Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “What kind of attitude do you want to have?”

 

All this month we’ve been exploring the theme of attitude from multiple perspectives. I’ve mentioned repeatedly that a good attitude is a key element to any life lived well. A positive attitude that is optimistic, and which maintains an eager expectation of good things to come is essential if you’re going to be happy, productive, and successful. How we think really does matter.

 

But what kind of an attitude do you want to have? I mean specifically. Many people have a vague, fuzzy, poorly defined notion of the kind of person they would like to be, but I’m talking about a clear picture in your mind of exactly how you would like to think and act.

 

“Visualization” is a mental discipline that has been proven to dramatically increase a person’s chances of achieving the thing they are striving for. Olympic athletes use visualization as a crucial part of their training. In their mind’s eye they see themselves hitting that world record long jump mark. They rehearse that scene in their mind over and over and over again, and they hold it there.

 

I read a story once about a prisoner of war in Vietnam. This man had always enjoyed playing golf, it was his favorite hobby, and he was fairly good at it. He usually scored in the low 80s, occasionally breaking into the high 70s. During his long and lonely six years of captivity he spent much of his time daydreaming about golf. In his mind’s eye he visualized himself playing endless rounds. He saw every shot throughout all 18 holes and always, he saw himself playing great golf and making amazing shots.

 

Finally, after six years as a prisoner of war, he was released. The week after he got home he went out on the golf course for the first time in over six years. He had not had an actual golf club in his hand in all those years. But in his mind he had played hundreds of rounds of great golf. On that day, after more than six years without touching a golf club, that man played the best round of golf he had ever played in his life. He scored in the low 70s and didn’t three-putt a single green.

 

What kind of attitude do you want to have? Create a clear mental image of yourself with exactly the attitude you want and then hold that image before you, think about it, dwell on it, see yourself walking through your days interacting with people, dealing with situations, with exactly the kind of attitude you want yourself to have.

 

It is possible. In Ephesians 4:22-24 the Apostle Paul reminds us that in Christ, part of your new self is a new attitude. In other words, part of your spiritual growth involves leaving behind the old patterns of thinking, along with the old attitudes, and developing new patterns of thinking and new attitudes.

 

Not only is it possible, it’s expected and it’s the normal growth pattern for any maturing Christian. Visualize yourself with that attitude, think about it, dwell on it, pray for it, and before long it will become a reality in your life.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.” Ephesians 6:13 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Take a stand for what is right, even if doing so isn’t easy.”

 

Marcus Porcius Cato was a Roman philosopher and politician who lived almost 100 years before the time of Christ. Known to history simply as “Cato” he was the most influential man of his day, even more so than the ruler of the Roman Empire at that time, Julius Caesar. The reason Cato was held is such high regard was because of his rock solid integrity. In a political atmosphere that was corrupt in the extreme, where bribery, treachery, sexual scandal, betrayals, and the like were the daily norm and commonly accepted, Cato’s was the one vote that could not be bought – and everybody knew it. Cato could always be counted on to take a stand for righteousness and then he would not be moved.

 

Cato’s example of honesty and integrity was so inspiring that it has endured throughout history. All of the Founding Fathers of our nation were inspired by the example of Cato. Benjamin Franklin quoted him frequently in his writings. George Washington was known as “The American Cato”. It was a title he accepted and bore with pride. Washington said there was no leadership example that inspired and influenced him more than that of Cato.

 

Cato was not a Christian, but we do see the same principle of integrity and courage called for by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians chapter six. As Christians we will be faced with daily temptations to engage in all sorts of unacceptable conduct. But we are expected to be prepared for it and we must resolve to take a stand against it. By means of prayer, Bible study, and meditation on Biblical principles, we must be prepared to take our stand, and to do so in spite of the difficulties that might present for us.

 

Once I witnessed the exact opposite. A spiritually immature Christian, who was unfortunately in a position of influence in an organization, was acting in a petty and selfish way. That person made some demands and issued ultimatums which, if granted, would result in harm to another Christian. The decision-makers on that leadership team (also professing Christians) decided it would be easier to simply give-in to this person’s demands and allow the other person to suffer harm, rather than to take a stand against the unreasonable demands. It was weakness on the part of those leaders. It was something Cato, George Washington, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul would never have done.

 

Honesty, courage, and integrity are crucial elements in the character of a righteous person. The willingness to take a stand and to do the right thing (even when doing the right thing is difficult and might result in hardship for us), is the mark of a great man or woman. I encourage you to resolve to be that man or woman. Put on the full armor of God everyday, and then take your stand for what is right.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” 1 Corinthians 6:7 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Sometimes it really doesn’t matter.”

