Leftovers

When it comes to dinner in our household of four, we typically make enough food so that there are leftovers.  These leftovers typically become the next day’s lunch for me and/or my wife or an after-school snack for the kids.  To accomplish this, the kids usually “pack up” the leftovers in storage containers.  On one recent evening, I noticed that one of the kids was overfilling the container.  This child (who will remain nameless), filled the storage container to the very top.  When I explained to the strong willed teen that the top was not going to be able to seal without causing some of the food to spill out, I was met with an, “I got this…I know what I’m doing…I know that it won’t spill…just watch Dad.”

I sat back and thought,”OK…do it your way and you’ll have to deal with the consequences.”  The determined teen proceeded and found out the hard way that Father knows best.  I saw the future play out while the teen was just living and experiencing life in the moment.

How often are we like my teenager?  We "overstuff" our lives and we ignore the fact that we have limited capacities.  We ignore the signs, the wisdom, the warnings and the very voice of God as we fill our lives with more activities, more relationships, more commitments and more cares that we were designed to “hold”.   We were not designed to live burned out and overextended lives.

Sadly, we often drag the burdens, the bruises and the baggage of our past into our future.  God designed us with our ultimate futures in mind.  He knows our assignments and the capacity that we need in order to complete His plans for us.  If we carry our past into our future, we should be prepared to “make a mess”, just like my child did.  God wants us to take time with Him to deal with our past pains, failures and unfinished business, but he doesn’t want us to live in the past and allow our past to determine our future.   Conversely, yesterday’s expectations, miracles, provisions and deliverance were for yesterday.  Don’t drag them into tomorrow and limit your view and expectation of what God can and will do.

Isaiah 43:16-19 New Living Translation (NLT)

I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters,
    making a dry path through the sea.
17 I called forth the mighty army of Egypt
    with all its chariots and horses.
I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned,
    their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick.

18 “But forget all that—
    it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
19 For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

What are you carrying from your past that you need to deal with to make room for what God has in store for your future?  Is the weight of your past holding you down?  God wants to lift you to higher heights, but you can’t safely move forward if you are constantly looking behind you.

Yesterday’s victories and defeats belong to yesterday.  God is preparing us for GREATER THINGS!!!  He wants us to empty ourselves so that He can fill us with all that He needs to in order for us to take advantage of the GREAT THINGS that He has in store for us; however, but He can’t fill us to capacity, if part of our containers (our lives) are currently full of “leftovers”.

Be Blessed!!!

B

Open Doors

As I was leaving work the other evening, I held the large heavy glass door at the entrance of my building open for an older lady that was leaving at the same time.  The lady literally stood there and did not move.  After what seemed like an eternity, but was more like 3-5 seconds, her blank stare lifted as she smiled and said,”I forgot that people still did that. I can’t remember the last time someone held the door open for me.  Thanks!” 

I was then perplexed.  How did this ordinary act of respect and kindness become so “unusual”?  Have we become so disconnected and self-absorbed that common courtesies are no longer common?  Have we lowered the bar as a society so much that we only act on those things that are of benefit to us?

Sadly, some of us approach our encounters with our Heavenly Father the same way that this lady approached her encounter with me.  She had very low expectations.  We can get so caught up in our circumstances, our weaknesses and our experiences with people hurting us that we project our pain and flawed human responses to our pain on God.  God cares for us.  God is concerned about us. God wants to bless us as we live according to His will.

Psalms 106:3-18 (MSG)

He forgives your sins—every one.

    He heals your diseases—every one.

    He redeems you from hell—saves your life!

    He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.

    He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.

    He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.

^6-18 God makes everything come out right;

    he puts victims back on their feet.

He showed Moses how he went about his work,

    opened up his plans to all Israel.

God is sheer mercy and grace;

    not easily angered, he’s rich in love.

He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,

    nor hold grudges forever.

He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,

    nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.

As high as heaven is over the earth,

    so strong is his love to those who fear him.

And as far as sunrise is from sunset,

    he has separated us from our sins.

As parents feel for their children,

    God feels for those who fear him.

He knows us inside and out,

    keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.

Men and women don’t live very long;

    like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,

But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,

    leaving nothing to show they were here.

