Monday, December 30, 2013
Friday, December 2, 2011
The Story of The Pencil
A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point, he asked:
“Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me?”
His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:
“I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.”
Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special.
“But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!”
“That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on to them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.
"First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.
“Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.
“Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.
“Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.
"Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: It always leaves a mark. In just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action.”
--Author Unknown
“Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me?”
His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:
“I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.”
Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special.
“But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!”
“That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on to them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.
"First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.
“Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.
“Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.
“Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.
"Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: It always leaves a mark. In just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action.”
--Author Unknown
Advent Themes
December 1, 2011
Our Daily Bread is hosted by Les Lamborn
READ: 1 Peter 1:3-5,13-21
Rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. —1 Peter 1:13
I believe that all Scripture is related and all Scripture is relevant. Nevertheless, I was surprised when my November reading in the book of 1 Peter touched on all four themes of Advent—that period of time on the church calendar when many Christians prepare to celebrate the first coming of Christ while looking forward to His second coming. During Advent, we emphasize hope, peace, joy, and love, which God sent with Christ.
HOPE. We have an inheritance reserved in heaven, a living hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3-5).
PEACE. We will love life and see good days if we turn from evil and do good and if we seek peace, for the Lord watches over the righteous and hears their prayers (3:10-12).
JOY. We have inexpressible joy even though we have trials because our faith is being tested and proven genuine. The end of this faith is the salvation of our souls (1:6-9).
LOVE. We can love one another with a pure heart because we have been born again through the Word of God which lives and abides forever (1:22-23).
Because Christ came the first time, we can live with hope, peace, joy, and love till He comes again. —Julie Ackerman Link
The hope we have in Jesus Christ
Brings joy into our heart;
And when we know the love of God,
His peace He will impart. —Sper
If you’re looking for hope, peace, joy, and love this Christmas season, look to God.
Our Daily Bread is hosted by Les Lamborn
READ: 1 Peter 1:3-5,13-21
Rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. —1 Peter 1:13
I believe that all Scripture is related and all Scripture is relevant. Nevertheless, I was surprised when my November reading in the book of 1 Peter touched on all four themes of Advent—that period of time on the church calendar when many Christians prepare to celebrate the first coming of Christ while looking forward to His second coming. During Advent, we emphasize hope, peace, joy, and love, which God sent with Christ.
HOPE. We have an inheritance reserved in heaven, a living hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3-5).
PEACE. We will love life and see good days if we turn from evil and do good and if we seek peace, for the Lord watches over the righteous and hears their prayers (3:10-12).
JOY. We have inexpressible joy even though we have trials because our faith is being tested and proven genuine. The end of this faith is the salvation of our souls (1:6-9).
LOVE. We can love one another with a pure heart because we have been born again through the Word of God which lives and abides forever (1:22-23).
Because Christ came the first time, we can live with hope, peace, joy, and love till He comes again. —Julie Ackerman Link
The hope we have in Jesus Christ
Brings joy into our heart;
And when we know the love of God,
His peace He will impart. —Sper
If you’re looking for hope, peace, joy, and love this Christmas season, look to God.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Something You Can't Fake (from "Life Support"
One person writes: "I have been in many places, but I have never
been in Cahoots. Apparently you can't go there alone. You have to be
in Cahoots with someone. I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no
one recognizes you there. I have, however, been in Sane. You have to
be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my
family, friends and those where I have worked."
I find myself in some interesting places - like Love. Have you ever
been in Love? It can be a hard place to leave. Occasionally I find
myself in Fear, in Doubt and, at times, in Capable. I don't like to
spend a lot of time there.
But what about Sincere? Have you been in Sincere, lately? I've been
there and it is not an honorable place to go.
A guy was in Sincere when he bought his wife a beautiful diamond
ring for Christmas. Well, not quite a diamond, but it looked like
one.
A friend of his said, "I thought she wanted one of those pretty
4-wheel drive vehicles."
He shrugged his shoulders. "She did. But where in the world was I
going to find a fake jeep?"
Is there such a thing as a fake relationship?
You remember comedian Tommy Smothers old line? "The best thing about
getting older is that you gain sincerity. Once you learn to fake
that, there's nothing you can't do."
I heard a true story of a teenager who got a tattoo on her hip - a
delicate little Japanese symbol. At her friend's house she showed it
off. The friend's mother commented on it and the girl begged,
"Please don't tell my parents."
The mother assured her that she wouldn't say anything about it. Then
she asked, "By the way, what does it stand for?"
"Honesty," she said.
I love irony.
When I am sincere, there's nothing to hide. I am just me. It's
something I can't fake. And if I'm the best me that I can be, then
what can I be that is any better?
The Wall Street Journal once printed a little piece titled
"Sincerity." It is one of my favorites.
"I wish I were big enough honestly to admit all my shortcomings;
brilliant enough to accept praise without it making me arrogant;
tall enough to tower above deceit;
strong enough to welcome criticism;
compassionate enough to understand human frailties;
wise enough to recognize my mistakes;
humble enough to appreciate greatness;
staunch enough to stand by my friends;
human enough to be thoughtful of my neighbor;
and righteous enough to be devoted to the love of God."
I am really not all that strong. I don't always act with courage. I
am certainly not as brilliant as others, as charming or as wise. But
today I can be me. And when I lie down tonight, I'll sleep easy
knowing it will have been enough.
-- Steve Goodier
been in Cahoots. Apparently you can't go there alone. You have to be
in Cahoots with someone. I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no
one recognizes you there. I have, however, been in Sane. You have to
be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my
family, friends and those where I have worked."
I find myself in some interesting places - like Love. Have you ever
been in Love? It can be a hard place to leave. Occasionally I find
myself in Fear, in Doubt and, at times, in Capable. I don't like to
spend a lot of time there.
But what about Sincere? Have you been in Sincere, lately? I've been
there and it is not an honorable place to go.
A guy was in Sincere when he bought his wife a beautiful diamond
ring for Christmas. Well, not quite a diamond, but it looked like
one.
A friend of his said, "I thought she wanted one of those pretty
4-wheel drive vehicles."
He shrugged his shoulders. "She did. But where in the world was I
going to find a fake jeep?"
Is there such a thing as a fake relationship?
You remember comedian Tommy Smothers old line? "The best thing about
getting older is that you gain sincerity. Once you learn to fake
that, there's nothing you can't do."
I heard a true story of a teenager who got a tattoo on her hip - a
delicate little Japanese symbol. At her friend's house she showed it
off. The friend's mother commented on it and the girl begged,
"Please don't tell my parents."
The mother assured her that she wouldn't say anything about it. Then
she asked, "By the way, what does it stand for?"
"Honesty," she said.
I love irony.
When I am sincere, there's nothing to hide. I am just me. It's
something I can't fake. And if I'm the best me that I can be, then
what can I be that is any better?
The Wall Street Journal once printed a little piece titled
"Sincerity." It is one of my favorites.
"I wish I were big enough honestly to admit all my shortcomings;
brilliant enough to accept praise without it making me arrogant;
tall enough to tower above deceit;
strong enough to welcome criticism;
compassionate enough to understand human frailties;
wise enough to recognize my mistakes;
humble enough to appreciate greatness;
staunch enough to stand by my friends;
human enough to be thoughtful of my neighbor;
and righteous enough to be devoted to the love of God."
I am really not all that strong. I don't always act with courage. I
am certainly not as brilliant as others, as charming or as wise. But
today I can be me. And when I lie down tonight, I'll sleep easy
knowing it will have been enough.
-- Steve Goodier
Friday, July 8, 2011
THE GIFTS OF AGE
I love young people. I feel the same way as Archbishop Desmond Tutu who once said, "I have the highest regard for young people. Young people are idealistic. They dream dreams about a better world."
They not only dream dreams, they have the audacity to believe in those dreams and often enough enthusiasm to nurture them into something close to real life.
I love young people. What fun I could have "back in the day" - ridiculous fun. And what hope. I was changing so quickly and it seemed I could be limited only by my dreams. If I believed it might be possible, I felt I could make it so.
There are tremendous gifts that come with youth. Like optimism and the ability to change. When anything seems possible, more than a little of it becomes possible if one only believes enough and adapts quickly.
And then we age. Please don't hear a note of discouragement - it's just that aging is something I am only slowly coming to embrace. It creeps up on a person like silent fog in the night; we awaken one morning in the midst of it and wonder how it got there.
We age, whether we choose to or not. And some people dread it. Singer Doris Day once said, "The really frightening thing about middle age is that you know you'll grow out of it." That fear can be all too real.
Some people dread aging. And some people deny it. They try to avoid the fact that they are growing older and their bodies are in decline. One woman who had ignored her failing eyesight for too long was asked, "How long have you worn glasses?"
"Since yesterday," she replied. "As I was baking some tollhouse cookies I picked up the fly swatter and killed four chocolate chips." Some people deny aging and live as if nothing has changed.
And some people avoid it - or try to. They idealize youth and never become comfortable in their older, looser-fitting skin. One man quipped: "A few years ago my wife started to wear tight jeans. I went out and bought a convertible. Then she bleached her hair. I took a lot of multiple vitamin shots. Just a few months ago, she had a face lift and a "tummy tuck." I got an implant. And that's the way it's been for the two of us: side by side -- growing young together."
Since age can't really be avoided, there are those, also, who learn to laugh at it. Humor won't chase old age away, but laughter certainly makes it more bearable.
A parody of the musical hit "My Favorite Things" is making the rounds among oldsters. The song, inaccurately attributed to Julie Andrews, reminds us that it helps to laugh at what we can't change.
"Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string;
These are a few of my favorite things."
You get the idea.
We may try to deny it or avoid it. We may dread it or learn to laugh at it. But unless an accident or illness robs us of the chance to grow old, we'll all experience it.
Which is okay. For if youth has its gifts, I believe age does, too. When aged well, the idealism of youth is tempered now with solid experience. Youth's enthusiasm is made more valuable when combined in old age with good judgment. And youth's ability to become anything they can imagine, in old age takes the form of character; trustworthy and reliable - character so rich only decades of living could ever grow and refine it.
These are the gifts of age. They are gifts found in those who live their lives intentionally and well. They take a lifetime to acquire and they are precious beyond belief.
-- Steve Goodier
They not only dream dreams, they have the audacity to believe in those dreams and often enough enthusiasm to nurture them into something close to real life.
I love young people. What fun I could have "back in the day" - ridiculous fun. And what hope. I was changing so quickly and it seemed I could be limited only by my dreams. If I believed it might be possible, I felt I could make it so.
There are tremendous gifts that come with youth. Like optimism and the ability to change. When anything seems possible, more than a little of it becomes possible if one only believes enough and adapts quickly.
And then we age. Please don't hear a note of discouragement - it's just that aging is something I am only slowly coming to embrace. It creeps up on a person like silent fog in the night; we awaken one morning in the midst of it and wonder how it got there.
We age, whether we choose to or not. And some people dread it. Singer Doris Day once said, "The really frightening thing about middle age is that you know you'll grow out of it." That fear can be all too real.
Some people dread aging. And some people deny it. They try to avoid the fact that they are growing older and their bodies are in decline. One woman who had ignored her failing eyesight for too long was asked, "How long have you worn glasses?"
"Since yesterday," she replied. "As I was baking some tollhouse cookies I picked up the fly swatter and killed four chocolate chips." Some people deny aging and live as if nothing has changed.
And some people avoid it - or try to. They idealize youth and never become comfortable in their older, looser-fitting skin. One man quipped: "A few years ago my wife started to wear tight jeans. I went out and bought a convertible. Then she bleached her hair. I took a lot of multiple vitamin shots. Just a few months ago, she had a face lift and a "tummy tuck." I got an implant. And that's the way it's been for the two of us: side by side -- growing young together."
Since age can't really be avoided, there are those, also, who learn to laugh at it. Humor won't chase old age away, but laughter certainly makes it more bearable.
A parody of the musical hit "My Favorite Things" is making the rounds among oldsters. The song, inaccurately attributed to Julie Andrews, reminds us that it helps to laugh at what we can't change.
"Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string;
These are a few of my favorite things."
You get the idea.
We may try to deny it or avoid it. We may dread it or learn to laugh at it. But unless an accident or illness robs us of the chance to grow old, we'll all experience it.
Which is okay. For if youth has its gifts, I believe age does, too. When aged well, the idealism of youth is tempered now with solid experience. Youth's enthusiasm is made more valuable when combined in old age with good judgment. And youth's ability to become anything they can imagine, in old age takes the form of character; trustworthy and reliable - character so rich only decades of living could ever grow and refine it.
These are the gifts of age. They are gifts found in those who live their lives intentionally and well. They take a lifetime to acquire and they are precious beyond belief.
-- Steve Goodier
Today I Will Make a Difference
Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.
I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.
I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s OK to stumble… . I will get up. It’s OK to fail… . I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.
I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.
Today I will make a difference.
From Shaped by God (original title: On the Anvil)
Copyright (Tyndale House, 1985, 2002) Max Lucado
I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.
I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s OK to stumble… . I will get up. It’s OK to fail… . I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.
I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.
Today I will make a difference.
From Shaped by God (original title: On the Anvil)
Copyright (Tyndale House, 1985, 2002) Max Lucado
Friday, July 1, 2011
Today I Will Make a Difference
Today I will make a difference.
I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.
I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me.
Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.
I will not let past failures haunt me.
Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s OK to stumble… . I will get up. It’s OK to fail… . I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.
I will spend time with those I love.
My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.
Today I will make a difference.
From Shaped by God (original title: On the Anvil)
Copyright (Tyndale House, 1985, 2002) Max Lucado
I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.
I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me.
Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.
I will not let past failures haunt me.
Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s OK to stumble… . I will get up. It’s OK to fail… . I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.
I will spend time with those I love.
My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.
Today I will make a difference.
From Shaped by God (original title: On the Anvil)
Copyright (Tyndale House, 1985, 2002) Max Lucado
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Spiritual Cancer By Mary Southerland...
Today’s Truth
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6, NIV).
Friend to Friend
C.S. Lewis called pride a “spiritual cancer” that devours love and contentment. Pride is a sign of our own insecurity and feelings of inferiority. Pride and inferiority are actually opposite sides of the same coin and are both sin, a preoccupation with self that leaves little room for God’s spirit of humility.
We all struggle with pride and must constantly battle the tendency to measure every circumstance and relationship against the narcissistic viewpoint of “What’s in it for me?” Pride has no place in the life of a Christian because pride steps between God and us. To think that God stands in opposition against prideful people is a strong and sobering statement that should send us all running to the place of humility. Because He is a loving Father, God opposes pride, in part, for what it does to His children. “Pride will destroy a person; a proud attitude leads to ruin. It is better to be humble and be with those who suffer than to share stolen property with the proud” (Proverbs 16:18-19). Learning to deal with pride is an important and essential part of spiritual growth.
Pride will prevent us from seeing others as God sees them. Pride will hold us back from laying down our expectations and rights in order to reach out to those who cross our path. Pride will slowly erode the humble spirit God so wants to see in His people and in their relationships. I suspect that a good dose of humility would cure many of our failing marriages, broken family relationships and struggling friendships. Then the question becomes, how can we eliminate pride and prevent it from carving out a destructive stronghold from which relationship problems arise. The answer is found in a passage of scripture written by the apostle Paul and directed to the church in Rome.
Romans 12:3 -6;10 “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
Paul certainly understood what it meant to struggle with pride. Before his encounter with Christ, Paul had been a man of great arrogance. After all, he was a power broker in the Roman government as well as a highly regarded and chief persecutor of anyone following Jesus Christ. Little did Paul know what the road to Damascus held for him that day when God interrupted Paul’s life with His blinding love and His unparalleled power. Everything changed. Paul became a humble man, the walking definition of a servant, delighting in his new role of striving to be last among the least. Paul understood that he was a trophy of grace; that his heart had been captured by grace and his life completely transformed in the process. God’s grace was Paul’s starting place and finish line and the very reason Paul was so humble and so powerful. It is such a paradox in God’s economy of life that in order to be strong we must choose weakness and in order to be first we must be content with last.
