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I haven't posted much lately. I guess I haven't felt like I've had much worthy of posting. As I thought about it, every day that you walk with God is worth sharing something about.
Nothing too tremendous happened this week. I went to work; I came home; I fixed dinner; I did dishes; I did some laundry; I took care of my daughter; I went to bed and got up and did it all over again.
Yet everyday God loves me. Everyday God goes with me everywhere and helps me with everything I do. Everyday God has his hand of protection on me. Everyday I needed him and everyday He was there for me.
As I sought Him, he was there. He never lets me go through anything by myself. He never leaves me alone. I need to recognize his presence with me at every moment.
It is my responsibility to seek God. Everyone who seeks Him will find Him.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7: 7-8
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Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Conflict Resolution
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I read an excellent article this week on conflict resolution. You can find it here.
Here's a brief summary:
Six Pratical tips for handling conflict.
Pray: apply the principle that prayer is essential to overcoming fear.
Before approaching someone else about a conflict, approach God and ask for wisdom and guidance.
Process: determine the type of intervention necessary.
Determine if this is a casual conversation or a formal meeting. Do you need a group meeting? Encourage people to share their feelings and make them feel that they are in a safe environment to do that. Stay objective through out the meeting - dont' take sides. Discuss a plan for how to "fix" the relationship.
Take action: approach the confrontation with a good attitude.
Epheisans 4:32 “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave [us]”
Colossians 3:12 “clothe [ourselves] with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”
Share your vision: discuss the hope of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Try to uncover the root cause of the problem. Try to come up with a resolution to the problem.
2 Corinthians 5:19 “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them”
1 Peter 5:5–6 “clothe [ourselves] with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble’ ”
Listen carefully: let all parties know they have been heard.
Listen, listen, listen. Let others talk. Don't feel the need to fill the silence. Let people share honestly then put together a plan for working together. Let people state what they need from each other and then ask for an agreement between them.
Ephesians 4:15 "Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly,dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).”
Pray together: warn of the dangers of not forgiving.
Close the meeting with prayer. Try to get each participant to forgive the others. Get them to see that forgiveness is a choice not a feeling.
Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
Mark 3:24–25 “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If
a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand”
It takes courage to confront conflict. The Scripture has a lot to say about handling conflict. When conflict arrives, have a plan of action and trust God to help you through it.
.
I read an excellent article this week on conflict resolution. You can find it here.
Here's a brief summary:
Six Pratical tips for handling conflict.
Pray: apply the principle that prayer is essential to overcoming fear.
Before approaching someone else about a conflict, approach God and ask for wisdom and guidance.
Process: determine the type of intervention necessary.
Determine if this is a casual conversation or a formal meeting. Do you need a group meeting? Encourage people to share their feelings and make them feel that they are in a safe environment to do that. Stay objective through out the meeting - dont' take sides. Discuss a plan for how to "fix" the relationship.
Take action: approach the confrontation with a good attitude.
Epheisans 4:32 “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave [us]”
Colossians 3:12 “clothe [ourselves] with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”
Share your vision: discuss the hope of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Try to uncover the root cause of the problem. Try to come up with a resolution to the problem.
2 Corinthians 5:19 “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them”
1 Peter 5:5–6 “clothe [ourselves] with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble’ ”
Listen carefully: let all parties know they have been heard.
Listen, listen, listen. Let others talk. Don't feel the need to fill the silence. Let people share honestly then put together a plan for working together. Let people state what they need from each other and then ask for an agreement between them.
Ephesians 4:15 "Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly,dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).”
Pray together: warn of the dangers of not forgiving.
Close the meeting with prayer. Try to get each participant to forgive the others. Get them to see that forgiveness is a choice not a feeling.
Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
Mark 3:24–25 “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If
a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand”
It takes courage to confront conflict. The Scripture has a lot to say about handling conflict. When conflict arrives, have a plan of action and trust God to help you through it.
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Friday, August 7, 2009
Forgiveness
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I just found out that August 2nd was International Forgiveness Day. It made me think about forgiveness. The first thought I had was how thankful I am to God for the forgiveness He offers through Christ. If we confess out sins, he will forgive us. He will then throw our sins as far as the east is from the west. Then he forgets. He will never hold them against us again. He will never bring them up to me again and say things like remember when you did that …. He doesn’t hold a grudge.
For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. - Matthew 6:14-15
I started to think about how we forgive. Forgiveness is not an emotion; it is a choice. It is a conscious choice and has nothing to do with how I feel. I choose to love my enemies. I choose to be humble. I choose to forgive. I can’t wait until my anger subsides to forgive – that is backwards. It is in forgiving that causes my anger to subside.
Forgiveness is not about the person who wronged me; it’s about me. If I choose not to forgive someone, I change on the inside. I will grow angry and resentful. I will suffer because it is sin and it interferes with my relationship with God. I need to forgive even if the other person doesn’t apologize. I can forgive even if I know what was done to me was wrong. I don’t have to condone the action to forgive it. I need to choose to forgive and let go. The rest is God’s business.