 

Recently I heard some women good-naturedly talking about one of their husbands having a “man cold”. He had a touch of the flu and was pretty miserable. The general consensus among the women was that a man having a cold is the rough equivalent of a woman giving birth – or at least that’s how the man acts when he’s sick.

 

That’s funny, and probably true to some extent. Some pain and discomfort is fairly minor compared to other pain and discomfort and therefore we shouldn’t treat it as a more serious matter than it really is.

 

The other day I read a statement that proclaimed, “Not all pain matters”. In one respect the author meant that minor bumps, bruises, and discomforts need to be shrugged off. But in another respect he meant it in the context of offenses. When people commit offenses against us, most of the time the offenses do have the potential to cause some level of pain. But even then, most of the offenses are really just annoyances and fall into the same category as the “man cold” and should therefore be treated the same way.

 

This is what Paul was writing about in 1 Corinthians 6:7. In context, the passage was about believers bringing lawsuits against one another in civil court proceedings. Paul’s point was that the Body of Christ ought to be able to police itself. We should be able to come together as a group of spiritually mature believers and help each other to iron out the differences between us, rather than slugging it out in civil court in front of the non-Christian world.

 

And, if for some reason you and the one you are in conflict with are not able to resolve the issue within the church setting, then Paul’s advice is to just suck it up and allow yourself to have been wronged, rather than making a big deal out of it by taking another believer to a civilian court. (There could be special exceptions to this but that is a general Biblical principle).

 

In a larger context this same principle applies to all of life in general. Most offenses really are not that big a deal and don’t warrant being made into a big deal. Not all pain matters. Most of those things are just annoyances not real problems, and therefore they should be shrugged off rather than pursed. Why not just allow yourself to have been wronged and turn your attention instead to things that really do matter?

 

A spiritually mature person learns to distinguish between little deals and big deals and is content to keep the little deals little. Most of the things we find “offensive” don’t really matter much at all.

 

So don’t make something that is essentially the equivalent of a “man cold” seem like childbirth. Shrug it off and focus instead on the things that really do matter.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Build on your strengths.”

 

Our human nature often causes us to focus on what we don’t have rather than on what we do have. That’s true whether we’re talking about money and possessions, or skills and talents, or health and looks. For instance, despite the money and possessions we do have, we can’t help but notice that others have more money and better things, and so we want what they have. Or, despite the fact that I can preach and teach and write, it’s still true that I can’t sing or dance or play the piano, but I would like to. And on it goes. We tend to want what we don’t have rather than what we do have.

 

In 1 Corinthians 12:7 the Apostle Paul was writing about the great truth that the Holy Spirit manifests Himself in each of our lives in special and unique ways. He creates within each of us certain spiritual gifts, along with skills, talents, and abilities. Those things are our strengths. Therefore those are the things we’re going to be best at and so those are the things we need to focus on first. God doesn’t necessarily need me to sing and dance and play the piano. Others are skilled at those things. But He does want me to preach and teach and write.

 

Rather than lamenting that we don’t have the skills, talents, or abilities that someone else has, we need to focus on what we do have and then build on that. That’s a positive and realistic attitude that will keep us focused, effective, and growing.

 

Of course there is a time and place to focus on developing new skills and talents, and there are areas of weakness in our lives that do need attention, but our focus needs to be primarily on what is right and good about us, and we need to be sure we are leveraging those things and utilizing them to their maximum potential.

 

That’s our attitude at Oak Hill Baptist Church. We’re a small church. But we see our small size as a strength not as a weakness. Because we are small we can be more personable. Because we are small that means each person gets more attention. Because we are small we are much more of a family than would be true in a big church. Those things are assets that we take advantage of and build on. We’re determined to be the best small church we can be.

 

Identifying your strengths and leveraging them for maximum benefit should be the starting place. Then from that firm foundation you can focus on developing new skills or fixing problem areas, but begin from a position of strength.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they had won over the crowds and stoned Paul, they dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. After the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.” Acts 14:19-20 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Just get back up and keep on going.”

 

In 1923, at the Polo Grounds Arena in New York, in a boxing match for the heavyweight championship of the world, the heavyweight prizefighter from Spain, Luis Angel Firpo, also known as “the Wild Bull of the Pampas” threw a crushing left cross that caught the champ, Jack Dempsey, square on the chin. The punch hit Dempsey so hard that it knocked him backwards through the ropes and clear out of the ring. Dempsey ended up crashing on top of the newspaper reporters sitting on the side of the ring, and then he was sprawled on the floor. The back of his head had hit the metal edge of a report’s typewriter, opening a large gash from which he was bleeding profusely.