The amazing truth is that grace is ours for the asking. God stands ready to pour His priceless grace into every heart and soul while watching grace work to generate an unexplainable peace, eternal life, unending joy, and freedom from sin through unconditional love. Grace offers us the riches of God, at the expense of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross.
Pride’s goal is to make us independent of God, duping us into believing that we are in control of our own fate and are able to call our own shots. What audacity we possess as humans to think we can live life on our own when, whether we admit it or not, we are totally dependent on God and even our very next breath is a gift from His hand. Pride convinces us that we can play God, worshipping ourselves while erecting false idols shrouded in rebellion and sin. Pride is the universal religion of hell and a deadly poison. It’s antidote? Grace.
A friend told me about a new product she found listed online. “Disposable Guilt Bags” first appeared in a few select stores to test the market. I could have told the inventor that guilt exists in abundance and that people will go to any lengths to assuage their guilt. My friend explained that you could buy a set of Disposable Guilt Bags, ten ordinary brown bags on which were printed the following instructions: "Place the bag securely over your mouth then take a deep breath and blow out all of your guilt. Close the bag and dispose of immediately.” The amazing part of this story is that the Associated Press reported that over 2500 kits had sold immediately at $2.50 per kit.
Nothing on this earth is powerful enough to erase guilt. We try to “fix” ourselves but fail. The only power that makes it possible to be forgiven is God’s grace. “In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death. And so we have forgiveness of sins because of God's rich grace” (Ephesians 1:7). When our lives are lived against the backdrop of grace, pride will die from a lack of attention.
Let’s Pray
Lord, please forgive my arrogant heart. I am so sorry for the pride I see in my life. Today, I ask You to search my heart and destroy the strongholds of pride and ego. Help me to recognize prideful thoughts and actions in my life. Give me the discernment to be honest and transparent before You and before others. I, too, am a trophy of grace. Help me to live like one.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6, NIV).
Friend to Friend
C.S. Lewis called pride a “spiritual cancer” that devours love and contentment. Pride is a sign of our own insecurity and feelings of inferiority. Pride and inferiority are actually opposite sides of the same coin and are both sin, a preoccupation with self that leaves little room for God’s spirit of humility.
We all struggle with pride and must constantly battle the tendency to measure every circumstance and relationship against the narcissistic viewpoint of “What’s in it for me?” Pride has no place in the life of a Christian because pride steps between God and us. To think that God stands in opposition against prideful people is a strong and sobering statement that should send us all running to the place of humility. Because He is a loving Father, God opposes pride, in part, for what it does to His children. “Pride will destroy a person; a proud attitude leads to ruin. It is better to be humble and be with those who suffer than to share stolen property with the proud” (Proverbs 16:18-19). Learning to deal with pride is an important and essential part of spiritual growth.
Pride will prevent us from seeing others as God sees them. Pride will hold us back from laying down our expectations and rights in order to reach out to those who cross our path. Pride will slowly erode the humble spirit God so wants to see in His people and in their relationships. I suspect that a good dose of humility would cure many of our failing marriages, broken family relationships and struggling friendships. Then the question becomes, how can we eliminate pride and prevent it from carving out a destructive stronghold from which relationship problems arise. The answer is found in a passage of scripture written by the apostle Paul and directed to the church in Rome.
Romans 12:3 -6;10 “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
Paul certainly understood what it meant to struggle with pride. Before his encounter with Christ, Paul had been a man of great arrogance. After all, he was a power broker in the Roman government as well as a highly regarded and chief persecutor of anyone following Jesus Christ. Little did Paul know what the road to Damascus held for him that day when God interrupted Paul’s life with His blinding love and His unparalleled power. Everything changed. Paul became a humble man, the walking definition of a servant, delighting in his new role of striving to be last among the least. Paul understood that he was a trophy of grace; that his heart had been captured by grace and his life completely transformed in the process. God’s grace was Paul’s starting place and finish line and the very reason Paul was so humble and so powerful. It is such a paradox in God’s economy of life that in order to be strong we must choose weakness and in order to be first we must be content with last.
The amazing truth is that grace is ours for the asking. God stands ready to pour His priceless grace into every heart and soul while watching grace work to generate an unexplainable peace, eternal life, unending joy, and freedom from sin through unconditional love. Grace offers us the riches of God, at the expense of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross.
Pride’s goal is to make us independent of God, duping us into believing that we are in control of our own fate and are able to call our own shots. What audacity we possess as humans to think we can live life on our own when, whether we admit it or not, we are totally dependent on God and even our very next breath is a gift from His hand. Pride convinces us that we can play God, worshipping ourselves while erecting false idols shrouded in rebellion and sin. Pride is the universal religion of hell and a deadly poison. It’s antidote? Grace.
A friend told me about a new product she found listed online. “Disposable Guilt Bags” first appeared in a few select stores to test the market. I could have told the inventor that guilt exists in abundance and that people will go to any lengths to assuage their guilt. My friend explained that you could buy a set of Disposable Guilt Bags, ten ordinary brown bags on which were printed the following instructions: "Place the bag securely over your mouth then take a deep breath and blow out all of your guilt. Close the bag and dispose of immediately.” The amazing part of this story is that the Associated Press reported that over 2500 kits had sold immediately at $2.50 per kit.
Nothing on this earth is powerful enough to erase guilt. We try to “fix” ourselves but fail. The only power that makes it possible to be forgiven is God’s grace. “In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death. And so we have forgiveness of sins because of God's rich grace” (Ephesians 1:7). When our lives are lived against the backdrop of grace, pride will die from a lack of attention.
Let’s Pray
Lord, please forgive my arrogant heart. I am so sorry for the pride I see in my life. Today, I ask You to search my heart and destroy the strongholds of pride and ego. Help me to recognize prideful thoughts and actions in my life. Give me the discernment to be honest and transparent before You and before others. I, too, am a trophy of grace. Help me to live like one.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Self directed effort is the best kind, from Seth Godin's Blog...
How much are you paying for a drill sergeant?
Perhaps you can burn 500 calories on the treadmill before you give up for the day. With a personal coach, though, you could do 700. The trainer gets you to exert more effort.
You wake up on a Monday morning after a long hard weekend of misbehaving. You have a splitting headache. You can easily call in sick, no one will freak out. But then you remember that there's a $500 bonus at stake if you keep your attendance perfect. You make the effort because someone else is bribing you.
On the playground, it's tempting to rip into a kid who stole the swing from you. You're about to whack him, but then you see your mom watching. With a great deal of effort, you walk away.
Effort's ephemeral, hard to measure and incredibly difficult to deliver on a regular basis. So we hire a trainer or a coach or a boss and give up our freedom and our upside for someone to whip us into shape. Obviously, you give up part of what you create to the trainer/coach/boss in exchange for their oversight.
Has it become a crutch? Are you addicted to a taskmaster, to someone else's to do list, to short term external rewards that sell your long-term plans short? If no one is watching, are you helpless, just a web surfing, time wasting couch potato? Who owns the extra work you do now that you're being directed?
There's an entire system organized around the idea that we're too weak to deliver effort without external rewards and punishment. If you only grow on demand, you're selling yourself short. If you're only as good as your current boss/trainer/sergeant, you've given over the most important thing you have to someone else.
The thing I care the most about: what do you do when no one is looking, what do you make when it's not an immediate part of your job... how many push ups do you do, just because you can?
Perhaps you can burn 500 calories on the treadmill before you give up for the day. With a personal coach, though, you could do 700. The trainer gets you to exert more effort.
You wake up on a Monday morning after a long hard weekend of misbehaving. You have a splitting headache. You can easily call in sick, no one will freak out. But then you remember that there's a $500 bonus at stake if you keep your attendance perfect. You make the effort because someone else is bribing you.
On the playground, it's tempting to rip into a kid who stole the swing from you. You're about to whack him, but then you see your mom watching. With a great deal of effort, you walk away.
Effort's ephemeral, hard to measure and incredibly difficult to deliver on a regular basis. So we hire a trainer or a coach or a boss and give up our freedom and our upside for someone to whip us into shape. Obviously, you give up part of what you create to the trainer/coach/boss in exchange for their oversight.
Has it become a crutch? Are you addicted to a taskmaster, to someone else's to do list, to short term external rewards that sell your long-term plans short? If no one is watching, are you helpless, just a web surfing, time wasting couch potato? Who owns the extra work you do now that you're being directed?
There's an entire system organized around the idea that we're too weak to deliver effort without external rewards and punishment. If you only grow on demand, you're selling yourself short. If you're only as good as your current boss/trainer/sergeant, you've given over the most important thing you have to someone else.
The thing I care the most about: what do you do when no one is looking, what do you make when it's not an immediate part of your job... how many push ups do you do, just because you can?
Friday, May 6, 2011
God protects his people
Israel's future
In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine. Joel 3:18 NLT
Live in God's Blessing
After all is said and done, what does it look like when God's restoration is complete? How does the blessing of God's redemption manifest itself when he's finished reinstating his people?
When we move away from God and disobey his commands, he brings us under his hand of discipline. His purpose is to keep us from harm and to bring us back into communion with him. He restores our blessings, even greater than before.
The prophet Joel described it like this: "In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. Water will fill the dry streambeds of Judah, and a fountain will burst forth from the Lord's Temple, watering the arid valley of acacias.…Judah will remain forever, and Jerusalem will endure through all future generations." (Joel 3:18-21).
Simply put, it looks like heaven on earth: God's people living in the light of God's blessing, moving in his will, bathing in his mercy, feeling his presence, singing his praises, experiencing his glorious love. When we live the way God wants us to live, he brings blessings too great to describe. He shelters and defends us. He provides for our every need. He hears our prayers and answers them. He resides among us.
It's hard for so many of us to imagine that because we live so much of our life in rebellion. God doesn't want us to spend our life under his hand of discipline — he has much greater plans. If only we could learn to rest in his love and give ourselves over to his perfect will. That's when we would know firsthand that God's provision and goodness are far beyond anything we could expect or imagine.
Adapted from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins and Frank M. Martin, Tyndale House Publishers (2004), entry for March 1
In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine. Joel 3:18 NLT
Live in God's Blessing
After all is said and done, what does it look like when God's restoration is complete? How does the blessing of God's redemption manifest itself when he's finished reinstating his people?
When we move away from God and disobey his commands, he brings us under his hand of discipline. His purpose is to keep us from harm and to bring us back into communion with him. He restores our blessings, even greater than before.
The prophet Joel described it like this: "In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. Water will fill the dry streambeds of Judah, and a fountain will burst forth from the Lord's Temple, watering the arid valley of acacias.…Judah will remain forever, and Jerusalem will endure through all future generations." (Joel 3:18-21).
Simply put, it looks like heaven on earth: God's people living in the light of God's blessing, moving in his will, bathing in his mercy, feeling his presence, singing his praises, experiencing his glorious love. When we live the way God wants us to live, he brings blessings too great to describe. He shelters and defends us. He provides for our every need. He hears our prayers and answers them. He resides among us.
It's hard for so many of us to imagine that because we live so much of our life in rebellion. God doesn't want us to spend our life under his hand of discipline — he has much greater plans. If only we could learn to rest in his love and give ourselves over to his perfect will. That's when we would know firsthand that God's provision and goodness are far beyond anything we could expect or imagine.
Adapted from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins and Frank M. Martin, Tyndale House Publishers (2004), entry for March 1
Thursday, April 21, 2011
The gift of salvation
Formed and reformed
I was appointed in ages past, at the very first, before the earth began. Proverbs 8:23 NLT
Lord my God, You have formed and reformed me. St. Anselm
Sin and assurance
Our human pride often reverses the order of things. We think God came into our lives rather late. Our identity was firmly established, and then He invited Himself in, trying to woo us into a relationship with Him. We were in control of the heart that opened up to Him. Or so we thought.
In spite of our sense of independence, God has a prior claim on us. He created the world that became our necessary environment. He began the genetic process that eventually resulted in our birth. He even fashioned us in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:13). He is no late-coming Redeemer. He and His wisdom have been there all along.
This is extremely important to know when it seems as if your life is falling apart. It isn't. The life you have constructed may be falling apart, but the life God has fashioned is not. His wisdom has known all things before the foundations of the world—including you. If God has let you be undone, He has allowed it for a reason. He is bringing you to the end of your sinful self and to the beginning of life in His secure arms. God is bringing you home.
Do you realize how thoroughly rooted in eternity your life is? It was not an afterthought in the mind of a play-it-by-ear God. Did you think your sin was a surprise to Him? It wasn't. He has already made provision for it. Before the foundation of the world, He did at least two things: He brought forth His wisdom; and He thought of you (Ephesians 1:4). His wisdom and your existence went hand in hand. Does that boggle your mind? It should. Rest in the assurance of a forever-wise God.
Adapted from The One Year® Walk with God Devotional by Chris Tiegreen, Tyndale House Publishers (2004), entry for May 7.
I was appointed in ages past, at the very first, before the earth began. Proverbs 8:23 NLT
Lord my God, You have formed and reformed me. St. Anselm
Sin and assurance
Our human pride often reverses the order of things. We think God came into our lives rather late. Our identity was firmly established, and then He invited Himself in, trying to woo us into a relationship with Him. We were in control of the heart that opened up to Him. Or so we thought.
In spite of our sense of independence, God has a prior claim on us. He created the world that became our necessary environment. He began the genetic process that eventually resulted in our birth. He even fashioned us in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:13). He is no late-coming Redeemer. He and His wisdom have been there all along.
This is extremely important to know when it seems as if your life is falling apart. It isn't. The life you have constructed may be falling apart, but the life God has fashioned is not. His wisdom has known all things before the foundations of the world—including you. If God has let you be undone, He has allowed it for a reason. He is bringing you to the end of your sinful self and to the beginning of life in His secure arms. God is bringing you home.
Do you realize how thoroughly rooted in eternity your life is? It was not an afterthought in the mind of a play-it-by-ear God. Did you think your sin was a surprise to Him? It wasn't. He has already made provision for it. Before the foundation of the world, He did at least two things: He brought forth His wisdom; and He thought of you (Ephesians 1:4). His wisdom and your existence went hand in hand. Does that boggle your mind? It should. Rest in the assurance of a forever-wise God.
Adapted from The One Year® Walk with God Devotional by Chris Tiegreen, Tyndale House Publishers (2004), entry for May 7.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
FINDING THE RIGHT WORDS
Have you ever noticed how hard it can be to find the right words?
It was once said that Al Smith, former governor of New York, was making his first inspection of Sing Sing prison. The warden asked him if he might say a few words to the prisoners.
The governor began, "My fellow citizens." But he suddenly felt confused about whether the inmates may have forfeited their citizenship. So he took a second stab at it: "My fellow convicts." There was a roar of laughter and now he became flustered. He gallantly tried a third time: "Well, anyhow, I'm glad to see so many of you here." There is no record of what he said after that.
I have frequently struggled to find the right words. And there are times I am certain the right words do not even exist. Like when I'm trying to say something hopeful or comforting in a particularly frightening situation.
More than once I have been called to a hospital emergency room or to be with a family surrounding the bed of a dying relative. And more than once I've been at a loss for words. What is the right thing to say at a time like that? What can I say that doesn't sound hollow or
trite or like I'm just not in touch with the feelings of others who are hurting?
A lot of us really don't know what to say at these times. And too often the professionals who work daily with people on the ragged edge of hope have become so desensitized they have lost any ability to comfort.
A wise obstetrician at a university teaching hospital once made a comment about comforting those who suffer. Someone asked the doctor what advice he offered his students, future doctors and nurses, when caring for mothers who gave birth to stillborn infants.
The doctor paused for a moment in thought. Then he said this: "I tell them that they need two eyes. One eye is not enough; they need two eyes. With one eye they have to check the I.V. And with the other eye they have to weep. That's what I tell them," he said. "I tell them that they need two eyes."
