•A Life Worth Living
In my devotion time this morning, I was reading a passage of scripture I have read many times; however, this time my eyes and thoughts focused on the word "leave". In Genesis 12:1-3, the Lord says to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you." How many of us would drop everything, leave our family, our jobs, even our country to follow the call of God? Yet, Abram left, not knowing exactly where he was going, but with a promise that he...
•Change Your Behavior, Change Your Life
James Rohn once said, “Unless you change how you are, you will always have what you’ve got.” Well said. It is true that perspective is everything. One person sees obstacles and another sees opportunities. It really does matter how you see or view things. Even the Apostle Paul admonishes us to be renewed or “made over” by renewing our minds.
I couldn’t help but marvel at a recent documentary I saw on the life of Nick Vukicic. Nick is a young man with no arms and no legs. He was born that way....
•Don't Live Your Life Unplugged
Have you ever had good intentions only to not follow through? Ever started out on a new goal only to give out of gas after a only short time?
A common mistake we all make is to underestimate our own lack of strength, wisdom or creativity. We really believe we are a lot stronger and wiser than we are. We really believe we can do it by ourselves or handle things on our own. It seems ridiculous that we would "try" to live the Christian life in our "own" strength or resourcefulness. Jesus said,...
•Lie: If I Feel It, Then It Must Be True
Remember that popular song, “Feelings”? We live in a world that places a lot of emphasis on feelings. If it feels good do it! There is nothing wrong with feelings. A world without passion or feeling would be a very dull place. Who would want to live in a world without feelings?
The problem occurs when we equate feelings with the truth. A lot of pop psychology has contributed to this belief. The prevailing thought is “get in touch with your feelings” or “trust your feelings.” Quite frankly,...
•My Unhappiness is Someone’s Else’s Fault
Most of us do want to be happy. The problem is that we are waiting for someone or some event to happen to make us feel better. We have bought into the lie that a person, a relationship or some external situation is responsible for our happiness or lack of it. If we are unhappy, it is because the planets are lined up correctly or someone else or an event or circumstance is to blame for our lot and our predicament. A person that thinks this way believes that’s the way it is and they might as well...
•Removing Life's Clutter
I love the Fall, the crispness of the air, the beautiful colors in God's creation, but I also realize with the Fall comes clean-up! I keep looking at the leaves in my yard and realize that if we don't get them up soon they may just overtake the yard! How often do our lives become cluttered with unnecessary businesses, events or situations that drain us and at times overwhelm us. It doesn't take long to feel cluttered and bogged down. Maybe it's time for a little Fall cleaning. Let me ask you...
•Renew Your Thinking, Renew Your Life
On the first day of a new year, we make all kinds of resolutions about things that we are going to change and do differently. While all of our intention and effort is certainly good and noble, maybe it's a little backwards in it's approach. Maybe we are getting the cart before the horse. Rather than behaving our way into change, maybe we need to re-think our way into personal success!
Why do I say this? Many years ago, James Allen wrote the very popular book, "As A Man Thinketh." In this...
•Stress-Free Living
This month I want to talk about stress-free living. Summer shouldn't be the only time we slow down and smell the roses. Why not make it a lifestyle? How do we do that? Let me suggest four important keys that just might help:
1. Keep it simple!
Our lives are just far too busy at times. We exert so much energy and time trying to please, impress, or keep up with the Jones' that it can get downright crazy at times. Even having someone over for dinner can become a major production. Whatever...
•The Awesome Power Of Words
On some playground as I child, I learned to sing the song “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” I guess that was to appease the bullies on the playground as we stuck out our tongues at them, but in reality it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Words do hurt and they can do great harm. Wars have been fought because of words.
There are many people who are struggling in life today not because of physical injuries on a playground but from words spoken out in anger,...
•The Gift Of Joy
I am really a kid at heart. I love the sights and sounds of Christmas. In fact when I go home to visit my family in Richmond, one of the things we like to do as family is to load up in the car and go on the “tacky house tour”. You know those are the houses that have everything in the yard from E.T. to Superman to Santa Claus. What other time of the year can you see such amazing sights and have the whole world drive up and down your street, tie up traffic for hours, and your neighbors still...
•The Life Should Be Easy Lie
Have you ever heard someone exclaim, “Why does this always happen to me?” or “That’s just my luck.”, as if they are somehow being singled out by life? We often have this notion that everyone else has it easier than we do.
The truth is that life is hard - no exceptions for anyone. We don’t want it to be and somewhere deep inside of us we keep looking for a life that is pain free. It’s got to be out there somewhere. The truth is that a pain-free life doesn’t exist! Life is difficult and...
•The Prosperous Life
"A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25
Most of us want to be successful, well off, and live the good life. Did you ever consider that the way to accomplish this might not be grabbing all you can, but by giving your way there? Did you consider that the way up the ladder of life might be going outward instead of upward? This seems foreign to us and absolutely contrary to everything we are taught in society. After all, we are taught that...
•What Is In Your Hand?
Sometimes we want to do or be something great or grand in life. We want to make or leave our mark in this world, and yet, it is often the small things done in great love that have changed the world. The small things we do on a daily basis, the gifts we use, simple acts of kindness we perform do add up. They do make a difference. As Mother Theresa once said, "we can do no great things; only small things with great love." Do you believe that small things done in great love will change the...
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