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I just found out that August 2nd was International Forgiveness Day. It made me think about forgiveness. The first thought I had was how thankful I am to God for the forgiveness He offers through Christ. If we confess out sins, he will forgive us. He will then throw our sins as far as the east is from the west. Then he forgets. He will never hold them against us again. He will never bring them up to me again and say things like remember when you did that …. He doesn’t hold a grudge.
For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. - Matthew 6:14-15
I started to think about how we forgive. Forgiveness is not an emotion; it is a choice. It is a conscious choice and has nothing to do with how I feel. I choose to love my enemies. I choose to be humble. I choose to forgive. I can’t wait until my anger subsides to forgive – that is backwards. It is in forgiving that causes my anger to subside.
Forgiveness is not about the person who wronged me; it’s about me. If I choose not to forgive someone, I change on the inside. I will grow angry and resentful. I will suffer because it is sin and it interferes with my relationship with God. I need to forgive even if the other person doesn’t apologize. I can forgive even if I know what was done to me was wrong. I don’t have to condone the action to forgive it. I need to choose to forgive and let go. The rest is God’s business.
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Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Act Like A King's Kid
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Ordinary. Plain. Boring. Bland. Common. Mundane. Dull. Lackluster. Unexciting. Monotonous.
OR
Unique. Exciting. Creative. Fun. Special. Exceptional. Thrilling. Stimulating. Peculiar.
Which string of words best describes your life?
Which one should?
As a Christian – which one should I be?
1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
I am a unique creation made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27)
John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Are you living the full and abundant life that Christ promised? If you’re not, why aren’t you? How can you get out of the rut and enjoy your Christian life?
Am I living like I am created in God’s image? Am I treating others like they are special creations of God?
Love life. Live it to the fullest. Encourage others. Act like you are the King’s kid. Pass on blessings to others.
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Ordinary. Plain. Boring. Bland. Common. Mundane. Dull. Lackluster. Unexciting. Monotonous.
OR
Unique. Exciting. Creative. Fun. Special. Exceptional. Thrilling. Stimulating. Peculiar.
Which string of words best describes your life?
Which one should?
As a Christian – which one should I be?
1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
I am a unique creation made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27)
John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Are you living the full and abundant life that Christ promised? If you’re not, why aren’t you? How can you get out of the rut and enjoy your Christian life?
Am I living like I am created in God’s image? Am I treating others like they are special creations of God?
Love life. Live it to the fullest. Encourage others. Act like you are the King’s kid. Pass on blessings to others.
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Friday, July 31, 2009
Can a Christian like Harry Potter?
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My daughter and I like Harry Potter. We find these books and movies to be wonderful fantasy tales. I didn’t let my daughter watch any of the movies or read any of the books until after she was 13. Then we watched the movie together and read the books together. It gave us a fun activity to do together and she was old enough to discuss what she was seeing. One of the things we enjoy is talking about the things that are in the books that aren’t in the movies. My daughter hates reading but will pick up a 600 – 800 page Harry Potter book and read it voluntarily. She simple doesn’t read much of anything that she isn’t forced to read. So, I love that she will read these books.
I know a lot of Christians will not read Harry Potter or go to the movies. These books present a clear picture of the battle between good and evil. However, they support the use of magic and that is very controversial in the Christian community. I think you can read Harry Potter for the fictional story. I don’t think that reading Harry Potter will lead me to attempt to practice witchcraft. The Christian position on that is quite clear. A Christian should never participate in such things. Reading Harry Potter is not the same thing as practicing witchcraft and it is not promoting the practice of witchcraft to others.
There are lots of things you can use from the Harry Potter books/movies as conversation starters with your children or friends.
Remember when Harry Potter looked into the Mirror of Erised and saw his parents. Then Ron looked into the mirror and he saw himself as a Quidditch captain. The mirror revealed the deepest desires of their hearts. What would you see if you looked into the mirror?
As I read the Harry Potter books, I saw a young boy in need of love and encouragement. His parents had died and the Aunt and Uncle that raised him, neglected him. They certainly didn’t show him any love. Have there been times in your life when the people you depended on failed you? Times when you needed love and encouragement and you couldn’t find any?
Harry finally finds someone he can trust. That person is Dumbledore. Dumbledore is trustworthy, good, smart, and loving. He serves as a mentor to Harry. Are there any “Harrys” in your life that need mentoring? Look around and reach out to someone. Make a difference in their lives – the way Dumbledore did for Harry.
I encourage everyone to obey God’s Word and it clearly states that we are not to practice witchcraft, divination, and sorcery. In matters like reading a Harry Potter book, I feel that is a personal decision. There are lots of discussions on whether this is OK but the truth of the matter is that the Bible does not say that we cannot read a fictional story about magic. This simply remains a matter of personal discretion.