That may be some of the wisest advice I've ever heard. We may not always need to figure out what to say; we really only need two eyes. In Emily Dickinson's words, "Saying nothing ... sometimes says the most." And this from a poet whose life was all about finding exactly the right words.
I agree with the doctor - empathy goes a long way. And somehow finding the ability to feel, even for a few moments, what another is feeling may speak more loudly than the best words I can choose. It speaks to the fact that I care; I understand. It says that I am willing to share their pain so they do not feel so alone. It says I want to be fully present with them and to walk alongside of them, difficult as it may be. My presence is something they can draw real
strength and hope from.
Come to think of it, maybe Dickinson did find the right words: saying nothing . . . sometimes says the most. And saying nothing at all may be just the right thing to say.
-- Steve Goodier
www.lifesupportsystem.com
It was once said that Al Smith, former governor of New York, was making his first inspection of Sing Sing prison. The warden asked him if he might say a few words to the prisoners.
The governor began, "My fellow citizens." But he suddenly felt confused about whether the inmates may have forfeited their citizenship. So he took a second stab at it: "My fellow convicts." There was a roar of laughter and now he became flustered. He gallantly tried a third time: "Well, anyhow, I'm glad to see so many of you here." There is no record of what he said after that.
I have frequently struggled to find the right words. And there are times I am certain the right words do not even exist. Like when I'm trying to say something hopeful or comforting in a particularly frightening situation.
More than once I have been called to a hospital emergency room or to be with a family surrounding the bed of a dying relative. And more than once I've been at a loss for words. What is the right thing to say at a time like that? What can I say that doesn't sound hollow or
trite or like I'm just not in touch with the feelings of others who are hurting?
A lot of us really don't know what to say at these times. And too often the professionals who work daily with people on the ragged edge of hope have become so desensitized they have lost any ability to comfort.
A wise obstetrician at a university teaching hospital once made a comment about comforting those who suffer. Someone asked the doctor what advice he offered his students, future doctors and nurses, when caring for mothers who gave birth to stillborn infants.
The doctor paused for a moment in thought. Then he said this: "I tell them that they need two eyes. One eye is not enough; they need two eyes. With one eye they have to check the I.V. And with the other eye they have to weep. That's what I tell them," he said. "I tell them that they need two eyes."
That may be some of the wisest advice I've ever heard. We may not always need to figure out what to say; we really only need two eyes. In Emily Dickinson's words, "Saying nothing ... sometimes says the most." And this from a poet whose life was all about finding exactly the right words.
I agree with the doctor - empathy goes a long way. And somehow finding the ability to feel, even for a few moments, what another is feeling may speak more loudly than the best words I can choose. It speaks to the fact that I care; I understand. It says that I am willing to share their pain so they do not feel so alone. It says I want to be fully present with them and to walk alongside of them, difficult as it may be. My presence is something they can draw real
strength and hope from.
Come to think of it, maybe Dickinson did find the right words: saying nothing . . . sometimes says the most. And saying nothing at all may be just the right thing to say.
-- Steve Goodier
www.lifesupportsystem.com
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Is your life dreary or joyful?
[Jesus said,] "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love. I have told you this so you will be filled with joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!" John 15:9-11 NLT
Finding Joy
Why should joy flow from obedience?
Because of the "never say die" misconception in some quarters that the Christian life is, at best, a dreary existence and at worst, a grim process of spiritual survival.
No! Jesus wants our lives to be rich and full (John 10:10). The Bible demonstrates repeatedly that joy can be our companion—even during life's worst moments. William Vander Hoven has noted: "Life need not be easy to be joyful. Joy is not the absence of trouble but the presence of Christ." We've all known believers who understood that truth. Despite hard times they were filled to overflowing with joy. Tell the truth—is anything more eye-catching or more attractive than that?
Whatever your current difficulty, the more you are convinced of Christ's unconditional love for you, and the more you are committed to loving him in return by obeying all that he commands, the more you will know the supernatural joy of Jesus.
You want me to know your love, Lord. I demonstrate love and experience love as I obey you. Rekindle my desire to live as you command. You want me to overflow with joy. Make my eyes dance with joy. Despite my troubles, put a supernatural spring in my step. Fill my soul with delight as I seek you and obey you and taste your goodness. Make me attractive to those trapped in joyless lives.
adapted from Praying God's Promises in Tough Times by Len Woods,, Tyndale House Publishers (2002), pp 152-3
Finding Joy
Why should joy flow from obedience?
Because of the "never say die" misconception in some quarters that the Christian life is, at best, a dreary existence and at worst, a grim process of spiritual survival.
No! Jesus wants our lives to be rich and full (John 10:10). The Bible demonstrates repeatedly that joy can be our companion—even during life's worst moments. William Vander Hoven has noted: "Life need not be easy to be joyful. Joy is not the absence of trouble but the presence of Christ." We've all known believers who understood that truth. Despite hard times they were filled to overflowing with joy. Tell the truth—is anything more eye-catching or more attractive than that?
Whatever your current difficulty, the more you are convinced of Christ's unconditional love for you, and the more you are committed to loving him in return by obeying all that he commands, the more you will know the supernatural joy of Jesus.
You want me to know your love, Lord. I demonstrate love and experience love as I obey you. Rekindle my desire to live as you command. You want me to overflow with joy. Make my eyes dance with joy. Despite my troubles, put a supernatural spring in my step. Fill my soul with delight as I seek you and obey you and taste your goodness. Make me attractive to those trapped in joyless lives.
adapted from Praying God's Promises in Tough Times by Len Woods,, Tyndale House Publishers (2002), pp 152-3
Monday, January 10, 2011
God is always fair and just
This was in my "inbox" this morning, after the horrific events in Tuscon on Saturday...appropriate for ME to hear:
How often do you want to "get even?"
The Lord despises double standards of every kind. Proverbs 20:10 NLT
Never pay back evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, "I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it," says the Lord. Romans 12:17-19 NLT
Don't say, "I will get even for this wrong." Wait for the Lord to handle the matter. Proverbs 20:22 NLT
God's measure
How often do we see the evil around us and pray for God's justice? We wonder, Why does God allow this evil to go on! This kind of thinking leads to two of the most common double standards: (1) judging others more harshly than we judge ourselves, and (2) believing God should judge others but remain lenient with us.
The Lord despises double standards because they elevate one person at the expense of others. These man-made standards also lack the mercy of God.
In our cry for fairness, we should not forget the frightening consequences of justice. As sinners, God could justly destroy each of us today for missing the mark of perfection. When we remember that God's patience and mercy block his judgment towards us, we will more likely show others patience and mercy.
WISE WAYS Before you rush to judge another person, ask yourself whether you would be able to endure the same standard.
Today, Lord, give me strength to replace judgment with mercy.
adapted from The One Year® Book of Proverbs by Neil S. Wilson, Tyndale House Publishers (2002), entry for March 20
How often do you want to "get even?"
The Lord despises double standards of every kind. Proverbs 20:10 NLT
Never pay back evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, "I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it," says the Lord. Romans 12:17-19 NLT
Don't say, "I will get even for this wrong." Wait for the Lord to handle the matter. Proverbs 20:22 NLT
God's measure
How often do we see the evil around us and pray for God's justice? We wonder, Why does God allow this evil to go on! This kind of thinking leads to two of the most common double standards: (1) judging others more harshly than we judge ourselves, and (2) believing God should judge others but remain lenient with us.
The Lord despises double standards because they elevate one person at the expense of others. These man-made standards also lack the mercy of God.
In our cry for fairness, we should not forget the frightening consequences of justice. As sinners, God could justly destroy each of us today for missing the mark of perfection. When we remember that God's patience and mercy block his judgment towards us, we will more likely show others patience and mercy.
WISE WAYS Before you rush to judge another person, ask yourself whether you would be able to endure the same standard.
Today, Lord, give me strength to replace judgment with mercy.
adapted from The One Year® Book of Proverbs by Neil S. Wilson, Tyndale House Publishers (2002), entry for March 20
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
God will fight for you
Have you had a "Jericho" experience?
Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 NLT
Taking Jericho
Imagine this scene for a minute. You're a captain in Joshua's army camped a few miles outside the city of Jericho. You've seen the thick, double-layered stone walls surrounding the city and armed soldiers guarding every entrance. You've heard tales of the fierce Canaanite army and their ability to hold their ground in battle.
In the midst of all of this, an edict comes down from the upper ranks. Israel is planning to take Jericho. Actually, what the message says is that Israel has already taken Jericho, but Jericho just doesn't know it yet. The battle plan is really no plan at all. You're supposed to get your troops together and conduct a victory march around the city. Just once—for six days in a row. Then on the seventh day you're to march seven times around the city. That's when your soldiers can march in and take possession.
The next day you're marching around the city, and you can't help but hear the taunts coming from inside the walls. You know how silly this all looks, but you keep marching just the same. Because you know that God is on your side, and you've seen what he can do.
This is why God reminded Joshua time and again to "be strong and courageous." God has a way of working that tends to fall outside the norm, and he needs people who trust him enough to go the distance, no matter how bizarre the game plan. Courage is important to God because courage is a natural byproduct of trust. And the greater we trust, the braver we become. As long as God leads the battle, we can march in confidence, knowing that we've already won. God gave Jericho to Israel on the seventh day, just as he said he would. So,…what wall does he have you marching around?
from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins and Frank M. Martin, Tyndale House Publishers (2004), p 76
Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 NLT
Taking Jericho
Imagine this scene for a minute. You're a captain in Joshua's army camped a few miles outside the city of Jericho. You've seen the thick, double-layered stone walls surrounding the city and armed soldiers guarding every entrance. You've heard tales of the fierce Canaanite army and their ability to hold their ground in battle.
In the midst of all of this, an edict comes down from the upper ranks. Israel is planning to take Jericho. Actually, what the message says is that Israel has already taken Jericho, but Jericho just doesn't know it yet. The battle plan is really no plan at all. You're supposed to get your troops together and conduct a victory march around the city. Just once—for six days in a row. Then on the seventh day you're to march seven times around the city. That's when your soldiers can march in and take possession.
The next day you're marching around the city, and you can't help but hear the taunts coming from inside the walls. You know how silly this all looks, but you keep marching just the same. Because you know that God is on your side, and you've seen what he can do.
This is why God reminded Joshua time and again to "be strong and courageous." God has a way of working that tends to fall outside the norm, and he needs people who trust him enough to go the distance, no matter how bizarre the game plan. Courage is important to God because courage is a natural byproduct of trust. And the greater we trust, the braver we become. As long as God leads the battle, we can march in confidence, knowing that we've already won. God gave Jericho to Israel on the seventh day, just as he said he would. So,…what wall does he have you marching around?
from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins and Frank M. Martin, Tyndale House Publishers (2004), p 76
Saturday, December 25, 2010
This week's promise: God will give you peace
How is it with your soul today?
"For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory." Psalm 32:7 NLT
If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NLT
Peace like a river
"H.G. Spafford was a businessman in Chicago. He was a dedicated Christian. He had some serious financial reversals and, during the time of readjustment, he lost his home. He realized his family needed to get away for a vacation. Spafford decided to take the entire family to England.
He sent his wife and four daughters ahead on the SS Ville du Havre. In midocean the French steamer carrying his loved ones collided with another and sank within twelve minutes; 230 people lost their lives. The four daughters drowned, but Mrs. Spafford was rescued. She wrote her husband, "Saved alone."
Mr. Spafford was almost overcome with grief. He had lost his property, his four precious daughters were buried beneath the deep waves of the sea, and his wife was prostra te with grief on the other side of the world. But he put all his trust in God and wrote a song that has comforted thousands since that time:
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
"It is well, it is well with my soul."
from 1001 Great Stories and Quotes by R. Kent Hughes (Tyndale) p 304
"For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory." Psalm 32:7 NLT
If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NLT
Peace like a river
"H.G. Spafford was a businessman in Chicago. He was a dedicated Christian. He had some serious financial reversals and, during the time of readjustment, he lost his home. He realized his family needed to get away for a vacation. Spafford decided to take the entire family to England.
He sent his wife and four daughters ahead on the SS Ville du Havre. In midocean the French steamer carrying his loved ones collided with another and sank within twelve minutes; 230 people lost their lives. The four daughters drowned, but Mrs. Spafford was rescued. She wrote her husband, "Saved alone."
Mr. Spafford was almost overcome with grief. He had lost his property, his four precious daughters were buried beneath the deep waves of the sea, and his wife was prostra te with grief on the other side of the world. But he put all his trust in God and wrote a song that has comforted thousands since that time:
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
"It is well, it is well with my soul."
from 1001 Great Stories and Quotes by R. Kent Hughes (Tyndale) p 304
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
This week's promise: God will conquer death
How will you be remembered?
"For Solomon has abandoned me…" 1 Kings 11:33 NLT
Final epitaphs
"How would you like to be remembered after your death? Have you considered what the epitaph on your gravestone might read?
One headstone in Ribbesford, England, marking the grave of a woman named Anna Wallace, reads: "The children of Israel wanted bread, and the Lord sent them manna. Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife, and the Devil sent him Anna."
Not the final words Anna expected, I'm sure. But as always, those she left behind got the last word.
You have to cringe and wonder when you see the gravestone of a man from Plymouth, Massachusetts, named John McMahon. It says: "He Was a Failure As a Husband and Father." How would you like that as your legacy?
But the saddest epitaph of all isn't found on a tombstone; it's found is the pages of Scripture. When faced with the task of memorializing the wise king Solomon, God had some sobering words. "Solomon has abandoned me and worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians…He has not followed my ways and done what is pleasing in my sight. He had not obeyed my laws and regulations as his father, David, did." Solomon was buried in the city of David, and in spite of all the good things he did, he will forever be remembered as the king who turned his back on God.
We would all do well do ask ourselves a simple question: If God were to write my obituary, what would he record?"
from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins and Frank M. Martin (Tyndale) p 309
"For Solomon has abandoned me…" 1 Kings 11:33 NLT
Final epitaphs
"How would you like to be remembered after your death? Have you considered what the epitaph on your gravestone might read?
One headstone in Ribbesford, England, marking the grave of a woman named Anna Wallace, reads: "The children of Israel wanted bread, and the Lord sent them manna. Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife, and the Devil sent him Anna."
Not the final words Anna expected, I'm sure. But as always, those she left behind got the last word.
You have to cringe and wonder when you see the gravestone of a man from Plymouth, Massachusetts, named John McMahon. It says: "He Was a Failure As a Husband and Father." How would you like that as your legacy?
But the saddest epitaph of all isn't found on a tombstone; it's found is the pages of Scripture. When faced with the task of memorializing the wise king Solomon, God had some sobering words. "Solomon has abandoned me and worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians…He has not followed my ways and done what is pleasing in my sight. He had not obeyed my laws and regulations as his father, David, did." Solomon was buried in the city of David, and in spite of all the good things he did, he will forever be remembered as the king who turned his back on God.
We would all do well do ask ourselves a simple question: If God were to write my obituary, what would he record?"
from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins and Frank M. Martin (Tyndale) p 309
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
This week's promise: God has conquered all our enemies
Are you concerned about losing your faith?
Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? (Even the Scriptures say, 'For your sake we are killed every day, we are being slaughtered like sheep.') No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39 NLT
We are God's People
"We are not babes in the woods—we are God's people and, no matter how it looks now, we are going to inherit this earth and rule it. The devil may be prince of this world, but the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, and He will set up His kingdom and His people will be in charge of it."
Vance Havner
Quoted in 1001 Great Stories and Quotes (Tyndale House) p 420
Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? (Even the Scriptures say, 'For your sake we are killed every day, we are being slaughtered like sheep.') No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39 NLT
We are God's People
"We are not babes in the woods—we are God's people and, no matter how it looks now, we are going to inherit this earth and rule it. The devil may be prince of this world, but the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, and He will set up His kingdom and His people will be in charge of it."
