How Can I Help You?

This blog is not just a way for me to write, but a way for me to help others. How can I help you? Answer questions you have? Encourage you? Motivate you to accomplish what you want in life? ANYTHING! Let me know your thoughts...

Prayer Life Warning

Prayer is such an amazing thing. I've seen "miracles" happen as a result of prayer. It is amazing to see such things take place!

Have you ever felt a great feeling after you pray? I love that feeling. To see your requests leaving you and going to God. He knows how to answer and deal with them in the most perfect way. However, His "perfect way" may not be our perfect way, so we must learn to submit to His decisions concerning our prayers.

In Matthew 6:5-8, Jesus warns his hearers about the showiness of their prayers. This kind of action brings the attention on you and I, instead of focusing it onto God. Here are some applications to choose from..

• Educate Yourself ~ Prayer is mysterious, when you open yourself up to it. The initial concept of "talking to God" may not be that mysterious. However, the fact that you are talking to the Creator of the universe, the Great Healer, the Great Comforter, and any other description you want to put out there is awesome. The simple idea that He allows you to communicate directly to Him is humbling. So, read, listen, and put into practice more about prayer as you live life.
• Don't Act ~ As the privilege of prayer is to talk to God, do it with all sincerity. Jesus addresses "hypocrites" and challenges his hearers not to be like them, a play actor, and really understand the importance of prayer.
• Find "Your" Place (to Pray) ~ It is advantageous to your prayer life to have a place you like to commit yourself to and pray for situations

Prayer is good in several different realms. It can help protect people, heal people, calm you, and many other potential things that we must keep in perspective as we go to God in prayer.

Step Up

How many of you have ever done something embarrassing and then looked around to see if anyone saw you?

I would bet that nearly 100% of you fit into this category. How many of those embarrassing situations had something to do with tripping or losing your balance?

Those situations are usually silly and what was tripped over or stepped in, etc. are usually little things that you could have simply stepped over or around to avoid the embarrassment. This brings us to this week's quote...

Men stumble over pebbles, never over mountains ~Emilie Cady

We often make things seem bigger than they are. May we take steps in life to get over the pebbles and on to "bigger and better things" in life! Don't let the little things slow you down from achieving goals you set for yourself!

Be Careful Little Hands What You Do...

"Look at me! Do you notice how much time I spend volunteering and how much I give to charities?"

Giving for the sake of attention is what Jesus was addressing in Matthew 6:1 when He warned about one's acts of righteousness (or alms giving) being done in the wrong manner. Nothing wrong with giving or not, but giving for the sake of attention is always wrong.

Why does it seem that people who do have places named for them - arenas, buildings, other venues - are given such utmost recognition? Are they not people too? Just because they (or their company) donate millions of dollars, shouldn't they be treated like the rest of the patrons when they enter in to the facility?

Some people are really blessed financially and can do a lot to help others' out with their money. They can do great things to benefit others. Recently, in our town, a family gave $25,000 toward a project and challenged the community to match another $25,000. I thought to myself (and shared with others) it would be nice to give $50,000 toward a project and not miss it!

As we examine what and why we do things, when it comes to giving of ourselves or our money, here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Examine Yourself ~ Look at the reason why you are giving - is it for the cause, for your reputation, for your tax write-off, etc.? Also, how are you giving? There is nothing wrong with being given recognition, but seeking recognition is what I see Jesus saying is a "no-no."
• Giving for Giving-Sake ~ Wherever you are and wherever you've been in life, you have probably known of things that "get done" that you do not have a clue how. The person or people that do this task just do it "because." Even if you did know who they were, they probably didn't want recognition for it. May we give of ourselves (in whatever means that is) to a situation simply because we want to.
• Reflect Him (not you) ~ As a Christian, all actions will reflect Jesus. Our job is to reflect Him in a positive and attractive light. When we give, may it be to reflect Him and what He has brought to our lives, not our own abilities or us at all.

Jesus challenges the ego in all of us by telling us that we should be careful what we do and how we go about doing it. Let us not be showy but reflective of where the money or abilities originated.

Be careful little hands what you do...

How Much Can You See?

How far can you see?

If you were to look out into an open field, how far could you see? If you were to look at the same field with binoculars, how far could you see? If you could look out with a telescope, how far could you see?

