Today's Challenge: Encourage!

Encouraging words are like a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 16:24 

Let's be honest, we all like to be encouraged.  There's something about hearing the words of uplifting affirmation that makes our day a little brighter and makes our storms a little less stressful.  So why is it so difficult for us to encourage each other?  My experience has been, more often than not, we seek to criticize rather than encourage.  When one hears naught but criticism, resentment and anger will be the result.

But think about this, encouragement comes in many forms other than words.  How about when someone smiles and says, "Thank You"?  How about when you are struggling and someone comes alongside and sits with you through the storm, instead of abandoning you? How about when someone you wouldn't expect comes up to you, shakes your hand and tells you that you are appreciated?

I walked into my office this morning and found that someone had left a basket of apples and a note of appreciation for the Deputies in the squad room. I was encouraged because someone else cared about the same people that I do and aren't afraid to show it.

A little encouragement goes a LONG way!  Every morning when we wake up, God is giving us another opportunity to encourage each other!

 

Down Deep

People’s thoughts can be like a deep well,
    but someone with understanding can find the wisdom there.

Proverbs 20:5 

 I remember fishing with my Grampa and all I seemed to catch were the "throw backs" that were too small to keep.  I watched as my Grampa carefully put his bait on the hook and then lowered the hook in the water, I tried to imitate him but while he caught several "good eatin'" fish, I just kept catching the throw backs.  

Finally, I asked him why couldn't catch the big fish too.  He looked at me with the wisdom of a lifetime and said, "You need to seek deeper for the bigger fish."  Then he put some of Gramma's fig preserves on my hook, adjusted my line and weights, and told me to try again.  Sure enough, I caught a 5 pound "good eatin'" fish.  And I was amazed!

Grampa told me, "Experience is a hateful teacher, but if you listen to those who have been in her school long enough, you'll learn the lessons before she can ruin your day.  Big fish are usually in deeper water, just like the right answers are usually found deep inside you.  You just have to learn to look."

To Have A Friend Is To BE A Friend

Can two people walk together
    without agreeing on the direction?

Amos 3:3 

How do you chose your friends?  Are they TRUE friends or simply people you know? Are they wise and, thus, share their wisdom with you?  Will your friends pray with you and for you?  Will they encourage you to strive to improve or do they criticize you and put you down?

True friends WANT you to succeed just as you want them to succeed.  True friends won't always agree with you.  True friends are willing to tell you when you are about to do something stupid.  True friends laugh together.  True friends grieve together (though in their own way).  The fact of the matter is that TRUE friends are difficult for us to find these days because it is a relationship we must nurture so it will grow strong.

Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying: "If you wish to have a friend, you must BE a friend."  Are we willing to take the time to grow such a relationship?  It takes effort.  It takes patience.  And it may turn out that the friend you need is the unexpected person God brings into your life at just the right time. 

Out of the Limelight

A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”
Mark 1:40-44 

I remember reading this passage in Seminary and pondering the question "If I had Jesus' amazing compassion and power to heal, I wouldn't want to keep it a secret. So why did Jesus specifically tell this healed leper not to tell anyone?"  Jesus did this same thing many times throughout His ministry, and even took the Pharisees to task for making a big show of their "piety".

It is in our nature, I believe, to want people to notice when we do something good, and sometimes we get caught up in the attention and seek out the limelight.  

This morning I put on a shirt that I had not been able to wear for two years and in the darkness of this morning, I grabbed it out of the closet and guess what? IT FIT!  I had lost enough weight that this shirt finally fit again.  I wanted to tell everyone.  I wanted to wake my Bride up and tell her, but I sat on the sofa and told Woody (who yawned and went back to sleep).  But I wanted that moment of recognition.  

I remember one of my Theater Coaches tell us, "You are to do the job which you have been given to the best of your ability.  Let others recognize the quality of your work without you drawing attention to it."  That rather hurt at the time, because I wanted people to notice and how would they notice if I didn't tell them?  Then it hit me, if my work is worth noticing, it will be, if not then I still do my best.

Jesus told the leper not to tell anyone because He did not want people to start coming to Him strictly for healing instead of coming to hear the Message He was given to share.  Jesus avoided the limelight so His Message would be the focal point instead of His gifts.  Shouldn't we be the same way?

Today's Challenge: Live ONE Day At A Time!

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Matthew 6:34

 

 It's amazing the way God reminds us of lessons we had learned yet seem to have gotten lost in our daily rush to get everything done.  I was stopped at a traffic light when the song "One Day At A Time" by Joe Walsh came on the radio.  As I listened to the song, several thoughts came bouncing into my mind like excited Jack Russell Terriers trying to get the first cookie.  God has given us the gift of living each day ONE Day At A Time.

