The story is told of a talented musician who trained for hour upon hour each day to perfect his craft. This musician put his heart and soul unto his playing to the point that he became one with his instrument. While he had virtually perfected the execution of each note, he chose to keep his talent to himself and would not share his gift with the world. He could not explain why…he had just refused to share his gift.
After many years the musician became friends with another musician, who didn’t know that his friend was a musician until he happened to overhear his friend practicing one afternoon. After hearing his friend play the most beautiful musical solo that had ever heard, he inquired as to how his friend got be so good at his instrument and why he had never played for him. After hearing his explanation and after hearing his friend say that he has never played in front of nor did he ever intend to play for an audience, the man was floored. He simply asked this single question…”Why on Earth do you practice soooooo hard if you never intend to play or to share your gift with the rest of the world?”
Sunday after Sunday millions of people gather for the largest “practice” session in the world. In their church “homes” many are equipped with the skills and tools needed to “perform” their “perfected craft”. We greet one another in love…We give of our time…We give of our money…We give of our talents/gifts…We quote scriptures and testify of the goodness of God to other believers…etc, but when will the majority of the team go beyond practice field and actually share our craft with the rest of the world? Practice is great, but why do we continue to practice if we are not going to play?
Matthew 5:16 (The Message)
14-16"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
God has called us to shine our lights and to not keep our gifts to ourselves or solely inside the house of God. We are to use our gifts to attract others to the God. What good is it to continue to only “preach to the choir” when the ones who need to hear the message of God’s Love and need to experience His unconditional love aren’t stepping foot through the doors of the church building?
I am by no means saying that we should not attend church, but what I am saying is that we should not be some comfortable in the church seats that we forget our purpose and our calling. Our ultimate call is to shine our lights in this dark world so that the lost will see the light, be drawn to it and to want to connect with the source of the light (God).
It is time for the children of God to stop being professional, perpetual “practicers” (Jesse Jackson word of the day) and to GET IN THE GAME!!!!
Be Blessed,
B
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Areaway
Our home features a walkout basement with an areaway (about 15 feet below ground level) that leads to our backyard. Anyone that has an areaway, especially one that is not covered, knows that it is vitally important to examine the areaway and to keep it free from debris so that you can prevent your basement from flooding during times of heavy rain. Debris such as leaves, twigs, plastic bags etc. have a tendency to “ride the wind” and find a nice comfortable landing place on the drain cover that leads to the piping that is connected to the sump pump. If the drain is covered, the sump pump won’t turn on and pump the water out of the areaway and away from the basement. Performing routine maintenance (cleaning out the areaway) is the best way to have peace of mind during rain storms that could cause flooding.
We are going on our 5th year living in our home and have had 3 minor flooding incidents. The most recent “event” occurred early on a Sunday morning about 2 weeks ago. I typically don’t remember my nighttime dreams but the ones that I do seem to have some significance as it relates to a current event or they seem to be recurring dreams. My dream on Saturday night was one of those dreams. On Saturday night I had a vivid dream in which a storm carrying with it extraordinarily heavy rains and winds came through my neighborhood, but I was not home. When I arrive home after the storm, I found that my house along with other houses in the neighborhood, had sustained damage. I had this same dream at least twice that night.
When I woke up, around 7:30 or so, I told my wife about my dream. Shortly thereafter, the sky darkened and burst open and we received a powerful downpour. After about 2 minutes of rain, something told me to check the areaway. I really didn’t think too much about it because we had a lot of rain during the early part of the summer and had no trouble with the areaway. In fact I had not even had to clean it at all during this summer. As a result of my confidence in the sump pump and the past performance of the drain system, I didn’t check the areaway until about 5 mins. later.
THAT WAS A HUGE MISTAKE.
Once I made it down to the basement and opened the door, I found a catastrophe about to happen. The floor of the areaway was quickly filling with water as the rain continued to pour from the sky. I tried frantically to clear the drain and to remove the water with my shop vac, but there was no stopping it. The rain was falling too fast and I was too far behind the trouble to prevent the consequence (flooding). As the water slowly began to seep over the door stop and into the basement, I finally was able to control the water and to clear the drain, but not until a small section of the basement had received some water damage.
I could not help but think that if I had heeded to the warning signs, if I had continued with the preventative maintenance plan that I had in place or if I had moved with more urgency and not gotten comfortable with “past performance” then this misfortunate event would not have occurred.
Just as in the physical, there are spiritual, mental, and emotional areaways in our lives. By avoiding the signs of imminent danger and by not performing regular maintenance to clean out the debris, we may find ourselves fighting with all of our might, but to no avail to try to stop ourselves from falling into a raging sea of trouble without a lifejacket.
We often don’t pay attention to people, relationships, issues etc. until they demand or command our attention. We have all experienced the regret that accompanies failing to act or acting too late. We have all been “reactional” instead of proactive even when the potential danger was as clear as day. Our pride and sometimes our complacency have led to our demise and our loss.
I am reminded of these truths regarding two important “areaways” in life…my heart and mind:
My Heart…Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
My Mind…2 Corinthians 10:5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
The storms of life will come, and those who are prepared, will come through the storms intact. I can assure you however, that if you don’t prepare for life’s storms you are sure to be blown away. I urge you to examine your “areaways” and to clear the debris that has gathered, so that as the floodwaters begin to rise, your “flood prevention” defense systems will kick in and protect your home.
Are your areaways clear?
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
B
We are going on our 5th year living in our home and have had 3 minor flooding incidents. The most recent “event” occurred early on a Sunday morning about 2 weeks ago. I typically don’t remember my nighttime dreams but the ones that I do seem to have some significance as it relates to a current event or they seem to be recurring dreams. My dream on Saturday night was one of those dreams. On Saturday night I had a vivid dream in which a storm carrying with it extraordinarily heavy rains and winds came through my neighborhood, but I was not home. When I arrive home after the storm, I found that my house along with other houses in the neighborhood, had sustained damage. I had this same dream at least twice that night.
When I woke up, around 7:30 or so, I told my wife about my dream. Shortly thereafter, the sky darkened and burst open and we received a powerful downpour. After about 2 minutes of rain, something told me to check the areaway. I really didn’t think too much about it because we had a lot of rain during the early part of the summer and had no trouble with the areaway. In fact I had not even had to clean it at all during this summer. As a result of my confidence in the sump pump and the past performance of the drain system, I didn’t check the areaway until about 5 mins. later.
THAT WAS A HUGE MISTAKE.
Once I made it down to the basement and opened the door, I found a catastrophe about to happen. The floor of the areaway was quickly filling with water as the rain continued to pour from the sky. I tried frantically to clear the drain and to remove the water with my shop vac, but there was no stopping it. The rain was falling too fast and I was too far behind the trouble to prevent the consequence (flooding). As the water slowly began to seep over the door stop and into the basement, I finally was able to control the water and to clear the drain, but not until a small section of the basement had received some water damage.
I could not help but think that if I had heeded to the warning signs, if I had continued with the preventative maintenance plan that I had in place or if I had moved with more urgency and not gotten comfortable with “past performance” then this misfortunate event would not have occurred.
Just as in the physical, there are spiritual, mental, and emotional areaways in our lives. By avoiding the signs of imminent danger and by not performing regular maintenance to clean out the debris, we may find ourselves fighting with all of our might, but to no avail to try to stop ourselves from falling into a raging sea of trouble without a lifejacket.
We often don’t pay attention to people, relationships, issues etc. until they demand or command our attention. We have all experienced the regret that accompanies failing to act or acting too late. We have all been “reactional” instead of proactive even when the potential danger was as clear as day. Our pride and sometimes our complacency have led to our demise and our loss.
I am reminded of these truths regarding two important “areaways” in life…my heart and mind:
My Heart…Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
My Mind…2 Corinthians 10:5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
The storms of life will come, and those who are prepared, will come through the storms intact. I can assure you however, that if you don’t prepare for life’s storms you are sure to be blown away. I urge you to examine your “areaways” and to clear the debris that has gathered, so that as the floodwaters begin to rise, your “flood prevention” defense systems will kick in and protect your home.
Are your areaways clear?
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
B
Monday, July 27, 2009
Bike Day
Every Monday, my son’s camp has “Bike Day”. For Bike Day, the kids bring in their bikes, scooters, skateboards, roller-skates etc…and are given the opportunity to play with them at camp during the day. My son loves to take his bike or his scooter, but there are two recurring issues that seem to surface.
1. Every Sunday Evening, my wife and I ask him to totally prepare himself for the next day. Meaning that he must gather everything he needs for the next day the night before so that we are not scrambling around with him on Monday morning looking for “his” things.
2. In preparing for the Bike Day, if he wants to take his bike, he must coordinate that effort with me, because his bike will not fit in my wife’s car. She can only transport the scooter.
Last Monday, I worked from home. This means that I usually don’t leave the house until late in the afternoon, when it is time to pick up the kids. Being that it was Monday, it was also Bike day and of course through indirect actions and “reading between the lines” questions and answers with our son that morning, my wife had determined that my son wanted to take his bike (which meant that I would have to get myself together to take him and the bike to camp).
Taking him and the bike to camp would usually not be a problem for me, but in this instance, I was not moved to act upon my desire to make my son happy. Here is why…
My son ignored the house rules. He had not prepared himself the night before by getting the bike out and loading it into the proper vehicle.
He didn’t make his intentions clear to anyone with a request until it was too late (My wife was on her way out of the door)
He did not follow through and complete several of the household duties that he was responsible for.
Through this situation I was forced to take a look at myself and how the situation mirrors my relationship with my Heavenly Father. Many times I want my Father to move on my behalf, I want Him to give me the desires of my heart, I want Him to stop what He is doing to “come through” for me, I want Him to make provisions for me…etc. God loves me and there is no doubt in my mind that He does, but I think that because He loves me He tells me NO. Especially when I’m not walking in obedience.
While God’s faithfulness, love, grace and mercy are beyond human understanding, He does require that His children follow His will, His instructions and His example. God honors obedience and He wants us to choose to honor Him in our actions and not just our words. He wants us to honor Him because we love Him and not because we want what He can provide for us. God wants obedience that is driven by Love. We can’t ignore His will, His calling on our lives and His desires for us and expect Him to bless our “mess” and to “budge” just because we are crying out to Him.
God has a track record of blessing those who follow Him. These blessings may not appear to be blessings to the natural eye as they may be spiritual in nature (a better understanding of the Father and His ways, wisdom, power over spiritual enemies...etc), but their worth far out way any “blessings” that the world has to put forward because His blessings are eternal.
David wrote:
Psalm 5:12 (Amplified Bible)
12For You, Lord, will bless the [uncompromisingly] righteous [him who is upright and in right standing with You]; as with a shield You will surround him with goodwill (pleasure and favor).
I have found in my life that when I have trusted my Father and have committed myself to His “uncompromising righteousness” He has blessed me. In addition my prayers have been less about what I “need or want” Him to do but more about how I can position myself to receive a “larger portion” of Him. Meaning that when I begin to focus on allowing Him to shape me, in many cases what I thought I wanted or needed seems to have a reduced significance in light of my desire to become more like Him.
Just like I advise my son to prepare Himself and to be faithful for “Bike Day”, I am persuaded that I too must position myself for the blessings and provisions available from my Father by preparing myself through practicing a lifestyle of obedience.
Are you prepared for your “Bike Day”?
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
B
1. Every Sunday Evening, my wife and I ask him to totally prepare himself for the next day. Meaning that he must gather everything he needs for the next day the night before so that we are not scrambling around with him on Monday morning looking for “his” things.
2. In preparing for the Bike Day, if he wants to take his bike, he must coordinate that effort with me, because his bike will not fit in my wife’s car. She can only transport the scooter.
Last Monday, I worked from home. This means that I usually don’t leave the house until late in the afternoon, when it is time to pick up the kids. Being that it was Monday, it was also Bike day and of course through indirect actions and “reading between the lines” questions and answers with our son that morning, my wife had determined that my son wanted to take his bike (which meant that I would have to get myself together to take him and the bike to camp).
Taking him and the bike to camp would usually not be a problem for me, but in this instance, I was not moved to act upon my desire to make my son happy. Here is why…
My son ignored the house rules. He had not prepared himself the night before by getting the bike out and loading it into the proper vehicle.
He didn’t make his intentions clear to anyone with a request until it was too late (My wife was on her way out of the door)
He did not follow through and complete several of the household duties that he was responsible for.
Through this situation I was forced to take a look at myself and how the situation mirrors my relationship with my Heavenly Father. Many times I want my Father to move on my behalf, I want Him to give me the desires of my heart, I want Him to stop what He is doing to “come through” for me, I want Him to make provisions for me…etc. God loves me and there is no doubt in my mind that He does, but I think that because He loves me He tells me NO. Especially when I’m not walking in obedience.
