BE HERE NOW: When Friends Let You Down - A message to find strength in the Lord in those times

I cannot imagine what it must be like for kids to have parents that are so busy that they forget to pick them up. I've seen this on movies/television and heard of some small stories like this in life, but never have experienced it. I was fortunate to have parents that didn't forget nor can I imagine "forgetting" where my kids are at or when they need to be picked up. I know there may be the occasional honest mistake but the child may not even realize that it was an honest mistake.

Most of the time in the movies the time is exaggerated to be a long time later that a person is picked up or someone is stood up for an engagement. Counting on someone and then being let down can be devastating.

There are various instances of being let down. Some may be a bit higher on the scale where other situations can be brushed off pretty easily. Sunday we looked at I Samuel 30:1-6 and Hebrews 5:7 while examining situations in the lives of David and Jesus. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Poor Choice ~ Sometimes we are going to make a poor choice. Whether it is something we say or do, it will have a negative repercussion. Instead of wallowing in our poor choice and/or the effects which follow, may we find strength in God, even if it is easier said than done!
• Extend Grace ~ Knowing that we can make a poor choice, there are those who may let us down because of a poor choice. May we make every effort to extend the gift of grace and forgiveness their way. This will help you to keep carrying the burden around with you and let you move more freely.
• Relate to Jesus ~ Jesus' life seemed to be filled with disappointments. I am not taking out any victories, but the disappointments did not just come at one time. People let him down regularly. Whether it was people in his close circle or people who were claiming to be religious but were not. We can appreciate how He dealt with his friends letting him down and how we can deal with such situations. Appreciate and relate to Jesus when you become a victim of "friend let down."

Having people that let you down is a sad part of "real" life. People don't always live up to our own expectations and as much as we hate that, we can learn to find strength in God during those times. David was a great example of finding strength in his God. May we see that as the all-sufficient source of our strength in any disappointments we may encounter.

Now it's your turn...when have you been disappointed by someone and how did it feel?

Come - A message that challenges our faith when Jesus invites us to do something in life

"Come on, you can do it! I dare you! [Pause of hesitancy] What are you, chicken? Bawk, bawk!" goes the conversation from peer to peer as one is trying to get the other person to try something which they are apprehensive about. Maybe the person goes through with it or maybe they back down. Trouble could be on one side, whether it is trouble with authorities or risk being physically hurt.

The invitation is there but the person is reluctant, for whatever reason. Though there could be the potential of being hurt after committing to the challenge, the example fits into Jesus' invitation to Peter in Matthew 14:22-36. Peter is in the boat and Jesus is walking to him and the other disciples on the water. The disciples are frightened when they see Jesus approaching. Jesus identifies Himself. Peter asks a question.

"Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water."

Jesus responds to Peter with the invitation to walk to Him. Peter starts to climb out of the boat and walk toward Jesus. However, let's break this down a bit. Imagine the scene, the winds blowing, the waves crashing, the boat rising and falling and Peter is climbing out of the boat. We don't know how big the boat is to know how far he had to climb down to touch the water from the side. We don't know if he dipped his toe into the water to see what the temperature was like. We don't know if he took off his shoes/sandals. All those details are not known, but the scene most of us picture is probably a guy that is going over with confidence. However, did he have as much confidence as we give him?

