron – I just need to say that I believe in Jesus to go to Heaven, right?” Not exactly. Neither God our heavenly Father nor Son we call Jesus need or want our affirmation. They seek willing partners to introduce other people to the Kingdom of Heaven now and to join them in the age to come (2Corinthians 5:17-20, for instance). So, a better question might be: “Hey Ron – how do I become God’s partner?” Great question!

Anyone wishing to enter God’s Kingdom must be regenerated from above (a better rendering of the born again we find in John 3:1-15) through the Living Water Jesus offers and the Holy Spirit the Father gives in return for our devotion. Citizenship in God’s Kingdom begins with receiving the Living Water of Jesus by believing that He truly is the Son of God and then responding with complete dedication of self and resources. This is what ‘Jesus is Lord’ means. Devotion isn’t making God responsible for our choices or actions—it’s an offering to the King of Heaven of all we are and have. We are to put away our selfish nature—die to self (Luke 9:23-24; 1Corinthians 15:31). That requires obedience.

Obedience to what? In quoting the Old Testament (see Deuteronomy 6:5 and Matthew 22:34-40), Jesus said that we must honor the Father with all we are and have. He continued by demanding that we love others as we love ourselves (see my earlier post on love). If we love Him, we’ll obey those commandments (John 15:12 & 14:15; 1John 3:14). Everything the Old Testament teaches about what God desires, including about how to treat others, could be done just by putting others first and treating them like we wish to be treated as we live as servants and yet partners with the King.

To sum up, so far, applying for citizenship in God’s Kingdom requires belief, complete devotion, and loving action. When we do this and engage in the things of God through study, discipleship, and prayer, we are changed—transformed. The path of citizenship may seem challenging, if not impossible. But we have help! The Spirit in the born-again conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus is the Spirit of God. He teaches and comforts us and is our partner in devotion to the Father and loving others.  He also helps us change from the inside out, from mind to behavior. The Spirit also makes it possible for us to remain—abide— as a citizen of Heaven (see John 15:1-10, for example).

Believe. Devote. Receive the Spirit of God and move where He leads you! Have you already done and are doing that? Then, welcome, citizen of Heaven! Next week, we’ll continue to consider God’s desires as we delve further into Godly Obedience.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

In Loving Fairness!

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In our feel-good Christian culture, I’ve often heard said, “God is Love!”

God IS love; however, this love is often misunderstood. And, the common misunderstanding of the love that God is and does lends itself to a dangerous and pervasive view that anyone in His excellent favor should never suffer and will have anything they want. The misunderstanding is based on 1John (1John 4:8 and 16 in particular). The first thing we must do is understand the context of John’s comments about God being love. The next thing we’ll do is explore the meaning of that ‘love,’ which we’ll find is consistent, appropriate action—not emotion.

The theme and context of 1John Chapter 4 are a fair and just God that will judge the world and save the righteous. This text serves as a reminder that our actionable love, which is obedience to Jesus’ commandments out of our faith, mirrors God’s just nature and is the basis for our coming salvation. Here’s a breakdown of the verses—you may want to read along.

Verses 1-6: Differentiating Christians from the world.

Verses 7-17: God is actionable love. He has promised a savior for humankind and kept His promise.  We should be like Him and love one another with action, not just emotion, because He has done the same for us first.

Verses 18-21: A sobering reminder that actionable love born of our faith is critical to salvation – rescuing from God’s judgment to come. Being nice, feeling spiritual, believing alone, or having lots of knowledge about the Bible without action is useless to God, our Christ, and the Church.

I keep mentioning ‘actionable’ love. It’s the kind of love that equates to, “I’ll treat you right despite how I feel.” We’re to be fair, kind, patient, repentant, self-controlled, etc.  Hmmm . . . sounds a lot like the actions (fruits) shown by those who belong to God and, therefore, have the Spirit as they remain in a relationship with Him:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. —Galatians 5:22-23.

So, God is love because He has treated us appropriately and kept His promise to send a savior despite the way He has ‘felt’ toward humankind at times throughout history. As so many New Testament letters show, He is just to save and forgive when we are in a relationship with Him. Act fairly, justly, kindly, and consistently as our God also has done for us . . . and live!

Next week, we’ll examine the will of God: what it is and how to discover it.

Blessings and peace,

Ron Braley

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World, Uncategorized

Yes, Judge—but who??

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The idea of judging trips people up. We know our faults or sins and feel we have no right to judge others as a result. Conversely, some people behave as though they must inform everyone around them of every sinful act. The truth regarding judging others resides somewhere in the middle.

Who should judge whom? According to Jesus, God will judge the world – those people who aren’t His. Christ-followers will be evaluated for their works done out of faith and rewarded accordingly at the end of this age. Meanwhile, we must hold one another accountable for spiritual growth and moral positioning. For instance, the apostle Paul called out sexually immoral behavior in the Corinthian church and told them this:

… Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. . . . Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES. —1Corinthians 5:6-13.

So, how are we to judge other followers of Jesus? We must be careful and gentle according to Christ’s commandments, not by what we feel. The goal must always be to help followers who are ‘sinning’ turn back to the truth and be reconciled to God (e.g., James 15:19-20). Jesus also reminds us not to tolerate the practice of sinful behavior inside the community of Christians.

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” —Matthew 18:15-17.

Now, I realize that some people will counter by quoting Luke 6:37, “Do not judge and you will not be judged . . .” But it and verses 38-42 deal with justice and mercy. And verses 41-42 remind us to become righteous before holding others accountable by God’s standard.

If you want to love your fellow Christians with the love of Christ, judge them according to His commandments with a sense of urgency before it’s too late for anyone practicing sinful behavior and earning a one-way ticket to God’s judgment! And let’s demonstrate God’s standard by not doing or condoning anything He opposes (such as sexual immoralities). Otherwise, we could be single-handedly responsible for leading the lost to their destruction.

Next week, we’ll look at healthy and unhealthy Christian relationships.

Blessings and peace,

Ron Braley