While God’s faithfulness, love, grace and mercy are beyond human understanding, He does require that His children follow His will, His instructions and His example. God honors obedience and He wants us to choose to honor Him in our actions and not just our words. He wants us to honor Him because we love Him and not because we want what He can provide for us. God wants obedience that is driven by Love. We can’t ignore His will, His calling on our lives and His desires for us and expect Him to bless our “mess” and to “budge” just because we are crying out to Him.
God has a track record of blessing those who follow Him. These blessings may not appear to be blessings to the natural eye as they may be spiritual in nature (a better understanding of the Father and His ways, wisdom, power over spiritual enemies...etc), but their worth far out way any “blessings” that the world has to put forward because His blessings are eternal.
David wrote:
Psalm 5:12 (Amplified Bible)
12For You, Lord, will bless the [uncompromisingly] righteous [him who is upright and in right standing with You]; as with a shield You will surround him with goodwill (pleasure and favor).
I have found in my life that when I have trusted my Father and have committed myself to His “uncompromising righteousness” He has blessed me. In addition my prayers have been less about what I “need or want” Him to do but more about how I can position myself to receive a “larger portion” of Him. Meaning that when I begin to focus on allowing Him to shape me, in many cases what I thought I wanted or needed seems to have a reduced significance in light of my desire to become more like Him.
Just like I advise my son to prepare Himself and to be faithful for “Bike Day”, I am persuaded that I too must position myself for the blessings and provisions available from my Father by preparing myself through practicing a lifestyle of obedience.
Are you prepared for your “Bike Day”?
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
B
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Almighty Answers
Have you been praying and praying for strength, wisdom, a financial breakthrough, a door to be opened, for something in your life to change for the better, for your family to love one another more deeply, for forgiveness, for peace, for hope…etc? Many of us spend time praying for these and other things, not realizing that God has answered our prayers, but His answers did not come in the form of the manner that we thought they would.
Recently my wife and I watched Evan Almighty for a 2nd or 3rd time. I forgot just how hilarious this movie was. In the movie Evan (a modern day Noah type) is charged with building an Ark. Throughout the movie, Noah has conversations with “God” who is played by Morgan Freeman. During one on the conversations, “God” talked to Evan about how “He” answers prayers. He basically said that humans make prayer requests and think that God is confined to answering those requests in a manner that they desire Him to. We pray for strength and think that God is going to give us some “magic spinach” (like Popeye) and all of the sudden we will be strong. We ask for courage and we think that we are going go to sleep being the “cowardly lion” and wake up the next day as the “King of the Forrest”.
In general, God doesn’t operate that way. What God does is give us opportunities to demonstrate the abilities or qualities of character that we seek. In doing so, He allows us to see His faithfulness as He “pulls” those attributes out of us. For example:
*We ask for financial blessings…God answers by giving us opportunities to be good stewards of what we have now, so that He can confirm that He can trust us with more.
*We ask for strength…God answers by putting us in situations were we must demonstrate ability beyond what we think are capable of, so that we can testify of His might.
*We ask that God helps us to be more loving…God answers us by giving us opportunities to love the lovely and the “unlovely”.
*We ask for salvation for our family/friends…God presents us with opportunities to bear witness of His delivering power and to walk (live) and talk before them so that they will be drawn to Him through us.
I truly believe that as we pay more attention to our circumstances and as we allow God’s Word to serve as the scope that we examine our lives (and especially our circumstances) through, we are sure to find that God has already answered many of our prayer requests, but we have not taken the time to receive His answers.
Praying to God is not like rubbing a genie lamp and making a wish when the genie appears. It is much deeper than that. It is a time to have a two-way communication with our Creator and to ask for insight and guidance so that we can see ourselves and our situations through His eyes. God is not forced to answer us How, When, Where, etc we want Him to. We just need to live in expectation of an answer.
God hears our prayers…but do we hear His answers????
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
B
Recently my wife and I watched Evan Almighty for a 2nd or 3rd time. I forgot just how hilarious this movie was. In the movie Evan (a modern day Noah type) is charged with building an Ark. Throughout the movie, Noah has conversations with “God” who is played by Morgan Freeman. During one on the conversations, “God” talked to Evan about how “He” answers prayers. He basically said that humans make prayer requests and think that God is confined to answering those requests in a manner that they desire Him to. We pray for strength and think that God is going to give us some “magic spinach” (like Popeye) and all of the sudden we will be strong. We ask for courage and we think that we are going go to sleep being the “cowardly lion” and wake up the next day as the “King of the Forrest”.
In general, God doesn’t operate that way. What God does is give us opportunities to demonstrate the abilities or qualities of character that we seek. In doing so, He allows us to see His faithfulness as He “pulls” those attributes out of us. For example:
*We ask for financial blessings…God answers by giving us opportunities to be good stewards of what we have now, so that He can confirm that He can trust us with more.
*We ask for strength…God answers by putting us in situations were we must demonstrate ability beyond what we think are capable of, so that we can testify of His might.
*We ask that God helps us to be more loving…God answers us by giving us opportunities to love the lovely and the “unlovely”.
*We ask for salvation for our family/friends…God presents us with opportunities to bear witness of His delivering power and to walk (live) and talk before them so that they will be drawn to Him through us.
I truly believe that as we pay more attention to our circumstances and as we allow God’s Word to serve as the scope that we examine our lives (and especially our circumstances) through, we are sure to find that God has already answered many of our prayer requests, but we have not taken the time to receive His answers.
Praying to God is not like rubbing a genie lamp and making a wish when the genie appears. It is much deeper than that. It is a time to have a two-way communication with our Creator and to ask for insight and guidance so that we can see ourselves and our situations through His eyes. God is not forced to answer us How, When, Where, etc we want Him to. We just need to live in expectation of an answer.
God hears our prayers…but do we hear His answers????
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
B
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Open House
A few weeks ago, my wife and I had the pleasure of spending the weekend together in Washington DC. Other than dropping by to go to a concert at Constitution Hall or a play at the Warner Theatre, I really had experienced DC since the days of elementary school field trips to DC. Being born and raised in B-More we were taught at very young age to despise DC (just kidding).
During our recent trip, we were able to truly “meet” DC. We traveled on foot, on the Metro and by cab, [since a friend of the family volunteered to both drop us off at our hotel (that Friday) and to pick us up (on that Sunday) so that we could relax and avoid some of the outrageous parking fees]. Throughout the weekend, we visited some of the museums that we remembered exploring as kids, walked through the Mall, ‘refueled” (one of us did literally…and it wasn’t the writer of this piece) at Ben’s Chili Bowl and experienced some fine dining along with the nightlife that is DC,
As a gesture of appreciation, we invited the friend of the family that took us to DC to join us for dinner on Friday. As we dined, at the Utopia Bar and Grill we conversed about many different subjects. One topic that we discussed was my wife’s desire to replace our black leather furniture that is in our basement “family room” (which we hardly use). While the furniture does not show its age, it is over 12 years old and my wife said that when we replace it she wanted to go with something a little more comfortable and “cushy” like the furniture in our family room on the main floor. I agreed. I want some nice comfortable furniture just like what I already have upstairs.
After listening, the friend, who is gifted in the area of interior design, chimed in. She said something that I found intriguing. She asked about what the “function” of the downstairs family room will be. She suggested something that had a “lounge” feel or a place of totally relaxation which would address a need that is not being met by any other room in the house. She said that if we are not currently using the family-room in the basement, just replacing the furniture is not going to draw us to use that room any more than we do now. In essence she said that every room needs a function and has to meet a need or else it is essentially useless and will become an afterthought.
This conversation made me look at myself in a new light. In 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Paul talks about believers being like the Body of Christ…each one working together with a different function, but with a single purpose, which is to carry out the will of the “Head of the Body” (which is Christ). Our primary goals are to bring glory to God and to expand the kingdom.
Similarly, we are also like rooms in a house. We each have a function and when we operate outside of what we are called to do we either create chaos or we become useless because we are trying to merely duplicate the “need meeting” function that is being carried out by someone else (just like my basement “family room” which was a mere copy of my main floor family room”). What would you think if you visited someone’s house and they had a washer machine in the kitchen where an oven and range was supposed to be and a bedroom set in the dining room instead of a table and chairs?
I believe that people who have not yet decided to follow Christ are like homebuyers who in the market to buy the “house”. They are checking out the “house”, inspecting the “rooms” (the believers) and making sure that the house is going to enhance their life experience. Some buyers are sold immediately by just checking out one room…for some it’s the kitchen…other it is the master bedroom. Some people have to be “sold” on every room before they are “sold” on the “house” as a whole. Most if not all people would be completely turned off if at the “Open House” the whole house was in disarray or if what was advertised as a 25 room house was a house with 24 bathrooms and one kitchen.
The point is this. What room are you? What is your function and are you carrying it out or have you diminished your value and your “selling” points because you are trying to be a “room” that you were not designed to be? God is the ultimate interior designer. He designed you for a purpose and you play a vital role in attracting those who are in the market for a “home”. What will you do differently today to be a part of the process of making sure that the buyer “closes the deal”?
It’s Open House.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
B
During our recent trip, we were able to truly “meet” DC. We traveled on foot, on the Metro and by cab, [since a friend of the family volunteered to both drop us off at our hotel (that Friday) and to pick us up (on that Sunday) so that we could relax and avoid some of the outrageous parking fees]. Throughout the weekend, we visited some of the museums that we remembered exploring as kids, walked through the Mall, ‘refueled” (one of us did literally…and it wasn’t the writer of this piece) at Ben’s Chili Bowl and experienced some fine dining along with the nightlife that is DC,
As a gesture of appreciation, we invited the friend of the family that took us to DC to join us for dinner on Friday. As we dined, at the Utopia Bar and Grill we conversed about many different subjects. One topic that we discussed was my wife’s desire to replace our black leather furniture that is in our basement “family room” (which we hardly use). While the furniture does not show its age, it is over 12 years old and my wife said that when we replace it she wanted to go with something a little more comfortable and “cushy” like the furniture in our family room on the main floor. I agreed. I want some nice comfortable furniture just like what I already have upstairs.
After listening, the friend, who is gifted in the area of interior design, chimed in. She said something that I found intriguing. She asked about what the “function” of the downstairs family room will be. She suggested something that had a “lounge” feel or a place of totally relaxation which would address a need that is not being met by any other room in the house. She said that if we are not currently using the family-room in the basement, just replacing the furniture is not going to draw us to use that room any more than we do now. In essence she said that every room needs a function and has to meet a need or else it is essentially useless and will become an afterthought.
This conversation made me look at myself in a new light. In 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Paul talks about believers being like the Body of Christ…each one working together with a different function, but with a single purpose, which is to carry out the will of the “Head of the Body” (which is Christ). Our primary goals are to bring glory to God and to expand the kingdom.
Similarly, we are also like rooms in a house. We each have a function and when we operate outside of what we are called to do we either create chaos or we become useless because we are trying to merely duplicate the “need meeting” function that is being carried out by someone else (just like my basement “family room” which was a mere copy of my main floor family room”). What would you think if you visited someone’s house and they had a washer machine in the kitchen where an oven and range was supposed to be and a bedroom set in the dining room instead of a table and chairs?
I believe that people who have not yet decided to follow Christ are like homebuyers who in the market to buy the “house”. They are checking out the “house”, inspecting the “rooms” (the believers) and making sure that the house is going to enhance their life experience. Some buyers are sold immediately by just checking out one room…for some it’s the kitchen…other it is the master bedroom. Some people have to be “sold” on every room before they are “sold” on the “house” as a whole. Most if not all people would be completely turned off if at the “Open House” the whole house was in disarray or if what was advertised as a 25 room house was a house with 24 bathrooms and one kitchen.
The point is this. What room are you? What is your function and are you carrying it out or have you diminished your value and your “selling” points because you are trying to be a “room” that you were not designed to be? God is the ultimate interior designer. He designed you for a purpose and you play a vital role in attracting those who are in the market for a “home”. What will you do differently today to be a part of the process of making sure that the buyer “closes the deal”?
It’s Open House.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
B
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Bluetooth
One feature that I optioned for in my latest vehicle is a Bluetooth integrated radio that would allow me to receive and to make call in a safe “handsfree” manner. It is a very convenient function as it has built in caller ID and is voice activated. Whenever my vehicle is on and my phone is in range, the car automatically connects to the phone as indicated by a symbol (which resembles a phone) that appears on the central display of the dashboard. This “icon” is a reminder to me that 1… I have my phone and 2…the system is working properly. I have come to trust and rely on my “Bluetooth Radio”.