That's my opinion - I welcome yours.
.
My daughter and I like Harry Potter. We find these books and movies to be wonderful fantasy tales. I didn’t let my daughter watch any of the movies or read any of the books until after she was 13. Then we watched the movie together and read the books together. It gave us a fun activity to do together and she was old enough to discuss what she was seeing. One of the things we enjoy is talking about the things that are in the books that aren’t in the movies. My daughter hates reading but will pick up a 600 – 800 page Harry Potter book and read it voluntarily. She simple doesn’t read much of anything that she isn’t forced to read. So, I love that she will read these books.
I know a lot of Christians will not read Harry Potter or go to the movies. These books present a clear picture of the battle between good and evil. However, they support the use of magic and that is very controversial in the Christian community. I think you can read Harry Potter for the fictional story. I don’t think that reading Harry Potter will lead me to attempt to practice witchcraft. The Christian position on that is quite clear. A Christian should never participate in such things. Reading Harry Potter is not the same thing as practicing witchcraft and it is not promoting the practice of witchcraft to others.
There are lots of things you can use from the Harry Potter books/movies as conversation starters with your children or friends.
Remember when Harry Potter looked into the Mirror of Erised and saw his parents. Then Ron looked into the mirror and he saw himself as a Quidditch captain. The mirror revealed the deepest desires of their hearts. What would you see if you looked into the mirror?
As I read the Harry Potter books, I saw a young boy in need of love and encouragement. His parents had died and the Aunt and Uncle that raised him, neglected him. They certainly didn’t show him any love. Have there been times in your life when the people you depended on failed you? Times when you needed love and encouragement and you couldn’t find any?
Harry finally finds someone he can trust. That person is Dumbledore. Dumbledore is trustworthy, good, smart, and loving. He serves as a mentor to Harry. Are there any “Harrys” in your life that need mentoring? Look around and reach out to someone. Make a difference in their lives – the way Dumbledore did for Harry.
I encourage everyone to obey God’s Word and it clearly states that we are not to practice witchcraft, divination, and sorcery. In matters like reading a Harry Potter book, I feel that is a personal decision. There are lots of discussions on whether this is OK but the truth of the matter is that the Bible does not say that we cannot read a fictional story about magic. This simply remains a matter of personal discretion.
That's my opinion - I welcome yours.
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Do Sinners Have more fun?
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I was listening to some old music and the song "Only the Good Die Young" by Billy Joel was on. The line that caught my attention was:
"I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
The Sinners are much more fun..."
Why do non-Christians think they have more fun than Christians? Do we live like we are not having a good time? Do we know how to have fun? Do we share that fun with others? Do we live sheltered lives? Are we too serious? Do we share our joy and happiness with others?
Did Jesus have fun? I think he smiled and maybe even chuckled the day he met Zaccheus. He saw him up in a tree jockeying for position. Then he told him to come down and now guess what else -- I'm coming to your house for dinner. I know what I would have thought -- is the house clean? What do I have in the frig to fix for dinner? I wonder what Zaccheus thought. Ever think of what Zaccheus' wife said to him when he brought the Lord home for dinner.
Jesus was a joyful person, continually urging his followers to be joyful. He explains to his disciples, "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." (John 15:11)
Jesus had to have a sense of humor - after all - He loves me. He loved me with all my faults and sin before I even loved him. I'm sure He has gotten a few laughs over some of the stupid things I have done.
So, live your life to the fullest, obey the Lord, and share that love and joy with others.
.
I was listening to some old music and the song "Only the Good Die Young" by Billy Joel was on. The line that caught my attention was:
"I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
The Sinners are much more fun..."
Why do non-Christians think they have more fun than Christians? Do we live like we are not having a good time? Do we know how to have fun? Do we share that fun with others? Do we live sheltered lives? Are we too serious? Do we share our joy and happiness with others?
Did Jesus have fun? I think he smiled and maybe even chuckled the day he met Zaccheus. He saw him up in a tree jockeying for position. Then he told him to come down and now guess what else -- I'm coming to your house for dinner. I know what I would have thought -- is the house clean? What do I have in the frig to fix for dinner? I wonder what Zaccheus thought. Ever think of what Zaccheus' wife said to him when he brought the Lord home for dinner.
Jesus was a joyful person, continually urging his followers to be joyful. He explains to his disciples, "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." (John 15:11)
Jesus had to have a sense of humor - after all - He loves me. He loved me with all my faults and sin before I even loved him. I'm sure He has gotten a few laughs over some of the stupid things I have done.
So, live your life to the fullest, obey the Lord, and share that love and joy with others.
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Thursday, June 4, 2009
Trust God
"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." Corrie ten Boom
I read this quote in a book yesterday and it stuck in my mind.
Perhaps I'll write more about this later.
I read this quote in a book yesterday and it stuck in my mind.
Perhaps I'll write more about this later.
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