 

Think about it.....When the Israelites were wandering through the wilderness, God provided their DAILY needs (Exodus 16:4); God's mercies are NEW every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23); Jesus taught us to pray "And give us THIS day, our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11).  God has made provision for us exactly what we need every single day!  We don't have to worry about tomorrow, in spite of what happens around us, because God has already been through tomorrow and has made provision for us when tomorrow becomes today.

 

Yes, it's difficult not to worry about tomorrow when it is being shoved in our faces every moment of every day, and "gloom and doom" seem to be on every news feed. Yet when we stop for a moment and remember the great lesson that God has even built into us (we live our lives one heartbeat at a time, one breath at a time, one day at a time), then tomorrow doesn't seem so daunting.

Challenge for Today: Remember the Redeemer!

But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
    and he will stand upon the earth at last.

Job 19:25 

 

I don't know about you, but I THRIVE on encouragement!  There's something about someone who takes the time to sincerely encourage me that just makes me want to do more.  No matter what kind of day I've had up to that point, words of encouragement make everything a bit better.

 

What's encouraging most for me is when someone who knows and understands my struggles takes to time to remind me that they care specifically about my life.  God is like that!  No matter what is going on in my life, God has a way of reminding me that through it all, He lives and loves and cares and in the end...He will return.

 

I KNOW my Redeemer lives!  I KNOW my Redeemer cares!  I KNOW my Redeemer loves me!  I KNOW my Redeemer will return. I KNOW my Redeemer is in control!

Chalenge of the Day: Remember Who's Got You!

I know the Lord is always with me.
    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

Psalm 16:8 

 

Life comes at us fast and furious sometimes, and we're left feeling like a can of soda that's been shaken up.  Just one break in the seal and it's going to explode.  The easy thing is to give in and let the soda fly, drenching whoever is within range.  However, when we take a minute and breathe, reminding ourselves who has us (not just our back, but ALL of us), and who is causing everything to work out for our benefit and His glory, then we are better able to stand firm. 

Challenge for Today: Remember Where You Came From

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45

 

Experience teaches us many things (usually by doing them wrong and we learn from our mistakes).  In fact, with enough experience, we become experts and can be elevated in status, rank, and prestige.  However, one thing all our experiences don't teach us...to remember where we came from.  You see, as we learn more, strive more, become better at all we do, we tend to forget our times of struggle and heartache it took to get us where we are.  We forget that we aren't perfect, that we all have a past, that we all are really still students.

 

We are called to follow the example of Christ in that we are here to humbly serve each other, not expect others to serve us.  When we become so "important" that we are the only ones who matter, then we have lost the example that Christ set for us.

 

Today's Challenge: Remember where you came from and what you had to endure to get where you are...then humble yourself and help someone else who is struggling.  

Today's Challenge....Getting Along!

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Colossians 3:13-15 

 

Wonder what would happen if your fingers no longer liked being part of the same body as your mouth and, as a result, decided not to put food in your mouth anymore? What would be the end result?  Your body would slowly starve to death.  Now, while that is a far-fetched analogy, isn't that the same thing we do when we refuse to be part of one another?  

 

Someone says something that we don't like, or does something that offends us, and we get angry then we just ignore them (much like the fingers ignored the mouth), and what is the end result?  We are called to live in peace with one another, encouraging each other, being thankful for each other, and loving each other (sometimes in spite of each other).

Yeah, I got a whack between the eyes with this one too.  Today's challenge is to get along with others.  Talk with someone you haven't spoken to in a while because of a falling out.  Lift each other up and encourage each other.  Be thankful for each others, after all, God brought each person into our lives for a purpose.  Remember, we are ONE body!

All Shook Up!

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.

Romans 7:18-19 

If your life was laid open for all to see, what would be seen?  Would people find out that you have been pretending to be something you're not?  Would they see that you aren't as perfect as you seem?

I have taken time recently to look back on my life (now that I am older), and to be honest, I am truly surprised that God has allowed me to survive.  My life has been one mess after another.  Honestly, I have failed at life!  I won't hide that fact from you.  My life's soundtrack would be Jerry Lee Lewis' "All Shook Up!"

But here's the kicker...regardless of how badly I have messed my life up; no matter what mistakes I have made; regardless of how rotten and putrid my life...God is still loving me and sent Jesus to die on my behalf.  I want to do good, but I fail over and over....but God!

One of the things I have learned over the course of my life is that God is amazing.  You see, if I was able to do what I knew to be right every single time, then I would get the "Big Head" and begin to believe I did it all on my own.  God has a way of reminding me that He is the one in charge, not me.  

"Remember The Days In The Old Schoolyard"

Therefore let us pursue the things which produce peace and the things that build up one another. 