God’s love, though, is ever and always,

    eternally present to all who fear him,

Making everything right for them and their children

    as they follow his Covenant ways

    and remember to do whatever he said.

Psalms 103 spells out the many ways that God loves us and has demonstrated that love.  He forgives us…He saves us…He knows us…He redeems us….He renews us etc. 

In a world that attempts to get us to minimize God, we must maximize our expectation of the impact that interacting with Him will have on our lives.  He loves us more that we can imagine or think, so He wants the very best for us.

God is standing there holding doors open for us.  How long will we stand there mystified before we step through and give Him thanks for caring enough about us to “hold the door open”? 

Raise your expectations by maximizing your awareness of God’s Love in action in your life!!! It is much easier to walk through a door that God has opened than to try to open a closed door or to create a door on your own.

Be Blessed!!!

B

You can Keep Your "Dirt" to Yourself!

Can you recall how it felt the last time someone “did you dirty”?  When was the last time you “did someone dirty” (hopefully it has been a long time and you have rectified the situation)?  “Dirty” can take many forms, but primarily it takes the form of someone taking advantage of another person or someone playing an integral part in the demise of another.

Most people (both successful and unsuccessful) refuse to be genuinely happy for a person that is achieving success, especially if that person is attaining as much success or reaching a higher level of success than they have achieved.  Jealousy and Envy compel that person to try “dim the shine” of others by tossing “dirt”.  In some cases, “jealous ones” will try to bury you alive because they can’t appreciate the evidence of God’s Blessings and His Favor flowing through your life.

As I was reading some of the story of Isaac in Genesis 26, Isaac too had to face “dirt slingers”: 

Genesis 26:12-16 (MSG) Isaac planted crops in that land and took in a huge harvest. God blessed him. The man got richer and richer by the day until he was very wealthy. He accumulated flocks and herds and many, many servants, so much so that the Philistines began to envy him. They got back at him by throwing dirt and debris into all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham, clogging up all the wells. Finally, Abimelech told Isaac: “Leave. You’ve become far too big for us.”

 In the face of his success, those who were jealous of God’s favor on Isaac’s life, sought to destroy his ability to continue being successful.  They attempted to do this by literally throwing “dirt” in his wells.  They thought that if they could cut him off from the source (water) that they believed was sustaining him, his success would fade and he would be forced to “move on”.  Their efforts were futile because, the ultimate source of Isaac’s success was God’s Blessing on his life.  Human efforts can never override God’s Blessings in the lives of those who are “about His Business”.

The enemy too wants to fill your wells with dirt.  He wants to discourage you and to cause you to focus on “your wells” as your source and not God.  He also wants to distract you by placing unnecessary obstacles in the way of your success.  Most of all he wants to “snuff you out” so that your life can not be a testimony to those who would dare to believe in and trust God for their success.

If the enemy or “jealous ones” are trying to bury you alive and toss dirt on your life, God has given you the power and authority to “brush that dirt off your shoulder”!  There isn’t a lampshade manufactured in Hell that is thick enough or dark enough to block out your “shine”.  Let them throw whatever they want into your well.  You, just like Isaac did to the wells dug by his Father before him, can again dig up the “wells of success” and in the end give God all the Glory!!!

Be Blessed!!!

B

So....What's New?

The beginning of a new calendar year means different things to different people.  To some it is a chance to have a “clean slate”, a chance to begin some better habits and correct some wrongs and/or a chance to attempt to leave the pains, cares and worries of the last year behind.  Yet to some it is just another day.  They either keep grinding or the keep whining. 

I typically use this day as one of the days of the year that I choose to regroup, to reevaluate and to reflect.  I spend a good portion of the day meditating and talking to God.  I thank Him for where He has brought me, thank Him for His present blessings and open my heart and mind to what He has in store for my life in the future.

This morning, as I read a portion of the Creation story in Genesis, three words were branded on my mind as I thought about my life through God’s eyes.  Those words are Provision, Vision and Decision. 