Vance Havner
Quoted in 1001 Great Stories and Quotes (Tyndale House) p 420
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Those who trust in God are no longer guilty
Think you're an exception?
For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious ideal.
Romans 3:23 NLT
Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
James 4:17 NLT
Details, please?
(1.) Remember what St. John says: "If our heart condemns us, God is stronger than our heart." The feeling of being, or not being, forgiven and loved is not what matters. One must come down to brass tacks. If there is a particular sin on your conscience, repent and confess it. If there isn't, tell the despondent devil not to be silly. You can't help hearing his voice (the odious inner radio), but you must treat it merely like a buzzing in your ears or any other irrational nuisance.
(2.) Remember the story in the Imitation, how the Christ on the crucifix suddenly spoke to the monk who was so anxious about his salvation and said, "If you knew that all was well, what would you, today, do or stop doing?" When you have found the answer, do it or stop doing it. You see, one must always get back to the practical and definite. What the devil loves is that vague cloud of unspecified guilt feeling or unspecified virtue by which he lures us into despair or presumption. "Details, please?" is the answer.
(3.) The sense of dereliction cannot be a bad symptom, for Our Lord Himself experienced it in its depth—"Why has thou forsaken me?"
C. S. Lewis in Letters to an American Lady
For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious ideal.
Romans 3:23 NLT
Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
James 4:17 NLT
Details, please?
(1.) Remember what St. John says: "If our heart condemns us, God is stronger than our heart." The feeling of being, or not being, forgiven and loved is not what matters. One must come down to brass tacks. If there is a particular sin on your conscience, repent and confess it. If there isn't, tell the despondent devil not to be silly. You can't help hearing his voice (the odious inner radio), but you must treat it merely like a buzzing in your ears or any other irrational nuisance.
(2.) Remember the story in the Imitation, how the Christ on the crucifix suddenly spoke to the monk who was so anxious about his salvation and said, "If you knew that all was well, what would you, today, do or stop doing?" When you have found the answer, do it or stop doing it. You see, one must always get back to the practical and definite. What the devil loves is that vague cloud of unspecified guilt feeling or unspecified virtue by which he lures us into despair or presumption. "Details, please?" is the answer.
(3.) The sense of dereliction cannot be a bad symptom, for Our Lord Himself experienced it in its depth—"Why has thou forsaken me?"
C. S. Lewis in Letters to an American Lady
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Our prayers bring us into God's presence...
How can I make my prayers effective?
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 NLT
Praying effectively
Paul urges Timothy to lift up requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving.
A request is a need, a deep desire for something we don't have—something only God can supply.
A prayer is a word of praise and adoration. A more accurate translation of this word from the original Greek might be to "worship in earnest."
Intercession is praying on behalf of others. Our prayers should regularly reflect this kind of selfless lifestyle.
Thanksgiving involved remembering those past prayers that have already been answered, acknowledging that we not only trust God's supremacy and involvement in our life but also how his hand has moved and guided us in the past.
When we pray effectively, we do more than communicate with God—we commune with him. We become one in mind and spirit and purpose. Today, let the focus of your prayer time be to connect with God in a very real and personal way, not as a slave would petition his master, but as a son would enjoy the company of a loving and gracious father.
Adapted from a devotional by Frank M. Martin in Embracing Eternity (Tyndale House) p 36
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 NLT
Praying effectively
Paul urges Timothy to lift up requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving.
A request is a need, a deep desire for something we don't have—something only God can supply.
A prayer is a word of praise and adoration. A more accurate translation of this word from the original Greek might be to "worship in earnest."
Intercession is praying on behalf of others. Our prayers should regularly reflect this kind of selfless lifestyle.
Thanksgiving involved remembering those past prayers that have already been answered, acknowledging that we not only trust God's supremacy and involvement in our life but also how his hand has moved and guided us in the past.
When we pray effectively, we do more than communicate with God—we commune with him. We become one in mind and spirit and purpose. Today, let the focus of your prayer time be to connect with God in a very real and personal way, not as a slave would petition his master, but as a son would enjoy the company of a loving and gracious father.
Adapted from a devotional by Frank M. Martin in Embracing Eternity (Tyndale House) p 36
Friday, July 9, 2010
God is faithful to those who love him...
What can you expect when you love God?
But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22 NLT
Be faithful yourself
When big problems come, there is something in all of us that wants to bail out, throw in the towel, wave the white flag of surrender, and retreat to someplace less stressful.
This explains why so many people under great stress and strain walk away from God, a marriage, a friendship, or a church. When the future looks stormy or uncertain, it becomes easy to rationalize, to jettison one's convictions, to go back on promises.
Before you succumb to panic and start to renege on a commitment, you need to strongly consider God's promise. It tells us that we have something within us (Someone, actually) who desires for us to be loyal and who gives us the courage and grit to hang tough. The Holy Spirit will, if you ask him, enable you to persevere—even in the face of overwhelming trouble.
Praying God's Promise
God, you are always faithful to me. By the power of your Spirit, help me to keep my commitments in tough times. I want to be reliable and trustworthy. I want to be wholly devoted to you, through thick and thin. Fill me with your Spirit so that I have the courage to stand firm.
From Praying God's Promises in Tough Times by Len Woods (Tyndale House) pp 160-61
But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22 NLT
Be faithful yourself
When big problems come, there is something in all of us that wants to bail out, throw in the towel, wave the white flag of surrender, and retreat to someplace less stressful.
This explains why so many people under great stress and strain walk away from God, a marriage, a friendship, or a church. When the future looks stormy or uncertain, it becomes easy to rationalize, to jettison one's convictions, to go back on promises.
Before you succumb to panic and start to renege on a commitment, you need to strongly consider God's promise. It tells us that we have something within us (Someone, actually) who desires for us to be loyal and who gives us the courage and grit to hang tough. The Holy Spirit will, if you ask him, enable you to persevere—even in the face of overwhelming trouble.
Praying God's Promise
God, you are always faithful to me. By the power of your Spirit, help me to keep my commitments in tough times. I want to be reliable and trustworthy. I want to be wholly devoted to you, through thick and thin. Fill me with your Spirit so that I have the courage to stand firm.
From Praying God's Promises in Tough Times by Len Woods (Tyndale House) pp 160-61
Saturday, July 3, 2010
God will guard you from the evil one...
How can I defend myself against Satan's attacks?
Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be to stand firm against all the strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT
Tricking Houdini
During his life, Harry Houdini had a standing challenge that he could escape from any jail cell within an hour. A small town in the British Isles had just constructed a new jail cell they thought was escape-proof, and they wanted to put it to the test. Houdini entered the cell and immediately went to work. After two grueling hours—an hour past his deadline—Houdini finally withdrew his file from the lock and leaned against the door in exhaustion. To his amazement, the cell door swung open.
The jailors had tricked the great magician by closing the jail door but never bolting the lock. He was free all along, he just didn't know it.
Satan has the same strategy, doesn't he? His greatest weapon is to make us think that we are trapped, when in reality the cell door is always open. Satan can't bind us, so he tricks us into making us believe the cell door is locked.
Adapted from a devotional by Frank Martin in Embracing Eternity (Tyndale House) p 292
Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be to stand firm against all the strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT
Tricking Houdini
During his life, Harry Houdini had a standing challenge that he could escape from any jail cell within an hour. A small town in the British Isles had just constructed a new jail cell they thought was escape-proof, and they wanted to put it to the test. Houdini entered the cell and immediately went to work. After two grueling hours—an hour past his deadline—Houdini finally withdrew his file from the lock and leaned against the door in exhaustion. To his amazement, the cell door swung open.
The jailors had tricked the great magician by closing the jail door but never bolting the lock. He was free all along, he just didn't know it.
Satan has the same strategy, doesn't he? His greatest weapon is to make us think that we are trapped, when in reality the cell door is always open. Satan can't bind us, so he tricks us into making us believe the cell door is locked.
Adapted from a devotional by Frank Martin in Embracing Eternity (Tyndale House) p 292
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Courage Does Not Always Roar...
"Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is that quiet voice at the end of the day that says...I will try again tomorrow."
-Mary Anne Radmacher
We've all been there! This is the beautiful quote, by Mary Anne Radmacher. When we think about courage, it's usually stories of heroism that come to mind. But for millions of people around the world, courage comes in a very different way. It's a quiet voice that gives them the strength to go on for another day, sometimes in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
-Mary Anne Radmacher
We've all been there! This is the beautiful quote, by Mary Anne Radmacher. When we think about courage, it's usually stories of heroism that come to mind. But for millions of people around the world, courage comes in a very different way. It's a quiet voice that gives them the strength to go on for another day, sometimes in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
Monday, June 28, 2010
This week's promise: God will guard you from the evil one
Facing the spiritual battle
Finally, dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to pray for us. Pray first that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. Pray, too, that we will be saved from wicked and evil people, for not everyone believes in the Lord. But the Lord is faithful; he will make you strong and guard you from the evil one.… May the Lord bring you into an ever deeper understanding of the love of God and the endurance that comes from Christ.
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 NLT
About this week's promise
In order to be effective on the battlefield a soldier must be both well trained and properly equipped. The warrior must be alert for surprise attacks. So it is in our spiritual battle with Satan. Determined to destroy our faith by leading us into sin and discouragement, Satan attacks with blatant temptation and deceptive lies. The Bible teaches that the best weapons for this warfare are the Word of God and prayer.
The faith of the Thessalonian believers was being tried by persecution. Undoubtedly some of them were wavering, even failing, as the surrounding evil put them to the test. This was an important time for Paul to remind them that, no matter what happened, God's faithfulness would prevail over evil and strengthen them so that they could endure.
From the TouchPoint Bible
(Tyndale House) pp1277,1059
Finally, dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to pray for us. Pray first that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. Pray, too, that we will be saved from wicked and evil people, for not everyone believes in the Lord. But the Lord is faithful; he will make you strong and guard you from the evil one.… May the Lord bring you into an ever deeper understanding of the love of God and the endurance that comes from Christ.
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 NLT
About this week's promise
In order to be effective on the battlefield a soldier must be both well trained and properly equipped. The warrior must be alert for surprise attacks. So it is in our spiritual battle with Satan. Determined to destroy our faith by leading us into sin and discouragement, Satan attacks with blatant temptation and deceptive lies. The Bible teaches that the best weapons for this warfare are the Word of God and prayer.
The faith of the Thessalonian believers was being tried by persecution. Undoubtedly some of them were wavering, even failing, as the surrounding evil put them to the test. This was an important time for Paul to remind them that, no matter what happened, God's faithfulness would prevail over evil and strengthen them so that they could endure.
From the TouchPoint Bible
(Tyndale House) pp1277,1059
Saturday, June 26, 2010
This week's promise: Blessings come from obeying God
Why is obedience important to my spiritual life?
Today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. You will receive a curse if your reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn from his way by worshipping foreign gods.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28 NLT
If you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all nations of the earth; for all the earth belongs to me.
Exodus 19:5 NLT
"Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them, and I will love them."
John 14:21 NLT
Countercultural Obedience
To speak positively of obedience today is be profoundly countercultural. The valid suspicion of talk about obedience is grounded in the experience of authoritarianisms, both past and present. Obedience is confused with "blind obedience," which is normally odious. Obedience is confused with conformity, with going along, with asking no questions. But obedience really means responsiveness; it is related to the Latin audire, to hear, to listen, to respond appropriately. Obedience is not the surrender of responsibility but the acceptance of responsibility for what we respond to and how.
Richard John Neuhaus
Today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. You will receive a curse if your reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn from his way by worshipping foreign gods.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28 NLT
If you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all nations of the earth; for all the earth belongs to me.
Exodus 19:5 NLT
"Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them, and I will love them."
John 14:21 NLT
Countercultural Obedience
To speak positively of obedience today is be profoundly countercultural. The valid suspicion of talk about obedience is grounded in the experience of authoritarianisms, both past and present. Obedience is confused with "blind obedience," which is normally odious. Obedience is confused with conformity, with going along, with asking no questions. But obedience really means responsiveness; it is related to the Latin audire, to hear, to listen, to respond appropriately. Obedience is not the surrender of responsibility but the acceptance of responsibility for what we respond to and how.
Richard John Neuhaus
Friday, June 25, 2010
God will wipe away sorrow forever
Faith does not isolate us from sadness:
Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. His anger lasts for a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:4-5 NLT
I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid.
John 14:27 NLT
Truly, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy when you see me again. It will be like a woman experiencing the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives place to joy because she has brought a new person into the world. You have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.
John 16:20-22 NLT
Bond of understanding
There is an immediate bond of understanding between people who have suffered similar hardships or losses. Parents who have lost children, widows and widowers, and families of terminal-disease patients, all find comfort and encouragement in the presence of those who have known similar pain.
Paul urges believers to see opportunities for giving comfort as both a way to share the comfort of God and to use their own experiences of sorrow for good. We rarely know why suffering or trials enter our lives, but we can know that God wants to do through our sorrow.
Who do you know right now who needs a word of encouragement or comfort that your experience has prepared you to give?
Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. His anger lasts for a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:4-5 NLT
I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid.
John 14:27 NLT
Truly, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy when you see me again. It will be like a woman experiencing the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives place to joy because she has brought a new person into the world. You have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.
John 16:20-22 NLT
Bond of understanding
There is an immediate bond of understanding between people who have suffered similar hardships or losses. Parents who have lost children, widows and widowers, and families of terminal-disease patients, all find comfort and encouragement in the presence of those who have known similar pain.
Paul urges believers to see opportunities for giving comfort as both a way to share the comfort of God and to use their own experiences of sorrow for good. We rarely know why suffering or trials enter our lives, but we can know that God wants to do through our sorrow.
Who do you know right now who needs a word of encouragement or comfort that your experience has prepared you to give?
Friday, June 11, 2010
God's timing is perfect
Delay Is Not Rejection
Although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days and did not go to them. Finally, after two days, he said to his disciples, "Let's go to Judea again."
John 11:5-7 NLT
God often delays His response out of love, as He works all things together for good.
Jeanne Zornes
Waiting with hope
Mary and Martha had sent their friend Jesus a message about the critical condition of their brother, Lazarus, and their urgent need for his help: "Lord, the one you love is very sick" (John 11:3). But instead of rushing off to Bethany, Jesus stayed where he was for two days before responding to Mary and Martha's plea. When he did arrive, he raised Lazarus from the dead in a magnificent display of his power.
Just as Mary and Martha struggled when Jesus answered their prayers for Lazarus in a time and way different from what they had expected, we get frustrated when the Lord delays in coming to us and answering our prayers.
As it did for the grieving sisters, two days (or two months or two years) of waiting can seem like an eternity to us. But in the midst of the "delay," God is not inactive. He is teaching us patience, perseverance, and faith and is planning to glorify himself in our circumstances. While we are waiting, he wants to cleanse our hearts and refocus us on Jesus. The Spirit always knows what will glorify God, and we can trust him when we're in the waiting room.
LORD, help me to wait for you in hope and perseverance, knowing that you will come. Grant me patience and faith in the waiting room of life yet to be.
Adapted from The One Year® Book of Praying through the Bible by Cheri Fuller, Tyndale House Publishers (2003), entry for May 20.
Although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days and did not go to them. Finally, after two days, he said to his disciples, "Let's go to Judea again."
John 11:5-7 NLT
God often delays His response out of love, as He works all things together for good.
Jeanne Zornes
Waiting with hope
Mary and Martha had sent their friend Jesus a message about the critical condition of their brother, Lazarus, and their urgent need for his help: "Lord, the one you love is very sick" (John 11:3). But instead of rushing off to Bethany, Jesus stayed where he was for two days before responding to Mary and Martha's plea. When he did arrive, he raised Lazarus from the dead in a magnificent display of his power.
Just as Mary and Martha struggled when Jesus answered their prayers for Lazarus in a time and way different from what they had expected, we get frustrated when the Lord delays in coming to us and answering our prayers.
