Tag Archives: #hope

Spirituality

A Month of Encouragement

September has arrived. It’s a short month, only 30 days. And I have a challenge for you.

Every day find something to compliment someone on. Provide genuine encouragement to others. Just one per day. By the end of September you will have impacted thirty people’s lives in a positive way. You will never know the ripple effect of your actions, but God will.

We live in a society of criticism and complaints. People are dissatisfied with themselves so they turn it outward. Tearing others down is a negative energy I have no use for.

People need genuine encouragement. They might be on their last nerve. Your kind words will be like putting balm on a burn.

Try it for thirty days. And guess what? You will be changed, too…

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Spirituality

Faithful

Old Faithful is the most famous geyser in Yellowstone National Park. It erupts on average every 90 minutes. And it has done so since the year 1870!

What do you think of when you hear the word faithful? Perhaps you think about your dog, or a lifelong friend. Maybe you put your faith in your employer that they will pay you without fail.

Faithfulness or some variation of it is listed about 300 times in the New Testament alone. It’s a central theme. The Book of James says it best: “Faith without works is dead.” This is applied faith. You can say you have faith, but show me, the author writes.

Everyone uses faith in their lives. Atheists do, too. If you get on an airplane you have faith the pilot knows how to fly the plane. You have faith that other drivers will follow the rules and stop when the light turns red.

You were given a purpose. My encouragement is, take that leap of faith, get out of your comfort zone, and go accomplish your purpose. Don’t wait another minute. There’s no better time than the present…

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Spirituality

Noises

In yesterday’s column I wrote about how important quiet time and solitude are. But I wasn’t suggesting all the noise is bad. Some might even be life saving.

Our cars are equipped with a horn. I know we rarely use them, but they are meant to ward off potential trouble. Sometimes we lay on the horn if someone is paying attention to their phone rather than starting to drive when the light turns green.

God gives us warning signs, too. They might be subtle or even unknown to us. I’m curious how many times God has intervened to save me from something unforeseen. It might number in the millions of times. One day I will know.

The politicians and the talking heads are full of noise. We might say they are full of nonsense, too. Their kind of noise I can do without!

Pay close attention to your surroundings. Everything can be used, even the smallest noises have use..

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Spirituality

The Contradiction of Humanity

The human race is a large, complex group. We are over 8 billion strong. Each of us is unique, gifted in different ways, and we have our own goals, dreams and desires. We are a true mosaic.

Every one of us has the capacity for love, hope, character, the desire to do good, and the ability to make a difference in this world. At the same time we have the ability to harm others, to destroy the good that others create, and we are capable of being selfish. The choice is ours.

God created us in His image. We aren’t God, but we have the ability to carry out His will on earth. When we are living in the will of God, we are in the zone of the spirit. We feel it. You can’t miss it. The desire to do something harmful cannot live in the presence of God.

Prayerfully ask God to show you the way He wants you to go. He will answer. This I promise. And there will be no contradiction in your answer. Then you will know it’s from the one true God…

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Spirituality

Spiritual Trip

When I was a teenager I became a Christian. My faith was professed publicly that I believed Jesus is the Son of God, and that all of my sins were forgiven. Even the ones I hadn’t committed yet! Pretty good deal, huh?

Over time I put God on the back burner, calling for His help when I got myself in a mess. Then I put him back where He belonged. My experience with Jesus is very similar to many other people’s.

This is not to suggest that I stopped believing. No, my belief never wavered. My focus was out of whack. The outer world had my attention. Well, God is always working on us. So let’s fast forward to May of 2013.

Due to a sequence of events I’ll write about in a future column, in May 2013 I had what I call my second encounter with Jesus Christ. Man it was powerful. He got ahold of me and never let go. My spiritual life took off in ways I couldn’t have imagined.

Jesus brought the real me to the surface, the man he created me to be. I didn’t become a weirdo or religious freak. My life continues to evolve and grow.

My fight with worldly stuff is ongoing. But Jesus has taught me a peace and contentment that I couldn’t have had without him. It’s available to everyone who believes…

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Spirituality

Spiritual Scandals

Scripture is comprehensive. It covers everything we need to know to live our lives in peace and harmony. This is not to suggest that we won’t have challenges in this life. We will, but we also know how to face them and stay in God’s will.

Recently I watched a documentary about the 20 most corrupt churches in history. The way the leaders of the congregations took advantage of people was shocking. The people were innocent pawns who were desperately looking for hope. They were betrayed.

Billions of dollars were raised, only to be pocketed by the charlatans who were in leadership positions. There is much Scripture that warns us against these types. We have to read it to be aware.

False teachers will be judged more strictly, according to Scripture. This is between them and God. But my encouragement to you is to not lose faith in God if you have been burned by false teachers. Trust that God is fair and just. We only need to concern ourselves with ourselves…

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Spirituality

Don’t Be That Person

So many people are living hollow lives. They are drifting through life, waiting for the weekend yet they rarely do anything special on their days off. Don’t be that person. Rise above.

There is nothing random about this life. We were created with a purpose in mind. God gave us our unique gifts to accomplish His purpose for our lives. It’s not about us.

You know in your heart that this is true. You know you were created for more than frustration and mediocrity. And I want you to know that God is serious about your purpose. He didn’t create anything without a reason. This includes you!

Life is meant to be lived, not merely existed through. If you want to get started on living out your purpose and don’t know where to begin, start with a simple prayer. Then keep praying…

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Spirituality

True Divine Intervention

Last Friday I had a small stroke. Fortunately I was in a restaurant with a friend of mine and not at home alone. There are several miracles that happened on Friday. Let me tell you about the first one.

Without warning, my speech became a mess. I knew what I wanted to say, but I couldn’t form the words properly. Then it felt like I was in a tunnel. Life was moving in slow motion. My friend kept asking if I’m okay. By this time I couldn’t reply.

A young woman was serving her customers a few tables away. She looked up and saw what was happening, ran to the table and kept me from falling. Then she started barking orders at people, telling them to “call 911” immediately. She was holding me up while reassuring my friend that “I was going to be okay.” This bright young woman had formerly been an ER nurse. She was taking a break from nursing. Coincidence? No. Divine intervention? Yes.

God is always working in us, on us and through us whether we realize it or not. He was certainly watching over me last Friday, and He hasn’t left my side since. He’s watching you, too…

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Spirituality

A Stroke of Genius!

Hello everyone. On Friday afternoon I experienced a very small stroke. The blood clot that lodged in my brain was so small the doctor almost couldn’t see it.

Having a stroke is really bizarre. My words wouldn’t come out right. It felt like I was going in slow motion. The Emergency Room team took great care of me. Within two hours I was back to normal. Well, as normal as I get!

Tomorrow morning the surgeon will place a stent in my carotid artery. This should make me well. What I ask of you is, if you are a praying person, please say one for me. I’m certain that God is in control. He knows the outcome.

I’ll be back to writing soon. I hope you will stick around! Thank you…

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