Jesus saying, "I'll be with you. I'll love you. I'll take care of you. I'll reward you. You'll know fellowship with me if you conquer this that you wouldn't have known otherwise."
In years past during the Christmas season I would get sad for people: a mom and her children trying to find a place to sit to eat their meal in the mall, an old man walking with a face of sadness, or hearing someone complain in the check out line…if you do not believe me go watch this week at the mall. Jesus says he will be with you and love you! He will take care of you and reward you! You will have fellowship in him…..if you conquer what you wouldn’t have known otherwise.
You have seen the words of the Lord spoken in a way that makes people move, you have seen miracles in your life and those around…so why must we conquer still today? To live the types of lives God has called us to live: A smile on your face, a type of work ethic that makes a difference, words that speak the truth and a trust knowing that God is in control of all things at all times.
Or is your smile always upside down, is your work ethic sad, the words you use do not speak truth but tell lies and you do not trust God in all things.
Conquering just does not happen by watching, it happens by actions…getting out of one’s seat into the playing field and actively getting involved. Stop worrying-God is with you! Stop worrying about who you’re going to make mad-God loves you! Stop worrying about how you’re going to do this-God will take care of you! Stop worrying about what you see in your budget-God will reward you in ways you can’t imagine! Stop worrying about what to do-God will give you a peace to serve where he needs you! Stop living in the past but remember the past to keep inspiring you to keep on living for Him each day!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Why so serious?
When is the last time you really laughed? One of those laughs that made you cry or even hurt the next day because you just laughed so hard. Do you find humor in things or is everything just so serious you miss the humor in life? I can’t answer that question for you but what I do know is God wants us to laugh! I guess whoever made the rule that men should not cry made the rule that Christians should not laugh. Life has its moments, kids do say the darnest things, adults do too, and we should laugh!
I remember when I first started my career I got criticized for being “too nice”. This was because I would walk around with a smile on my face and speak with anyone whether they were “important” or not. I tried to invest in people’s lives, talk to someone in need, follow up on someone the next day and even try to remember something unimportant from a previous conversation to let people know that I genuinely cared. I was amazed that people thought I was “too nice”, but over time I have come to realize that people are too serious. The truth is that many people in this world, at one time or another, have had their “Truster” broken before.
I can understand these people because life is hard, things do happen, people do hurt you, words can sting, which can cause you to start looking at life or someone is out to get you. I feel for those individuals! I pray for those people! Remember this “Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good”-1 Peter 4:19
I pray that you turn your life over to a faithful God who knows best how to shape and mold you into the person you are today and into the future. Find humor in the blessings God has given you, look at life through the eyes of a father who truly knows best, and stop being so serious all the time you forget how to laugh. So, let’s start right now…Got to love this headline: "Authorities hunt for a prisoner in a wheelchair who fled on foot from armed guards."
I remember when I first started my career I got criticized for being “too nice”. This was because I would walk around with a smile on my face and speak with anyone whether they were “important” or not. I tried to invest in people’s lives, talk to someone in need, follow up on someone the next day and even try to remember something unimportant from a previous conversation to let people know that I genuinely cared. I was amazed that people thought I was “too nice”, but over time I have come to realize that people are too serious. The truth is that many people in this world, at one time or another, have had their “Truster” broken before.
I can understand these people because life is hard, things do happen, people do hurt you, words can sting, which can cause you to start looking at life or someone is out to get you. I feel for those individuals! I pray for those people! Remember this “Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good”-1 Peter 4:19
I pray that you turn your life over to a faithful God who knows best how to shape and mold you into the person you are today and into the future. Find humor in the blessings God has given you, look at life through the eyes of a father who truly knows best, and stop being so serious all the time you forget how to laugh. So, let’s start right now…Got to love this headline: "Authorities hunt for a prisoner in a wheelchair who fled on foot from armed guards."
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Pebbles in My Shoes
I thought this email thought of the day I received in my inbox (by Moments Together for Couples by Crosswalk)this morning was worth passing on… thank you Lord for the email!