As it did for the grieving sisters, two days (or two months or two years) of waiting can seem like an eternity to us. But in the midst of the "delay," God is not inactive. He is teaching us patience, perseverance, and faith and is planning to glorify himself in our circumstances. While we are waiting, he wants to cleanse our hearts and refocus us on Jesus. The Spirit always knows what will glorify God, and we can trust him when we're in the waiting room.
LORD, help me to wait for you in hope and perseverance, knowing that you will come. Grant me patience and faith in the waiting room of life yet to be.
Adapted from The One Year® Book of Praying through the Bible by Cheri Fuller, Tyndale House Publishers (2003), entry for May 20.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
YOU HAVE A CHANCE
Charles Revson, founder of the successful cosmetic manufacturing
firm Revlon, once said, "In our factory we make lipstick. In our
advertising, we sell hope."
We could use a little more hope. I think that is why people buy
lottery tickets. One poor mother, who was raising her children on a
small salary earned from long hours of hard work, was asked, "Why do
you waste your money on a lottery ticket when you can hardly make
ends meet?"
"Yeah, I buy a ticket every day," the woman acknowledged. "But a
dollar is not too much to pay for 24 hours of hope."
There are probably better uses for her money than buying lottery
tickets. But she would rather hang onto a little hope than onto her
dollar.
We need hope. It is a vital ingredient in life. Without it, far too
many people come to the conclusion that they are powerless in the
face of difficulties. "It can't be helped," is their motto. Without
hope, they won't make needed changes. They feel powerless. Without
hope, they will grimly accept the unacceptable and believe that
things are about as good as they will ever get.
I've found that I can either be a prisoner of circumstances or a
practitioner of hope. I can feel sorry for myself and helpless to do
anything about my problems, or I can believe there is a realistic
chance for something better.
Norman Cousins, in his book Head First, the Biology of Hope,
illustrates the power of hope. He tells of two physicians who were
to deliver a paper at a national meeting of cancer specialists. One
was truly perplexed. "I don't understand it, Bob," he said. "We use
the same drugs, the same dosage, and the same schedule of treatment.
Yet I get a 22% recovery rate and you get a 74% recovery rate. How
do you explain that?"
The other responded, "We both use Etoposide, Platinol, Oncovin, and
Hydroxyurea. You put those letters together and tell people that you
are giving them E-P-O-H. I put them together and explain to them
that they are receiving H-O-P-E. I emphasize that they have a
chance."
You do have a chance. You have a chance at life. You have a chance
at success. You have a chance at wholeness. You have a chance at
meaningful relationships and, though you may not believe it, at
happiness.
Are you a prisoner of circumstances . stuck and helpless, or a
practitioner of hope? It can be a difference between life and death.
-- Steve Goodier
firm Revlon, once said, "In our factory we make lipstick. In our
advertising, we sell hope."
We could use a little more hope. I think that is why people buy
lottery tickets. One poor mother, who was raising her children on a
small salary earned from long hours of hard work, was asked, "Why do
you waste your money on a lottery ticket when you can hardly make
ends meet?"
"Yeah, I buy a ticket every day," the woman acknowledged. "But a
dollar is not too much to pay for 24 hours of hope."
There are probably better uses for her money than buying lottery
tickets. But she would rather hang onto a little hope than onto her
dollar.
We need hope. It is a vital ingredient in life. Without it, far too
many people come to the conclusion that they are powerless in the
face of difficulties. "It can't be helped," is their motto. Without
hope, they won't make needed changes. They feel powerless. Without
hope, they will grimly accept the unacceptable and believe that
things are about as good as they will ever get.
I've found that I can either be a prisoner of circumstances or a
practitioner of hope. I can feel sorry for myself and helpless to do
anything about my problems, or I can believe there is a realistic
chance for something better.
Norman Cousins, in his book Head First, the Biology of Hope,
illustrates the power of hope. He tells of two physicians who were
to deliver a paper at a national meeting of cancer specialists. One
was truly perplexed. "I don't understand it, Bob," he said. "We use
the same drugs, the same dosage, and the same schedule of treatment.
Yet I get a 22% recovery rate and you get a 74% recovery rate. How
do you explain that?"
The other responded, "We both use Etoposide, Platinol, Oncovin, and
Hydroxyurea. You put those letters together and tell people that you
are giving them E-P-O-H. I put them together and explain to them
that they are receiving H-O-P-E. I emphasize that they have a
chance."
You do have a chance. You have a chance at life. You have a chance
at success. You have a chance at wholeness. You have a chance at
meaningful relationships and, though you may not believe it, at
happiness.
Are you a prisoner of circumstances . stuck and helpless, or a
practitioner of hope? It can be a difference between life and death.
-- Steve Goodier
Monday, June 7, 2010
This week's promise: God's timing is perfect
Watch the Lord rescue you...
The Lord continued to strengthen Pharaoh's resolve, and he chased after the people of Israel who had escaped so defiantely. All the forces of Pharaoh's army—all his horses, chariots, and charioteers—were used in the chase.…
As Pharaoh and his army approached, the people of Israel could see them in the distance, marching toward them. The people began to panic, and they cried out to the Lord for help.
Then they turned against Moses and complained, "Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren't there enough graves for us in Egypt? Why did you make us leave? Didn't we tell you to leave us alone while we were still in Egypt? Our Egyptian slavery was better than dying out here in the wilderness!"
But Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the Lord rescue you. The Egyptians that you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. You won't have to lift a finger in your defense!"
Exodus 14:8-14 NLT
Bearing down
Whatever your worries are today, they probably do not top the 600 Egyptian war chariots bearing down on the children of Israel! Trapped between the mountains and the sea, the people forgot the God who had delivered them from the Pharaoh's hand, and they cried out in despair. But Moses, who focused on the promise of God, stood firm in his hope. When we face our "chariots," it is quite normal to feel anxiety and fear. But when we remember God's faithfulness and his ability to bring good out of any situation, we find our fears calmed and our confidence renewed.
from TouchPoint Bible commentaries by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers (Tyndale) p 62
The Lord continued to strengthen Pharaoh's resolve, and he chased after the people of Israel who had escaped so defiantely. All the forces of Pharaoh's army—all his horses, chariots, and charioteers—were used in the chase.…
As Pharaoh and his army approached, the people of Israel could see them in the distance, marching toward them. The people began to panic, and they cried out to the Lord for help.
Then they turned against Moses and complained, "Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren't there enough graves for us in Egypt? Why did you make us leave? Didn't we tell you to leave us alone while we were still in Egypt? Our Egyptian slavery was better than dying out here in the wilderness!"
But Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the Lord rescue you. The Egyptians that you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. You won't have to lift a finger in your defense!"
Exodus 14:8-14 NLT
Bearing down
Whatever your worries are today, they probably do not top the 600 Egyptian war chariots bearing down on the children of Israel! Trapped between the mountains and the sea, the people forgot the God who had delivered them from the Pharaoh's hand, and they cried out in despair. But Moses, who focused on the promise of God, stood firm in his hope. When we face our "chariots," it is quite normal to feel anxiety and fear. But when we remember God's faithfulness and his ability to bring good out of any situation, we find our fears calmed and our confidence renewed.
from TouchPoint Bible commentaries by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers (Tyndale) p 62
Friday, May 14, 2010
JUST IN TIME
Novelist Vicki Baum once said, "You don't get ulcers from what you
eat. You get them from what's eating you." And what's eating us much
of the time is worry. It eats us from the inside out.
I wish I could always be like former baseball player Mickey Rivers.
He philosophized, "Ain't no sense worrying about things you got
control over, because if you got control over them, ain't no sense
worrying. And there ain't no sense worrying about things you got no
control over either, because if you got no control them, ain't no
sense worrying."
Maybe that makes sense, I'm just not sure. But even if it does, I'll
likely wind up worried anyway. Which is why I like this story
related by inspirational Dutch author and holocaust survivor Corrie
ten Boom.
Corrie learned a powerful lesson as a little girl. Having
encountered the lifeless body of a baby, she realized that people
she loved would someday die, too. She thought about the fact that
her father and mother and sister Betsie could quite possibly pass on
before she does. The thought frightened and worried her.
One night her father came in to tuck her into bed. Corrie burst into
tears and sobbed, "I need you. You can't die. You can't!"
Her father sat on the edge of the narrow bed and spoke tenderly to
his daughter. "Corrie," he said gently, "when you and I go to
Amsterdam, when do I give you your ticket?"
She sniffed a few times and considered the question. "Why, just
before I get on the train," she answered.
"Exactly," he continued. Then he gave her assurance that was to last
a lifetime. "When the time comes that some of us have to die, you
will look into your heart and find the strength you need - just in
time."
Some years later Corrie and her family, arrested for sheltering Jews
and members of the Dutch resistance, were sent to Nazi concentration
camps. She, indeed, experienced the deaths of her parents and
sister, as well as numerous friends. She endured hardships that she
could never have imagined as a young child. But the words of her
father stayed with her and proved to be true. "You will look into
your heart and find the strength you need - just in time." She
always did. Regardless of the suffering or hardship she encountered,
when she looked inside her heart she found the strength she needed -
just in time.
If you worry and fret, or if you feel anxious about your future, you
may find Corrie's experience helpful. And if that thing you dread
should ever arrive, then you need only look inside your heart. The
strength you need can be found there - just in time.
-- Steve Goodier
Now you can add your own comments to Life Support.
http://stevegoodier.blogspot.com/
__________
eat. You get them from what's eating you." And what's eating us much
of the time is worry. It eats us from the inside out.
I wish I could always be like former baseball player Mickey Rivers.
He philosophized, "Ain't no sense worrying about things you got
control over, because if you got control over them, ain't no sense
worrying. And there ain't no sense worrying about things you got no
control over either, because if you got no control them, ain't no
sense worrying."
Maybe that makes sense, I'm just not sure. But even if it does, I'll
likely wind up worried anyway. Which is why I like this story
related by inspirational Dutch author and holocaust survivor Corrie
ten Boom.
Corrie learned a powerful lesson as a little girl. Having
encountered the lifeless body of a baby, she realized that people
she loved would someday die, too. She thought about the fact that
her father and mother and sister Betsie could quite possibly pass on
before she does. The thought frightened and worried her.
One night her father came in to tuck her into bed. Corrie burst into
tears and sobbed, "I need you. You can't die. You can't!"
Her father sat on the edge of the narrow bed and spoke tenderly to
his daughter. "Corrie," he said gently, "when you and I go to
Amsterdam, when do I give you your ticket?"
She sniffed a few times and considered the question. "Why, just
before I get on the train," she answered.
"Exactly," he continued. Then he gave her assurance that was to last
a lifetime. "When the time comes that some of us have to die, you
will look into your heart and find the strength you need - just in
time."
Some years later Corrie and her family, arrested for sheltering Jews
and members of the Dutch resistance, were sent to Nazi concentration
camps. She, indeed, experienced the deaths of her parents and
sister, as well as numerous friends. She endured hardships that she
could never have imagined as a young child. But the words of her
father stayed with her and proved to be true. "You will look into
your heart and find the strength you need - just in time." She
always did. Regardless of the suffering or hardship she encountered,
when she looked inside her heart she found the strength she needed -
just in time.
If you worry and fret, or if you feel anxious about your future, you
may find Corrie's experience helpful. And if that thing you dread
should ever arrive, then you need only look inside your heart. The
strength you need can be found there - just in time.
-- Steve Goodier
Now you can add your own comments to Life Support.
http://stevegoodier.blogspot.com/
__________
Friday, April 30, 2010
From Inspired Faith--Encouragement for the Soul...
DAILY VERSE
Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees,
for the LORD has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory in Israel.
Isaiah 44:23
-------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY QUOTE
The creation is quite like a spacious and splendid house, provided and filled with the most exquisite and the most abundant furnishings. Everything in it tells us of God.
John Calvin
---------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY THOUGHT
God brings joy to our lives in various ways: a kind word from a friend, an accomplishment at work, the gentle whisper of His Spirit. But throughout the ages, God has brought joy to us through the wonder of His creation. Feeling down? Maybe all you need is a walk in the woods.
Consider the reaction of Carl Boberg when he looked at the world God made:
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook
And feel the gentle breeze;
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
Take time to notice and celebrate God’s greatness and gifts, and you’ll suddenly find many reasons to be joyful.
Thank You, God, for the beauty of creation. Help me to see You in the world around me today. Amen.
Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees,
for the LORD has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory in Israel.
Isaiah 44:23
-------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY QUOTE
The creation is quite like a spacious and splendid house, provided and filled with the most exquisite and the most abundant furnishings. Everything in it tells us of God.
John Calvin
---------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY THOUGHT
God brings joy to our lives in various ways: a kind word from a friend, an accomplishment at work, the gentle whisper of His Spirit. But throughout the ages, God has brought joy to us through the wonder of His creation. Feeling down? Maybe all you need is a walk in the woods.
Consider the reaction of Carl Boberg when he looked at the world God made:
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook
And feel the gentle breeze;
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
Take time to notice and celebrate God’s greatness and gifts, and you’ll suddenly find many reasons to be joyful.
Thank You, God, for the beauty of creation. Help me to see You in the world around me today. Amen.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
A cheerful spirit
For the poor, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.
Proverbs 15:15 NLT
When I think of God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes leap and dance as they leave my pen; and since God has given me a cheerful heart, I serve Him with a cheerful spirit.
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
A happy heart
A person's heart is a major concern of the Lord. God's Word tells us that he doesn't look at the things people look at. We look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart; that is, our "thoughts and intentions" (1 Samuel 16:7). Today's verse tells us that a happy, or cheerful, heart make life "a continual feast."
How do we obtain—and maintain—this happy heart? There are many clues throughout the book of Proverbs. We should not let our hearts be anxious or proud because anxiety and pride are deterrents to a cheerful heart (Proverbs 12:25; 16:5). Instead, God calls us to have pure hearts and to keep them on the right path (Proverbs 22:11; 23:19). These are positive steps to achieving a happy heart because when we are being obedient to God's Word and experiencing his smile of approval, our hearts will be lighter, even in difficult times.
The Bible gives us many other instructions about how to have "healthy" hearts, but a good place to start is to embrace the truth of Proverbs 15:15 and ask God to show us how to develop hearts that are happy, no matter what challenges we are facing.
FATHER, help me to have a happy heart. Remove the anxiety that sometimes weighs my heart down. Keep my heart from growing proud. Instead, give me a pure heart—a heart that is pleasing to you. Help me to hide your Word in my heart so that I can walk in your ways and enjoy life that is a continual feast.
Adapted from The One Year® Book of Praying through the Bible by Cheri Fuller, Tyndale House Publishers (2003), entry for May 17.
Proverbs 15:15 NLT
When I think of God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes leap and dance as they leave my pen; and since God has given me a cheerful heart, I serve Him with a cheerful spirit.
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
A happy heart
A person's heart is a major concern of the Lord. God's Word tells us that he doesn't look at the things people look at. We look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart; that is, our "thoughts and intentions" (1 Samuel 16:7). Today's verse tells us that a happy, or cheerful, heart make life "a continual feast."
How do we obtain—and maintain—this happy heart? There are many clues throughout the book of Proverbs. We should not let our hearts be anxious or proud because anxiety and pride are deterrents to a cheerful heart (Proverbs 12:25; 16:5). Instead, God calls us to have pure hearts and to keep them on the right path (Proverbs 22:11; 23:19). These are positive steps to achieving a happy heart because when we are being obedient to God's Word and experiencing his smile of approval, our hearts will be lighter, even in difficult times.
The Bible gives us many other instructions about how to have "healthy" hearts, but a good place to start is to embrace the truth of Proverbs 15:15 and ask God to show us how to develop hearts that are happy, no matter what challenges we are facing.
FATHER, help me to have a happy heart. Remove the anxiety that sometimes weighs my heart down. Keep my heart from growing proud. Instead, give me a pure heart—a heart that is pleasing to you. Help me to hide your Word in my heart so that I can walk in your ways and enjoy life that is a continual feast.