 

It was the most vicious knockdown Dempsey had ever experienced in his long boxing career. It was one of the most dramatic that anyone had ever seen in any professional boxing match. But Jack Dempsey won that fight. He got up off the floor, climbed back into the ring, and though wobbly, he managed to protect himself through the rest of that round. During the short break between rounds he gathered himself, steeled his resolve, and at the ringing of the bell to start the second round he came charging out of his corner, unleashed a flurry of tremendous punches, and in 57 seconds Firpo was unconscious on the canvas. The fight was over and Dempsey was the world champion.

 

The Apostle Paul experienced something like that in Acts 14:19-20. His enemies beat him so badly they thought they had killed him. They dragged his inert body outside the village and tossed it in a ditch. But Paul regained consciousness, mustered the strength to get up and went right back into that same town. Not only was he not dead, but after that incident he went on to have the most successful and fruitful years of his ministry.

 

Nothing is over until you give up. If you don’t quit then you’re not done. Sometimes life will hit you with a vicious left cross. Sometimes you will take it on the chin and end up on the floor. But you don’t have to stay there. You can get up. And if you do, then you’re not done – and it’s entirely possible that the best and most successful years of your life are still in front of you.

 

Although I’ve never experienced anything as dramatic as the scenes with Jack Dempsey or the Apostle Paul, I did have my own knockdown, dragged out, totally confused and somewhat frightening time in life. I was fifty-four, my wife had suffered a catastrophic heath issue the year before, I was faced with a major career change in late mid-life, and I had no idea what to do or what the future might hold.

 

As I look back on that time now, I never could have guessed what a wonderful future God was leading me into. As it turned out the best years of my ministry were still in front of me, I just didn’t know it at the time. There was still a wonderful church to become the Pastor of, there were books to write, mission teams to lead, a jail ministry waiting to begin, new friendships, great vacations, challenging adventures, and much more. But at the time I wasn’t sure if I could even get back up off the floor.

 

If you would care to read about some of the lessons I learned through that time you can go to my website at www.JimMersereauBooks.com and download the free articles, “I’m a Survivor Too”, and “From Cusco to Crossville – Changing Careers at Fifty-Four”.

 

When life has knocked you down the thing to do is just get back up and keep on going. It’s entirely possible that the best years of your life are still in front of you. Nothing is over until you give up. If you don’t quit, then you’re not done.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “The boundary markers have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” Psalm 16:6 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Relax and enjoy your life”

 

In the Old Testament world land was a major indicator of wealth and blessings. Boundary markers identified the extent of your land. So the term “boundary markers” was used to describe a tangible physical reality (the scope and limits of your land). But the idea of boundary markers was also a metaphor used to describe the blessing of God upon your life and it also described the circumstances of your life.

 

This is the way in which David was using the term in Psalm 16:6. God had given him a good life and he was happy with it. His profession, his home, his family, his talents, his hobbies, his friends – all of it made up the structure of his life and he found it very pleasant indeed. I hope that’s true for you too.

 

But there’s also another way in which we can think of the boundary markers which God has established for us and that’s in terms of Biblical boundaries. In the Bible God has given us the behavioral boundaries within which he wants us to live. Those boundaries are actually very wide, and there’s a lot of room for some very good living within those boundaries, but there are boundaries, and we do have to stay within them.

 

However, as I said, within those boundaries there’s a lot of room for some very good and enjoyable living. God is nowhere near as restrictive as we sometimes imagine Him to be. Dallas Willard once used the example of his young children at play in the backyard. The backyard was fenced-in (boundaries), and he expected his children to stay within those boundaries. But as long as they were, then he didn’t care if they were swinging on the swing set, playing in the sandbox, playing fetch with the dog, lying in the hammock reading a book, or sitting at the picnic table enjoying a snack. All of those activities (and others) were just fine with him as long as the kids stayed within the boundaries of the fenced-in backyard.

 

Sometimes we make the idea of obeying God seem as if it’s a monumental effort on our parts. We grit our teeth and resolve to obey whether we want to or not, “I’m going to do this even if it kills me!” Well stop that. It’s a big backyard and there’s a lot of very good, very enjoyable life to be lived within the boundaries of it. Relax and enjoy the life God has given you. Be grateful for it.