Rather, was his confidence level much like the person in the opening illustration that is hesitant to jump? Is his confidence about as high as yours is when you are met with challenges that just seem to shake you up? Sunday we looked at the scene where Jesus walks on the water and invites Peter to do the same. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Post-Event Prayer ~ After you have had the opportunity to be involved in an event, maybe one you hosted or simply helped with, take time to pray. Pray for yourself, your guests, those who helped, those who played a part but were not present, etc. Within those prayers you can be thankful, pray for others' week, ask God to continue to open doors, ask God to refill you after you feel drained, or a number of other prayer requests. Typically, it would be a good idea to do this on your own, in a solitary place. It is good to end the day or an event with prayer, we need it!
• Jesus Shows Up Unexpectedly ~ When you think things are going a certain way, you may define them "as planned" that is likely when Jesus will be there. Similarly to the surprise the disciples received when they thought they saw a "ghost" but it was actually Jesus, we may be totally blown away by His arrival. This won't be a tangible person who will simply "drop in" on your life, rather it may be an opportunity for you to share something of yourself with others and/or the situation. Don't let it frighten you, revel in it!
• Come... ~ When Jesus shows up and you have the opportunity to respond, you will have to make the choice. Jesus will ask you to respond. Be ready for it and "come on" so that you can meet up with Him and enjoy the time together as you expand the Kingdom together!
• Get Out of the Boat ~ A book which was released a few years ago was titled "If You Want to Walk on Water, You Got to Get Out of the Boat." I have not read it but I have always liked the title. The title alone is challenging to me to think about how we must be willing to get out of the boat to do what we're asked/invited to do. My question is..."What is your boat?" What is is going on in your life that you are struggling to have the courage to climb over in order to put your foot into shaky ground? Is it something you are procrastinating about, simply fearful, relationship issues, bullies, your weight, etc.? In order to help any of these, we must quit hiding in our boat and climb out so that you can "walk on water."

I believe that we are met daily with at least one opportunity to get out of a "boat." We have the opportunity to respond in faith to something that is set before us. It may only take opening our mouth to climb out of the figurative boat. It may take picking up the phone or writing a letter. It may take walking across the street. There are all kinds of ways which we can look for to get out of our boat.

Now it's your turn...what "boat" are you riding in which you need to get out of?

Confined by Walls

Have you ever painted yourself into a corner? If it is literal, you find yourself with a small area left to paint and no where to stand. Maybe it was in the figurative sense, whether in a conversation or a different kind of project. Again, in either case, you find yourself a bit trapped in getting yourself out of the jam.

I have been a victim of this self-inflicted issue in the past and isn't the most pleasant thing to experience. You find yourself scrambling to remove you from the small spot you are now finding yourself in.

One thing is for sure, the way you found yourself in the corner was due to some lack of judgment on your part. This brings us to this week's quote...

You are confined only by the walls you build yourself. ~ Unknown

Someone once said something like "People can't make you do anything, it is a choice you make for yourself." This even fell to emotions. People don't make you mad, you choose to get mad. You could choose, even though it may be hard, to not become mad.

When you see yourself as being confined, think about what it took to get you to that conclusion. In so many instances where people are coming to the point of "I can't do it" there is a lot of that which stems back to choices you made previously.

We have the power and ability to do a lot of things in life and we have the power and ability to inhibit. When you get down to it, we must think about what our choices were to get us to either point.

Now it's your turn...what have you experienced that was confining by walls which you built?

Which is Easier - a lesson on keeping versus releasing any negative thoughts

A common comedic storyline is when a group of people are on a journey and they decide to take a shortcut. It will tend to never work out, in the end. The follies that follow are just part of the humorous storyline. The concept of the shortcut sets things up quite well for the laughs of the "shortcut."

Someone will think that going on the shortcut will be much easier than following the general plan. In the scene we looked at on Sunday, we saw Jesus healing a paralytic and being the victim of the evil thoughts from the "teachers of the law." As we reflect back on that lesson, I want to look at what the "teachers of the law" did as a result of seeing Jesus perform the miracle and pointing it toward our behaviors. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Blasphemer ~ A blasphemer is someone who has spoken injuriously about God. It also means to hurt the reputation or credit of someone. Think about how you may have had instances in your life that you possessed these qualities about God. You may not have said something outright that defames God, but are other times when you are reducing the power of God to only be able to handle what you think He can handle? I think we need to watch our hearts and see if we are demonstrating a blaspheming attitude.
• Hating ~ Hating can come out in various forms. Hating can be a result of feelings of prejudice, anger, jealousy, or envy. When we are seeing the skills or opportunities of someone else be better than our own skills, do we catch ourselves thinking negatively about them? These types of "evil thoughts" are going to be damaging to our spiritual life. Let's rid them before they rid us!
• Let Go ~ Storing up evil thoughts about someone is not healthy. The more we keep something around the more we are going to entertain the thoughts about them. If they are negative, they are going to create some figurative pus and cause some infectious issues! Let them go, even when it's hard to do so. Negative should not be harbored!