Adapted from The One Year® Book of Praying through the Bible by Cheri Fuller, Tyndale House Publishers (2003), entry for May 17.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
God delights in those who honor him
As bright as the sky...
Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who turn many to righteousness will shine like stars forever.
Daniel 12:3 NLT
Eternity to the godly is a day that has no sunset.
Thomas Watson
Deepen your shine
People spend thousands of dollars to last longer— exercise, cosmetics, plastic surgery, self-help advice, nutrition plans. We like life, and we want it to last, not just in some ethereal, nondescript expectation of a life hereafter, but in a real, fulfilling, purposeful eternity. We don't just want "forever." We want to know we will enjoy it.
Daniel is told what makes or breaks eternity in the resurrection: righteousness. Loving it, drinking it in, leading others to it, investing in it. Righteousness is the key. The quality of our righteousness on earth has everything to do with the quality of our eternity.
Those who are wise also know that there's a problem. We are inherently unrighteous. An eternity based on earthly righteousness is a devastating predicament for people who are, in their very genetics, infected with corruption. Are there any who can really lead others to righteousness? Will any shine like the brightness of the heavens? Or is the promise empty?
Righteousness is a gift from a holy heaven to an infected race. It comes from outside ourselves, available only through faith in its Giver. Those who are wise will tell others about this gift. Those who want to shine will know the Source of the light and will be completely preoccupied with Him.
Evangelism is one way to make an investment that never, ever ceases to bring abundant returns. God promises that sharing the Light with others will forever deepen your own shine.
Adapted from The One Year® Walk with God Devotional by Chris Tiegreen, Tyndale House Publishers (2004), entry for April 7.
Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who turn many to righteousness will shine like stars forever.
Daniel 12:3 NLT
Eternity to the godly is a day that has no sunset.
Thomas Watson
Deepen your shine
People spend thousands of dollars to last longer— exercise, cosmetics, plastic surgery, self-help advice, nutrition plans. We like life, and we want it to last, not just in some ethereal, nondescript expectation of a life hereafter, but in a real, fulfilling, purposeful eternity. We don't just want "forever." We want to know we will enjoy it.
Daniel is told what makes or breaks eternity in the resurrection: righteousness. Loving it, drinking it in, leading others to it, investing in it. Righteousness is the key. The quality of our righteousness on earth has everything to do with the quality of our eternity.
Those who are wise also know that there's a problem. We are inherently unrighteous. An eternity based on earthly righteousness is a devastating predicament for people who are, in their very genetics, infected with corruption. Are there any who can really lead others to righteousness? Will any shine like the brightness of the heavens? Or is the promise empty?
Righteousness is a gift from a holy heaven to an infected race. It comes from outside ourselves, available only through faith in its Giver. Those who are wise will tell others about this gift. Those who want to shine will know the Source of the light and will be completely preoccupied with Him.
Evangelism is one way to make an investment that never, ever ceases to bring abundant returns. God promises that sharing the Light with others will forever deepen your own shine.
Adapted from The One Year® Walk with God Devotional by Chris Tiegreen, Tyndale House Publishers (2004), entry for April 7.
Monday, April 12, 2010
A BETTER WAY TO LIVE
Did you know...?
That Joan of Arc was only seventeen when she was riding at the head
of the army that liberated France from the English?
That church reformer John Calvin was twenty-six when he published
his "Institutes"?
That poet John Keats died when he was twenty-six?
That Shelley was thirty when he was drowned, but not before he left
English literature his classic "Odes"?
That Sir Isaac Newton had largely discovered the working of the law
of gravitation when he was twenty-three?
That Henry Clay, the "great compromiser," was sent to the United
States Senate at twenty-nine and was Speaker of the House of
Representatives at thirty-four?
That Raphael painted his most important pictures between twenty-five
and thirty?
That Mozart only lived to be thirty-five years old?
Maybe I'm just a late bloomer.
When I was a young man I wanted to make things happen. After a few
years I realized I would have to content myself with watching most
things happen.
Unfortunately, these days I usually have no idea what is happening.
Of course, most of us will never paint a masterpiece, write a
classic or discover an important scientific principle. But why
should we? We're each cut from a unique pattern.
Dick Van Dyke once told the story of a woman taking her nephew to
her Catholic church. She whispered to him as they approached the
pew: "Can you genuflect?"
"No," he said, "but I can somersault!"
I wonder if he showed her.right then and there. I can almost see him
rolling down the aisle in a joyous celebration of the thing he CAN
do, with no regard for genuflecting. the thing he cannot do.
Some people waste lives obsessing on that thing they cannot do,
wishing they were more competent. And some measure the value of
their abilities against those of others, wishing they could
contribute in a bigger and better way.
You and I may never be a Mozart, a Raphael or a John Keats. But
there are things you CAN do to bring beauty or joy or happiness to
your world. Find them. Do them. Celebrate them. Rejoice in them.
I can hardly think of a better way to live.
-- Steve Goodier @
LifeSupportSystem.com
That Joan of Arc was only seventeen when she was riding at the head
of the army that liberated France from the English?
That church reformer John Calvin was twenty-six when he published
his "Institutes"?
That poet John Keats died when he was twenty-six?
That Shelley was thirty when he was drowned, but not before he left
English literature his classic "Odes"?
That Sir Isaac Newton had largely discovered the working of the law
of gravitation when he was twenty-three?
That Henry Clay, the "great compromiser," was sent to the United
States Senate at twenty-nine and was Speaker of the House of
Representatives at thirty-four?
That Raphael painted his most important pictures between twenty-five
and thirty?
That Mozart only lived to be thirty-five years old?
Maybe I'm just a late bloomer.
When I was a young man I wanted to make things happen. After a few
years I realized I would have to content myself with watching most
things happen.
Unfortunately, these days I usually have no idea what is happening.
Of course, most of us will never paint a masterpiece, write a
classic or discover an important scientific principle. But why
should we? We're each cut from a unique pattern.
Dick Van Dyke once told the story of a woman taking her nephew to
her Catholic church. She whispered to him as they approached the
pew: "Can you genuflect?"
"No," he said, "but I can somersault!"
I wonder if he showed her.right then and there. I can almost see him
rolling down the aisle in a joyous celebration of the thing he CAN
do, with no regard for genuflecting. the thing he cannot do.
Some people waste lives obsessing on that thing they cannot do,
wishing they were more competent. And some measure the value of
their abilities against those of others, wishing they could
contribute in a bigger and better way.
You and I may never be a Mozart, a Raphael or a John Keats. But
there are things you CAN do to bring beauty or joy or happiness to
your world. Find them. Do them. Celebrate them. Rejoice in them.
I can hardly think of a better way to live.
-- Steve Goodier @
LifeSupportSystem.com
Friday, April 9, 2010
From Daily Inspirations...
DAILY VERSE
Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY QUOTE
Prayer is not intended to change God’s purpose, nor is it to move Him to form fresh purposes. God has decreed that certain events shall come to pass through the means He has appointed for their accomplishment.
Arthur W. Pink
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY THOUGHT
A Classic Devotional from St. Francis of Assisi
A Prayer for Peace, Growth, and Recovery
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Your heart, O Lord, is open to Your children.
Help me to be willing to learn from You. Amen.
Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY QUOTE
Prayer is not intended to change God’s purpose, nor is it to move Him to form fresh purposes. God has decreed that certain events shall come to pass through the means He has appointed for their accomplishment.
Arthur W. Pink
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY THOUGHT
A Classic Devotional from St. Francis of Assisi
A Prayer for Peace, Growth, and Recovery
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Your heart, O Lord, is open to Your children.
Help me to be willing to learn from You. Amen.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Inner Light
"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown again into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light."
Albert Schweitzer said these words and how very true they are. We've all had times in our life when we desperately needed a "shot of inspiration" to move forward.
Sending a 'deepest thanks' to those who have helped me rekindle my inner light!
Albert Schweitzer said these words and how very true they are. We've all had times in our life when we desperately needed a "shot of inspiration" to move forward.
Sending a 'deepest thanks' to those who have helped me rekindle my inner light!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Twinkies and Root Beer
A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of Root Beer and he started his journey.
When he had gone about three blocks, he met an elderly man. The man was sitting in the park just feeding some pigeons.
The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie.
The man gratefully accepted it and smiled at boy. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer.
Again, the man smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.
As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the man, and gave him a hug. The man gave him his biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?
"He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? God's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"
Meanwhile, the elderly man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked," Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"
He replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added," You know, he's much younger than I expected."
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!
~author unknown~
When he had gone about three blocks, he met an elderly man. The man was sitting in the park just feeding some pigeons.
The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie.
The man gratefully accepted it and smiled at boy. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer.
Again, the man smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.
As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the man, and gave him a hug. The man gave him his biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?
"He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? God's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"
Meanwhile, the elderly man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked," Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"
He replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added," You know, he's much younger than I expected."
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!
~author unknown~
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
TURN ... AND COME ROUND RIGHT
Not long ago a commercial airliner, whose pilot was new to New York,
landed at JFK Airport. He steered the jet onto a taxiway and
stopped. Then slowly he began turning. First he nosed the aircraft
to the right. Then to the left. Then he turned the plane completely
around.
Finally, over the public-address system, a confused voice asked,
"Does anyone know where Gate 25 is?" Do you think that if he just
turned around enough times he would come out right?
Deciding to turn, though, is something we often have to do if we are
to live fully and live well. For each of us knows what it is to head
the wrong direction in life; and we also know how relieved we feel
to turn around again.
Do you remember the old Shaker hymn, written by Joseph Brackett, Jr.
over 150 years ago?
'Tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free,
'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed.
To turn, turn will be our delight,
'Til by turning, turning we come round right.
It's amazing how many times I turn in a day. I turn up to things I
want to attend and turn down others. I turn in at the end of the day
and turn over all night long. And when things are not right, I can
always turn them around.
Actually, turning is one of the most hopeful words I know.
When I'm not right, I can turn in a new direction. By turning, I do
something about the course I've taken. I may not be able to change
what I've already done; and I may not be able to fully escape those
unpleasant consequences of past choices. But I need not continue in
the same, destructive path. I can turn. I can find my way again.
Turning around is allowed in this life. In fact, it's necessary.
Especially after mistakes and failures. And that's like hope for me.
Like the song says, "'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to
be." But when we don't find ourselves where we ought to be, "by
turning, turning we come round right."
-- Steve Goodier
at lifesupportsystem.com
landed at JFK Airport. He steered the jet onto a taxiway and
stopped. Then slowly he began turning. First he nosed the aircraft
to the right. Then to the left. Then he turned the plane completely
around.
Finally, over the public-address system, a confused voice asked,
"Does anyone know where Gate 25 is?" Do you think that if he just
turned around enough times he would come out right?
Deciding to turn, though, is something we often have to do if we are
to live fully and live well. For each of us knows what it is to head
the wrong direction in life; and we also know how relieved we feel
to turn around again.
Do you remember the old Shaker hymn, written by Joseph Brackett, Jr.
over 150 years ago?
'Tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free,
'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed.
To turn, turn will be our delight,
'Til by turning, turning we come round right.
It's amazing how many times I turn in a day. I turn up to things I
want to attend and turn down others. I turn in at the end of the day
and turn over all night long. And when things are not right, I can
always turn them around.
Actually, turning is one of the most hopeful words I know.
When I'm not right, I can turn in a new direction. By turning, I do
something about the course I've taken. I may not be able to change
what I've already done; and I may not be able to fully escape those
unpleasant consequences of past choices. But I need not continue in
the same, destructive path. I can turn. I can find my way again.
Turning around is allowed in this life. In fact, it's necessary.
Especially after mistakes and failures. And that's like hope for me.
Like the song says, "'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to
be." But when we don't find ourselves where we ought to be, "by
turning, turning we come round right."
-- Steve Goodier
at lifesupportsystem.com
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Do you have the joy of God's presence?
On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, "Cheer up, Zion! Don't be afraid! For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all our fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song."
Zephaniah 3:16-17 NLT
I know the Lord is always with me, I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth shouts his praises!
Psalm 16:8-9 NLT
Happy are those who obey his decrees and search for him with all their hearts.
Psalm 119:2 NLT
Real joy
Is joy, or happiness, a passing emotion or a permanent state? The Bible says it can be both. There is happiness that reacts to happenings (which is temporary and volatile), and there is happiness that overrules happenings (which is strong and lasting). Happiness based on happenings is part of life, but if that is all we can count on we have to keep feeding ourselves with events to keep us upbeat. Those who know the joy that comes from God don't need happenings to keep them happy. They learn how to develop inner joy because they know, no matter what happens, God offers hope and promise.
Zephaniah 3:16-17 NLT
I know the Lord is always with me, I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth shouts his praises!
Psalm 16:8-9 NLT
Happy are those who obey his decrees and search for him with all their hearts.
Psalm 119:2 NLT
Real joy
Is joy, or happiness, a passing emotion or a permanent state? The Bible says it can be both. There is happiness that reacts to happenings (which is temporary and volatile), and there is happiness that overrules happenings (which is strong and lasting). Happiness based on happenings is part of life, but if that is all we can count on we have to keep feeding ourselves with events to keep us upbeat. Those who know the joy that comes from God don't need happenings to keep them happy. They learn how to develop inner joy because they know, no matter what happens, God offers hope and promise.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
LEAFAGE AND ROOTAGE
American President Woodrow Wilson once pointed out that "a man's
rootage is more important than his leafage." What others see are the
leaves, the outside. What they can't see are the roots, the values
and principles that ground a person. A happy and fulfilled life
grows from a good system of roots.
No one believed in the solid "rootage" of President Jimmy Carter
more than his own mother "Miss Lillian," as she was fondly called.
She was aware of her son's reputation for honesty, which had become
a topic of curiosity among many politicians and even reporters.
During a 1986 speech at the University of Tennessee, Jody Powell
told a story about a television reporter who grilled Miss Lillian on
this topic.
"Is it true," asked the reporter, "that your son doesn't lie? Can
you tell me he has never told a lie?"
"Well, I reckon he might have told a little white lie now and then,"
replied Miss Lillian.
The reporter spotted the opening. "I thought you said he didn't
lie!" she exclaimed. "Are you telling me that white lies aren't as
bad as black lies? Just what do you mean by a white lie?"
"Well," drawled Miss Lillian, "do you remember when you came in this
morning and I told you how nice you looked and how glad I was to see
you...?"
Those people who care about strong and principled inner lives leave
an important mark on the world. They actually live from the inside
out. Their inner convictions guide their actions. Their inner
principles govern their lives. It's like roots which are sunk deep
into lasting values and sustain the tree through whatever hard times
may come along.
What does it mean to have good roots? I think it means to be strong
enough and healthy enough to do whatever you truly want to do. It
means to be strong enough, at least most of the time, to give your
best to the world.
I would like to have roots that grow deep and strong. I would like a
system of roots that could give me:
- enough strength to forgive those who hurt me;
- enough confidence to overcome any amount of fear;
- enough courage to accept whatever obstacles life throws my
way;
- enough compassion to love even the unlovable;
- enough faith that nothing can shatter my peace of mind.
If I grow good roots, I don't need to worry about the leafage.
-- Steve Goodier
rootage is more important than his leafage." What others see are the
leaves, the outside. What they can't see are the roots, the values
and principles that ground a person. A happy and fulfilled life
grows from a good system of roots.
No one believed in the solid "rootage" of President Jimmy Carter
more than his own mother "Miss Lillian," as she was fondly called.
She was aware of her son's reputation for honesty, which had become
a topic of curiosity among many politicians and even reporters.
During a 1986 speech at the University of Tennessee, Jody Powell
told a story about a television reporter who grilled Miss Lillian on
this topic.
"Is it true," asked the reporter, "that your son doesn't lie? Can
you tell me he has never told a lie?"