 

Just stay within the boundaries, relax, and enjoy your life.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Don’t settle for mediocrity”

 

Recently I was reminded of the inspiring example set by the great British Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson. Nelson was arguably the greatest of all the British Admirals. It was his leadership during the Battle of Trafalgar that turned the course of the war against Napoleon.

 

What made Nelson such an inspiring leader was that he would settle for nothing less than excellence in his own life and in the lives of others. He believed that God has assigned each of us a role to play in life, some larger and some smaller, and that each of us has a responsibility before God to play our part to the absolute best of our ability.

 

If your role in the story of life is to play the part of a British Admiral, then be the best British Admiral you can be. If your part is to be a shoemaker, then strive to make the best shoes that have ever been made. If you are a butcher, baker, or candlestick maker, a stay- at-home Mom, a truck driver, a school teacher, an accountant, a doctor, nurse, student, or preacher, be the best one you are capable of being.

 

Also, as the seasons of life change and as your abilities change, continue to settle for nothing less than your best – whatever “the best” is under the prevailing circumstances.

 

And that attitude right there, the attitude of continuing to excel despite changing circumstances and limiting factors, might be the most inspiring part of Admiral Nelson’s story because at one point Admiral Nelson lost his left eye in battle. Shortly after that he lost his right arm in battle. But even without his left eye and right arm he continued to serve and he continued to excel to the best of his abilities and as it turned out, his greatest achievements in life occurred in the seven years after he lost his eye and arm.

 

You see, it wasn’t the healthy and whole Lord Nelson who is remembered as a hero it was the maimed and disabled Lord Nelson who achieved the greatest victories. The reason that was true was because he refused to give up and he refused to use his disabilities and limiting circumstances as an excuse to do less than his best.

 

In Colossians 3:23-24 the Apostle Paul calls all of us to strive for excellence in whatever we are called by God to do. Your station in life is not the issue – your attitude about it is. Never ever settle for mediocrity. It’s beneath the dignity of a child of God.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery – Christ. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him.” Colossians 2:2-3 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “What’s your attitude about your faith?”

 

What is your attitude about your faith? Are you ambivalent and a little complacent, willing to accept it as it is? Maybe you would like to have a stronger and more dynamic faith but you’re just not sure how to go about it. Or are you fired-up and enthusiastic about your relationship with the Lord and about your own spiritual growth?

 

Whatever your attitude is about your relationship with the Lord will, to a large extent, determine where you are at in your relationship with the Lord. You will be stagnant and stuck in the spiritual mud, or you will be growing and learning and excited about it, based upon your attitude. Your attitude about your faith will determine almost everything else about the condition of your faith – including the pace and the extent of your spiritual growth.

 

In Colossians 2:2-3 Paul was describing mature Christians who have tapped into the deep well of spiritual understanding and knowledge. They have uncovered treasures of spiritual understanding and things that used to be mysteries to them have now been revealed and explained. All of this then leads to a mature life in Christ. But it doesn’t just happen. It’s the product of a positive attitude about your faith. It comes from an enthusiastic pursuit of spiritual growth.

 

Yesterday I mentioned that in March at Oak Hill Baptist Church we’re going to begin a Sunday night Bible study series entitled “Fresh Encounters”. It’s all about personal and corporate revival. It’s based upon the premise that God wants us to be on-fire for Him. That revival begins in individual hearts and then spreads to the rest of the church. It’s like King David wrote in Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God; renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (NIV)

 

Please note that David didn’t pray that God would revive the person sitting next to him in the pew. No, David was seeking revival in his own heart. That’s what we need as well. This isn’t about God reviving your husband or wife, your sister or brother, your kids or your church. It’s about renewal in your own heart first.

 

So what’s your attitude about your faith? Are you learning and growing, and are you excited and enthusiastic about it? A good attitude is the underlying motivator that leads to sustained spiritual growth.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit – the Father will send Him in My name – will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you. “ John 14:26 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Sorry, but you’re going to have to think.”

 

A common complaint I hear from Christians, especially Christians who have yet to grow deeply in spiritual maturity, is that they are unable to hear God or to get clear direction from Him regarding important decisions. It’s almost as if they’re expecting to be able to sit down with a paper and pencil to take dictation as God verbally recites for them, item-by-item, step-by-step, what He wants them to do. That rarely happens.