It may be easier, in our minds, to think we need to hold on to a grudge, a jealous thought, or something similar. However, we don't realize, until it is gone, how heavy and how much effort it takes to hold on to those. We carry around these things all day, every day and it will become wearisome.

Jesus knows what you have "in you" which you need to let go of. Now it's your turn to try to start releasing those "evil thoughts." How will you go about doing it?

You Decide (Where You Will Go)

Choices are all around us and practically every second of your life, if you want to break it down that small. You can decide what to click on when you are on the computer. You can decide when and how often to close your eyes. You decide what path to take - driving or walking. So many choices!

What about the choice of where to go in life? Graduations have pretty much ceased for the year. From preschool to those completing PHds, people looked into the future as they received their piece of paper that said they had completed the necessary requirements to graduate.

Were you one of them? What will you do with your future? What choices will you make? Where will you go? That brings us to this week's quote...

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go. ~Dr. Seuss

"You are the guy who'll decide where to go." A powerful statement that compels me to think, it is not up to anyone else but me. Others may influence, but it is my choice on what I do and where I will go.

So, where will you go? It is an exciting mystery. I hope it is "far." Good luck!

Take the Opportunities

“What if?” That question could be applied to so many different situations. As I look at that question it means that I am probably looking back on something with a sense of regret or wonder about a decision I made.

The decision could have been one where I didn’t make any choice, not just a “good versus bad” choice. Either way I am looking back to that point and wondering.

There are things that I’ve decided in life that I wondered “what if” about. When it comes down to it, I’ll never know the answer – which can be a very frustrating point, if you dwell on it. As we reflect on this concept, this brings us to this week’s quote…

Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it.  ~ William Feather

If you want to have happiness you need to keep an eye out for it. You may have had plenty of opportunities for happiness, but you passed it up for something else. Maybe it was because you were busy or just overlooked it. Regardless, you passed it up. Now, when you are at a point of frustration in your life you may be looking at a situation and saying “what if?”

Take every opportunity to find happiness. It may not be packaged the way you think it should or in a “recognizable” package. When you look for it you won’t be saying “what if” after you passed it.  Stop and enjoy life!

You Can Have All This…If…

We all have our choice temptation.  What might yours be?  I know that mine might include tools, Oklahoma Sooner things, neckties, and music CDs.
Having a “vision” of something is part of what is included in the “sales pitch” of people.  To “see” yourself at the “platinum level” should inspire you to want to make the most of the opportunity to become rich.
So to have someone take you up to a place and say “You can have all this…if…” and you are seeing the most abundant amount of “things” that are appealing to your eye, would be challenging for you to avoid.  You could be very tempted…which is exactly what Satan was wanting Jesus to fall victim to those temptations.
Sunday, we looked at the third recorded temptation in Matthew 4, specifically from verses 8-10, and here are some applications to choose from to use this week…

1. Two Roads of Choices ~ Choices are all around us.  Some make absolutely no difference. Some make some difference.  Some make a major difference in life. Take time to weigh those decisions that do make a heavier difference.  The decision you do make could make all the difference in your life.
2. Watch Out for Others ~ This application is probably the opposite of what you may think.  We need to watch out for others in our spiritual “family” in case they are becoming weak, spiritually.  Something in their behavior will probably change to give you a clue.  That change could be complacency, lack of participation, new habits, new friends, etc.

Power, sex, and money are three of the biggest broad temptations that impact almost anyone.  You could have one or all three that will impact you.  The way you choose to react to those temptations, or any temptation, will greatly impact your future.  The more you can resist the temptation in the beginning, the better you are in the end.
Resist Him and make the right choice!

What's YOUR Answer - Joshua 24:14-15

You pull in to the drive thru, look at the menu, and you hear something like this, "Welcome to ___, may I take your order?" Then, in a matter of moments, you begin to say what you would like to eat for that day. Your answer to their question is the food you request.