My reliance on this technology, came in handy last week as I was leaving for work. Like most people, my phone (smartphone/”celly”/lifeline/”text machine”..etc) is an essential part of my wardrobe. It is a way for me to stay connected to family, friends, co-workers and the rest of the world in general, so you can imagine the “mini-panic attack” I had when as I was sitting in my car going through my mental checklist of tasks that I needed to do or items that I needed to take with me for the day, and I could not locate my phone. All I had on my hip was an empty phone case.
I began to backtrack…mentally and physically. The bedroom, the kitchen, the family room….my “Text-Machine” was nowhere to be found. As I was giving up hope, a still voice told me to go back to the car and just go to work. I listened and to my delight, as I started the car, the Bluetooth phone connection icon appeared in my dash. “What a relief!!!” I thought, “Now I know that my phone is in the car.” Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of the saga. I spent the next 10 minutes looking in the car for the phone, but I came up empty. I decided that I had to move on with my day and that I had to rest assure that the phone was somewhere in the car and that I would eventually find it.
This experience seemed to be linked to a recent Bible study that I was a part of. The study focused on how we should not let the unexplainable get in the way of our acceptance of the undeniable. In other words, there are things that we can’t explain (and may never be able to explain), but there are also undeniable truths that we must accept and live our lives by.
This is sooooo true as it relates to our relationship with God and His will for our lives. I can not explain all the mysteries of God. Why He does what He does. What He is going to do down to the smallest of decisions. I can’t explain it (if I could then I would be God). I can however rest on the undeniable power that I have personally experienced through my undeniable relationship with Him. I can attest to His delivering power and His unconditional Love. I can’t explain all the “why’s” but their reality is undeniable.
I fight each day to not let what I don’t know, hinder my faith. For if I knew it all, there would be no need for Faith. Just as in my experience with my “lost” phone, while I could not explain exactly where my phone was, I had an “undeniable” indicator that my phone was there, so I didn’t allow my life to come to a complete and permanent standstill as a result of the “unexplainable” (not knowing exactly where the phone was).
I have a new appreciation for Hebrews 11:1:
1NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, [a]the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
What unexplainable truth or reality is preventing you from accepting the undeniable truths of God and His will for you? What detail are you so focused on that it has caused you to lose sight of the “big picture”? What will it take to move you from dwelling in the realm of the unexplainable into living a life confident in the undeniable?
Is your spiritual “Bluthtooth” connected or are you out of range?
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
B
My reliance on this technology, came in handy last week as I was leaving for work. Like most people, my phone (smartphone/”celly”/lifeline/”text machine”..etc) is an essential part of my wardrobe. It is a way for me to stay connected to family, friends, co-workers and the rest of the world in general, so you can imagine the “mini-panic attack” I had when as I was sitting in my car going through my mental checklist of tasks that I needed to do or items that I needed to take with me for the day, and I could not locate my phone. All I had on my hip was an empty phone case.
I began to backtrack…mentally and physically. The bedroom, the kitchen, the family room….my “Text-Machine” was nowhere to be found. As I was giving up hope, a still voice told me to go back to the car and just go to work. I listened and to my delight, as I started the car, the Bluetooth phone connection icon appeared in my dash. “What a relief!!!” I thought, “Now I know that my phone is in the car.” Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of the saga. I spent the next 10 minutes looking in the car for the phone, but I came up empty. I decided that I had to move on with my day and that I had to rest assure that the phone was somewhere in the car and that I would eventually find it.
This experience seemed to be linked to a recent Bible study that I was a part of. The study focused on how we should not let the unexplainable get in the way of our acceptance of the undeniable. In other words, there are things that we can’t explain (and may never be able to explain), but there are also undeniable truths that we must accept and live our lives by.
This is sooooo true as it relates to our relationship with God and His will for our lives. I can not explain all the mysteries of God. Why He does what He does. What He is going to do down to the smallest of decisions. I can’t explain it (if I could then I would be God). I can however rest on the undeniable power that I have personally experienced through my undeniable relationship with Him. I can attest to His delivering power and His unconditional Love. I can’t explain all the “why’s” but their reality is undeniable.
I fight each day to not let what I don’t know, hinder my faith. For if I knew it all, there would be no need for Faith. Just as in my experience with my “lost” phone, while I could not explain exactly where my phone was, I had an “undeniable” indicator that my phone was there, so I didn’t allow my life to come to a complete and permanent standstill as a result of the “unexplainable” (not knowing exactly where the phone was).
I have a new appreciation for Hebrews 11:1:
1NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, [a]the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
What unexplainable truth or reality is preventing you from accepting the undeniable truths of God and His will for you? What detail are you so focused on that it has caused you to lose sight of the “big picture”? What will it take to move you from dwelling in the realm of the unexplainable into living a life confident in the undeniable?
Is your spiritual “Bluthtooth” connected or are you out of range?
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
B
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Graduation Preparation
It is that season once again….Graduation season. Many of the Class of 2009 have walked across the stage already. Those who have not are preparing to walk across the stage, preparing their kids to walk across the stage or probably know someone who is participating in a graduation ceremony. Graduations are glorious times. They signify achievement and serve as landmarks in life as the graduate and the people who supported the graduate through the educational process celebrate and recognize the sacrifices that went into making the achievement possible.
Graduations are culminating events that mark the achievement of a goal that in most cases was set in years prior. Graduations are a time to reflect on a journey to pursue excellence that began as a dream. The dream began to take shape and to materialize as the graduate carefully navigated the road to reach a destination called “goal” or “success”.
In order to pursue excellence or to obtain a goal, sacrifices must be made. Clear goals and plans are the filters in which we must run our thoughts, actions, opportunities and priorities through in order to make sense of things and to “purify” or align our decisions with our pursuit of excellence. This filtering process makes the right decisions easier to make because if we are faced with two alternatives our “filtration system” will assist us in eliminating or delaying the alternative that is least aligned with our goals.
There is a potential downside to graduations. Complacency is often the sister of achievement. Too often, we achieve our goals and we stop dreaming. We stop planning for the next goal. We get arrogant and start reading and believing our own press and begin to deceive ourselves into thinking that we have “made it” and that we success is a direct result of our own “greatness”. There is something about reaching a goal that sometimes causes us to let our guard down and to sometimes forget the significance of the struggle to seek success.
In order to gain something that is important to us we must forgo something that is insignificant as compared to that “something” that we want to achieve.
In our pursuit of excellence in life, we sometimes forget about what our #1 goal should be. That goal should be a deeper relationship with God as demonstrated though our relationships with others and the selfless drive to embody the very essence of Love.
Paul summed it up so beautifully:
Philippians 3:7-8 (Amplified Bible)
7But whatever former things I had that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider as [[a]one combined] loss for Christ's sake.
8Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One),
If our desire is to know God, we must be willing to discount the value of everything else when comparing it to becoming more intimate with Him. All that we accomplished on “our own”, all the material things that we have worked so hard to pursue and all the relationships that we have put 1st are all mere “rubbish” as we measure them against the knowledge of God through Christ.
We must be willing to lose and “loose” things in order to “gain” a deeper understanding of God. Just as a student who is on the journey toward graduation, sacrifices must be made in order to achieve the dream or goal. The challenge is found in letting go in order to gain.
What in your life is preventing you from obtaining a deeper understanding of God? What or who are you afraid to lose or “loose”? Has your personal success diminished your perceived need for ultimate reliance on God? What spiritual goals do you need to set in your life?
One day your name will be called…are you preparing to walk across the stage?
Be Blessed,
B
Graduations are culminating events that mark the achievement of a goal that in most cases was set in years prior. Graduations are a time to reflect on a journey to pursue excellence that began as a dream. The dream began to take shape and to materialize as the graduate carefully navigated the road to reach a destination called “goal” or “success”.
In order to pursue excellence or to obtain a goal, sacrifices must be made. Clear goals and plans are the filters in which we must run our thoughts, actions, opportunities and priorities through in order to make sense of things and to “purify” or align our decisions with our pursuit of excellence. This filtering process makes the right decisions easier to make because if we are faced with two alternatives our “filtration system” will assist us in eliminating or delaying the alternative that is least aligned with our goals.
There is a potential downside to graduations. Complacency is often the sister of achievement. Too often, we achieve our goals and we stop dreaming. We stop planning for the next goal. We get arrogant and start reading and believing our own press and begin to deceive ourselves into thinking that we have “made it” and that we success is a direct result of our own “greatness”. There is something about reaching a goal that sometimes causes us to let our guard down and to sometimes forget the significance of the struggle to seek success.
In order to gain something that is important to us we must forgo something that is insignificant as compared to that “something” that we want to achieve.
In our pursuit of excellence in life, we sometimes forget about what our #1 goal should be. That goal should be a deeper relationship with God as demonstrated though our relationships with others and the selfless drive to embody the very essence of Love.
Paul summed it up so beautifully:
Philippians 3:7-8 (Amplified Bible)
7But whatever former things I had that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider as [[a]one combined] loss for Christ's sake.
8Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One),
If our desire is to know God, we must be willing to discount the value of everything else when comparing it to becoming more intimate with Him. All that we accomplished on “our own”, all the material things that we have worked so hard to pursue and all the relationships that we have put 1st are all mere “rubbish” as we measure them against the knowledge of God through Christ.
We must be willing to lose and “loose” things in order to “gain” a deeper understanding of God. Just as a student who is on the journey toward graduation, sacrifices must be made in order to achieve the dream or goal. The challenge is found in letting go in order to gain.
What in your life is preventing you from obtaining a deeper understanding of God? What or who are you afraid to lose or “loose”? Has your personal success diminished your perceived need for ultimate reliance on God? What spiritual goals do you need to set in your life?
One day your name will be called…are you preparing to walk across the stage?
Be Blessed,
B
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Why to What
Since I was blessed to marry such an amazingly beautiful wife, it is no surprise that I am blessed to have two beautiful children. My kids like my wife are beautiful from the inside out. Recently as I entered church after dropping the wife and kids off at the front door (being the gentleman that my parents raised me to be), I was stopped by one of the members of my church. With a warm smile on her face she said, "Bryant you are blessed with such a beautiful family and that young lady of yours is the total package. She is gorgeous, has a loving heart, is smart and very talented. She is really growing up."
Truthfully though I don’t always want to admit it, my daughter is growing up right before my eyes. She is beginning to develop patterns that will help her to have a strong relationship with God and to be able to demonstrate that relationship by the way she treats and interacts with other people.
My little girl is definitely becoming a young lady. According to my wife, the other day some young men were drawn in by her attractiveness only to be snubbed when my wife announced to the “would be predators” that my daughter is only 11 years old. I guess the Lord saw fit to keep me from going to jail, since this event took place when I was not around J.
My daughter’s physical appearance is years beyond her actual age. It scares me to think that physically she has the ability at the age of 11 to conceive a child. I often think…GOD WHY ME?!?!?!? I have a long road ahead of me as it pertains to protecting her from people that will look at her from the outside 1st and not realize that her physical appearance is not a true reflection of where she is mentally and emotionally.
As children of God, we sometimes “look” older than we really are. We appear to have our lives together, to not be moved by the storms of uncertainty and to be able to conquer any adversaries that dare to cross our paths. We know how to talk the talk. From the outside it appears that we are “pros” at life. We are unshakeable and unbreakable…but…if people only knew (many times we don’t have a clue).
True maturity is being able to be transparent…transparent with God, with ourselves and with other people. True maturity is demonstrated through a “walk” that matches our”talk”.
I have found in my walk with God, the key to my maturation has revolved around a simple concept. The practice of moving from “Why to What”. In my early walk with the Lord I got so caught-up in the Why’s. Why is this happening God? Why did you allow this pain or hurt? Why didn’t you bless me in this area or that area? Why? Why? Why? I used my Why’s as an excuse to fail and I allowed the “Why’s” to impede my growth.
As I have matured, I have began to shift my focus to the “What’s”. What do you want me to learn from this God? What do you want me to do? What would you do in this circumstance? What decision would bring you glory? What is your perspective?
I don’t believe that God is too concerned with revealing the answers to our “Why’s”. I believe He wants to see “What” we are going to do. What are we going to do when we think we can get away with it? What are we going to do when we are in a position to help someone? What are we going to do when our money is tight, but there is a Kingdom need? What are we going to do when pain and hurt knock us off of our feet? What are we going to do when God doesn’t answer the “Why’s”? What are we going to do when our backs are against the wall and we can’t see our way through?
Wherever you find yourself on this journey called life, I challenge you to press toward the next level in your relationship with God by changing your “why’s” to “what’s” so that the image of maturity that you project to the world will match the level of spiritual maturity that you actually possess.
Let’s move from “Why” to What”.