Romans 14:19

 

I like music.  When I was much younger, one of the songs that caught my attention was called "Remember The Days In The Old Schoolyard" by Cat Stevens.  It talked about children at play in the schoolyard and how that memory made him miss those carefree days.

 

To be honest, I remember getting to play at recess in grade school.  We would play kickball, tag, basketball and we had so much fun.  We didn't argue (much) we simply wanted to enjoy the time and have fun.  Where have those days gone?  When have we become so self seeking that we have lost the ability to build each other up?

 

Take this one thought with you today: We are here together.  Let's be together.  Let's work toward building each other up and appreciating each other.  Everyone has something positive to offer, encourage that.  THANK YOU for sharing yourself!

Lessons Learned In The Dark

[God said]   "I create the light and make the darkness.
I send good times and bad times.
    I, the Lord, am the one who does these things."

Isaiah 45:7 

 

During the recent storm, power was lost in many places, my office being among them.  However, force of habit led me to flip the light switch and then bump painfully into the corner of my desk.  The light did not come on when I flipped the switch because there was no power and I didn't have the power to make it work.  I considered yelling at the light switch, laying hands on the light switch, in the end (due to the mishap with the corner of the desk) I sat in the dark and prayed.

 

You see, when we try to do thing in our own power, we fail miserably.  How many times have we tried to "fake it till we make it"?  How many times have we tried to make our plans work, even if the purpose was to honor God?  How many times have we tried to live life without God's power?

 

When we realize that God is God and He is the one in control, then life becomes a little easier to take.  When the good times come, be grateful and ask God for those with whom you can share that with.  When the trials come, be grateful and ask God to teach you. 

 

When God's power is at work in our lives, others will notice because we reflect Him.

I Am Grateful....!

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be grateful.

Colossians 3:15 

 

Peace.....  That doesn't seem to be what we see a whole lot of in the world today.  Just look at the all that is happening around us.  Peace?  Hardly!

 

But remember what Jesus taught us about Peace: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage" - John 14:27.  Remember the Peace He gives us is NOT lack of trouble, rather the focus on Christ during troubling times!  And part of that Peace includes gratitude!

 

The Apostle writes, "And ALWAYS be grateful!"  Yes, grateful even in times of chaos.  Yes, even in times of struggle.  Yes, even in times of trials.  We are to ALWAYS be grateful.  I confess, that I have gotten caught up in all that is going on around me and have forgotten all I have to be grateful for.

 

When I am struggling, God is still in control and still loves me.

When I doubt, God is still in control and still loves me.

When I am angry, God is still in control and still loves me.

When I am frustrated, God is still in control and still loves me.

When I mess things up, God is still in control and still loves me.

When I am happy and think it's all because of me, God is still in control and still loves me.

 

So what do I have to be Grateful for:

...those who care enough to pray for me and with me (in spite of myself).

...those who share a laugh with me.

...those who allow me to be part of their lives.

...those who let me pray with and for them.

...those who are willing to love and be loved.

...those who dare to reach out for help.

...those who reach out to help.

...I am grateful that God has allowed me to see another year (today's my birthday).

the list of reasons to be grateful is endless.

 

My challenge for all of us....focus on all we have to be grateful for...especially when we are tempted to let the world trample us.  Focus on the Peace of Christ and embrace it! 

We're Different And We're His!

‘By his power we live and move and exist.’ Some of your own poets have said: ‘For we are his children.’ 

Acts 17:28 

 

Let's put on your thinking caps (or have another coffee or two) and ponder something together.  When God formed Adam from the dust of the earth and breathed into him the breath of Life, God breathed into Adam part of Himself.  And that tiny portion of God has been passed down through the generations.  

 

Without God, we cannot live or move or exist.  But because God has given us the Breath of Life, we are His children.  Are we perfect?  Have you ever met a perfect child?  God loves us unconditionally, yet He also loves us enough to correct us.  God does everything to help us grow.

 

Why? Because We are HIS children!

BE Part of the Resistance!

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

1 Corinthians 10:13 

 

"I just can't help myself!"

"This is too hard!"

"Just this once won't matter."

"You just don't understand what I'm feeling."

 "You just don't get it!"

 

Excuses! We throw them around like confetti at a parade and wonder why we aren't suddenly and magically not any better off than the day before.  In fact, we discover that the only thing we've gotten better at doing is....making excuses.

 

We may believe that we are the only ones who are enduring our particular temptations.  While that may seem partly true, we seem to have forgotten that Jesus was God in human form.  Jesus lived among us, as one of us, and was tempted in every single way that we are, yet He did not sin. Not only that, but God does not allow ANY temptation to be more than we can stand with His help AND He always provides a way to endure the temptation.