What would you do if you pulled into a drive thru and didn't hear the message above, but rather heard something like "Welcome to ____, which god will you choose today?" And on the menu is not hamburgers, french fries, shakes, salads, or sodas, but rather, it is Self, Activities, Money, Job, Family, Self-Righteousness, Envy, Control, Jehovah and a list of others. Which one would you choose?

Surprisingly, we've all ignored the Jehovah part of the menu from time to time. Instead, we look over it and see what other things may entice our appetite for that moment and choose it.

Yesterday, Joshua told the people that his household was going to choose the Lord. He challenged the people with asking which one they will choose. We're confronted also with something similar on a daily basis. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week to help you make the choice to 'choose Him'...

1. Praise Him ~ "Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you" - Psalm 63:3 - If life is good, His love is better. If life is going south, His love is much better. Either way, experiencing a relationship with Him is better, so give Him a praise or two this week for the good things you have in life.
2. Serve ~ Do something kind for someone else, maybe even anonymously. Not because you want the credit, but because you are doing it because you care for them. It doesn't have to be buying anything. Serve someone!
3. Make a list ~ One thing my wife likes to do when making a big decision is to make a "pro-&-con" list. As you are deciding which god you are going to choose, make a list and see what benefits there are to serving the one besides Jehovah.
4. Pick One ~ God is a "jealous God" and cannot share your attention. He wants you to be solely focused on Him throughout a day. Don't let another day go by without focusing on Him and picking Him over other gods that may drift into your life. You cannot "serve two masters", let Him be the only one!

Life is full of choices. A menu board gives us plenty of choices, but we will most likely choose one entree by the time we are finished. As you think about your faith, you must also have only one choice as the one on the #1 line...the "Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like [Him], in heaven above or on earth beneath..." (I Kings 8:23)

Make a choice to follow Him, moment by moment...

Life's Actions - Your Response

Over the past two days, I have witnessed two people who have been laid to rest. One older. One a teen. One physical. One spiritual.

Some of the actions we take in life can have dramatic effects on our future. Getting married, having a baby, going to college, graduating from school(s), etc. are some examples that will have long lasting effects on us.

Some decisions in life will end in "I wish I did". You look back and think to yourself that you should have chosen a different path. Other decisions in life will end in "I'm glad I did". You look back and are pleased with choosing that path.

As you ponder this week's quote, it is not about death, but about life's choices. Here is the quote...

The difference between whether you say, 'I wish I would have,' or 'I'm glad I did,' at the end of your life is whether or not you take DECISIVE ACTION during your life. ~ Chris Widener

I decided to open up with the subject of death for a reason. Oftentimes at the end of one's life, that person will think back to their decisions. Sometimes, others will also think about the decisions they made concerning the person who died.

One of the most important decisions a person can make is to become a Christian. I am not talking about the religion/institution side of Christianity (read previous post). I am talking about the opportunity to take away all the smut and filth of your life to be able to have a home in heaven.

Maybe you don't believe in God or anything of the like. However, what if he were real? What if you got to the end of your life or the end of time and didn't make that decision and now realized you should have...think about it.

The one that was laid to rest physically, was a Christian, so that is a victory in and of itself. The one who was laid to rest spiritually, became a Christian, so that is also a victory. Her death was a death to sin, leaving it in the grave of baptism!

Both deaths can be rejoiced over. Since both became a Christian, they can say "I'm glad I did".

How do you respond to life's decisions?

"Before" Still Gives You a Choice

If you are like me, you've probably had many moments where you either knew or felt that you shouldn't have said something, could have said something differently, or wonder if someone took it wrong what you said. These are not fun moments. They can aggravate you like a rock in your shoe. You think about it, worry about it, and want to fix the situation.

Though easier said than done, there are some ways we can prevent that feeling. It comes in this week's quote, from a poem titled "Before You", by William Arthur Ward...