Be Blessed,
B
Truthfully though I don’t always want to admit it, my daughter is growing up right before my eyes. She is beginning to develop patterns that will help her to have a strong relationship with God and to be able to demonstrate that relationship by the way she treats and interacts with other people.
My little girl is definitely becoming a young lady. According to my wife, the other day some young men were drawn in by her attractiveness only to be snubbed when my wife announced to the “would be predators” that my daughter is only 11 years old. I guess the Lord saw fit to keep me from going to jail, since this event took place when I was not around J.
My daughter’s physical appearance is years beyond her actual age. It scares me to think that physically she has the ability at the age of 11 to conceive a child. I often think…GOD WHY ME?!?!?!? I have a long road ahead of me as it pertains to protecting her from people that will look at her from the outside 1st and not realize that her physical appearance is not a true reflection of where she is mentally and emotionally.
As children of God, we sometimes “look” older than we really are. We appear to have our lives together, to not be moved by the storms of uncertainty and to be able to conquer any adversaries that dare to cross our paths. We know how to talk the talk. From the outside it appears that we are “pros” at life. We are unshakeable and unbreakable…but…if people only knew (many times we don’t have a clue).
True maturity is being able to be transparent…transparent with God, with ourselves and with other people. True maturity is demonstrated through a “walk” that matches our”talk”.
I have found in my walk with God, the key to my maturation has revolved around a simple concept. The practice of moving from “Why to What”. In my early walk with the Lord I got so caught-up in the Why’s. Why is this happening God? Why did you allow this pain or hurt? Why didn’t you bless me in this area or that area? Why? Why? Why? I used my Why’s as an excuse to fail and I allowed the “Why’s” to impede my growth.
As I have matured, I have began to shift my focus to the “What’s”. What do you want me to learn from this God? What do you want me to do? What would you do in this circumstance? What decision would bring you glory? What is your perspective?
I don’t believe that God is too concerned with revealing the answers to our “Why’s”. I believe He wants to see “What” we are going to do. What are we going to do when we think we can get away with it? What are we going to do when we are in a position to help someone? What are we going to do when our money is tight, but there is a Kingdom need? What are we going to do when pain and hurt knock us off of our feet? What are we going to do when God doesn’t answer the “Why’s”? What are we going to do when our backs are against the wall and we can’t see our way through?
Wherever you find yourself on this journey called life, I challenge you to press toward the next level in your relationship with God by changing your “why’s” to “what’s” so that the image of maturity that you project to the world will match the level of spiritual maturity that you actually possess.
Let’s move from “Why” to What”.
Be Blessed,
B
Thursday, April 30, 2009
What will be your legacy?
My wife and I recently endured the movie,” The Day the Earth Stood Still” (shout out to Redbox and “free rentals on Monday nights). To be brutally honest, I think the movie deserved each and every one of the “C” ratings that it received from most of the critics and movie fans that reviewed it. The movie told the story of how alien civilizations came to rid the Earth of Humanity due to the fact that we were not taking care of one the most precious resources in the cosmos…the planet Earth. The aliens took human form and lived among us, observing our behavior and after being provoked by our destructive behavior, they decided that it was time to pull the trigger and wipe us out.
One of the aliens had lived on Earth for roughly 70 years. After living “among us”, he gave a report to Keanu Reeves, who too was also an alien and who had set the plan in motion to kill us. In his report he talked about the destructive nature of mankind and how mankind knows the end result of its destructive behavior, but chooses to pursue this destructive behavior. Choosing to live in a false “reality” and ignoring the truth concerning the consequences of their actions. It was noted that these behavior patterns are passed down from generation to generation and bear the seeds of hatred, anger and death. In contrast, he was burdened by the fact that he had grown to love the humans for inside of them was the capacity to love and to unite in the face of annihilation. As a result of his human experience, the old man “alien” was willing to die with humanity as they were exterminated.
This movie, while I give it two thumbs down, was connected to some of my recent experiences. One was last Friday when I hooked up with my best friend growing up who is now a Pastor (Shout out to Clay). He invited me to join him at a Basketball outreach where young men are invited to play ball at a school gym and in a drama-free, “free from profanity” environment and are also prayed for, ministered to and encouraged to become the men that God intends for them to be. As the night came to an end, Clay issued a challenge to the young men. Simply put, he asked them, “What will your legacy be?”
Far too many people leave the Earth and leave no legacy behind…They walk but leave no imprint on the sands of time. I am convinced that people who don’t leave a legacy are people who don’t maximize the opportunities presented by the Defining Moments of life.
In a recent Bible Study, the discussion leader defined Defining Moments as moments that require a decision on our part and after that decision is made (right or wrong) our lives are never the same. More importantly, a Defining Moment is a moment when you are confronted with a truth about life and you are invited to change the way you live as a result of that truth.
As with the challenges that faced both Humanity (in “The Day the Earth Stood Still”) and the young men (that I met last week at the Basketball Outreach), we are “met-head-on” with Defining Moments. I believe that life is lived between Defining Moments. Many times we don’t want to face the truth about ourselves, the truth about our relationships, the truth about our finances, the truth about God etc., but rest assure that denial and avoidance of the truth doesn’t make the truth less real.
What truth are you faced with today? What reality have you been in denial about? I urge you today to ask God to give you the wisdom to know how to deal with your Defining Moments and the strength to endure until He has made His Truth known to you.
In the face of your defining moment…what will be your legacy?
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
B
One of the aliens had lived on Earth for roughly 70 years. After living “among us”, he gave a report to Keanu Reeves, who too was also an alien and who had set the plan in motion to kill us. In his report he talked about the destructive nature of mankind and how mankind knows the end result of its destructive behavior, but chooses to pursue this destructive behavior. Choosing to live in a false “reality” and ignoring the truth concerning the consequences of their actions. It was noted that these behavior patterns are passed down from generation to generation and bear the seeds of hatred, anger and death. In contrast, he was burdened by the fact that he had grown to love the humans for inside of them was the capacity to love and to unite in the face of annihilation. As a result of his human experience, the old man “alien” was willing to die with humanity as they were exterminated.
This movie, while I give it two thumbs down, was connected to some of my recent experiences. One was last Friday when I hooked up with my best friend growing up who is now a Pastor (Shout out to Clay). He invited me to join him at a Basketball outreach where young men are invited to play ball at a school gym and in a drama-free, “free from profanity” environment and are also prayed for, ministered to and encouraged to become the men that God intends for them to be. As the night came to an end, Clay issued a challenge to the young men. Simply put, he asked them, “What will your legacy be?”
Far too many people leave the Earth and leave no legacy behind…They walk but leave no imprint on the sands of time. I am convinced that people who don’t leave a legacy are people who don’t maximize the opportunities presented by the Defining Moments of life.
In a recent Bible Study, the discussion leader defined Defining Moments as moments that require a decision on our part and after that decision is made (right or wrong) our lives are never the same. More importantly, a Defining Moment is a moment when you are confronted with a truth about life and you are invited to change the way you live as a result of that truth.
As with the challenges that faced both Humanity (in “The Day the Earth Stood Still”) and the young men (that I met last week at the Basketball Outreach), we are “met-head-on” with Defining Moments. I believe that life is lived between Defining Moments. Many times we don’t want to face the truth about ourselves, the truth about our relationships, the truth about our finances, the truth about God etc., but rest assure that denial and avoidance of the truth doesn’t make the truth less real.
What truth are you faced with today? What reality have you been in denial about? I urge you today to ask God to give you the wisdom to know how to deal with your Defining Moments and the strength to endure until He has made His Truth known to you.
In the face of your defining moment…what will be your legacy?
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
B
Friday, April 17, 2009
Traders VS Investors
While preparing for work today, I was watching Squawk Box on CNBC. I believe that Squawk Box is one if not the longest running morning business news program and its claim to fame is bringing Wall Street to Main Street, through various commentators and analysts. This morning while talking about the Market moves yesterday, reviewing the earnings releases from the post-market close on yesterday and discussing pre-market news and earnings releases, they had a segment where they interviewed a seasoned market analyst.
During the interview with the analyst, they discussed various topics including the projected length of the recession, the current market rally, historical implications...etc. I was listening, but I was not totally focused on the discussion until the Senior Market Analyst made this statement, “The problem with the market today is that there are too many traders and not enough investors. The traders are driving this market while the Big Money is on the sideline.” He pointed out that the market will stabilize once the Big Money (The Investors) re-enter the market. He later explained that Investors are in it for the long-term. They see the long-term value of the investments, while traders are here today and gone tomorrow. He further detailed that Investors know the true value of the investment vehicles and are more influential in determining the true value of the market asset.
This dialogue led me to take a look at my life. I began to think of my life as a stock and the people that I have met to be either “Investors” or “Traders”. The traders have sought to benefit from me in the short-term. They saw me as an opportunity to further their own objectives and use me to get what they wanted. They were here one day and gone the next….never really taking time to appreciate my value. On the flip side I have had “Investors”. “Investors” are those who saw my potential and invested their resources (time, money, love, etc.) to help me to reach my long-term goals. Investors believe that their success in the long-term is connected to my success long-term. They partner with me. Investors “hold” on to me when I’m up and when I’m down in the short-term, knowing that in the long run, their investment in me will pay off and my “market value” will be much more than it was when they first “invested” in me.
My “Investors” are my true, through thick and thin, up and down, good or bad, rich or poor, sho-nuff friends.
Proverbs 17:17 says: A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity.
Too often as it is in the business world today, we focus our attention on what the “traders” are doing. We waste time trying to please those who will in reality just stay around for the short-term. If that is your focus, make today the day that you shift your focus to the long-term. A true friend (investor) is going to love us at all times, while traders will flee at just the suggestion of adversity.
With each relationship in your life ask yourself is the person on the other end of this relationship an “Investor” in my success or a “trader” looking to make a quick “profit”? I believe that this mindset is essential to making good life decisions and in setting priorities.
God is your #1 investor (friend) and has a vested interest in your success. He is always there and will continue to “hold you when others have “sold” you and moved on.
We should also be determined to be “Investors” in the lives of others. There are great “stocks” out there that are “undervalued” and “oversold” but have great potential and value. It is time for the “Investors” to get off of the sidelines and to turn this “market” around.
Now is the time to invest.
Be Blessed,
B
During the interview with the analyst, they discussed various topics including the projected length of the recession, the current market rally, historical implications...etc. I was listening, but I was not totally focused on the discussion until the Senior Market Analyst made this statement, “The problem with the market today is that there are too many traders and not enough investors. The traders are driving this market while the Big Money is on the sideline.” He pointed out that the market will stabilize once the Big Money (The Investors) re-enter the market. He later explained that Investors are in it for the long-term. They see the long-term value of the investments, while traders are here today and gone tomorrow. He further detailed that Investors know the true value of the investment vehicles and are more influential in determining the true value of the market asset.
This dialogue led me to take a look at my life. I began to think of my life as a stock and the people that I have met to be either “Investors” or “Traders”. The traders have sought to benefit from me in the short-term. They saw me as an opportunity to further their own objectives and use me to get what they wanted. They were here one day and gone the next….never really taking time to appreciate my value. On the flip side I have had “Investors”. “Investors” are those who saw my potential and invested their resources (time, money, love, etc.) to help me to reach my long-term goals. Investors believe that their success in the long-term is connected to my success long-term. They partner with me. Investors “hold” on to me when I’m up and when I’m down in the short-term, knowing that in the long run, their investment in me will pay off and my “market value” will be much more than it was when they first “invested” in me.
My “Investors” are my true, through thick and thin, up and down, good or bad, rich or poor, sho-nuff friends.
Proverbs 17:17 says: A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity.
Too often as it is in the business world today, we focus our attention on what the “traders” are doing. We waste time trying to please those who will in reality just stay around for the short-term. If that is your focus, make today the day that you shift your focus to the long-term. A true friend (investor) is going to love us at all times, while traders will flee at just the suggestion of adversity.
With each relationship in your life ask yourself is the person on the other end of this relationship an “Investor” in my success or a “trader” looking to make a quick “profit”? I believe that this mindset is essential to making good life decisions and in setting priorities.
God is your #1 investor (friend) and has a vested interest in your success. He is always there and will continue to “hold you when others have “sold” you and moved on.
We should also be determined to be “Investors” in the lives of others. There are great “stocks” out there that are “undervalued” and “oversold” but have great potential and value. It is time for the “Investors” to get off of the sidelines and to turn this “market” around.
Now is the time to invest.
Be Blessed,
B
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Helping Hand
Anyone who knows my Father, Zachary C. Jeffers, knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is one word that describes him….that one word is Warrior. A warrior is a person that demonstrates great vigor, courage and skillfulness in the face of battle. My Dad is a pugilist, a fighter a soldier in the army of God. He has stepped up and volunteered for many battles and has witnessed first hand the power, love and delivering power of God. He trusts God with an unwavering faith. I have never doubted for one minute that He has ultimately placed his destiny and his life in the care of God. He has seen victories on mountain tops and he has experienced tests/trials through valleys, but no matter whether the situation has called for Him to be up or down, he has allowed the joy of the Lord, the recognition of His Mercy and the acknowledgement of God’s grace to be his strength and sustaining power.
He is an awesome man, father, friend and brother in the Lord.
My father was diagnosed with cancer in December 2006. As part of the treatment for the disease, he has had to undergo surgery and chemotherapy. This past Monday, I had the honor to once again be by his side through the infusion therapy. I say honor because while I could never repay him for all that he has done for me over the years or the priceless lessons that I have learned from Him, I do consider it an honor to provide support, encouragement and love to him as we battle this thing together.
The chemotherapy on Monday lasted about 5 hours. When I’m with him, I can sense his discomfort at times during the treatment and I often spend time praying for his healing. Upon completion of the chemo this week, we gathered our things and began to start to head out. After trying to stand up, my dad had to immediately sit back down because the therapy had caused his equilibrium to be off. I saw the disappointment and frustration on his face (in my mind I don’t think that he really wanted me to see him struggle in that manner). I assured him that we were in no rush and asked him to take a few minutes to gather himself before we attempted to head out. He rested for all of 10 seconds…”I have to do this…I’m going to give it a shot” he declared. He struggled out of the treatment room. Reaching out and stabilizing himself on every secure object that he could find, he intently made his way to the lobby where he sat down while I retrieved the car.
As I walked with my dad from the treatment room, I tried to help him, but he politely let me know that He wanted to do it by himself. Even though he resisted my help, I still walked with Him every step of the way and I positioned myself so that I could catch him in the event that he fell. As people passed by and gazed at us, I imagined that they were thinking one of two things. “Doesn’t that young man see his father struggling? Why doesn’t He help him?” or “Why won’t that older man let the younger man help him? He definitely looks capable?”
This experience led me to reflect on my relationship with God. There have been many times in my life when I have tried to do things in my own strength. The challenges of life have held me down, but I have tried to carry life’s load on my own. God has been there every step of the way…His hand outstretched…desiring to help me…but prepared to catch me in case I fall. I have often refused His help or discounted the extent of His Love or His ability or willingness to help me. I’m sure that there have been people who have watch me and thought the same thoughts that I imagined that they were thinking at the hospital “Why is God allowing him to go through this? Or Why won’t he allow God to help him get through the situation?”
Well…I am learning more and more each day especially when I’m faced with adversities, challenges and fears to totally depend on God. He has said:
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)
Are you struggling to try to make it on your own? Are you feeling the weight of life bearing down on you? OR Are you so “successful” that you feel like you got it all together and are making it just fine? In either case, I pray that you realize today that God is just a step away. He is willing to help whether or not you want to allow Him too, and even if you choose not to take Him up on His offer and you fall…He is still standing with His hand outstretched to pick you up when you fall.
Help is not on the way…help is here today.
Be Blessed,
B
He is an awesome man, father, friend and brother in the Lord.
My father was diagnosed with cancer in December 2006. As part of the treatment for the disease, he has had to undergo surgery and chemotherapy. This past Monday, I had the honor to once again be by his side through the infusion therapy. I say honor because while I could never repay him for all that he has done for me over the years or the priceless lessons that I have learned from Him, I do consider it an honor to provide support, encouragement and love to him as we battle this thing together.
The chemotherapy on Monday lasted about 5 hours. When I’m with him, I can sense his discomfort at times during the treatment and I often spend time praying for his healing. Upon completion of the chemo this week, we gathered our things and began to start to head out. After trying to stand up, my dad had to immediately sit back down because the therapy had caused his equilibrium to be off. I saw the disappointment and frustration on his face (in my mind I don’t think that he really wanted me to see him struggle in that manner). I assured him that we were in no rush and asked him to take a few minutes to gather himself before we attempted to head out. He rested for all of 10 seconds…”I have to do this…I’m going to give it a shot” he declared. He struggled out of the treatment room. Reaching out and stabilizing himself on every secure object that he could find, he intently made his way to the lobby where he sat down while I retrieved the car.
As I walked with my dad from the treatment room, I tried to help him, but he politely let me know that He wanted to do it by himself. Even though he resisted my help, I still walked with Him every step of the way and I positioned myself so that I could catch him in the event that he fell. As people passed by and gazed at us, I imagined that they were thinking one of two things. “Doesn’t that young man see his father struggling? Why doesn’t He help him?” or “Why won’t that older man let the younger man help him? He definitely looks capable?”
This experience led me to reflect on my relationship with God. There have been many times in my life when I have tried to do things in my own strength. The challenges of life have held me down, but I have tried to carry life’s load on my own. God has been there every step of the way…His hand outstretched…desiring to help me…but prepared to catch me in case I fall. I have often refused His help or discounted the extent of His Love or His ability or willingness to help me. I’m sure that there have been people who have watch me and thought the same thoughts that I imagined that they were thinking at the hospital “Why is God allowing him to go through this? Or Why won’t he allow God to help him get through the situation?”
Well…I am learning more and more each day especially when I’m faced with adversities, challenges and fears to totally depend on God. He has said:
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)
Are you struggling to try to make it on your own? Are you feeling the weight of life bearing down on you? OR Are you so “successful” that you feel like you got it all together and are making it just fine? In either case, I pray that you realize today that God is just a step away. He is willing to help whether or not you want to allow Him too, and even if you choose not to take Him up on His offer and you fall…He is still standing with His hand outstretched to pick you up when you fall.
Help is not on the way…help is here today.
Be Blessed,
B
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
I'm going to get my Daddy
Earlier this week, my family and especially my daughter were faced with some middle school “growing pains”. My daughter is about 3/4’s of the way through her 1st year in Middle School. It has been a fairly smooth transition for her and for us (for me and my wife). One thing that my daughter is beginning to experience 1st hand is the fact that she went from being a “Senior” (by Elementary school standards…in 5th grade) where she was Top Brass, was in a situation where all the kids looked up to her and her classmates, she was one of the trendsetters and on the list of “people to know”…to becoming a “Freshman” where she is fresh meat, the low man on the totem pole, looked down upon by the “upperclassmen” etc. The influence that she had over and on people is not as strong as it once was because she doesn’t carry the same “social clout” in the new school.
This became very evident this past Monday, when my daughter became involved in a situation that subjected her to having to deal with the reality of intimidation. On her way home from school, one of the 8th graders that usually accompanies her began to use foul language. (The timing could not have been more perfect as she and I had a long conversation about the use of foul language among other things this weekend. After our conversation, she purposed in her heart that foul language was not going be something that she practiced in her life...NOW BACK TO THE STORY). She politely asked the young man to stop cursing, but he insisted, just to agitate her. Remembering the influence that she “used” to have as one of the “big women” on campus back in Elementary School, She stopped dead in her tracks and moved closer to the young man and said in a stern voice, ”Do it one more time!!!” Not being moved at all by her emotions, the young man cursed again, displayed a small weapon and made it clear that he was ready to fight and comfortable doing so. She immediately backed down and continued to walk home.
After being home for about 1 hour, she and I began to talk about her day. She began to go through the details of the day, carefully trying to mask the fact that she was still bothered by the incident with the 8th grade boy. I picked up on this and I asked her to tell me what was really on her mind. Fearfully, she told me the story. She expressed fright about what the boy may do to retaliate, or what others might think about her telling her father. She didn’t want to be a “snitch”, but she was also paralyzed by fear. I assured her that I was her father and I would never let anything happen to her. I love her and I will do everything in my power to assure her safety even if it meant giving up my life; moreover, I assured her that her Heavenly Father would also keep watch over her.
She was listening, but she didn’t HEAR me. She had allowed herself to be so intimidated that in her mind this 8th grade boy was more powerful than her earthly father and her Heavenly Father combined. I knew that I had to do something drastic. My plan was to meet the boy and hopefully his parents at the bus stop the next day. #1 to make sure that he knew that I was no joke and #2 to make sure that his parents knew about the situation and that we could work together to resolve the matter. The night before, as we prayed together and read scripture, my wife and I assured our baby girl that God would work the situation out and that everything was going to be alright.
I woke up ready for action. My wife and I both threw on our sweats packed up our daughter and arrived at the bus stop about 25 minutes early to make sure that we didn’t miss the parents. Time passed as we inspected each car and saw no sign of the young man. About 5 minutes prior to the scheduled arrival of the bus, pointing to a young man turning the corner, my daughter proclaimed, “There he is”. I immediately jumped out of the car like I was one of the members of the A-Team and with a focused since of urgency I made my way over to the young man. Everything in me wanted to knock him out, but God allowed me to see a young man that was confused, fragile and hurt. I shook his hand and began to explain to him why I was there and what my expectations were of him and of his treatment of my daughter. After receiving his parent’s contact information, my daughter was brought over to apologize for her role in the event as well. He accepted and as he trembled, he too apologized as well. We were able, through the power of God, to turn a situation totally around for good.
We were shocked to come to find out the young man has been beaten up a couple of times recently due to his refusal to join a gang. He began to carry around a small weapon in order to defend himself, but unfortunately he began to intimidate others in the same manner in which he was being intimidated.
This situation caused me to reflect on my life and how I have sometimes allowed myself to be intimidated. Like my daughter, I have sometimes allowed my challenges and situations to appear to be more vast and dominant than God. I have magnified my problems and minimized God and His ability to empower me, to deliver and to protect me.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord can be trusted to make you strong and protect you from harm.
What problems/challenges in your life have you allowed to become larger than God? Have you allowed your circumstances to block your view of God? Have you forgotten that your Heavenly Father is ready and willing to step to your enemies, to protect you from them and/or to give you the strength to conquer them? Make today the day that you choose to tell your enemies and your problems that they better be afraid because you are “about to get your Daddy”.
Be Blessed,
B
This became very evident this past Monday, when my daughter became involved in a situation that subjected her to having to deal with the reality of intimidation. On her way home from school, one of the 8th graders that usually accompanies her began to use foul language. (The timing could not have been more perfect as she and I had a long conversation about the use of foul language among other things this weekend. After our conversation, she purposed in her heart that foul language was not going be something that she practiced in her life...NOW BACK TO THE STORY). She politely asked the young man to stop cursing, but he insisted, just to agitate her. Remembering the influence that she “used” to have as one of the “big women” on campus back in Elementary School, She stopped dead in her tracks and moved closer to the young man and said in a stern voice, ”Do it one more time!!!” Not being moved at all by her emotions, the young man cursed again, displayed a small weapon and made it clear that he was ready to fight and comfortable doing so. She immediately backed down and continued to walk home.
After being home for about 1 hour, she and I began to talk about her day. She began to go through the details of the day, carefully trying to mask the fact that she was still bothered by the incident with the 8th grade boy. I picked up on this and I asked her to tell me what was really on her mind. Fearfully, she told me the story. She expressed fright about what the boy may do to retaliate, or what others might think about her telling her father. She didn’t want to be a “snitch”, but she was also paralyzed by fear. I assured her that I was her father and I would never let anything happen to her. I love her and I will do everything in my power to assure her safety even if it meant giving up my life; moreover, I assured her that her Heavenly Father would also keep watch over her.
She was listening, but she didn’t HEAR me. She had allowed herself to be so intimidated that in her mind this 8th grade boy was more powerful than her earthly father and her Heavenly Father combined. I knew that I had to do something drastic. My plan was to meet the boy and hopefully his parents at the bus stop the next day. #1 to make sure that he knew that I was no joke and #2 to make sure that his parents knew about the situation and that we could work together to resolve the matter. The night before, as we prayed together and read scripture, my wife and I assured our baby girl that God would work the situation out and that everything was going to be alright.
I woke up ready for action. My wife and I both threw on our sweats packed up our daughter and arrived at the bus stop about 25 minutes early to make sure that we didn’t miss the parents. Time passed as we inspected each car and saw no sign of the young man. About 5 minutes prior to the scheduled arrival of the bus, pointing to a young man turning the corner, my daughter proclaimed, “There he is”. I immediately jumped out of the car like I was one of the members of the A-Team and with a focused since of urgency I made my way over to the young man. Everything in me wanted to knock him out, but God allowed me to see a young man that was confused, fragile and hurt. I shook his hand and began to explain to him why I was there and what my expectations were of him and of his treatment of my daughter. After receiving his parent’s contact information, my daughter was brought over to apologize for her role in the event as well. He accepted and as he trembled, he too apologized as well. We were able, through the power of God, to turn a situation totally around for good.
We were shocked to come to find out the young man has been beaten up a couple of times recently due to his refusal to join a gang. He began to carry around a small weapon in order to defend himself, but unfortunately he began to intimidate others in the same manner in which he was being intimidated.
This situation caused me to reflect on my life and how I have sometimes allowed myself to be intimidated. Like my daughter, I have sometimes allowed my challenges and situations to appear to be more vast and dominant than God. I have magnified my problems and minimized God and His ability to empower me, to deliver and to protect me.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord can be trusted to make you strong and protect you from harm.
What problems/challenges in your life have you allowed to become larger than God? Have you allowed your circumstances to block your view of God? Have you forgotten that your Heavenly Father is ready and willing to step to your enemies, to protect you from them and/or to give you the strength to conquer them? Make today the day that you choose to tell your enemies and your problems that they better be afraid because you are “about to get your Daddy”.
Be Blessed,
B
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Fog
This morning I woke up around 4:30AM to get some things done for work. As I looked out the large window in the front of my house I was amazed at the density of the fog that had blanketed the neighborhood. I could barely make out anything beyond the reach of my driveway. My spirit dropped a bit as I was looking forward to a gorgeous and sun-drenched day, but based on what I could see…this was not going to be “that” day.
I am not a big fan of fog…especially driving in the fog. Navigating in the fog definitely presents it challenges. I am without doubt more alert when driving in the fog, given that visibility is diminished so it is often difficult to see potential hazards in the road ahead. It also amazes me when I see people switch to their high beams when driving in the fog. If it wasn’t bad enough that they teach you in driving school to not do this, it also becomes painfully obvious because the wall of fog appears to move closer to you once you activate your car’s high beams. Nevertheless some people have to do things their way.
When I think about fog, I remember back in elementary school when one of my teachers described fog as “cotton balls falling from the sky and floating just above the ground” (yes… I attended Baltimore City Public Schools and I’m proud of it J ). A more appropriate/grown up definition is: a cloudlike mass or layer of minute water droplets or ice crystals near the surface of the earth, appreciably reducing visibility (Dictionary.com).
Fog not only exists in the external environment, it also exists in the human interior. There are many types of fog including:
*Mental Fog- clouds of the mind, that generate confusion or inability or unwillingness to make a sound decisions.
*Emotional Fog- clouds of the heart that impact relationships with others and self acceptance
*Spiritual Fog- clouds of the soul that hinders us from seeing God, His plans and His love for us
Many of us have experienced one or more of these “fogs” at one point in our lives. In fact some of you may be under a “cotton ball” right now. I am a witness that the light of God through His truth, power and love can lift you up out of darkness and into His Light, so that you can see clearly though the “fogs” of life. Until the “fog” lifts, God has promised to lead us and to guide us though Faith as we exercise our dependence on Him. While the “fogs” of life don’t always immediately lift, if we trust God, listen to what He is telling us through the “foggy” experience, we will be ever grateful and determined to honor and praise Him when the fog lifts.
What mental fog is causing you to struggle with making a “tough” decision? What Emotion fog is hindering you from loving others and your self with “reckless abandon”? What spiritual Fog is causing you to doubt that God Loves you?
A funny thing happen today…what started as a gloomy day dominated by fog, turned out to be a gloriously beautiful day once the fog dissipated. In reality this beautiful and sunny day was there all of the time, but the fog clouded our view of it. It was not until the fog lifted that we were able to experience the warmth and beauty of the Sun. I urge you today to trust in God through your fog so that you can experience the warmth and beauty of the Love of God.
Be Blessed,
B
I am not a big fan of fog…especially driving in the fog. Navigating in the fog definitely presents it challenges. I am without doubt more alert when driving in the fog, given that visibility is diminished so it is often difficult to see potential hazards in the road ahead. It also amazes me when I see people switch to their high beams when driving in the fog. If it wasn’t bad enough that they teach you in driving school to not do this, it also becomes painfully obvious because the wall of fog appears to move closer to you once you activate your car’s high beams. Nevertheless some people have to do things their way.
When I think about fog, I remember back in elementary school when one of my teachers described fog as “cotton balls falling from the sky and floating just above the ground” (yes… I attended Baltimore City Public Schools and I’m proud of it J ). A more appropriate/grown up definition is: a cloudlike mass or layer of minute water droplets or ice crystals near the surface of the earth, appreciably reducing visibility (Dictionary.com).
Fog not only exists in the external environment, it also exists in the human interior. There are many types of fog including:
*Mental Fog- clouds of the mind, that generate confusion or inability or unwillingness to make a sound decisions.
*Emotional Fog- clouds of the heart that impact relationships with others and self acceptance
*Spiritual Fog- clouds of the soul that hinders us from seeing God, His plans and His love for us
Many of us have experienced one or more of these “fogs” at one point in our lives. In fact some of you may be under a “cotton ball” right now. I am a witness that the light of God through His truth, power and love can lift you up out of darkness and into His Light, so that you can see clearly though the “fogs” of life. Until the “fog” lifts, God has promised to lead us and to guide us though Faith as we exercise our dependence on Him. While the “fogs” of life don’t always immediately lift, if we trust God, listen to what He is telling us through the “foggy” experience, we will be ever grateful and determined to honor and praise Him when the fog lifts.
What mental fog is causing you to struggle with making a “tough” decision? What Emotion fog is hindering you from loving others and your self with “reckless abandon”? What spiritual Fog is causing you to doubt that God Loves you?
A funny thing happen today…what started as a gloomy day dominated by fog, turned out to be a gloriously beautiful day once the fog dissipated. In reality this beautiful and sunny day was there all of the time, but the fog clouded our view of it. It was not until the fog lifted that we were able to experience the warmth and beauty of the Sun. I urge you today to trust in God through your fog so that you can experience the warmth and beauty of the Love of God.
Be Blessed,
B
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Closet or Garage
Recently I had the satisfaction of completing a home project. Through great effort, sweat, planning and diligence, I was able to add a shelving system in my garage. I must admit that I procrastinated on the project. About 2 ½ years ago I completed a similar project in the bedroom closet that my wife and I share. I completed that project in 1 day. On the flip side, it took me about 1 month to complete the garage shelving. The concept and the skills needed to complete the projects were the same. Find the studs, install the shelving track, make sure it is level and then secure the track to the studs. Pretty straight forward…. So why did it take me 1 day to finish one project and 1 month to finish another?
It recently dawned on me why I flew through one project and not the other that was similar. It was the fact that with the closet project, I was armed with a greater sense of urgency, an intense level of focus and a clear understanding of the need to complete the task. The circumstances surrounding the need for the projects were different. With the closet project the need was more apparent…in my eyes. Let me explain…
As my wife and I had just returned from one of our much needed vacations, we were shocked to find that almost all of our clothes from our closet were on the floor because the builder had not properly installed the closet system in our bedroom. I went from relaxed mode to “Bob the Builder” mode (Can we fix it...Yes we can) in a matter of seconds. By the evening I had gone to Home Depot, purchased the material and installed the closet shelving system, because I knew that we (my wife especially) could not operate without a functioning closet. Once the job had been completed and I hung the last shirt up in the “new closet”. I had an immense sense of satisfaction. The garage project was not met with equaled intensity because I approached it as something that I WANTED to do versus something that I NEEDED to do. In fact the need was the same, as my wife was eventually forced to park outside of the garage during most of the winter, but it was my perception of the need that was different.
Often time our inability or unwillingness to distinguish between things that we “want” to do and the things that we “need” to do becomes a barrier to us being able to demonstrate the love of God fully toward others. We sometimes allow our feelings to block out our ability to rationalize and subsequently allow “how we feel”, about people and circumstances, to dictate how we demonstrate the love of God.
God has given us the ability and the privilege to help others; however, sometimes we are only compelled to help when we “feel” like it. Regardless of whether we “feel” like it or not, the urgency of the need that exists in the lives of those around us in not diminished. We are called not only to love, but to love well.
Philippians 1:9-11 (The Message) So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.
When it comes to loving others and to demonstrating the Love of God, God’s standard is so much higher than human standards. God calls us to love the “unlovely”, those who will not love you back, those who “use” you, those who can’t repay you, those who curse you, those who mean all types of evil toward you…etc. Simply stated God wants us to love others the way that He loves us (we are “unlovely”, selfish etc).
As we choose to demonstrate the love of God through our relationships with our spouses, our children, our co-workers, our extended family, our friends, our enemies and random people that we encounter, let us approach each opportunity to love with sincerity so that people can see God through our love and be drawn to a closer relationship with Him.
The urgency of the need for love is present. Will you approach your opportunities to love like I approached the garage project or the closet project?
Be Blessed,
B
It recently dawned on me why I flew through one project and not the other that was similar. It was the fact that with the closet project, I was armed with a greater sense of urgency, an intense level of focus and a clear understanding of the need to complete the task. The circumstances surrounding the need for the projects were different. With the closet project the need was more apparent…in my eyes. Let me explain…
As my wife and I had just returned from one of our much needed vacations, we were shocked to find that almost all of our clothes from our closet were on the floor because the builder had not properly installed the closet system in our bedroom. I went from relaxed mode to “Bob the Builder” mode (Can we fix it...Yes we can) in a matter of seconds. By the evening I had gone to Home Depot, purchased the material and installed the closet shelving system, because I knew that we (my wife especially) could not operate without a functioning closet. Once the job had been completed and I hung the last shirt up in the “new closet”. I had an immense sense of satisfaction. The garage project was not met with equaled intensity because I approached it as something that I WANTED to do versus something that I NEEDED to do. In fact the need was the same, as my wife was eventually forced to park outside of the garage during most of the winter, but it was my perception of the need that was different.
Often time our inability or unwillingness to distinguish between things that we “want” to do and the things that we “need” to do becomes a barrier to us being able to demonstrate the love of God fully toward others. We sometimes allow our feelings to block out our ability to rationalize and subsequently allow “how we feel”, about people and circumstances, to dictate how we demonstrate the love of God.
God has given us the ability and the privilege to help others; however, sometimes we are only compelled to help when we “feel” like it. Regardless of whether we “feel” like it or not, the urgency of the need that exists in the lives of those around us in not diminished. We are called not only to love, but to love well.
Philippians 1:9-11 (The Message) So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.
When it comes to loving others and to demonstrating the Love of God, God’s standard is so much higher than human standards. God calls us to love the “unlovely”, those who will not love you back, those who “use” you, those who can’t repay you, those who curse you, those who mean all types of evil toward you…etc. Simply stated God wants us to love others the way that He loves us (we are “unlovely”, selfish etc).
As we choose to demonstrate the love of God through our relationships with our spouses, our children, our co-workers, our extended family, our friends, our enemies and random people that we encounter, let us approach each opportunity to love with sincerity so that people can see God through our love and be drawn to a closer relationship with Him.
The urgency of the need for love is present. Will you approach your opportunities to love like I approached the garage project or the closet project?
Be Blessed,
B
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Good 2 Great
It has been my experience that every relationship that I have been involved in has endured challenges that have either made the relationship stronger or have resulted in the severing of the tie. As I step back and reflect in some of the many life lessons that I have learned, I am comforted by the fact that I am a better me today because of the many different people that I have encountered along my journey in life.
Some of these people came into my life for only a brief moment, while others are permanent fixtures in my life…Some came only to take from me, yet others never took but only gave to me…Some came to attempt to drown me in my own tears, while others brought the comfort of words that restored and renewed my mind, heart and spirit… Some came to promote and to magnify my fears, while others provoked me to take bold steps toward my destiny.
Recently I have reflected on these truths as they relate to my relationship with my wife. While most people think that we are a “model couple” and that I’m the best husband and father in the world J, but we go through challenges (I like to call them opportunities), just like everyone else. We have a good marriage. Most people would love to have a good relationship. We help each other, compromise on ideas, support each other in the pursuit of our dreams, express our love through actions and through words, worship God together at Church and at home, pray for and with each other etc… That is all good… but good is often the enemy of GREAT.
It is in the moments where we have been faced with tremendous struggle, when we have overcome disappointments, when we have made the decision to be more transparent before each other, that God has allowed us to experience GREATNESS. Just as muscles only grow stronger through strength training (during this process the muscles are “torn” and grow back stronger as they heal), our relationship has only grown stronger when we’ve fought through the pain, fatigue and hurts of life and we chose to love deeper and more genuinely than before.
In many of our relationships, we have settled for just operating in “good” mode. We accept that fact that since nothing is really going “wrong” then we are ok. Every true relationship (which is deeper than just being acquainted with a person) should be one that is growing. You should be promoting growth in others and they should be promoting growth in you or else the relationship is fruitless and stagnant.
Today, as you reflect not only on your relationships with others, but also on your relationship with God, challenge yourself to take your relationship to the next level. There are too many marriages, families, churches etc. on “cruise control”. When you are in “cruise control” you are not fully engaged in your progress. I believe that this is the perfect time to take full control of our relationships and to expand them beyond our comfort zones so that we can effectively demonstrate to the world what true GODLY GREATNESS looks like.
God is ready to demonstrate His Love to the world through our GREAT relationships.
Be Blessed,
B
Some of these people came into my life for only a brief moment, while others are permanent fixtures in my life…Some came only to take from me, yet others never took but only gave to me…Some came to attempt to drown me in my own tears, while others brought the comfort of words that restored and renewed my mind, heart and spirit… Some came to promote and to magnify my fears, while others provoked me to take bold steps toward my destiny.
Recently I have reflected on these truths as they relate to my relationship with my wife. While most people think that we are a “model couple” and that I’m the best husband and father in the world J, but we go through challenges (I like to call them opportunities), just like everyone else. We have a good marriage. Most people would love to have a good relationship. We help each other, compromise on ideas, support each other in the pursuit of our dreams, express our love through actions and through words, worship God together at Church and at home, pray for and with each other etc… That is all good… but good is often the enemy of GREAT.
It is in the moments where we have been faced with tremendous struggle, when we have overcome disappointments, when we have made the decision to be more transparent before each other, that God has allowed us to experience GREATNESS. Just as muscles only grow stronger through strength training (during this process the muscles are “torn” and grow back stronger as they heal), our relationship has only grown stronger when we’ve fought through the pain, fatigue and hurts of life and we chose to love deeper and more genuinely than before.
In many of our relationships, we have settled for just operating in “good” mode. We accept that fact that since nothing is really going “wrong” then we are ok. Every true relationship (which is deeper than just being acquainted with a person) should be one that is growing. You should be promoting growth in others and they should be promoting growth in you or else the relationship is fruitless and stagnant.
Today, as you reflect not only on your relationships with others, but also on your relationship with God, challenge yourself to take your relationship to the next level. There are too many marriages, families, churches etc. on “cruise control”. When you are in “cruise control” you are not fully engaged in your progress. I believe that this is the perfect time to take full control of our relationships and to expand them beyond our comfort zones so that we can effectively demonstrate to the world what true GODLY GREATNESS looks like.
God is ready to demonstrate His Love to the world through our GREAT relationships.
Be Blessed,
B
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Do It.
Like most people, I listen to music on my way to work. The type of music I listen to usually depends on my mood or what I feel like I need to hear before I step into the office. If I need to mellow out, I’ll listen to some light jazz or some old R&B. If I need to get amped, I’ll listen to some Hip-Hop (usually old school or Holy Hip Hop). If I’m facing struggles I listen to inspirational/gospel music. It really depends. I usually look for meaning and messages in the music.
This morning while I was flipping through the stations, I stumbled upon a traditional gospel song called “Do It”. No…the song was not about God telling Adam and Eve to be fruitful and to multiply. J I really wasn’t in the “mood” for this particular style of music this morning so I listened for about 3 seconds and turned it to another station where some Otis Redding was playing. Something in me said…turn it back to “Do It” so I did. The song retold of some of the Miracles that Jesus performed in the Bible. It told of Jesus healing the sick, giving the mute people the ability to talk, giving those that were blind sight etc. The chorus simply said “Whatever you need to do Lord do it…Like you did it way back then, I need you to do it again…Whatever you need to do Lord, Do it”.
As I was listening to this song the words hit me in a special way. God is still doing these miracles today to those who have put their trust in Him.
*I once was blind and lived my life only for "My" benefit. I couldn’t see the things of God or the potential death traps, dead ends or destruction that were ahead of me on the road that I was on in life, but God opened my eyes and now I can see my life through His eyes.
*I once was mute and could not speak of the goodness of God and His power to love unconditionally, to bless with “reckless abandon” and to deliver me from sin and from my self destructive ways.
*I once was lame and could not walk on the path of righteousness. I was not strong enough to walk God’s path for me. Now I walk though the power of God and I stand on God principles and Love as my firm foundation
*I once was sick in my spirit and I tried many of the “world’s” remedies to ease the pain that I felt in my soul, but once I turned my “illness” over to God He made me whole.
*I once was Dead to God and His will. After I put my trust in Him, I became alive and I now live with the intent to live a life that is pleasing to God and that fulfills His plan for me.
In a world filled with challenges and struggles many people find it hard to see God working in the lives of people. Some people don’t believe in miracles or think that they only occurred in “Bible Times”. I’m convinced that I am one of the many “walking miracles” that exists today. I bear witness to the fact that God is still in the “miracle business” because only He could have produced such a change in my life.
What is your story? Are you a walking miracle? Why not share the hope that is found in your “miracle story” with someone today? You may hold the key that unlocks the door to someone’s eternal destiny. Your story is unique to you and only you can tell it the way that it needs to be told and the way the people in your sphere of influence need to hear it.
Share your miracle…and watch a miracle happen.
Be Blessed,
B
This morning while I was flipping through the stations, I stumbled upon a traditional gospel song called “Do It”. No…the song was not about God telling Adam and Eve to be fruitful and to multiply. J I really wasn’t in the “mood” for this particular style of music this morning so I listened for about 3 seconds and turned it to another station where some Otis Redding was playing. Something in me said…turn it back to “Do It” so I did. The song retold of some of the Miracles that Jesus performed in the Bible. It told of Jesus healing the sick, giving the mute people the ability to talk, giving those that were blind sight etc. The chorus simply said “Whatever you need to do Lord do it…Like you did it way back then, I need you to do it again…Whatever you need to do Lord, Do it”.
As I was listening to this song the words hit me in a special way. God is still doing these miracles today to those who have put their trust in Him.
*I once was blind and lived my life only for "My" benefit. I couldn’t see the things of God or the potential death traps, dead ends or destruction that were ahead of me on the road that I was on in life, but God opened my eyes and now I can see my life through His eyes.
*I once was mute and could not speak of the goodness of God and His power to love unconditionally, to bless with “reckless abandon” and to deliver me from sin and from my self destructive ways.
*I once was lame and could not walk on the path of righteousness. I was not strong enough to walk God’s path for me. Now I walk though the power of God and I stand on God principles and Love as my firm foundation
*I once was sick in my spirit and I tried many of the “world’s” remedies to ease the pain that I felt in my soul, but once I turned my “illness” over to God He made me whole.
*I once was Dead to God and His will. After I put my trust in Him, I became alive and I now live with the intent to live a life that is pleasing to God and that fulfills His plan for me.
In a world filled with challenges and struggles many people find it hard to see God working in the lives of people. Some people don’t believe in miracles or think that they only occurred in “Bible Times”. I’m convinced that I am one of the many “walking miracles” that exists today. I bear witness to the fact that God is still in the “miracle business” because only He could have produced such a change in my life.
What is your story? Are you a walking miracle? Why not share the hope that is found in your “miracle story” with someone today? You may hold the key that unlocks the door to someone’s eternal destiny. Your story is unique to you and only you can tell it the way that it needs to be told and the way the people in your sphere of influence need to hear it.
Share your miracle…and watch a miracle happen.
Be Blessed,
B
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Can you Hear Me Now???
This weekend my wife and I attended a marriage conference entitled a “Weekend to Remember”. During most of the sessions, we were in the main conference room together, however during the last day; they separated the men from the women. There were probably about 750 couples in attendance and the hallway between where the men and the women were meeting was quite narrow. That being said, you can probably imagine the anxiety that I felt when the men were dismissed and we were told to find our wives. There were wall to wall people and just turning around was a task. It was very difficult to see around people. I tried to call her on the cell as I gazed through the crowd….but nothing…I thought to myself, if I could only hear her voice, calling my name. I know that I would be able to locate her through the crowd.
We have all had a similar experience. Whether it has been at a party, at an amusement park, at an arena etc…. no matter what the size of the crowd, we can pick out the voice of our loved ones if they are in “range”. Among the thousands of other voices that flood the surround background, the voice of our loved one is distinct to us. It triggers something within us that commands our attention. As long as I’m within the range of the reach of my loved ones’ voice, I will hear them calling.
God is calling out to us today. God loves us and we who are His children recognize His voice. The questions are:
*Are you within the range of His voice or are you “far removed” from the range of His voice?
*Are you too focused on the other voices in the room that you have no interest in responding to the call of the one who loves you?
*Do you hear Him calling you but are you choosing to ignore His voice?
*Are you afraid to heed to His call because you are ashamed to acknowledge that you know Him for fear of being rejected by your “friends” or family?
*Are you too busy to want to know what He wants or what he is trying to say to you?
No matter where we “hide” we can never hide from God and His voice. God will get His message to you. The choice is yours as to how the message is delivered and received. God can speak through the storms and God can whisper through a stillest of winds. Believe me…He knows how you get your attention.
If you are familiar with cell phones you know that cell phones have a meter on them that determines their signal strength. The closer you are to a tower and the fewer the obstructions that are between you and the tower, the stronger your signal strength. The same is true of our ability to communicate with God. God is like the cell phone tower. The farther we are from Him and the more we allow sin, situations and self to get between Him and us the poorer our reception will become and the weaker our signal strength will be.
God is on the phone right now. He has dialed the # to your heart….Today He is saying…
”Can you Hear Me Now????” What will be your reply?
Be Blessed,
B
We have all had a similar experience. Whether it has been at a party, at an amusement park, at an arena etc…. no matter what the size of the crowd, we can pick out the voice of our loved ones if they are in “range”. Among the thousands of other voices that flood the surround background, the voice of our loved one is distinct to us. It triggers something within us that commands our attention. As long as I’m within the range of the reach of my loved ones’ voice, I will hear them calling.
God is calling out to us today. God loves us and we who are His children recognize His voice. The questions are:
*Are you within the range of His voice or are you “far removed” from the range of His voice?
*Are you too focused on the other voices in the room that you have no interest in responding to the call of the one who loves you?
*Do you hear Him calling you but are you choosing to ignore His voice?
*Are you afraid to heed to His call because you are ashamed to acknowledge that you know Him for fear of being rejected by your “friends” or family?
*Are you too busy to want to know what He wants or what he is trying to say to you?
No matter where we “hide” we can never hide from God and His voice. God will get His message to you. The choice is yours as to how the message is delivered and received. God can speak through the storms and God can whisper through a stillest of winds. Believe me…He knows how you get your attention.
If you are familiar with cell phones you know that cell phones have a meter on them that determines their signal strength. The closer you are to a tower and the fewer the obstructions that are between you and the tower, the stronger your signal strength. The same is true of our ability to communicate with God. God is like the cell phone tower. The farther we are from Him and the more we allow sin, situations and self to get between Him and us the poorer our reception will become and the weaker our signal strength will be.
God is on the phone right now. He has dialed the # to your heart….Today He is saying…
”Can you Hear Me Now????” What will be your reply?
Be Blessed,
B
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Just Across the Room
Have you ever had the privilege of having someone come across your path whom you are prompted to help in a significant way, even though you may never see or hear from that person again? This happen to me with a gentleman named Mr. Charles that I met over a year ago. I met Mr. Charles as I was preparing to get ready to go to work. An unexpected knock on my door changed both his life and my life forever.
Mr. Charles was an African immigrant who came to America to make a better life for his family. His good intentions were met with evil opposition as the family that he came to live with, held him captive, abused him and refused to allow him to work other than to watch their kids and to cook and clean their home. One day he managed to escape and he reached out for help as he knocked on my door. I listened to his story and was almost brought to tears. I felt that I had to do everything in my power to help him and that is what I did (with the assistance of my neighbor…shout out to Mr. Green) for the rest of the day and well into the evening.
That day, I took Mr. Charles to get something to eat….we went to 2 police stations…we called several agencies and we reached out to a local Catholic Church (Mr. Charles had begged to go to a Catholic church as that was his denomination at home). We were turned away and rejected everywhere we went…until I took him to my home church. There my Pastor took time out of his busy day to sit and to talk with Mr. Charles and to make provisions for Mr. Charles going forward. I also had the privilege of leading Mr. Charles to Christ. As he invited God into his life to be his Lord, his entire appearance changed. His face lit up and he smiled as bright as the sun that was in the sky that summer day.
Mr. Charles’ plan was to go back to his homeland. Until then I would see him in the neighborhood off and on until I stopped seeing him at all. I often wondered what happened to him. I wished for the best, but I was not certain that he was alive and well.
That was until about 2 weeks ago. I received a phone call out of the blue one evening and it was Mr. Charles. He was calling me from back home in Africa. He said that he was so grateful that I took time out to allow myself to be used by God to help him. He expressed his eternal gratitude and said that he had been looking for my number for some time because he wanted to say thanks and to let me know that he was alright.
My heart was overwhelmed with joy as I spoke with him. It was amazing to me that just doing what was right and what I was led by God to do, made such an impact on someone else’s life.
I was reminded of this story last week at Bible Study. We are going through a series entitled “Just Walk Across the Room”. The focus of the study is evangelism. Some of the keys to successful evangelism are:
*Being yourself
*Being friendly
*Being available
*Taking a risk to help and to reach others
*Listening to and responding to God’s “prompts”
*Identifying the correct approach
In this case I “walked across the room” to help someone in need and he responded to the call of God. I was the only person at that time who could have done what I did through the power of God to reach Mr. Charles. My life experiences had equipped me to respond to this “interruption” in my life and to see God’s larger plan. My plan was to go to work. God’s plan was that He had work for me to do.
As you reflect on your life, think about those people who “walked across the room” for you. They didn’t consider helping you as an interruption…they considered it an opportunity. Think about where you would be right now if the people who have made the most significant positive impact on you in a personal way, were too “busy” to do so.
A seed of friendship (or an act of kindness) often blossoms and assists others in making life changing decisions to establish genuine relationships with God.
Someone walked across the room for you…Who is waiting on the other side of the room for you?
Be Blessed,
B
Mr. Charles was an African immigrant who came to America to make a better life for his family. His good intentions were met with evil opposition as the family that he came to live with, held him captive, abused him and refused to allow him to work other than to watch their kids and to cook and clean their home. One day he managed to escape and he reached out for help as he knocked on my door. I listened to his story and was almost brought to tears. I felt that I had to do everything in my power to help him and that is what I did (with the assistance of my neighbor…shout out to Mr. Green) for the rest of the day and well into the evening.
That day, I took Mr. Charles to get something to eat….we went to 2 police stations…we called several agencies and we reached out to a local Catholic Church (Mr. Charles had begged to go to a Catholic church as that was his denomination at home). We were turned away and rejected everywhere we went…until I took him to my home church. There my Pastor took time out of his busy day to sit and to talk with Mr. Charles and to make provisions for Mr. Charles going forward. I also had the privilege of leading Mr. Charles to Christ. As he invited God into his life to be his Lord, his entire appearance changed. His face lit up and he smiled as bright as the sun that was in the sky that summer day.
Mr. Charles’ plan was to go back to his homeland. Until then I would see him in the neighborhood off and on until I stopped seeing him at all. I often wondered what happened to him. I wished for the best, but I was not certain that he was alive and well.
That was until about 2 weeks ago. I received a phone call out of the blue one evening and it was Mr. Charles. He was calling me from back home in Africa. He said that he was so grateful that I took time out to allow myself to be used by God to help him. He expressed his eternal gratitude and said that he had been looking for my number for some time because he wanted to say thanks and to let me know that he was alright.
My heart was overwhelmed with joy as I spoke with him. It was amazing to me that just doing what was right and what I was led by God to do, made such an impact on someone else’s life.
I was reminded of this story last week at Bible Study. We are going through a series entitled “Just Walk Across the Room”. The focus of the study is evangelism. Some of the keys to successful evangelism are:
*Being yourself
*Being friendly
*Being available
*Taking a risk to help and to reach others
*Listening to and responding to God’s “prompts”
*Identifying the correct approach
In this case I “walked across the room” to help someone in need and he responded to the call of God. I was the only person at that time who could have done what I did through the power of God to reach Mr. Charles. My life experiences had equipped me to respond to this “interruption” in my life and to see God’s larger plan. My plan was to go to work. God’s plan was that He had work for me to do.
As you reflect on your life, think about those people who “walked across the room” for you. They didn’t consider helping you as an interruption…they considered it an opportunity. Think about where you would be right now if the people who have made the most significant positive impact on you in a personal way, were too “busy” to do so.
A seed of friendship (or an act of kindness) often blossoms and assists others in making life changing decisions to establish genuine relationships with God.
Someone walked across the room for you…Who is waiting on the other side of the room for you?
Be Blessed,
B
Thursday, February 5, 2009
L.I.P.
Stimulus….Bailout…Bankruptcy…War…Recession…Depression…
Foreclosure…Catastrophe…Loss…Unemployment…The Housing Market Collapse
These are just some of the “Buzz” words that I pulled from various headlines just today. It appears that the world is spinning out of control like Taz (the Tasmanian Devil) from the Looney Tunes cartoons. If you listen and believe everything you hear, you could almost compare the current world situation to being on a plane in which the pilot and co-pilot have had heart attacks and the plane is accelerating toward the ground and a deadly crash is imminent.
The pressures and the challenges that we face personally and collectively can seem overwhelming. We can easily get pulled in various directions by the cares of this world and these days…peace of mind seems so hard to find.
People are turning to all sorts of “temporary” fixes to “ease the pain”. Unfortunately some have even looked toward death as their only hope to find peace and to end their quest to find solutions to their problems. In doing so, they think that they will be able to “Rest in Peace”…but…
How can we live in peace???
Philippians 4:6-9 (The Message)
6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
True peace can only come through a relationship with God. Knowing that God’s power is superior to any problem that we face can give us the confidence and blessed assurance that we need to turn our problems into praise.
The key is to be grounded. Too many people build their lives on weak foundations that are centered on their own strength, intellect and abilities. So when the storms of life (like the one we are currently experiencing) start to rage, they collapse. A person who is grounded through an eternal relationship with God, can withstand whatever comes his/her way for it is not his/her strength that is allowing him/her to stand.
You may be facing what seems like insurmountable challenges in you marriage, in various family relationships, in you career, in your finances, in your community, in your church…etc and you may be searching for peace. I urge you today to evaluate your relationship with God. Many of us have tried it our way and already know where that will lead us. We have sometimes been the architects of the plans that lead to self-demise.
Why not try it God’s way? Why not shift your focus from your problems to God’s solutions. By having God’s perspective or take on your life you can begin to see how the “challenges” you face are just a small piece of the Great Masterpiece that is “You”. When you have His perspective you can have joy through uncertain and desolate times for you know that everything is working together for your ultimate good as you seek to love God more and more each day.
Let today be the day that you find peace through your relationship with God.
May you L.I.P. (Live in Peace)
Be Blessed,
B
Foreclosure…Catastrophe…Loss…Unemployment…The Housing Market Collapse
These are just some of the “Buzz” words that I pulled from various headlines just today. It appears that the world is spinning out of control like Taz (the Tasmanian Devil) from the Looney Tunes cartoons. If you listen and believe everything you hear, you could almost compare the current world situation to being on a plane in which the pilot and co-pilot have had heart attacks and the plane is accelerating toward the ground and a deadly crash is imminent.
The pressures and the challenges that we face personally and collectively can seem overwhelming. We can easily get pulled in various directions by the cares of this world and these days…peace of mind seems so hard to find.
People are turning to all sorts of “temporary” fixes to “ease the pain”. Unfortunately some have even looked toward death as their only hope to find peace and to end their quest to find solutions to their problems. In doing so, they think that they will be able to “Rest in Peace”…but…
How can we live in peace???
Philippians 4:6-9 (The Message)
6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
True peace can only come through a relationship with God. Knowing that God’s power is superior to any problem that we face can give us the confidence and blessed assurance that we need to turn our problems into praise.
The key is to be grounded. Too many people build their lives on weak foundations that are centered on their own strength, intellect and abilities. So when the storms of life (like the one we are currently experiencing) start to rage, they collapse. A person who is grounded through an eternal relationship with God, can withstand whatever comes his/her way for it is not his/her strength that is allowing him/her to stand.
You may be facing what seems like insurmountable challenges in you marriage, in various family relationships, in you career, in your finances, in your community, in your church…etc and you may be searching for peace. I urge you today to evaluate your relationship with God. Many of us have tried it our way and already know where that will lead us. We have sometimes been the architects of the plans that lead to self-demise.
Why not try it God’s way? Why not shift your focus from your problems to God’s solutions. By having God’s perspective or take on your life you can begin to see how the “challenges” you face are just a small piece of the Great Masterpiece that is “You”. When you have His perspective you can have joy through uncertain and desolate times for you know that everything is working together for your ultimate good as you seek to love God more and more each day.
Let today be the day that you find peace through your relationship with God.
May you L.I.P. (Live in Peace)
Be Blessed,
B
Monday, January 26, 2009
Not Easily Broken
This weekend my wife and I saw the movie, “Not Easily Broken”. Without giving it totally away, the movie tells the story of how various people cope with the challenges of life and the complexities of changing life situations. The story centered around a couple who on paper were perfect; yet life’s changing circumstances forced them to take a deep look inside to realize that they had ignored and neglected the true strength behind their relationship and the bond that they vowed to protect when they committed themselves to one another.
Life is filled with distractions. These distractions come in many forms and have may names. Careers, Friends, Family, Stress, Death, Loss, Success, Health, etc. Anything in your life that takes your focus away from you ultimate purpose or from your relationship with God is a distraction. As with the main characters in the movie, as they drifted away from their “1st Love”, the strength that came with putting God first also diminished in their lives. They began to drift apart and they tried to fill the void left by the absence of the Love of God with other things. They soon found out that the voids in their lives reserved for God to fill could only be filled by Him…nothing else would do.
Instead of relying on one another and on God, they became inward focused and tried to find fulfillment in themselves. God has not called any of us to be “solo artist”. Everyone has a purpose and function within God’s plan and each person is a contributing part to the whole. There is strength in numbers especially when God is in the “counted”.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says:
9-10 It's better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there's no one to help, tough! 11 Two in a bed warm each other. Alone, you shiver all night. 12 By yourself you're unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped
This was the basis for the movie and holds a simple truth. We are more apt to fail when we go it totally alone. We increase our chances for success when we partner with others. Furthermore, if we operate with the “three-stranded rope” mentality where we allow God to be the 3rd strand that binds together our partnerships/relationships, we will find that our relationships will be successful and fulfilling and our lives they will become “Not Easily Broken”.
Individually, we can easily find ourselves overcome and overwhelmed with our situations and circumstances. The strength of all of our relationships can and will be tested. It is those relationships that are fused together by God that will empower us to press on and to be victorious.
Take time today to reflect on your relationships. With God, with your spouse, with your children, with your siblings, with your friends, with your extended family, with your neighbors, with your co-workers… Have you gotten off track and forgotten your 1st love? Are those relationships suffering because you have allowed the “distractions” of life to dominate your thoughts, to dictate your actions and to put a strain on your relationships? Take time today to sincerely express your love toward someone who you have been too “distracted” to love. Let him/her know that the bond of love that you share is one that is “Not Easily Broken”.
Be Blessed,
B
Life is filled with distractions. These distractions come in many forms and have may names. Careers, Friends, Family, Stress, Death, Loss, Success, Health, etc. Anything in your life that takes your focus away from you ultimate purpose or from your relationship with God is a distraction. As with the main characters in the movie, as they drifted away from their “1st Love”, the strength that came with putting God first also diminished in their lives. They began to drift apart and they tried to fill the void left by the absence of the Love of God with other things. They soon found out that the voids in their lives reserved for God to fill could only be filled by Him…nothing else would do.
Instead of relying on one another and on God, they became inward focused and tried to find fulfillment in themselves. God has not called any of us to be “solo artist”. Everyone has a purpose and function within God’s plan and each person is a contributing part to the whole. There is strength in numbers especially when God is in the “counted”.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says:
9-10 It's better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there's no one to help, tough! 11 Two in a bed warm each other. Alone, you shiver all night. 12 By yourself you're unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped
This was the basis for the movie and holds a simple truth. We are more apt to fail when we go it totally alone. We increase our chances for success when we partner with others. Furthermore, if we operate with the “three-stranded rope” mentality where we allow God to be the 3rd strand that binds together our partnerships/relationships, we will find that our relationships will be successful and fulfilling and our lives they will become “Not Easily Broken”.
Individually, we can easily find ourselves overcome and overwhelmed with our situations and circumstances. The strength of all of our relationships can and will be tested. It is those relationships that are fused together by God that will empower us to press on and to be victorious.
Take time today to reflect on your relationships. With God, with your spouse, with your children, with your siblings, with your friends, with your extended family, with your neighbors, with your co-workers… Have you gotten off track and forgotten your 1st love? Are those relationships suffering because you have allowed the “distractions” of life to dominate your thoughts, to dictate your actions and to put a strain on your relationships? Take time today to sincerely express your love toward someone who you have been too “distracted” to love. Let him/her know that the bond of love that you share is one that is “Not Easily Broken”.
Be Blessed,
B
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