Provision- Genesis (Chapters 1 and 2) gives me a glimpse of how meticulous God is in His provision.  He carefully lays out all that I need in a systematic order to set me up for success.  He didn’t create man without a plan.  He provided those things that were needed for man to sustain and to carry out his mission.  For example, dry land was established before man was on the scene.  Once man was created He also immediately created an environment that could sustain Man’s growth. This lets me know that God is concerned about and makes provision for my needs even before giving me my assignments.  This demonstrates His wisdom and love for me.  As God leads me into various assignments, I will boldly accept them, in faith, knowing that He has equipped me for the journey.  His provisions are sufficient.

Vision-God created me for a purpose and He has carved out a place in “His-Story” for me.  I must commit to working his plan/vision for me.  Many times, God reveals His vision for me through His word and through His Spirit working through me.  As man carried out one of His first assignments of naming the animals, a deeper need surfaced (the need for a companion…woman).  This need was one that only God could fill, but God’s power was only demonstrated after man was obedient in carrying out God’s assignment.  In short, what I’m missing will often be revealed to me as I carry out God’s vision for me, but it just gives Him an opportunity to again demonstrate His Love and Power to me by meeting that need as I serve Him. I must be a trustworthy steward of God’s vision and accept His assignments for me.

Decision-In the face of God’s provision and God’s vision for me, I have to make Decisions.  I must choose to make decisions about the use of my time, my talents and my “treasure” in order to allocate them in a way that is aligned with God’s vision.  I must choose God over my doubts, my sinful habits, my feelings of insecurity, my “wisdom”, my comfort, my “vision”, other people’s plans for me, etc.  I must be in tune with God through His Spirit so that I can make choices that honor Him.

May we all have vision that goes beyond 2014 but also vision that is focused on each day so that we can be ever mindful of God’s provision, His Vision and the necessary Decisions that we must make to take advantage of His provisions and to make His Vision for our lives come to pass.

Be Blessed,

B

The Best Things in Life...

They say that the best things in life are free. Including:

• The splendor of the morning sun as it illuminates the awaiting sky

• The calming reflection of the moon on a still body of water

• The harmonic symphony of the birds in the morning chorus

• The sweet fragrance of a flower as it spreads its pedals toward the horizon

I have found that the very best things in life are not free, they come at high cost. Love is the ultimate gift. Love requires sacrifice. Love requires a sacrifice of time, effort, abilities, gifts, alternative “fun activities”, sleep, money, the “right to be right”, “the last word”, tears, fears, personal safety and soooooooooooo much more. If it is free and came at no cost, I can guarantee you that it is not rooted in “Love”.

Love necessitates a choice. That is why Love is not passive. It is alive with action. People who are driven by love are people on the move. They are like rivers (flowing and vibrant), not swamps (that sit and stink).



Love demands a commitment. If you are not willing to commit to someone or something than don’t say that you Love that person or thing. A commitment is a promise, a dedication or a pledge. That simply means that what you say you’ll do, you will do. It is not based on emotions or feelings. Feelings/Emotions should never dictate how we carry out our commitments. There are many things that we don’t feel like doing but we choose to do them because of our commitment that stems from our love.



Love involves courage. Where fear paralyzes us, courage fueled by love motivates us to “take on the world” for the ones that we love and for the causes that we love. We can boldly perform acts of heroism in the lives of the ones that we love and come to the rescue of the people that God has called us to love (the poor, the sick, the outcast, the hurting etc.). It takes courage to go “where no man has gone before…or where no man wants to go”, in the name of love to reach those that man has no desire to touch.

John 13:34“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. (The Message)

John 15:13 “This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends.” (The Message)

Who are you laying your life on the line for? Who is laying their life on the line for you? We and others talk it but do we actually live it. I don’t need any more “free friends” and don’t want anyone to “love me for free”. True friendship involves love as demonstrated by choices, commitments and our courage. Don’t take friendship lightly because friendships involve love and that requires some form of “sacrifice of your life”.

No more “free friends”, the best things in life aren’t always free.

Be Blessed,

B

Can you Dig it?

The story is told of a young man who began to dig a hole. For no apparent reason that anyone could figure out he was just determined that he was going to dig a hole. He dug for days and as people passed him, they asked him, “What are you doing? Why are you digging this hole?” He just replied in frustration and anger and said, “Listen…I know what I’m doing!!!” Day after day he continued to dig, until the hole was so deep around him, that he could no longer climb out.

Now he is stuck. He is stuck in hole that he dug for himself.