1 Thessalonians 5:18
In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
For many years I didn't react well to those nagging little problems-the "pebbles in my shoe." I was used to either calling things "bad luck," getting ticked off, or just shrugging my shoulders while muttering "What's the use?"
Then I discovered 1 Thessalonians 5:18, and I began to measure my walk with God by those four simple words: "In everything give thanks." To my amazement, I started to notice a change in my attitude about life in general. I began to realize that God wants to invade every area of my life.
Let me suggest three reasons God commanded us to give thanks in all things:
First, giving thanks in all things expresses faith-faith in the God who knows what He's doing; faith in the God who sovereignly rules in all that happens to us. Isn't that what He wants from us?
Second, He knew we wouldn't do it naturally. Giving thanks in all things means I am no longer walking as a mere man, grumbling and griping, but walking as a spiritual man (see 1 Cor. 2:14,15)-a man who sees God at work...even in the grains of sand that tend to fill my shoes.
Isn't that a little bit of what's wrong with twentieth-century Christianity? Don't we divorce God from the details of daily experience? Don't we ultimately dislike those things that we can't seem to control? Let's be honest, we'd rather gripe, complain and be miserable about circumstances than give thanks.
Finally, God wants to teach us how to deal with the irritating grains of sand so we can get on with climbing the mountains He has for us. All we see are the pebbles, and we think if we could just remove all those pebbles then we could get on with real life. But the pebbles are the real life that God brings us day by day. He wants to use those irritants to instruct us and to see us mature in Christ.
Prayer:
Tell God you want to submit to Him to learn the lessons He has for you in the midst of daily life. Ask Him to teach you through these pebbles that are in your shoes."
1 Thessalonians 5:18
In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
For many years I didn't react well to those nagging little problems-the "pebbles in my shoe." I was used to either calling things "bad luck," getting ticked off, or just shrugging my shoulders while muttering "What's the use?"
Then I discovered 1 Thessalonians 5:18, and I began to measure my walk with God by those four simple words: "In everything give thanks." To my amazement, I started to notice a change in my attitude about life in general. I began to realize that God wants to invade every area of my life.
Let me suggest three reasons God commanded us to give thanks in all things:
First, giving thanks in all things expresses faith-faith in the God who knows what He's doing; faith in the God who sovereignly rules in all that happens to us. Isn't that what He wants from us?
Second, He knew we wouldn't do it naturally. Giving thanks in all things means I am no longer walking as a mere man, grumbling and griping, but walking as a spiritual man (see 1 Cor. 2:14,15)-a man who sees God at work...even in the grains of sand that tend to fill my shoes.
Isn't that a little bit of what's wrong with twentieth-century Christianity? Don't we divorce God from the details of daily experience? Don't we ultimately dislike those things that we can't seem to control? Let's be honest, we'd rather gripe, complain and be miserable about circumstances than give thanks.
Finally, God wants to teach us how to deal with the irritating grains of sand so we can get on with climbing the mountains He has for us. All we see are the pebbles, and we think if we could just remove all those pebbles then we could get on with real life. But the pebbles are the real life that God brings us day by day. He wants to use those irritants to instruct us and to see us mature in Christ.
Prayer:
Tell God you want to submit to Him to learn the lessons He has for you in the midst of daily life. Ask Him to teach you through these pebbles that are in your shoes."
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Real Heroes
I hope today has not passed you by? I hope you have not forgotten what this day is about? If it has, it is not too late to call, email, or stop a veteran to say “thank you”!
A thank to these men and women for being real heroes and serving a cause that is not always popular in the sight of some, the real heroes who serve behind the scenes in victories, the real heroes who do not passing the blame in a defeat, the real heroes who stand up for the weak, the real heroes who serve others no matter where they must go…
The lessons we should all learn from these men or women who serve this country: learn from the past so we do not commit the same mistakes again as a country, listen to their stories so we never forget and can pass them on, see the sacrifice they made to make this country great!
