Tag Archives: #jesus

Spirituality

Without Limits

We limit God’s ability. Our unbelief is our problem because God can do anything. Anything…

This is cited in the Bible. For example, in Matthew 13:57-58 the author says : “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.” And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Jesus, being fully God, could do miracles but chose not to because of their lack of belief. They really missed quite a display! Water to wine, eyesight to the blind and raising the dead, just to name a few. The important point that must not be missed is their tiny Faith was the reason they missed out.

Take a moment to consider the unlimited power of God. He doesn’t get angry with us when we doubt him. But he does want our faith to grow, not remain stagnant.

My encouragement to you is to become more reliant on God and less on yourself. No matter what you are going through, God can handle it. Let Him…

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Spirituality

In Faith

We are told to “step out in faith” or to “take a leap of faith.” But what does that mean? Let’s take a look!

Faith is a verb, an action word. God can give us every victory our hearts desire, but He wants to see us trust Him in the process. God is interested in developing our character. If He gave us our wants in addition to supplying our needs, we would be a bunch of spoiled brats.

God isn’t a vending machine. His unlimited power goes on display when we rely more on Him and less on ourselves. I say let’s allow God to show off a bit. But let’s remember to give Him the credit He deserves.

This life is not about us. It’s a great ride when you put your faith in action…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Art and The Heart

The greatest art is created from the emotional side of the brain. Whether it’s music, theater, a painting or sculpture, feeling inspires the artist.

God is the original Creator. We are his artwork. Each of us is an original masterpiece. None of us are like any other. Even identical twins have different fingerprints! Coincidence? I think not. According to Albert Einstein, “coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.”

Everyone has a creative side. You just have to tap into it. Spend some time focusing on how you feel about things. Do it daily and watch where it goes.

And I encourage you to spend time actively practicing gratitude. Gratitude changes the biochemistry of your brain. You will begin to pay more attention to the art and beauty all around you. It has always been present, but now you notice.

Every morning, physically write down three things you are grateful for. Try this exercise for twenty one days. You will feel different, I promise. Then continue the daily practice.

You can get into your creative side. It might have been dormant for a period of time, but it has never gone away…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Enemies

Who are your enemies? Do you really have any? Generally speaking, an enemy is someone who is actively hostile towards you or someone who betrays you. We stay as far away as possible from those people. Or do we?

In this life we are surrounded by people from all walks of life. For the most part we exist together peacefully. Some days we get cut off in traffic. While we might be upset temporarily, we don’t make an enemy out of the offender.

Holding grudges might make us think the offense made someone an enemy. Unresolved problems can lead to shortened, less fulfilling lives. When the time is right, let it go. Forgive when you are ready.

Jesus taught in a counter-cultural way. He told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Huh? Pray for them? I want to see them suffer for what they did to me!

Prayer changes us. If you are harboring people you consider to be enemies in your mind, give prayer a try. Do it even if you don’t mean it. Watch how you change…

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Spirituality

Who’s Piloting the Plane?

We make plans for our lives. We set goals for our careers. Young married couples talk about their future together. These are all good things. But what do we do when our best plans go awry?

Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” This is a solid reminder of who is in control. We have no idea how many car accidents or horrible situations God has protected us from behind the scenes. But we do know this: God has a plan and purpose for us being here. We can try to live it out or we can ignore it. That part God leaves in our hands.

One of the beautiful things about life is that everything in our future is unknown. Being an eternally optimistic man, I believe it’s something good. Even if whatever lies around the next corner turns out to be a dumpster fire, good can come from it.

When life throws you curveballs, swing at them. Remember who is in control, even when we think it’s us. You will get through whatever you are going through. Just keep going…

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Spirituality

Time, Energy and Heart

Every day I wake up I consider myself to be the most fortunate man alive. Not only have I been given another day to live, but I have an opportunity to make a difference in this crazy world we live in.