 

Instead what does happen is that over time God develops us in spiritual maturity so that we’re able to think things through and make good decisions of our own, decisions that honor and please Him. It’s similar to how a parent raises a child over the course of many years. As a parent we don’t want to have to be constantly giving our children step-by-step detailed instructions about every decision that needs to be made in their lives. Instead we want to train them to be able to think things through, evaluate the situation for what it is, and then make a good decision of their own (one that we as the parent would be proud of and pleased with).

 

That’s exactly what God does with us! He doesn’t want to have to dictate every step we take. Instead He wants us to use our spiritually mature brains to think it through and to then make a decision that pleases Him.

 

Welcome to the world of spiritual maturity. I know, I know, this is hard. In one respect life in the Old Testament world was easier because you simply had a long list of rules and regulations to obey. You could just go down the list checking them off one-by-one and you were good to go. But in New Testament times we have to actually think. It almost makes my brain hurt.

 

But, God has not left us to figure this stuff out for ourselves. It’s the job of the Holy Spirit to teach us, guide us, and to help us make those good decisions. That’s what Jesus was explaining in John 14:26.

 

Would you like to feel better about your ability to make good decisions in life that truly do please and honor God? It that’s your attitude God will honor it and bless you with greater understanding and increased ability to make good decisions. But you have to do your part too. You have to do the things that will bring about spiritual growth.

 

In March at Oak Hill Baptist Church we will begin a new Sunday night Bible study series called “Fresh Encounters”. It’s all about “renewing a right spirit within us” and bringing us to the point, individually and as a church, of spiritual revival and increased spiritual growth.

 

When it comes to spiritual growth attitude is important – you have to be willing to do the things that place you in a position before God whereby He can bring about your growth. Participating in the Bible study “Fresh Encounters” will help to revive our attitudes. I encourage you to join us.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t set foot on the path of the wicked; don’t proceed in the way of evil ones. Avoid it; don’t travel on it. Turn away from it and pass it by.” Proverbs 4:14-15 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Avoid even the appearance of impropriety.”

 

Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “It is best to avoid the beginnings of evil.” That’s exactly what Solomon meant in Proverbs 4:14-15. Don’t even start down that path!

 

Recently I heard a security expert in a television interview make this statement, “Nowadays every person should assume they are always being watched.” What he meant was that there is surveillance everywhere – even in places we would never expect it. There are red light cameras at many intersections, surveillance cameras in businesses and in elevators as well as at random locations on the streets. There are also surveillance satellites hovering in outer space with super-powerful cameras that can zoom in so close they can identify your facial features as you’re standing in your front yard. There are mini-drones flying through neighborhoods broadcasting live video feed and now, the devices in our homes such as laptop computers, cell phones, and controllers such as “Alexa” can be hacked into and used to monitor our activities.

 

We are “alone” and “unobserved” much less frequently than we think we are, and therefore we need to give extra thought to the things we do and say when we believe we are alone and unobserved.

 

But that’s really nothing new anyway. Our actions have always been under constant observation by God. In Luke 12:2-3 Jesus said, “There is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered, nothing hidden that won’t be made known. Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in an ear in private rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.” The author of the letter to the Hebrews reminded us that we are “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.”

 

That being the case it should be our desire to always conduct ourselves in such a way that it would not cause us to be embarrassed before people or before God. Now granted, that’s a pretty high bar. None of us is perfect and none of us would be comfortable living under a microscope of constant observation. Being that squeaky clean is virtually impossible. But, it’s not a bad goal to strive for. The desire to be that good is a good attitude to have.

 

Billy Graham established a personal standard for himself and for his closest associates that in both their public and in their private lives they needed to strive to “avoid even the appearance of impropriety.” Now again, none of us is perfect (least of all me) (and least of all you), but we should have high standards that we strive to meet, and avoiding even the appearance of anything inappropriate is a pretty good goal to have.

 

I was once briefly associated with a small group of Christian leaders whose conduct and decision-making behind closed doors was sometimes borderline unethical. Also, the way they sometimes treated people was questionable at best and occasionally unjust. They were also rather secretive about their maneuverings and a little fanatical about keeping it “in-house”. One of their favorite justifications was “We deal with everything in-house. We don’t air our dirty laundry in public.” They were concerned that if the nature of their deliberations and actions became public it could make them look bad.

 

My response was, “Shame on you! If the way you conduct yourselves behind closed doors can’t stand to be exposed to the light of day without making you look bad, then you shouldn’t be doing it!”

 

That’s true for all of us too. We should strive to conduct ourselves in such a way – in public and in private, that we avoid even the appearance of impropriety. It’s a good attitude to have.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim