Time to do the Dishes

We all love to sit down and enjoy a delicious meal. There is something special about partaking in a meal that not only taste exceptional, but that was prepared in a spirit of Love by someone who we know loves us. The food seems to come to life and is filling to not only our bodies, but it has the ability to touch our hearts, minds and souls. As we finish off our plates and the meal comes to a close we usually have two thoughts:

“NOW THAT was some GOOD FOOD!!!!” OR

“Are there anymore left for SECONDS?”

After one of those meals, unless I’m really focused on demonstrating Love, I don’t beeline straight to the kitchen and begin to wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen area with the same vigor in which I devoured the meal. While I’m thankful for the meal…Washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen are not tasks that I typically enjoy.

Over the years, I have found that two things have made cleaning the kitchen more enjoyable. One, when I reflect on the blessings that God has allowed in my life to even position me to purchase, prepare and partake in a meal in my own home, with family and friends, my perspective changes. In addition, I have found that when I share the cleaning tasks with another person, the two of us can work through the tasks and we can enjoy each other’s company, while we “serve the household” together.

This past week our study explored the idea of Serving Together. The keys to successfully Serving Together are:

· Being Available (ready and willing to step up to the task)

· Working as a Team (Maximize our strengths and make allowances for our weaknesses) Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn. ¹⁰If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble.

· Being Humble (seeing, placing and meeting the needs of others before your own and being someone else’s “BIGGEST FAN”) Hebrews 10:24: We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things.

· Performing all tasks with the same level of dedication (both the tasks that “get the glory” and the “behinds the scenes” tasks are of equal importance, so do both with equal diligence)

Vince Lombardi said, “Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another and of strength to be derived by unity.”

We are “good” alone, but we can only be “GREAT” together. We are not served because we are Great…We serve because of our greatness. One of the main obstacles to service is pride. We think “too much” of ourselves so we begin to put certain “acts of service” beneath us. We pick and choose who is “worthy” of our service and what tasks are “worth” our precious time. God has equipped us with all that we need at this moment to serve immediately with others in some capacity. Take yourself off the pedestal, lace up your boots, clear your calendar, put on your work gloves and make yourself available to serve.

There is no greater joy than the joy that springs from experiences centered on helping others. This is because joy is a byproduct of Love. If you Love you will serve others. If you choose not to serve, and you build your world around “you”, your life will be filled with emptiness, loneliness and a lack of joy.

The world needs each and every one of us to make a difference, in our own way. We can only make a lasting difference when we choose to put “self” on the “bench” and to put “service” in the game. When we serve together and begin to trust and depend on one another the power of our united Love can spark an unstoppable Movement of Love. We were not designed to work this life alone. We were made to “Serve Together”.

SO…Now that dinner is over…how about you dry the dishes after I wash them? :-)

Be Blessed,

B

Growing in Tolerance

We have all seen people that fall apart over any and everything. Sometimes you just want to give them a little shake and whisper two words of wisdom to them… “GROW UP!!!!”. It can be said that immature people have very little tolerance.

The culture that we live in preaches tolerance but most people can’t “tolerate” to a large extent. Tolerance is defined as a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own. Tolerance is also defined as the act or capacity of enduring; or endurance. We are “expected” to tolerate people with differing views, different ways of doing things, different looks etc, but there is a strong and many times overt tone that resonates within the walls of our culture that is evidenced by the “world revolves around me”, “I got to have it my way when I want it” and “if you can’t do it for me right now, then I’ll find somebody who can” syndromes. We want to be tolerated but we don’t want to endure.

We give up on spouses, children, family members, friends, jobs, vehicles, homes and sad to say God when conflict, confrontation or challenging circumstances arise. Many times the reason that we give up is due to a lack of a willingness to grow. Growing is one of the most rewarding yet one of the most difficult aspects of life, but growing is tied directly to Love.

At our last small group session concerning 40 days of Community, we delved into the topic of Growing Together. In order to Grow Together we must have endurance or patience. Show me a person who is wise and I can assure you that person is a person who knows the value of patience. Think about some of the many “impatient” things that you have said and done in your life. I’m sure that the result of those actions and words were not indicative of “LOVE”. “Rushing” is the Miracle Grow that accelerates the growth of the flower called “Regret”.

Slow down because Love is Patient.

Love is also Truthful. Trust is the basis of Truth. Love opens the door to the innermost workings of our hearts and minds and exposes them to the ones that we love. If you are not willing to be transparent, you are not willing to love or to be loved. When we are transparent, truthful and totally accessible, we foster an environment of trust. It is only in an environment of Trust and Truthfulness that we can effectively begin to Speak the Truth in Love. When a person knows you (your faults and your successes) then they, through your openness, can accept your truthfulness about them because they know that your motives come from a place of Love.

Speaking the Truth in Love is not easy, but if we love each other then we must be willing to come face to face with the very conflict that will usher us into a deeper level of intimacy in our relationships. In order to speak the Truth in Love, we must:

· Check our Motives (We tend to criticize in others what we hate about ourselves. Our motive must be to help not to hurt) Matthew 7:3-5 (NLT) says, “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye^[a] when you have a log in your own? ⁴ How can you think of saying to your friend,^[b] ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

· Plan your presentation (when to speak, what to say, how to say it)

· Pray (for wisdom, for grace, for courage and for your hearts to be prepared and softened)

· Say it tactfully, lovingly and gently (Proverbs 16:21, “Wise hearts are known for understanding what is right. Pleasant words make people want to learn more.”)

Love requires that we forgive. Forgiving involves no longer looking at the person who “wronged” you through human eyes. It involves humbling yourself, viewing them and the situation through the filter of grace and surrendering your need to avenge yourself. It is giving up your right to “recount” all the wrongs that someone has done because true love keeps no record of wrong. Love is true tolerance.

We are all imperfect people and we bring our imperfections into every relationship that we take part in, but Love makes allowances for our faults and says that I’m willing to accept you, open my life up to you and allow you to grow because I want to grow along with you. God uses the people and the circumstances of life to shape you, but you must make a commitment to grow and to tolerate the uncomfortable and uncertain state of being that accompanies moving from one stage to grow into another.

Are you willing to endure for Love? Can you “tolerate” others long enough to allow Love to grow in you and in them? Are you ready to speak the truth and to hear the truth in Love?

It’s time to “GROW UP” together.

Be Blessed,

B

Fallin' in Love

The hit song “Fallin” by Alicia Keys begins:

I keep on fallin in love with you
Sometimes I love ya
Sometimes you make me blue
Sometimes I feel good
At times I feel used
Loving you darling
Makes me so confused

I keep on fallin in and out of love with you
I never loved someone way that I loved you

This song details the rollercoaster ride and the uncertain feelings that accompany a person’s journey of “fallin’ in love”. This song is one of many that touch on the process or idea of “fallin in love” and most of us have at one time or another felt the turmoil, confusion and uncertainty of what we describe as “fallin in love”.

Have you ever stopped and thought about the actual meaning of the words “Fallin in Love”? I don’t know about you, but I have never experienced an earthly “fall” that made me a stronger person. When you fall (physically, emotionally, spiritually or mentally), IT HURTS and is almost always a NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE. Falling is accompanied by fear and a sense of being alone because there is no one there to catch you or prevent you from falling. “FALLING” IS A LONELY PLACE.

Love is something that is uplifting and that instills a sense of stability and unity. When we love one another, we don’t “fall” for one another or because of one another we in fact open the door and set in motion the process of belonging to one another.

We explored the notion of “Belonging Together” this week in our small study group. We continued to talk about how “Love Looks” in the Family of God. Simply stated:

· Love always protects. Covering each other in prayer and providing an environment that is safe and where confidentiality dwells. Love and gossip can never occupy the same place. Proverbs 11:13 “A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.”

· Love always trusts. When we love, we believe in and for each other. We make ourselves vulnerable toward others and we intercede on their behalf. We stand “at the altar” in faith for them.

· Love always hopes. We view others with a joyful expectation. We celebrate their achievements as if they were our own. We eradicate the thought of HATE and jealousy when we see others get blessed. We should be inspired and energized when we see God working in others, knowing that the same God loves and will work through us as well. Are you a “fan club” for other people or are your loudest cheers for yourself?

· Love always perseveres. Through thick and thin, when the dust settles, when the chips are down…Are you still around? Proverbs 18:24 “There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”

Love is based on commitment. “Fallin in love” is based on feelings and feelings always fail you. As members of the Family or God, we belong and depend on each other and because we belong to each other, we must commit to loving one another; however our love can not be confined within the four walls of the building in which we meet to worship, the house in which we live, the circle of “the lovely” that we surround ourselves with. Real love compels us. It should not be restrained or confined to our “brothers and sisters” in our “Godly Family”. God intended for His love to penetrate our very beings and radiate from us to light the world. This can only be accomplished when we realize that we are connected and that we “Belong Together”.

Is your love based on feelings? Are you ready to make a commitment to love instead of just “fallin in love? If what you call “love” doesn’t protect, trust, hope or preserve, then stop “fallin” and begin to “rise up” in love.

Be Blessed,

B

Regret

Regret can motivate you to never miss another golden opportunity or it can paralyze you so that you are no longer willing to take a chance because you can’t “get over” the opportunity that you missed in the past. We have all been there. Regret is a powerful force, but there is something that is far superior than regret. This force has the power to bring regret to its knees. Simply stated…it is the powerful force known as PREPARATION!!!

Some opportunities are missed due to the fact that we aren’t willing to step out, but I believe most opportunities that are missed are missed because we aren’t prepared.

Preparation is the prelude to success.

As we continued our small group study this week, we dug deeper into the topic of Love and Community by introducing the idea of “Reaching Out Together”. We are constantly faced with opportunities to be loving and kind. Both (Love and Kindness) are actions and can only be seen by others through our deeds. Maturity as it relates to Love is also measured by how much we are focused on the wellbeing, growth and needs of others. “Baby Love” or immature “love” is inwardly focused and severs the true bond of community that is meant to be shared by people who care and desire to be kind to one another.

In order for us to be effective in delivering the gift of Love and to take advantage of opportunities to Love we must be prepared. We must:

· Recognize the needs of the members of our communities

· Take inventory to see what God has provided to us to assist us in meeting the needs of others

· Get Organized (so that we can effectively and efficiently serve)

· Measure the need (break down the need into “workable” parts)

· Prepare our hearts. II Corinthians 9:11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.

· Be Available. James 1:22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

God specializes in taking little and turning it into much, but in order for God to multiply our efforts, our resources, our talents etc, we must WILLINGLY give what we have back to HIM. God can make miracles happen through those with a willing heart.

Our challenges (opportunities) are seemingly impossible to overcome/defeat… widespread homelessness, physical starvation, emotional distress, broken families, lack of education, lack of opportunities etc. We may feel regret, from missed opportunities to serve others in the past or regret and pain from a past experience when someone didn’t reach out to us when we were in need; however, let’s not let regret hold us back from love. Once we give what we have back to God, in the face of trying to overcome the “impossible”, we can rest assure that once the dust settles and the battle is won, we will be able to rejoice at the fact that God took our “little” and shaped it into VICTORY!!! That is why is it important to know what you have in order to recognize the miracle it will take to make up the difference to overcome the “challenge” you face.

When you live a life bent toward genuine love for God and others, the only regret that you’ll have is that you didn’t have more time to love.

Why not begin to “Reach Out Together” Today? Don’t let yesterday’s regret, destroy today’s opportunities for a better tomorrow.

Be Blessed,

B

What Matters Most

What matters most in life? Most people will say that what matters most is something much deeper than material things or temporal accomplishments, but do our actions really reflect this truth? At our small group study last night we explored the idea of “What Matters Most in Life” and the answer was Love.

A fulfilling life is one that is centered around a Love for God that is manifested through the way that we honor Him. We bring honor to our Father by obeying Him and our obedience can be seen through our Love for other people that we encounter along this journey called life. Without love, nothing you say, nothing you know, nothing you believe, nothing you give or accomplish has true eternal value. God looks at the heart of man and if your heart is not motivated by Love, you can fall into the trap of doing the “right” thing for the wrong reason, making your actions of little or no value.

We talked about how:

• Love is a Command not a suggestion or an Option. John 13:34 (Amplified Bible) I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another.
• Love is a Choice
• Love is a Conduct 1 John 3:18 (New Living Translation) 18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
• Love is a Commitment

Love is a verb…an action word. It is not so much about what you say, what scriptures that you can quote, who is on the contact list in your I-phone, what degrees you have on your wall…etc. It is about how the truth about God’s love for you compels you to love other people. Don’t be like the medical “doctor” who parades around talking about his degrees and his knowledge, but he has never performed a surgery or had “hands on” experience ushering someone back to health. Too many of us are “hands-off” when it comes to interacting with others. That is why hurting people are not being helped in real ways.

We can not Love in a cocoon and we can’t genuinely love in a crowd. We must truly love in the smaller more manageable framework of a community. For it is in that intimate close knit setting that we can be transparent and can focus in on the needs of those around us and we can open our hearts to serve them. We must turn on our “Love Radar”, so that we can detect, identify and apply ourselves to the opportunities to love on others that we encounter throughout the day. Open your ears and listen, open your eyes and see…most people will tell you exactly what they need and how you can demonstrate love toward them.

The other night as my mother left my house she backed out of the drive way and did not turn on her headlights. Needless to say (but I’ll say it anyway), she couldn’t “see her way” through the darkness. It wasn’t until she turned on her lights that her way became clear. There are people all around you that are walking in the “darkness” of pain, disappointment, neglect, self pity, low-esteem etc. We must turn on the light of Love so that we can see them and so that we can impart that light into their lives.

Will you let your “light” of Love shine today? What really matters most to you…is it all about you…or is it all about Love?

Be Blessed,

B

You can do it!!!

Fall is quickly approaching and Summer is quickly coming to an end. Soon Saturday morning’s air will be filled with the roar of leaf blowers and the gentle rustling of leaves being gathered and bag. No longer will the lawn mowers, trimmers and edgers dominate the lawn…nor will they be in the weapon of choice when it comes to the “Backyard Battle”. We will be faced with a lighter and more elusive foe…the falling leaf. With the coming of fall, kids begin to flow like rivers into the “ocean of knowledge” called school and the light traffic that we commuters experienced during the summer months is replaced with school busses and scores of “new commuters” (who I guess didn’t have to work during the summer).

As we prepare to say goodbye to Summer…we say hello to FOOTBALL…good old AMERICAN FOOTBALL!!!! Not to be confused with Soccer (or football as the rest of the world calls it). I love “our football” and I have had the pleasure of both playing it and coaching it (at the youth level). This past weekend, my age 7-9 team had their opener. Many of the kids are playing organized ball for the 1^st time, but after practicing together for 2 hours a night each weeknight in August and by scrimmaging on Saturdays, you could hardly tell who the “new guys” were. We were successful in our quest to achieve victory.

While there are literally about 100 lessons this experiences taught me, a couple of thoughts recur in my mind as I reflected on our victory.

1. We came prepared. We had walked though, jogged through and ran through our core plays 50-100 time each leading up to the actual game. Our players knew their assignments. They were comfortable in their positions and in the team as a whole. We even prepared for adjustments that we would make if the opponent had some “surprises” for us.
2. We didn’t give fear a chance to creep in. While we are generally out “sized” by our opponents, I did not allow my guys to even look at our opponent, because it really didn’t matter who we were up against. We knew our jobs and we knew that if we carried out our responsibilities, to the best of our abilities, that success was there for the taking.
3. We didn’t allow the opponent’s demeaning words diminish our confidence in our preparation or our ability. As we passed by our opponents in the weigh-in line, they criticized us. They called us small and said that there was no way that we would be able to stop them. Our players responded with a “victory chant”, used to encourage us and energize us.

In our life journeys, “the enemy” WILL ATTACK. The Enemy, through the forces of evil and darkness throughout this world has yet to forfeit, or show up late to a battle to try to take our victory. Notice I said take. Victory is something that you must surrender, as it is already yours. God has given you all that you need to be victorious. It is up to you to practice, prepare and to perform. Don’t allow your eyes to focus on your enemy, your problems or your circumstances, for the more you do, the more you will be afraid, overwhelmed and confused. When you are afraid, overwhelmed and confused, you tend to cultivate an environment that prevents faith from growing and from leading you to victory.

I John 4-5 (Message) says: “Every God-begotten person conquers the world's ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. The person who wins out over the world's ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God”

Never allow what the world, the enemy, your family, your friends etc. diminish your confidence in what God has promised for your life. Self-Doubt has no permanent place in the life of a prepared people. When words of discouragement come your way, begin your “victory chant” by glorifying God through your situation. Magnify Him and your “opponents” prowess will be minimized.

• Prepare by planning for victory.
• Practice through allowing the character of God to take root in you through studying and applying His word.
• Perform to the best of HIS ability for it is the power of God that works through you to obtain/maintain your victory.

Always remember that by the strength of God through Christ, like Rob Schneider says, “YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!”

R U Ready for some FOOTBALL!!!

Be Blessed,

B

Input....Output

Truth be told…my wife is an excellent cook. She can whip up a meal in no time flat and that meal will have you wanting to lick the plate, the cooking utensils and the pots and pans she used to make the meal or the dessert. Me on the other hand, I can do a “lil somethin’ somethin’” in the kitchen too. I have noticed that on occasion when I try to duplicate a meal or a dish that she has made; it just doesn’t turn out the same. It turns out good and is edible, but it is just not quite as good as when she prepares it. We will use the exact same ingredients, but the final dish will not taste the same.

I began to think, “How can two people use the same ingredients and produce drastically different meals and why can some people “burn” (cook very well) and other people just burn?” :-) There is a system at work that we sometimes ignore. It is always at work, but we are not always sensitive to it. It is the system of “Input-Output”. We are all familiar with the sayings “You get out of it what you put into it…What you put in you’ll get out…You are what you eat…etc”. There is truth in those sayings. Simply stated, the way the system works is that raw data is introduced into the system (Input). The data is then processed and then data exits the system (Output). This is basically how computers work. Data enters in the computer processes the data and produces an output.

When it comes to the input/output system, the main difference between us and computers is that two people can input the same data and come up with different Outputs. We tend to “process” data based on our emotions, past experiences and an attempt to manage our expectations/futures. This is why two people can listen to the same conversation, the same instructions, the same teaching etc and come back totally different conclusions or points of action. Our minds, bodies, souls and spirits operate within this system, but with a twist…What comes out of us is usually a representation of what is already in us, and that output (action we take or words that we speak) was just brought to light, triggered and/or activated by an input.

In addition, like computers, our processors (our mind, bodies, souls and spirits) can be impacted by the input that enters the system. Just as a computer can be “infected” by a corrupt process or by “corrupt data”, we too can fall prey to “contaminated data” that enters into our systems.

Proverbs 4:23-27 (Message Bible) reads:

Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.

Luke 6:45 (Amplified Bible) reads:

The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks.

What does your output look like? Is it positive or negative…good or evil…productive or destructive…Godly or Worldly…loving or hateful. Our output is tied to our input and the quality of our “processors”, so if you don’t like your output, examine your inputs (the outside influences that you are exposed to…the people your are around…the shows your watch…the music you listen to) or make some modifications to your “processor” (renew your mind, your heart and your spirit daily). “Good” inputs will do you no good if you can’t receive them and produce “good” output, because your “processor” is corrupt.

I challenge you today to “upgrade” your “PC” and watch what you put into it so that what you produce will be pleasing to and bring glory to your “Ultimate Programmer”.

Be Blessed,
B

Step Up!!!

Two of the features in my home that added to its aesthetic appeal are found in the master bedroom. They are the lofty cathedral ceilings and its sunken floor. These features make the room’s experience stand out as your eyes are drawn up. Conversely the sunken floor gives the room a sense of warmth and depth.

While these are exquisite features, about a month after we moved in, we were faced with a “challenge”. We wanted to add a ceiling fan to the bedroom, but because the ceiling was so high, the ladder that we possessed would not allow me to elevate high enough to install the fan (but believe me, I tried and I tried to use the ladder that I already had as most men would have done, before finally admitting that I needed to buy another ladder or borrow one from someone who had one that was tall enough). Fortunately a friend of mine, who lived right around the corner (Terrance who worked for Tyco as an installer/repair technician), had a ladder that I could use. This allowed me to “dodge the bullet” of having to buy a ladder. Thank God for Terrance!!!

Fast forward, about 5 ½ years later, to last week…I arrived home to here a loud high pitched beeping sound. It was the sound of the low battery warning coming from one of our smoke detectors. I dashed up the stairs to track down the sound. Low and behold, it was coming from the smoke detector that was located just shy of the apex of the cathedral ceiling in my master bedroom. “Oh Boy!!!” I thought to myself. How am I going to take care of this one? (Terrance now lives about 45mins to an hour away and I don’t think that even his ladder was tall enough to allow me to reach the smoke detector).

As I discussed the matter with my wife she said, “Baby are you sure that you can’t reach that smoke detector using our ladder?” I emphatically said, “NO!” I quickly reminded her of my failed attempt to install the ceiling fan using my ladder, but she was not convinced. She said, “Are you sure you can’t reach it?” I’ve heard that tone before…it was that “I need to see it to believe it tone.” I said, “Evidently you are acting as if you are from Missouri (the “show me state”), so let me get the ladder and just show you.”

I retrieved the ladder from the garage and set it up under the smoke detector and began to climb it. Chanda assisted by securing the ladder as I climbed to the second to last step from the top of the ladder. This is where I usually stopped climbing that particular ladder. To my surprise, I could almost reach the smoke detector. I looked down at the ladder and warning label said that I could safely climb to the next step, which allowed me to reach and to change the battery with ease.

Chanda gave me that “I told you so look”, which I deserved, but what she said to me was so profound. In summary, she told me that I was probably afraid to take that next step when I was by myself and chalked it up as being out of reach and impossible, but since she was there with me helping me, I had the support and encouragement that I needed to take the next step and to do what I didn’t think I could do while I was alone. The concept was so simple yet so true. Alone, I had accepted a limitation that really didn’t exist. I had all I needed to solve the problem. All I needed was the encouragement of someone else and for someone else to see me “operate under” and “demonstrate” this limitation that I had formulated in my mind. My “limitation” in her eyes didn’t exist. I was fully capable.

This experience led me to think about how I have placed “limitations” on myself in other areas of my life. I have at times been my worst critic, heaviest anchor, largest stumbling block and “loudest” heckler. I have been the victim of “self sabotage”. I am however so thankful for my wife and for other people that God has placed in my life that serve as an encouragement to me. They push me and they see my potential and have the ability to “disqualify” the limits that I have conjured up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (Amplified Bible ) says: “Two are better than one, because they have a good [more satisfying] reward for their labor; For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”

Do you have spiritual “partners” that encourage you to go beyond your limits and your comfort level in your walk with the Lord? Who do you need to reach out to and encourage today? What limits have you placed on yourself and on God’s ability to work through you?

It’s time to take that “next step up” on the ladder of your life. God and your true friends will be there to support you and they will not let you fall and if you do, they will surely be there to break the fall and to help you get back on your feet.

Just take the step!!!

Be Blessed,

B

Muscle Memory

There is nothing quite like coming home to a clean house. There is something refreshing about the gentle aroma of lemon, fresh linen and various citrus flavored cleansers teasing your nostrils as you open the front door. The wood floors gleaming, the windows sparkling and the steel on the appliances glistening. I think that lady from the Pine-Sol commercials is on to something (“That’s the power of Pine-Sol baby!”).

We recently had a “Spring Cleaning” at our house. When we arrived home from work, relatively speaking, the house was impeccable. The next morning as I went through my normal routine, I went to throw away a Q-Tip, only to find that the bathroom trashcan was not in its normal spot. The trashcan, that had been located in the same spot for the last 5 ½ years, had been moved during the cleaning. It had been moved to a more logical location, but it was a location that I was not familiar with.

Two other times that day and even as late as a week later, I still found myself going to the “old spot” out of habit or routine. I had trained my body to go to that same spot without thinking. I was going through the motions without being consciously engaged throughout the process.
I was clearly demonstrating the phenomenon known as muscle memory. Muscle memory takes place when the same physical action is repeated so many times that your body can do it without your mind consciously controlling your actions. This is essential in sports, such as golf, baseball, skating, bicycling etc., where getting comfortable with and repeating actions the same way every time is critical for success.

This phenomenon translates to the spiritual realm as well. Before I became serious in my walk with God, I had ingrained into my being, a certain “muscle memory”. I lied without thinking; I cheated without giving it a second thought; I reacted in anger when I should have loved; I was disobedient to authority; I neglected the truth; I was intentionally hurtful to others; I worried about things that I had no control over; I put my ideas above God’s plans and commands. After years of repetition, my “spiritual muscle memory” was finely tuned to do the wrong thing.

When I decided to follow in the steps of Christ, it was like the “trash can” was moved. What I was used to doing, I could not continue to do anymore. I used to hate, I must now love. I used to worry, now I must exercise my faith muscle. I used to hoard my belongings, now I must give. I used to be foolish, now I must pursue wisdom and knowledge.

Every day, I must “retrain” my mind, body and spirit to forget those ways of the past and to press forward toward the new mark. It is a daily struggle, but it is my ultimate goal.

Philippians 3:12-14 (Amplified Bible) reads: “12-Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. 13-I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14-I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

Romans 7:21-25 (Message Bible) reads: “21-23-It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. 24-I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? 25-The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different."

If you truly desire a deeper relationship with God, you must “go into training”. Through His power, you can break the “habits” that took you a lifetime to build. You can stop going back to the “old ways” that are comfortable (for a moment) and walk in newness of life.

Take a look around your “house”…is it time for a “Spring Cleaning”?

Be Blessed,

B

Are you covered???

As a kid when I was afraid of something at bedtime (a monster, a thunderstorm etc), I would sleep under the covers on my bed. I had a couple of techniques that I used. Sometimes, I would “mummify” myself in my sheets so that no part of my body was exposed to “whatever was out there”. Other times I would cover my entire body and place my head under my pillow. My favorite technique, however, was what I like to call the “impenetrable dome” system. This was accomplished by spreading and then throwing my sheet or blanket into the air, making a parachute of sort, and quickly pulling the sides down to make a dome. I would then hide myself under the dome and be fully covered and protected for the night.

As a kid you may have had your favorite blanket or sheet that served as a “comforter” and “protector”, but for me it didn’t matter. I used whatever was available to cover myself. I fully believed that nothing could “get me” as long as I was covered. My covers were invincible. No monster could rip through them, no robber could break in and harm me (or see me for that matter) and no lightening could break through my protective barrier. I was covered, so that means that I was “hands off” to anything that “meant me harm”.

As an adult, I don’t sleep “under the covers”, but I am still faced with the “monsters” of life which include the monsters of doubt, of worry, of lack, of not achieving success, of hurting my loved ones, of peer pressure, of not being the follower of Christ I should be, of not being the man, husband or father I should be, etc. These “monsters” are much more powerful than the ‘monsters” that I faced as a child, because these “monsters” can come out in the day as well as in the night.

I have found that I still need covers, but I have exchanged my physical covers for spiritual “covers” (or a shield). Psalms 5:12 says

For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love. (New Living Translation)

For 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). (Amplified Bible)

In the face of my “monsters” I can hide under the “covers” of God’s Favor (Grace) and His Love. His favor is an impenetrable force in my life. It protects me not only from the attacks of the evil one, but it protects me from my “self destructive” tendencies. When I recognize that God has favor toward me, that He is “covering” me and protecting me, I can “boldly go where no man has gone before”. What once appeared as a “Leap of Faith” begins to look like a baby step as I look at my destiny through the eyes of the Most High.

I thank God for being full of Grace (unmerited favor) and with Love (unconditional acceptance and sacrifice). There isn’t a “monster” that is strong enough to “get me” when I’m hiding under my “covers”.

As you face your “monsters”, what are you hiding under? Are you relying on your own might, your own wit and your “connections”? I guarantee you that outside of the Grace of God as your cover, your enemies will find a weakness in your defenses and you will fall. When God calls you to do whatever He wants to accomplish through you, He will cover you with the favor needed to get the job done. He will open doors that you didn’t even know were there (forget about the ones that you thought were closed), He will guide you to the right connections (by ordering your steps) and He will make your enemies your footstool. When you hide under the “covers” of God, there is no need to fear for He will protect you.

What “covers” are you hiding under?

Be Blessed,

B

What's for Lunch???

Like a lot of people over 30 these days, I’ve been trying to take better care of my physical body by exercising and eating more healthy foods. In doing so, I’ve been preparing my lunches at home and completing them while at work. This week, one of the things that I had for lunch each day is a nice Organic (Triple washed) Spring Mix accompanied by fresh cucumbers and strawberries. It always amazes me that whenever I’m cutting up my fresh fruit or vegetables, the aroma that is generated typically “commands” a response from those walking past the kitchenette. The typical response is “Hmmmm those strawberries smell SO good or Yummy…Those cucumbers smell so fresh!!!”

Today however as I was preparing my lunch I received a response that I have never received before. As I was in the midst of preparing my salad, one of my co-workers stopped in the hallway near the kitchenette and said with a dispirited sounding voice, “That looks really good and that would be good for me. Why can’t I do that? Why can’t I eat healthy?” I just smiled as she walked away, but in my mind I immediately thought, “You can…It’s just a choice and not a difficult one at that.”

I was immediately convicted. Life is full of choices and what occurs in the spiritual realm is mirrored in the natural realm. There are many choices that I have made in life that I knew were not good for me. I have wasted my time, my abilities and my financial resources. I knew the better or the best choice, yet I chose the wrong alternative and have often had a “pity-party” (in honor of myself), when I have seen others doing the things that I know I should be doing or making the same right choices that were available to me.

The “I can’t” mentality will always become a “self-fulfilling prophecy”, if not overcome with “I am” or the “I will” mentality that comes with knowing who God has empowered us to be through His purpose for our lives. It is a simple truth, but if you feed yourself a steady diet of “I can’t” three times a day, for snack and for dessert…guess what….YOU WON’T. You won’t be successful. You won’t have joy. You won’t love others. You won’t leave a legacy worth talking about.

There is an old country saying…’the farmer who wants more chickens, but eats all of his eggs will eventually run out of chickens and when he does he shouldn’t complain, for he has himself to blame” (this is not really a saying…I just made it up, but it is true J). If we know what we want and we know what is right, but we choose what is unrighteous and unwise, we have no right to blame God or others for our “sorry state”.

Your life will be remembered by those after you based on the choices that you make today. The seeds you plant (your choices) will result in the harvest you reap (your success or lack thereof). Galatians 6:7-8 says: “Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life”

Your present state is based on your past and your current decisions in life, but there is hope. You can begin to make Godly choices at any moment. It’s on you. Stop saying “I can’t” and believe what God says in His Word that you are and what you are capable of doing and becoming.

What you choose to eat for lunch is up to you. Whether you exercise or not is up to you too, but don’t pull everyone around you into your “pity party” because you are upset with the way you “look” as a result of your choices. Take charge of your future with choices you make today.

What’s for “lunch”?

Be Blessed,

B

Seed…Time…Harvest....It's Spring Again!!!

It’s Spring Again…Everybody knows…It’s Spring Again.

Early Spring and Early Fall are my favorite times of the year, especially when it comes to weather. These are times, where the Beauty and Splendor of Creation are undoubtedly evident in Nature. In the Spring, you can see the grass, the flowers and the trees bring forth life and grow at a subtle but rapid pace. Many people plant seeds in hopes to fill their gardens and their flower patches with dazzling arrays of colors. While others, who “winterized and aerated” at the close of previous growing season, sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor as their lavish lawns become the envy of their neighbors.

Almost everyone has at one time or another planted a seed and went through the process of nurturing that seed until a mature plant was able to spring forth. Whether or not we planted our seed in a dirt filled Styrofoam cup, a jar or in a yard, the principles of Seed… Time…and Harvest were at work and could not be ignored. We had to plant the Seed. We had to care for the seedling over Time and then at the appropriate time we could enjoy the satisfaction of the Harvest.

I was recently talking to my Mother, and I sensed that she was a bit down. After talking to her for a bit, she said that she felt as if she was not “harvesting” as much as she wanted to. She was living off of her reserves and not adding to them. I had to quickly stop her and tell her that she was in the “Seed” phase in life.

Before my Dad passed last year, he was able to make sure that my mother was provided for so that if she wanted to pursue some of her dreams, she was afforded the luxury to do so. My mother has taken advantage of Dad’s planning in several ways. She began to take college level business courses, birthed a foundation, laid the ground work for her own insurance and financial services venture, sold a house, renovated two homes…just to name a few things, but still she was a little discouraged because she wasn’t bringing in the money that she wanted to at this point in time.

I shared with her that this is her Seed time. Seeds are like dreams. God gives us dreams and desires for a “better” life. A “better” Life that is connected to the fulfillment of our purpose on this Earth and with it a burning desire within us to “complete the mission”.

Dreams are a blessing and can be a “curse”. A Dream inspires and gives you hope. During the “Seed” time you can envision the “Harvest”. You can see, smell and taste it. Dreams can provide fuel for your soul, but a Dream can also be a “curse” because if you don’t act on your dreams and “plant your seeds” they will rot and you will be “plagued” by the “heaviness of heart, soul and mind” that accompanies deferring, delaying and denying your dreams.

I explained to my Mom that she should not be discouraged by her lack of “harvest”, because she just planted her seeds. She must now cultivate them, care for them and keep watch over them, so that the “weeds” of competing priorities, naysayers and discouragement won’t have the opportunity to “choke the life” out of her Dreams. She must allow some time before the Harvest, but she must always keep in mind that the Harvest is on its way and it will exceed her wildest dreams.

Psalms 27:14 (Amplified Bible) “Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord. “

Isaiah 40:31 (Amplified Bible) 31 But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.

Whether you are in the Seedtime (having your Dream and beginning to position yourself to make it happen), the Time (protecting and nourishing your Dream) or the Harvest (fulfilling your Dream and reaping the rewards) phase of life, learn to appreciate and to identify where you are. Don’t allow the reality of where you are prevent you from becoming what you need to be.

Timing is everything, so make sure you are listening to the True Gardener, who knows what to plant, when to plant it and when to harvest it.

Aren’t you glad that it’s SPRING AGAIN!!!!

Be Blessed,

B