 

Now I applaud those of you who have resisted the temptation to knock some sense into my head or smack some smart aleck up side the noggin'.  You have the patience of a saint.

 

Thank you to those who are patient with others in spite of our oddities and snarkiness.

Dust Off And Remember Who Is In Control

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

Matthew 6:27 

When has God ever told us that we should worry?  As a matter of fact, God reminds us to not worry, throw your worries away, be still and remember that He is really in control. And yet we worry anyway.  Why is that?  

Think about this, what do we have to worry about that will change our lives forever?  The things we tend to worry about are so insignificant in the God's plan for our lives, yet it is these tiny things that we focus our attention on instead of letting God handle it.

Here's the point for us to take with us, worry doesn't do anything for us except replace God in our lives.  When we worry, we are telling God that our issue is too much for even Him to handle.  Instead, my challenge for us today is every time we find ourselves worrying, immediately stop and tell God, "I'm glad YOU've got this instead of me!" And then find something else to think about.

Me?  I'm going to spend more time being thankful for each and every one of you!  Thank you for, not only reading these, but for making my life one where I praise God for bringing us together.  Thank you for the comfort.  Thank you for the smiles and laughs.  Thank you for letting me be your friend!

Rely on the Reality!

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 

 

Do you struggle?  Boy howdy, I do!  And honestly, have been (are) times when I don't even take the counsel I give others.  I tell others to "take care of yourself so you can take care of others" and then I add more things to my schedule and wonder why I have trouble sleeping, why I may come across as crabby, why I feel so stressed out/burned out/exhausted.  Hmmmm.....Isn't it odd that the same God who came right out and told us that "In this world you WILL have trouble" (John 16:33) is also the same God that tells us not to be afraid?

 

Recently, I realized that I had one of two choices:

1. I could keep going like a freight train and end up hating life....OR

2. I could return to the basics of faith and remember that God is ALWAYS with me no matter what!

 

When I have gotten discouraged, God has been there to remind me that I am His child.

When I have been afraid, God has been there to remind me that He takes care of His children.

When I have felt weak and helpless, God has been there to remind me that I need to rely on Him for strength, guidance, and wisdom.

 

God is God for a reason. And I am glad He is!

Doing Life Together

⁴ Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, ⁵ so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

Romans 12:4-5 

 

 

Learning is fun....at times.  Okay, let's just say, learning the hard way is seldom a joy ride, but the lesson is still learned.  Having said that, I have to thank our Crime Scene Investigators for teaching me an invaluable lesson: "When you enter a scene, you bring part of yourself into it and when you leave, you take part of the scene with you."

 

This is also true of our lives.  Believe it or not, every single time we have any sort of interaction with someone else, we leave part of us with them and we take part of them with us. Don't believe me?  Think about the number of times you have smiled at someone and they smiled back.  You have share yourselves with each other.  Now, think of the number of times you have had a disagreement with someone and both walked away angry.  We have shared ourselves with each other, but in a negative way.

 

So here's my challenge to all of us: Share yourself with others so you both benefit from the encounter!

But I Don't Know What To Say

When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.

Matthew 6:7 

 

Praying is one of the most intimidating things we can do most times.  Why? Because we aren't sure what to say or how to say it or whether we are using the right words in the right order or we're just not sure how to pray.  I've received quite a number of emails asking about praying and prayer and how to do it "right".  

 

Let me be plain, if you don't pray because you don't know what words to use, pray anyway, God knows your heart, so you're not trying to impress anyone with your words.  Be honest with Him.  Answer this question: How do you talk with your best friend? And I'll bet even they don't know as much about you as God does who loves you in spite of yourself.

 

Prayer, and this has been discussed before, is a conversation.  The best description of pray I have yet found is by a monk named Francois Fenelon:

  

"Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one’s heart, its pleasures and its pains, to a dear friend. 

 

Tell Him your troubles, that He may comfort you; 

tell Him your joys, that He may sober them; 

tell Him your longings, the He may purify them; 

tell Him your dislikes, that He may help you conquer them, 

talk to Him of your temptations, that He may shield you from them; 

lay bare your indifference to good, your depraved tastes for evil, you instability. 

Tell Him how self-love makes you unjust to others, how vanity tempts you to be insincere, how pride disguises you to yourself and others. 

 

If you pour out all you weaknesses, needs, and troubles there will be no lack of what to say. You will never exhaust the subject. It is continually being renewed. People who have no secrets from each other never want for subjects of conversation. They do not weigh their words, for there is nothing to be held back; neither do they seek for something to say. They talk out of the abundance of the heart, without consideration they say what they think. Blessed are they who attain to such familiar, unreserved, conversation with God."