Did you know that 25% of the world lives on less than $2.00 per day? That’s 2 billion people! Over 36 million people live in poverty in the United States. The line on poverty is drawn at around $14,000 per year. People are struggling to make ends meet.

We can make a difference, both individually and collectively. Volunteering is a regular part of my life. I’m fortunate to have a career that gives me tremendous flexibility with my time. And the Creator gifted me with an enormous energy level. Put those two together, time and energy, and I pour my heart into causes that touch me emotionally.

The faith and philanthropic communities serve the least among us very well. They waste little and move heaven and earth with what they have. Those people are true role models, not our feckless politicians.

Find your cause(s). Get involved. We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone. Commit…

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Spirituality

Hanging Around

Death will get all of us one day. It’s inevitable, and I have three thoughts on death: I’m not afraid of it. I know where I will spend eternity. I’m not ready for it. And I don’t want it to hurt!

Heaven is perfect. There’s no disease. We get new bodies that never ache. Most important, we are in the presence of God. The things we don’t understand will be made clear.

Why do we fight so hard to hang on to this life? Knowing what we know, we can accept that it will happen and everything will be okay. God will continue to work on us until He is through with us on this side of life.

I tell my children not to mourn me when I’m gone. My eternal home is not here, it’s in Heaven. Theirs is, too. So is yours.

Treat people well while you have them in your life. Nothing is random in this life. Everything can be used…

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Spirituality

Come As You Are

Our churches should be open and welcoming places. We are there to worship God together, not to make a fashion statement. Yet that happens.

In the Book of James, this very thing is addressed. James cautions us against showing favoritism towards someone in “fine clothing and jewelry.” What about the people who don’t have similar resources? They are equally important.

Every Sunday I volunteer as a greeter for my church. I see people who are dressed in their best clothes, and I see people who look like they just closed down a bar. Everyone gets a friendly greeting from me. (Well, beautiful women might get a bigger smile, but let’s move on).

God is glad we are there. He is who we are there for. It’s relational, not transactional. Our attention should be focused on him, not the crowd around us.

Find a church community where you feel free to come as you are. Then you have found your home away from home on this planet. Our true home lies in the next life…

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Spirituality

The Playbook

Players in the NFL are issued a playbook when they join the team. They are told to learn it and guard it with their life. If the playbook were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be catastrophic for the team.

But what about those of us who aren’t professional athletes? Well, God gave us a playbook, too. It’s called the Bible. It is our official guide to life on this side of eternity. In fact, it is preparing us for Heaven.

In the Old Testament days, God spoke to Moses and the prophets. They wrote down what the heard from God and it has been preserved for us.

Moving on to Jesus’ time on earth, his disciples recorded what they observed about the life of Christ. Paul wrote letters to the churches, as did James and Jude. It’s there for us to consult with anytime we want. We just have to open it and read.

Trying to navigate this crazy world we live in is difficult at best. Some are operating on their own with no regard to the playbook. Living by the Word of God will always turn out well. And we will have a peace that’s indescribable.

God didn’t create us and forget about us. If you are frustrated with life, take a moment to open the playbook. Read a little every day. It will grab ahold of your heart and change you from within.

Try it! The only thing you have to lose is stress, anxiety and worry…

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Spirituality

Personal Glory

We like to call attention to ourselves when we win at something, don’t we? We bask in the spotlight and never want the feeling to end.

When we are on the winning side of life, it’s the best. The strength of our character is formed in the difficult times. This is what gets us to the top eventually. The battle has been worth it.

Jesus had more wins in his life than anyone. He healed people, restored them, cured leprosy and raised the dead. Yet Jesus never called attention to himself. He wasn’t seeking his own glory, but gave it to the Father who sent him. Jesus was a great example of how to win with character.

I love it when athletes give credit to Jesus for their gifts. They do influence young people.

My encouragement to you is to keep the wins in perspective. Give credit to God. After all, everything good comes from him…

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