As he realizes his hopeless state, he humbles himself and cries out for help. “Somebody please help me!!! Help!!! Help!!!”

Imagine now that you are one of those people that passed him every day and tried to warn him about the eventual dilemma that he would face if he continued with carrying out his mission to dig that hole. Would you scold him? Would you ask him how he eventually got stuck in that hole or would you reach out your hand without passing judgment to help him at the time when he needed it most?



Galatians 6:1-5 speaks to this situation:



1 Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. 2 Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. 3 If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived. 4 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. 5 Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. (The Message Bible)

What is the cost of your help? Does your help come with self- righteous/demeaning criticism or life giving encouragement? When people are hurting or find themselves in a seemingly “hopeless hole” the last thing that they need is to be broken down even more. They need LOVE. Love doesn’t mean that we encourage others to continue to do the wrong thing, just to say that we support them. Love reaches out a hand to the fallen and offers to share their burden and partner with them as they walk the path of restoration and redemption.

We must also remember that we are not called to pull everybody out of their pits. Sometimes our friends and family need to stay in the pit until they realize that they need God, are called for a higher state of living and are willing to come out of their darkness and into the light of the Love of God. Too many times we waste our time, talent and treasure trying to help those who just want to get out of a situation without addressing the reasons and choices that they made that resulted in the situation. That is like helping that guy out of the hole, just so that he can begin to dig a bigger one right next to it. We aren’t helping…we are hindering God’s work.

We all need help and we all need to be willing to help others…without passing judgment and without a sense of self-righteousness. If not for the grace of God, we would be the one’s crying out from our self-made “holes of life”, so let us all be sensitive to the struggles of others and ask for wisdom and love to be the guiding forces that lead us to help those that are crying out.

Who is crying out for your help today?

Be Blessed,

B

Going Camping!!!

“Let’s leave the luxuries of home behind, pack our bags and go camping!!!” These are words that I have never uttered nor will I probably ever do so (smiles). I appreciate the outdoors, but I’m not big on creepy bugs or sneaky snakes. On top of that, I have a funny suspicion that a bear or a pack of wolves might “stumble upon” me in the middle of the night, so I would probably find it hard to sleep. I’m a “city man”. “The Great Outdoors” is a great place to visit, but I won’t be setting up camp there. I would feel out of place…uncomfortable…awkward. It would never feel like “home”.

I must also remind myself that I am not “home” in this world. I’m just a visitor camping out for a short part of eternity. I was not created to be “comfortable” with my current state of existence nor with the dominant messages within the world’s culture. My life’s mission is not to amass as many material possessions or as much worldly esteem as possible. That would leave my life both empty and meaningless. Too many have already compromised their souls, their families, their marriages, etc. in their relentless pursuit of wealth, power and fame.

We can’t get cozy with thoughts, images and actions that are in direct conflict with righteousness, truth and love. God put in us “uneasiness” about life, a desire to make a difference, a desire to complete a mission. In order to complete our mission, we can’t get caught up in the initiatives of the world at the expense of our souls and to the detriment of one day hearing “mission complete”.

Comfort can be the enemy of action. When we are comfortable, we accept things as they are and we are not moved to act. When we are too comfortable, we tend to be self-centered and are not compelled to commit action with compassion. As children of the Most High, we must recognize that in a world where so many people are not comfortable in their life situations (jobs, marriages, relationships etc.), our “comfort/coziness” makes us numb to the struggles of others and actually pushes them away from pursuing a relationship with God.

In my experience, what attracts people to God as the best option is the love that they have experienced from Him through His Children. This Love is a Love that is identified by our actions.

Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives. 1 Peter 2:11-12 (The Message Bible)

Take a look at your life. Are you so entrenched in the world that you have made the “ways of the world” your home? Are you so comfortable that you are not pursuing your purpose? Does your life reflect Love of God in how you actively participate in the lives of those who are hurting and feel rejected?

If you have “made yourself at home” on the campgrounds of ungodliness and selfishness, it is time to decamp. Pack up and relocate to an area that God directs you to so that your life can be an instrument that He can use to enhance the Kingdom. Ask Him to lead you as you take inventory and make decisions about who and what you should take along with you for the journey.

Are you ready to go camping?

Be Blessed!

B