These instruments do allow us to see farther, and in some ways more. However, our sight is really dependent on us allowing ourselves to see what we see.

When I want my son to look at me when I am trying to explain something, he occasionally will close his eyes. Why? Because he doesn't want to see. If I were to put binoculars up to his eyes at that particular moment when he closes his eyes it would not help him see any more. He has chosen to keep the eyes closed. His vision is impaired due to his own choosing and it will not improve with any type of vision "enhancer" like binoculars or a telescope. That idea brings us to this week's quote...

Your vision is only as powerful as your commitment to pursue it! ~ Unknown

To see what you want in life is your choice. Some may throw the idea of “circumstances” into the equation, but even with circumstances, what you see is up to you.

Maybe you want to be a doctor, but you are in a situation where you cannot make it in to medical school. What can you see, regardless, that helps you get closer to that vision?

Most will stop at the dead end. However, see something else in the situation. The wall is only in front of you. What opportunities are you not seeing that is to the left, right, around the corner, or over the top?

The wall is like an eyelid that comes down to reduce the vision. If you were to look at that wall with binoculars, you wouldn’t see much. However, think about what you can still can see and pursue that.

May we go beyond what we can see and still pursue our vision!

Purpose: Even as a Brick

A few years ago a book came out called "Purpose Driven Life" that swept the nation. It may still be very popular among people. I have read the book and taught the material a couple of times. It is a good book.

Part of the point of the book lies in the title - purpose. Trying to find a purpose in your life. Being a person without purpose is like a ship without a rudder. You really have no steering mechanism to take you to a particular spot. You go on with life but that is really all you're doing...just going.

Sunday, we looked at this idea of purpose. Not from the book I previously mentioned, but just thinking about our, individual purposes. Even within that, it wasn't nailed down what your purpose was versus the person sitting near you, but just the fact that you have purpose.

We focused on a brick. Some feel a brick, by itself, would not hold much of a purpose, but we focused on togetherness and working together for a greater purpose. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

Being Involved ~ I just saw a portion of one of my kids' cartoons the other day where one of the characters wanted to complete a task by themselves. They were allowed, but part way into the project, the character came into some trouble. They needed help. Much like you and I, we need others to help us get through life and any "trouble" we may fall in. Being involved will help us get to know people and them us, so we can be a great force for Him.

Reduce the Load ~ As Jesus tells us to "go out" to the ends of the earth, when we are committed to the cause and each other it will reduce the weight of the responsibility and allow us to be more productive in the meantime.

What a Structure ~ When you look at a pile of bricks, they aren't that impressive. But when you look at a structure - building, road, wall - it can be very humbling. When you work together with your fellow believers, it can create something that is really awesome! Work together and see what awesome structure you can create!

Teamwork ~ Most of you have heard the phrase "there's no "I" in team." We must keep in mind that we work together as an individual to make the team that much stronger. There is power in every person that is involved.

Maybe there are days that you feel like a "brick." Small, insignificant bricks will turn around in a brief second to make something incredible. What will you create or team up with someone else to demonstrate your purpose(s)?

Tell 'Em "Good Job!"

Teachers are usually one of the best at making kids feel important. That child-aimed praise is needed for kids in their development. For some unfortunate kids, they will not receive the needed praise at home - maybe even none.

In addition, peers can be very mean so an acknowledgment of praise is needed to counter the negative messages from the schoolyard. We have all been there to one extent or another.

Also, society can bring about negative messages, so we need to hear some positive, encouraging messages from time to time. That brings us to this week's quote...

No matter how small, acknowledge the achievement. ~ Greg Henry Quinn

One of my personal ministries has evolved into encouragement. I wouldn't have dreamed that I could have been one to have that desire if you asked me years before this, as a youth. I can remember, even as a young adult, having a difficult time saying "good job" to someone and it being genuine. That was all before ministry.

Ministry and becoming a minister changed a lot of perspectives. I saw how many people need encouragement and acknowledgment for their achievements. I learned how you cannot be "over encouraged."

The question is, whose achievement do you need to acknowledge? If you can't think of any, just keep it tucked away for the next time.

Thanks for all you do, in whatever capacity!