"Well, I reckon he might have told a little white lie now and then,"
replied Miss Lillian.
The reporter spotted the opening. "I thought you said he didn't
lie!" she exclaimed. "Are you telling me that white lies aren't as
bad as black lies? Just what do you mean by a white lie?"
"Well," drawled Miss Lillian, "do you remember when you came in this
morning and I told you how nice you looked and how glad I was to see
you...?"
Those people who care about strong and principled inner lives leave
an important mark on the world. They actually live from the inside
out. Their inner convictions guide their actions. Their inner
principles govern their lives. It's like roots which are sunk deep
into lasting values and sustain the tree through whatever hard times
may come along.
What does it mean to have good roots? I think it means to be strong
enough and healthy enough to do whatever you truly want to do. It
means to be strong enough, at least most of the time, to give your
best to the world.
I would like to have roots that grow deep and strong. I would like a
system of roots that could give me:
- enough strength to forgive those who hurt me;
- enough confidence to overcome any amount of fear;
- enough courage to accept whatever obstacles life throws my
way;
- enough compassion to love even the unlovable;
- enough faith that nothing can shatter my peace of mind.
If I grow good roots, I don't need to worry about the leafage.
-- Steve Goodier
Thursday, March 11, 2010
From the "Inspired Faith" Newsletter
A young woman from our local rescue mission recently spoke about her work with the homeless, and these words touched my heart . . . "One of our goals is to make them laugh, because they have so little to smile about in their world." I was reminded that as Christians, our mission is to be salt and light in the lives of others . . . bringing the light of Christ into their darkness, one smile at a time.
I love the way Paul used a mirror to illustrate how we can be transformed to reflect the image of Christ to the world. "All of us who are Christians . . . reflect like mirrors the glory of the Lord. We are transfigured in ever-increasing splendor into His own image" II Cor. 3:18 (Phillips)
If you’ve ever played with a small mirror in your hand, you know how you can catch the rays of the sun and angle the mirror just right to shine that light wherever you want it to go. The Bible tells us that the Lord holds us in His hand, and the more we reflect His image . . . and His radiance . . . the more He can use us to shine His light in our world.
This is my prayer . . .
A Mirror in God's Hand
by Paula J. Fox © March 2003
I want to be a mirror, Lord . . . A reflection of Your grace
To shine Your light for all to see
In every darkened place
I want to be transfigured Lord, so the image others see
Will be closer to Your likeness
And the light You've given me
I have no light source of my own . . . but when I look at You
The radiance of Your glory
Shines in all I say and do
I could stand to use some polish . . . I've been cracked and broken too
But it's not myself that matters
It's the light that comes from You
Though I have some imperfections, I'm still useful in Your sight
And in Your hand I know
That You will angle me just right
So that when Your face shines on me, it reflects on others too
And as it does, please use me, Lord
To LIGHT my world for You
I love the way Paul used a mirror to illustrate how we can be transformed to reflect the image of Christ to the world. "All of us who are Christians . . . reflect like mirrors the glory of the Lord. We are transfigured in ever-increasing splendor into His own image" II Cor. 3:18 (Phillips)
If you’ve ever played with a small mirror in your hand, you know how you can catch the rays of the sun and angle the mirror just right to shine that light wherever you want it to go. The Bible tells us that the Lord holds us in His hand, and the more we reflect His image . . . and His radiance . . . the more He can use us to shine His light in our world.
This is my prayer . . .
A Mirror in God's Hand
by Paula J. Fox © March 2003
I want to be a mirror, Lord . . . A reflection of Your grace
To shine Your light for all to see
In every darkened place
I want to be transfigured Lord, so the image others see
Will be closer to Your likeness
And the light You've given me
I have no light source of my own . . . but when I look at You
The radiance of Your glory
Shines in all I say and do
I could stand to use some polish . . . I've been cracked and broken too
But it's not myself that matters
It's the light that comes from You
Though I have some imperfections, I'm still useful in Your sight
And in Your hand I know
That You will angle me just right
So that when Your face shines on me, it reflects on others too
And as it does, please use me, Lord
To LIGHT my world for You
Monday, March 8, 2010
So Say the Joyologists
When the righteous see God in action they’ll laugh, they’ll sing, they’ll laugh and sing for joy.
— Psalm 68:3 MSG
According to some joyologists (uh-huh, joyologists—those given to the promotion of joy), you can lose weight if you guffaw daily. So does this mean we can titter till our tummies tuck? Or better yet, chortle till the cellulite runs smooth? I’m afraid I’d have to be permanently hysterical to accomplish that task.
Can’t you see it now? A world emphasis on belly laughing, with people lining up single file around the block, waiting to slip into a joy booth so they can laugh off lunch. Or employers offering health incentives for workers who snicker heartily. Have you ever wondered why God designed us with the ability to laugh and cry? I guess he knew we would need to do both as a way to pour off emotional excess; otherwise, we might blow a gasket.
I’ve heard it said that hearty laughter sends fresh shipments of oxygen to the brain, which causes it to loosen up. Hmm, if it can loosen up my brain, then maybe, just maybe, the joyologists are right, and it could loosen up my jeans. That would be great. Then I wouldn’t have to unsnap them to eat, sit, travel, and breathe. I’d much rather chuckle myself fit than deny myself indulgences, but I have this nagging feeling I may need to do both.
— Patsy Clairmont
Excerpted from All Cracked Up. Copyright © 2006 by Patsy Clairmont. Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
— Psalm 68:3 MSG
According to some joyologists (uh-huh, joyologists—those given to the promotion of joy), you can lose weight if you guffaw daily. So does this mean we can titter till our tummies tuck? Or better yet, chortle till the cellulite runs smooth? I’m afraid I’d have to be permanently hysterical to accomplish that task.
Can’t you see it now? A world emphasis on belly laughing, with people lining up single file around the block, waiting to slip into a joy booth so they can laugh off lunch. Or employers offering health incentives for workers who snicker heartily. Have you ever wondered why God designed us with the ability to laugh and cry? I guess he knew we would need to do both as a way to pour off emotional excess; otherwise, we might blow a gasket.
I’ve heard it said that hearty laughter sends fresh shipments of oxygen to the brain, which causes it to loosen up. Hmm, if it can loosen up my brain, then maybe, just maybe, the joyologists are right, and it could loosen up my jeans. That would be great. Then I wouldn’t have to unsnap them to eat, sit, travel, and breathe. I’d much rather chuckle myself fit than deny myself indulgences, but I have this nagging feeling I may need to do both.
— Patsy Clairmont
Excerpted from All Cracked Up. Copyright © 2006 by Patsy Clairmont. Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Daily Thoughts from Inspired Faith...
DAILY VERSE
When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 11:2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY QUOTE
If you are humble, nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.
Mother Teresa
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY THOUGHT
The sin of pride can be hard to define. Arrogance can be part of it, yes; but it’s possible to have both pride and poor self-image at work in one’s life at the same time. God doesn’t want us to lack self-respect, either. Maybe it’s best simply to be ever aware that all of us are vulnerable to vain pride and that it can find us at any time, anywhere.
Pride says, “I can do what I want,” “I’m better than others,” and “I’m looking out for number one.” Above all, pride says, “I don’t need God or anyone—I can make it on my own.” But of course we do need God. And when we resist surrendering to Him, depending on Him, we experience damage to our souls.
Fortunately, we can resist our pride by simply praying and asking God to heal us from a prideful attitude and help us think rightly about ourselves, God, and others. When that happens, we can rest content in God’s will and at peace with ourselves and those around us.
Lord, please heal me of a vain pride and set me in right relationship with You. Amen.
When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 11:2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY QUOTE
If you are humble, nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.
Mother Teresa
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY THOUGHT
The sin of pride can be hard to define. Arrogance can be part of it, yes; but it’s possible to have both pride and poor self-image at work in one’s life at the same time. God doesn’t want us to lack self-respect, either. Maybe it’s best simply to be ever aware that all of us are vulnerable to vain pride and that it can find us at any time, anywhere.
Pride says, “I can do what I want,” “I’m better than others,” and “I’m looking out for number one.” Above all, pride says, “I don’t need God or anyone—I can make it on my own.” But of course we do need God. And when we resist surrendering to Him, depending on Him, we experience damage to our souls.
Fortunately, we can resist our pride by simply praying and asking God to heal us from a prideful attitude and help us think rightly about ourselves, God, and others. When that happens, we can rest content in God’s will and at peace with ourselves and those around us.
Lord, please heal me of a vain pride and set me in right relationship with You. Amen.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Source of joy and peace
"Open my eyes to the wonderful truths in your law.
I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your laws.
Lord, give me your unfailing love, the salvation that you promised me. Then I will have an answer for those who taunt me, for I trust in your word. Do not snatch your word of truth from me, for my only hope is in your laws. I will keep on obeying your lay forever and forever.
May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in your word. I know, O Lord, that your decisions are fair; you disciplined me because I needed it. Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant. Surround me with your tender mercies so I may live, for your law is my delight.
Those who love your law have great peace and do not stumble."
Psalm 119:18, 30, 41-44, 74-77, 165 NLT
Knowing the person behind the book
To own a Bible—to know we have it if we need it—brings a certain measure of peace. When we actually read and begin to understand it we are better able to receive peace of mind and heart. And when we apply what God's Word teaches, our lifestyle actually becomes a fertile place where peace can grow. But when we truly grow to love this wisdom given to us by its loving author, we have actually come to put our trust in the person behind the book. The writer of Psalm 119 grew to love God's law because it revealed who God was. We can rest assured when we follow the principles that issue from God's great love and wisdom.
from the TouchPoint Bible with commentaries by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers (Tyndale) p 535
I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your laws.
Lord, give me your unfailing love, the salvation that you promised me. Then I will have an answer for those who taunt me, for I trust in your word. Do not snatch your word of truth from me, for my only hope is in your laws. I will keep on obeying your lay forever and forever.
May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in your word. I know, O Lord, that your decisions are fair; you disciplined me because I needed it. Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant. Surround me with your tender mercies so I may live, for your law is my delight.
Those who love your law have great peace and do not stumble."
Psalm 119:18, 30, 41-44, 74-77, 165 NLT
Knowing the person behind the book
To own a Bible—to know we have it if we need it—brings a certain measure of peace. When we actually read and begin to understand it we are better able to receive peace of mind and heart. And when we apply what God's Word teaches, our lifestyle actually becomes a fertile place where peace can grow. But when we truly grow to love this wisdom given to us by its loving author, we have actually come to put our trust in the person behind the book. The writer of Psalm 119 grew to love God's law because it revealed who God was. We can rest assured when we follow the principles that issue from God's great love and wisdom.
from the TouchPoint Bible with commentaries by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers (Tyndale) p 535
Monday, December 7, 2009
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
— Psalm 31:24 NIV
According to the apostle Paul, three things will continue forever: faith, hope, and love. Paul makes it clear that the greatest of these is love, and we all agree. But what of the other two?
We know faith is crucial. Without faith it is impossible to please God or to hang on when life is tough. Doubt can creep in so easily, and the only answer is to remember that Jesus is worth it all.
But what about hope? In our haste to be sure we have faith and love, do we sometimes fail to give hope its proper due? Without hope, life is a sorry game, played without enthusiasm or joy. As our society marches into the twenty-first century, people wonder what our real chances are. Is there any hope?
Those are legitimate questions, and I believe that only Christians have the legitimate answers. When our dreams seem to go sour or remain unfulfilled, hopelessness can dominate our lives—or we can hold on with open hands, knowing that we have hope because God is faithful.
— Sheila Walsh
Excerpted from A Grand New Day © 2008 by Thomas Nelson®, Inc. Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson®. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Tags: Sheila Walsh
— Psalm 31:24 NIV
According to the apostle Paul, three things will continue forever: faith, hope, and love. Paul makes it clear that the greatest of these is love, and we all agree. But what of the other two?
We know faith is crucial. Without faith it is impossible to please God or to hang on when life is tough. Doubt can creep in so easily, and the only answer is to remember that Jesus is worth it all.
But what about hope? In our haste to be sure we have faith and love, do we sometimes fail to give hope its proper due? Without hope, life is a sorry game, played without enthusiasm or joy. As our society marches into the twenty-first century, people wonder what our real chances are. Is there any hope?
Those are legitimate questions, and I believe that only Christians have the legitimate answers. When our dreams seem to go sour or remain unfulfilled, hopelessness can dominate our lives—or we can hold on with open hands, knowing that we have hope because God is faithful.
— Sheila Walsh
Excerpted from A Grand New Day © 2008 by Thomas Nelson®, Inc. Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson®. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Tags: Sheila Walsh
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Reflecting Christ
"…you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."
Colossians 3:12 NLT
Clothed in kindness
"A doctor once stepped into a taxicab and discovered an unusually friendly driver.…he asked the man why he was so cheerful. "It all started," he said, "when I heard about a taxi driver who was so kind to a passenger that the man remembered him in his will, leaving him $65,000. I thought I would try it, and maybe somebody might leave me something. But after I tried it, I found it was so much fun being good that I decided I would do it for the fun of it, reward or no reward."
The world would certainly be a more cheerful place if we all had such good dispositions. Imagine walking down the street and seeing nothing but smiling faces.…
Life is not a bed of roses, and most people are too happy to let you know that. That's what we tell ourselves when we want to appease our guilt on those dark and dreary days. I'm not the only one who's had a bad day, we think. People are just going to have to understand.
Maybe they do, but how does Jesus feel about it? Kindness should flow out of the life of a Christian. The world has an excuse to be angry, but we don't. Redeemed people should act like they're happy to be redeemed.
This is what separates believers from those who haven't discovered the goodness of Christ. We have a reason to rejoice. We have a standard to uphold. We have a Savior to pattern our life after.
from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins and Frank M. Martin (Tyndale) p 86
Colossians 3:12 NLT
Clothed in kindness
"A doctor once stepped into a taxicab and discovered an unusually friendly driver.…he asked the man why he was so cheerful. "It all started," he said, "when I heard about a taxi driver who was so kind to a passenger that the man remembered him in his will, leaving him $65,000. I thought I would try it, and maybe somebody might leave me something. But after I tried it, I found it was so much fun being good that I decided I would do it for the fun of it, reward or no reward."
The world would certainly be a more cheerful place if we all had such good dispositions. Imagine walking down the street and seeing nothing but smiling faces.…
Life is not a bed of roses, and most people are too happy to let you know that. That's what we tell ourselves when we want to appease our guilt on those dark and dreary days. I'm not the only one who's had a bad day, we think. People are just going to have to understand.
Maybe they do, but how does Jesus feel about it? Kindness should flow out of the life of a Christian. The world has an excuse to be angry, but we don't. Redeemed people should act like they're happy to be redeemed.
This is what separates believers from those who haven't discovered the goodness of Christ. We have a reason to rejoice. We have a standard to uphold. We have a Savior to pattern our life after.
from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins and Frank M. Martin (Tyndale) p 86
Thursday, November 5, 2009
LETTING YOUR SOUL CATCH UP
Did you know that practicing some form of relaxation is one of the
greatest gifts you can give yourself? Taking time each day to quiet
your mind and breathe deeply, can make a big difference in how you
feel throughout your day and into the night. And dedicating a day
every week for mental and spiritual renewal is equally important.
We're told that the word "relax" has its origin in the Latin word
"relaxare," which means "to loosen." When we relax, we are in effect
loosening tension, releasing tightly held energy and letting go.
From the state of relaxation we can experience calm peacefulness.
Another great word is the Hebrew word "Shabbat" which, of course, is
a day of rest. But it quite literally means to "quit; stop; take a
break." Whatever you are doing, stop it. Whatever you are saying, be
quiet. Sit down and take a look around. Don't do anything. Don't say
anything. Fold your hands. Take a deep breath... .
Extended periods of rest are a biological necessity. The human body
is like an old-fashioned wind-up clock. If it is not rewound by
rest, ultimately it will run itself down.