Before you speak, listen.
Before you write, think.
Before you spend, earn.
Before you invest, investigate.
Before you criticize, wait.
Before you pray, forgive.
Before you quit, try.
Before you retire, save.
Before you die, give.

Not all of these are situations where you make a mistake and have to go back to correct it. However, they are some simple, everyday, applicable phrases to help us through some situations in life. Some of them may impact you more than others. Some may make you really look within. Some might be what you wish someone else would keep in mind.

"Before" is a powerful word that says things are at the fork in the road. "After" is when you chose to take a path. "After" is no turning back; "before" is when the option of taking another route is possible.

Try to put the "Before you" tool in your pocket to pull out at the many opportune times that will come about in your lifetime.

Always trying to sharpen the "Before you" tool...

Tomorrow...Where Your Thoughts Take You

Each day we take steps in the journey of life. We often find ourselves at crossroads and have to make a decision. Some decisions have greater effects on our lives than others do. Where we have come has a lot to do with the decisions that we have made in life...If/where we went to school, if/who we married, what job we take, where we live, buy vs. rent, friends we've made, etc.

Where have you come in life? Where have you gone? How have your decisions affected you? Life tends to be a series of choices and you choose based on your thoughts about each choice. This brings us to this week's quote...

You are today where your thoughts have brought you; 

you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.
~ James Allen

Maybe your life has been a storybook...the "happily ever after" type of life. However, most would probably think that wouldn't be the way you describe your life. Some choice along the way could have made it better. You may have a good life and are very content, and that is good. Regardless, the future is still the future and you have the potential to make it whatever you can.

Your tomorrow is based on the choices you make today, reflecting on the thoughts about those choices. Make your tomorrow better than today!

May your thoughts take you to an entirely better place than you have ever been!

Anticipating the future...

Being Strong

A lot of people have what is commonly referred to as a "sweet tooth". I'm one of those people. I tend to want to have something sweet, even if small, after a meal. Sometimes I come up with quirky things to satisfy that craving. It can be really difficult to resist. Maybe one of the things that you crave is chocolate...which brings us to this quote...

Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of those pieces. ~ Judith Viorst

Strength is defined by Webster as "the quality or state of being strong". This can cover different aspects. For instance, knowing when to say no to things, standing up in the midst of trials, or lifting great amounts of weight.

Life is full of choices. May God give you the strength, as you end your week, to make good choices.

Seeking strength...

Monday Mentionings: What an Embarrassment - Genesis 38:12-26

What was your most embarrassing moment? Sometime during our life we do something, in a setting where others are around, that is embarrassing. Unfortunately, for some, their “moment” may have been a result of bad judgment. If such was the case, it wasn’t a “moment” but rather a chapter in their life. Maybe that was the case for you. Yesterday, we looked at Genesis 38 and the story of two people, Judah and Tamar, each making poor choices that resulted in being, what some my consider, an embarrassment to the family name. However, through their incest relationship God brings about an amazing outcome…our Savior! Here are a few applications from yesterday’s lesson…

1. Sometimes a poor judgment can result in feeling like your world is crashing in on you. Your judgment may be clouded which results in wanting to do something “crazy”. Jesus calls us to give our burdens to Him in Matthew 11:28-30 when He says, “if you are weary and heavy burdened, come to me and I will give you rest.” Whenever you don't know what to do, may you give your "craziness" to Him!
2. If we took your life and filmed it, then showed it to your church or co-workers, how many things from your week do you think you would be cringing when it was shown? I am sure we all would want to cringe sometime during the "reveal". However, let us learn to give grace to others when they make mistakes by understanding that we all have times which we have “logs” in our own eyes (Matthew 7:1-5).
3. Have you ever done something that you had a difficult time thinking that God could/would forgive? Be encouraged and Praise God that there is no sin that God can’t forgive when we decide to commit to follow Him! God’s grace is amazing…a grace that “will pardon and cleanse within.”

Be encouraged and strengthen as you keep fighting the good fight of faith!

Don't let a clouded past deny you from having a fresh faith!

How has God been working through you lately? Leave a comment...

A forgiven embarrassment ~