Real heroes are among us now - thank them, serve their families, love them when they return, pray from them daily! May we never forget this day again!
A thank to these men and women for being real heroes and serving a cause that is not always popular in the sight of some, the real heroes who serve behind the scenes in victories, the real heroes who do not passing the blame in a defeat, the real heroes who stand up for the weak, the real heroes who serve others no matter where they must go…
The lessons we should all learn from these men or women who serve this country: learn from the past so we do not commit the same mistakes again as a country, listen to their stories so we never forget and can pass them on, see the sacrifice they made to make this country great!
Real heroes are among us now - thank them, serve their families, love them when they return, pray from them daily! May we never forget this day again!
Monday, November 2, 2009
What if I am on the wrong side of this?
What if I am on the wrong side of the issue? I know for some that’s a tough pill to swallow but it is possible-right? Possible that you could be wrong and that the other person is right? Possible you made an error in judgment? Possible you do not have all the facts?
I remember a story of a school bully and a young boy. The bully was the one who took things from his classmates at school. If he wanted it he took it type of bully in school, so one day the young school boy heads to his locker to retrieve his favorite pocket knife to head home. So, he opened up his locker and his knife was missing…this made the young boy very mad and he knew only one boy would dare do such a thing. The young school boy made a beeline to the bully and confronted him,”Where is it!” The bully just laughed and said, “What are you talking about?” So, just then…just like George McFly in Back to the Future… the young boy clinched his fist and clocked the bully right in the face...the bully hit the ground with tears in his eyes. “Where is my knife” screamed the young boy! “I don’t have a knife!”
So, with shock and amazement the young boy believed him and all the while was scared to death because he just hit a kid in school. So, he ran home as fast as he could…into his home and straight upstairs to his room! Sweating and worried about his future he sat on his bed….what did he see on his dresser? An old red pocket knife lying right where he left it that morning when he went to school?
Have you been there before? So sure you were right that you missed it? So deaf to what the other person was saying that you missed the point? So worried about winning the argument that you sacrifice your friendship? So bent on viewing church your way you forgot it was God’s way that really matters?
So, what if you are on the wrong side of your latest debate? What if you were on the wrong side just yesterday? Or this past Sunday? So, whatever the case, it’s not too late! God works through you and I for his glory and purpose, good or bad, right or wrong….we mess up and make mistakes! Like Rocky said “…its not how many times you get knocked down that matters, its how many times you get back up that counts”
I remember a story of a school bully and a young boy. The bully was the one who took things from his classmates at school. If he wanted it he took it type of bully in school, so one day the young school boy heads to his locker to retrieve his favorite pocket knife to head home. So, he opened up his locker and his knife was missing…this made the young boy very mad and he knew only one boy would dare do such a thing. The young school boy made a beeline to the bully and confronted him,”Where is it!” The bully just laughed and said, “What are you talking about?” So, just then…just like George McFly in Back to the Future… the young boy clinched his fist and clocked the bully right in the face...the bully hit the ground with tears in his eyes. “Where is my knife” screamed the young boy! “I don’t have a knife!”
So, with shock and amazement the young boy believed him and all the while was scared to death because he just hit a kid in school. So, he ran home as fast as he could…into his home and straight upstairs to his room! Sweating and worried about his future he sat on his bed….what did he see on his dresser? An old red pocket knife lying right where he left it that morning when he went to school?
Have you been there before? So sure you were right that you missed it? So deaf to what the other person was saying that you missed the point? So worried about winning the argument that you sacrifice your friendship? So bent on viewing church your way you forgot it was God’s way that really matters?
So, what if you are on the wrong side of your latest debate? What if you were on the wrong side just yesterday? Or this past Sunday? So, whatever the case, it’s not too late! God works through you and I for his glory and purpose, good or bad, right or wrong….we mess up and make mistakes! Like Rocky said “…its not how many times you get knocked down that matters, its how many times you get back up that counts”
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