A group of Americans made a trip with Brazilian natives down the
Amazon River. The first day they rushed. The second day they rushed.
The next day they rushed. One day, anxious to continue the trek,
they were surprised to find the natives seated together in a circle.
When asked the reason for the delay, a guide answered, "They are
waiting. They cannot move further until their souls have caught up
with their bodies."
Do you owe yourself time to let your soul catch up with your body?
-- Steve Goodier
greatest gifts you can give yourself? Taking time each day to quiet
your mind and breathe deeply, can make a big difference in how you
feel throughout your day and into the night. And dedicating a day
every week for mental and spiritual renewal is equally important.
We're told that the word "relax" has its origin in the Latin word
"relaxare," which means "to loosen." When we relax, we are in effect
loosening tension, releasing tightly held energy and letting go.
From the state of relaxation we can experience calm peacefulness.
Another great word is the Hebrew word "Shabbat" which, of course, is
a day of rest. But it quite literally means to "quit; stop; take a
break." Whatever you are doing, stop it. Whatever you are saying, be
quiet. Sit down and take a look around. Don't do anything. Don't say
anything. Fold your hands. Take a deep breath... .
Extended periods of rest are a biological necessity. The human body
is like an old-fashioned wind-up clock. If it is not rewound by
rest, ultimately it will run itself down.
A group of Americans made a trip with Brazilian natives down the
Amazon River. The first day they rushed. The second day they rushed.
The next day they rushed. One day, anxious to continue the trek,
they were surprised to find the natives seated together in a circle.
When asked the reason for the delay, a guide answered, "They are
waiting. They cannot move further until their souls have caught up
with their bodies."
Do you owe yourself time to let your soul catch up with your body?
-- Steve Goodier
God will never stop working in our lives
The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
Psalm 121:5 NLT
Secure with the keeper
"It was dark and cold that November morning when the Livingstone family woke up to say farewell to their son David. He was leaving Scotland for the heart of Africa. Mrs. Livingstone made coffee; Mr. Livingstone dressed warmly to walk his son to Glasgow. David got the family Bible and read the comforting words of Psalm 121 with the family.
A dozen years later, Dr. Livingstone was contemplating a trip deeper into the unexplored interior of Africa along with his wife and children. Just before he left, he received a letter from his mother-in-law, Mary Moffat, who was also a missionary. "My dear Livingstone," she began. "Hitherto I have kept up my spirits and have been enabled to believe that our Great Master may yet bring you out in safety." She said that she was clinging to the promises of Psalm 121 and Psalm 91. "Unceasing prayer is made for you." Then she added, "Every petition, however fervent, must be with submission to his will."
Protected? Yes. Submissive to his will? That, too.
Jesus guaranteed us that in this world we will have trouble (John 16:33). But no matter what happens, we can never be separated from God's love or God's purposes. He promises to preserve us from evil but not to pave over every pothole in life's road.
adapted from The One Year® Book of Psalms with devotionals by William J. Petersen and Randy Petersen (Tyndale) entry for October 17
Psalm 121:5 NLT
Secure with the keeper
"It was dark and cold that November morning when the Livingstone family woke up to say farewell to their son David. He was leaving Scotland for the heart of Africa. Mrs. Livingstone made coffee; Mr. Livingstone dressed warmly to walk his son to Glasgow. David got the family Bible and read the comforting words of Psalm 121 with the family.
A dozen years later, Dr. Livingstone was contemplating a trip deeper into the unexplored interior of Africa along with his wife and children. Just before he left, he received a letter from his mother-in-law, Mary Moffat, who was also a missionary. "My dear Livingstone," she began. "Hitherto I have kept up my spirits and have been enabled to believe that our Great Master may yet bring you out in safety." She said that she was clinging to the promises of Psalm 121 and Psalm 91. "Unceasing prayer is made for you." Then she added, "Every petition, however fervent, must be with submission to his will."
Protected? Yes. Submissive to his will? That, too.
Jesus guaranteed us that in this world we will have trouble (John 16:33). But no matter what happens, we can never be separated from God's love or God's purposes. He promises to preserve us from evil but not to pave over every pothole in life's road.
adapted from The One Year® Book of Psalms with devotionals by William J. Petersen and Randy Petersen (Tyndale) entry for October 17
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
BLUEBIRD OF HAPPINESS
A sign in a pet store read, "If anybody has seen the Bluebird of Happiness, would you please notify this pet store?"
Happiness seems to be in short supply for many people. If the results of recent surveys can be trusted, there is a general decline of happiness in today's world. And people were not all that cheerful a few years back! It was Oliver Wendell Holmes who stated, "I might have been a minister for aught I know, if a certain clergyman had not looked and talked like an undertaker." (I have to say, though, that some clergy and undertakers I've known could teach the rest of us something about joy.)
Joy and happiness are not always the same things. Happiness can be thought of as more of a temporary, emotional condition, often based on outside circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, is deeper. It is often contentment in spite of the unsettling present. We can be basically joyful, regardless of a particular unhappy situation that we may be enduring. It is sometimes just a matter of keeping perspective on our troubles, and especially when those troubles seem to be in long supply.
You may know the story of the man who had a marvelous way of keeping joy in his life. He was a carpenter. He followed the same ritual every day when he came home from the job. He stopped by a small tree in his front yard and placed his hand on a couple of branches. Then, when he walked into his home, it was as if a magical transformation had occurred. All of a sudden, the stress was lifted from him. He became energetic and joyful, able to fully interact with his children and his wife.
He explained it this way: "That tree is my trouble tree. When I come home I stop by the tree and, just like I leave my tools in the truck, I leave my troubles outside of my home. I hang them on that tree before greeting my family. Anything that does not have to come in my house stays outside. Anything that I do not have to deal with at home, I leave on that tree. And in the morning, I stop by the tree and pick up the troubles I left there in the evening."
Then he adds, "It's a funny thing, though. Every morning I always find fewer troubles remaining than I hung the night before."
Here is a man who has no doubt seen the Bluebird of Happiness. Chances are, it is nesting in a tree just outside his home.
There is wisdom in knowing that some problems can wait until tomorrow. And more wisdom in knowing what to hang on the tree and what to bring in. Managing daily problems well is vital to maintaining joy.
-- Steve Goodier
Happiness seems to be in short supply for many people. If the results of recent surveys can be trusted, there is a general decline of happiness in today's world. And people were not all that cheerful a few years back! It was Oliver Wendell Holmes who stated, "I might have been a minister for aught I know, if a certain clergyman had not looked and talked like an undertaker." (I have to say, though, that some clergy and undertakers I've known could teach the rest of us something about joy.)
Joy and happiness are not always the same things. Happiness can be thought of as more of a temporary, emotional condition, often based on outside circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, is deeper. It is often contentment in spite of the unsettling present. We can be basically joyful, regardless of a particular unhappy situation that we may be enduring. It is sometimes just a matter of keeping perspective on our troubles, and especially when those troubles seem to be in long supply.
You may know the story of the man who had a marvelous way of keeping joy in his life. He was a carpenter. He followed the same ritual every day when he came home from the job. He stopped by a small tree in his front yard and placed his hand on a couple of branches. Then, when he walked into his home, it was as if a magical transformation had occurred. All of a sudden, the stress was lifted from him. He became energetic and joyful, able to fully interact with his children and his wife.
He explained it this way: "That tree is my trouble tree. When I come home I stop by the tree and, just like I leave my tools in the truck, I leave my troubles outside of my home. I hang them on that tree before greeting my family. Anything that does not have to come in my house stays outside. Anything that I do not have to deal with at home, I leave on that tree. And in the morning, I stop by the tree and pick up the troubles I left there in the evening."
Then he adds, "It's a funny thing, though. Every morning I always find fewer troubles remaining than I hung the night before."
Here is a man who has no doubt seen the Bluebird of Happiness. Chances are, it is nesting in a tree just outside his home.
There is wisdom in knowing that some problems can wait until tomorrow. And more wisdom in knowing what to hang on the tree and what to bring in. Managing daily problems well is vital to maintaining joy.
-- Steve Goodier
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Are you wearing the full armor of God?
Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all the strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.
Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT
About This Week's Promise
This is perhaps the Bible's most comprehensive teaching about the resources believers have to overcome evil. Spiritual forces lurk behind many of our conflicts. Therefore, you should not attack the people manipulated by evil but focus directly on the evil itself. Rely on truth, faith, the power of your testimony, the wisdom of God's word, and the power of prayer. When these are mobilized, evil succumbs, God wins, and you win.
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House
Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.
Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT
About This Week's Promise
This is perhaps the Bible's most comprehensive teaching about the resources believers have to overcome evil. Spiritual forces lurk behind many of our conflicts. Therefore, you should not attack the people manipulated by evil but focus directly on the evil itself. Rely on truth, faith, the power of your testimony, the wisdom of God's word, and the power of prayer. When these are mobilized, evil succumbs, God wins, and you win.
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House
Saturday, September 12, 2009
EIGHT GIFTS THAT DON'T COST A CENT
This simple checklist can help measure how you are nurturing your relationships. The author of these thoughts is unknown, but deeply appreciated.
The Gift of Listening
But you must really listen. Don't interrupt, don't daydream, don't plan your response. Just listen.
The Gift of Affection
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.
The Gift of Laughter
Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."
The Gift of Solitude
There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.
The Gift of a Favor
Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.
The Gift of a Written Note
It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime.
The Gift of a Compliment
A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job," or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.
The Gift of a Cheerful Disposition
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone.
These are eight important ways we can contribute toward whole and healthy relationships. They cost nothing, yet they may well be the most valuable gifts we can ever offer another.
-- Steve Goodier
The Gift of Listening
But you must really listen. Don't interrupt, don't daydream, don't plan your response. Just listen.
The Gift of Affection
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.
The Gift of Laughter
Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."
The Gift of Solitude
There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.
The Gift of a Favor
Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.
The Gift of a Written Note
It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime.
The Gift of a Compliment
A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job," or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.
The Gift of a Cheerful Disposition
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone.
These are eight important ways we can contribute toward whole and healthy relationships. They cost nothing, yet they may well be the most valuable gifts we can ever offer another.
-- Steve Goodier
Blessings come from applying God's Word
Is the mind of Christ living in you?
May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
live in me from day to day.
By His love and power controlling
all I do and say.
May the word of God dwell richly
in my heart from hour to hour.
So that all may see I triumph
only through His pow'r.
May the peace of God my Father
rule my life in ev'rything.
That I may be calm to comfort,
sick and sorrowing.
Kate B. Wilkinson (1859-1928)
Christian growth
Many Christians have made the commitment to be more like Jesus—but where do you start? The apostle Paul told the Philippian believers, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5, KJV). And that's just where the hymn "May the Mind of Christ My Savior" begins. But does the mind of Christ become part of us? Kate Wilkinson directs us to Colossians 3:16 for the answer: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." In the third stanza Wilkinson returns to Philippians for this promise: "And the peace of God…will guard your hearts and your minds" (Philippians 4:7). And so the song builds.
Christian growth is not instantaneous but gradual. It flows naturally from obeying God's Word. Thomas à Kempis, who wrote the Christian classic The Imitation of Christ, said, "One thing that draws back many from spiritual progress is the fear of the difficulty of the labor of the combat." Don't give up what you have started.
Adapted from The One Year Book of Hymns
(Tyndale House) entry for January 2
May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
live in me from day to day.
By His love and power controlling
all I do and say.
May the word of God dwell richly
in my heart from hour to hour.
So that all may see I triumph
only through His pow'r.
May the peace of God my Father
rule my life in ev'rything.
That I may be calm to comfort,
sick and sorrowing.
Kate B. Wilkinson (1859-1928)
Christian growth
Many Christians have made the commitment to be more like Jesus—but where do you start? The apostle Paul told the Philippian believers, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5, KJV). And that's just where the hymn "May the Mind of Christ My Savior" begins. But does the mind of Christ become part of us? Kate Wilkinson directs us to Colossians 3:16 for the answer: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." In the third stanza Wilkinson returns to Philippians for this promise: "And the peace of God…will guard your hearts and your minds" (Philippians 4:7). And so the song builds.
Christian growth is not instantaneous but gradual. It flows naturally from obeying God's Word. Thomas à Kempis, who wrote the Christian classic The Imitation of Christ, said, "One thing that draws back many from spiritual progress is the fear of the difficulty of the labor of the combat." Don't give up what you have started.
Adapted from The One Year Book of Hymns
(Tyndale House) entry for January 2
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
FOR CLOSENESS: T-R-A-V-E-L
For closeness: travel. No, I don't mean to go to take a road trip or to fly away to some exotic place. But there are ways to go deeper into a relationship -- like traveling. And there are things we can do to help a relationship really go somewhere. Let me explain.
Inmate Mitchell King had a visitor -- his wife. King was serving a six-year jail term in Auckland, New Zealand for armed robbery. But his wife didn't want to be away from him for that long. So they held hands. She wanted them to always stick together - through it all. Hand in hand, forever joined. And they did stick together. She had rubbed her palms with Super Glue.
Their new-found closeness was short-lived. And their separation painful. (I suggest we put the Super Glue idea on a short list of "THINGS NOT TO DO" when we want to grow closer.)
But if you want a deeper connection with someone your care about, if you want relationships that are more intimate, more meaningful and longer-lasting, then try this simple technique. Just remember the word "TRAVEL."
T is for TRUST. If we're seeking a glue to cement us to another, then trust is that bond. A relationship will go nowhere without it.
R is for RESPECT. Some people talk about how much they have always respected their cherished friends and family at a funeral. But why wait? People want to know that we hold them in high regard. It's about valuing others and letting them know you respect them.
A is for AFFECTION. Sometimes affection means love. Sometimes it means a touch. Or a hug. Always it means kindness.
V is for VULNERABILITY. Though we may feel afraid to let another too close, no relationship will go anywhere without taking a risk. Like entrepreneur Jim Rohn says, "The walls we build around us to keep out the sadness also keep out the joy." And the love.
E is for EMOTIONAL INTIMACY. It about learning to be open. Learning to communicate freely. The quality of relationships we make are largely determined by how openly we communicate.
L is for LAUGHTER. Victor Borge got it right when he said, "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." It's also the most enjoyable.
So for a relationship that can really go somewhere, just remember the word "TRAVEL." Then enjoy the trip.
-- Steve Goodier
Inmate Mitchell King had a visitor -- his wife. King was serving a six-year jail term in Auckland, New Zealand for armed robbery. But his wife didn't want to be away from him for that long. So they held hands. She wanted them to always stick together - through it all. Hand in hand, forever joined. And they did stick together. She had rubbed her palms with Super Glue.
Their new-found closeness was short-lived. And their separation painful. (I suggest we put the Super Glue idea on a short list of "THINGS NOT TO DO" when we want to grow closer.)
But if you want a deeper connection with someone your care about, if you want relationships that are more intimate, more meaningful and longer-lasting, then try this simple technique. Just remember the word "TRAVEL."
T is for TRUST. If we're seeking a glue to cement us to another, then trust is that bond. A relationship will go nowhere without it.
R is for RESPECT. Some people talk about how much they have always respected their cherished friends and family at a funeral. But why wait? People want to know that we hold them in high regard. It's about valuing others and letting them know you respect them.
A is for AFFECTION. Sometimes affection means love. Sometimes it means a touch. Or a hug. Always it means kindness.
V is for VULNERABILITY. Though we may feel afraid to let another too close, no relationship will go anywhere without taking a risk. Like entrepreneur Jim Rohn says, "The walls we build around us to keep out the sadness also keep out the joy." And the love.
E is for EMOTIONAL INTIMACY. It about learning to be open. Learning to communicate freely. The quality of relationships we make are largely determined by how openly we communicate.
L is for LAUGHTER. Victor Borge got it right when he said, "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." It's also the most enjoyable.
So for a relationship that can really go somewhere, just remember the word "TRAVEL." Then enjoy the trip.
-- Steve Goodier
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