Overwhelming Week

Overwhelming is an apt way to describe my week. Last Monday, my mother had an incredible headache and thought she was having a stroke. She eventually ended up being sent to UAB Hospital, where they ran tests and discovered that she actually had a very large aneurysm. They performed brain surgery on her Tuesday night.

My mother is in very good health. She had not been in a hospital since giving birth to my sister 31 years ago. And she had no prior headaches or other indications that an aneurysm was about to occur. To say that we were all shocked is an understatement. It was stunning how quickly our lives had changed.

The good news is that my mother is making a remarkable--quite miraculous, actually--recovery. The day after surgery, we found her sitting up in bed, watching TV. She was not only alert, but able to carry on conversations as normal. Less than a week since surgery, the doctors are preparing to boot her out of ICU and into a regular room, then home soon, Lord willing.

I've not only been overwhelmed with our unexpected and unwanted journey into the world of central lines and CT scans, but I've also been overwhelmed in many good ways, such as:

-The phone calls and emails from concerned friends asking how they could help
-The friends who drove with me to the hospital in Birmingham and kept me distracted as we awaited news of the surgery
-The many people who drove up from Montgomery to sit with us at the hospital all day Tuesday
-The good folks at Homewood Church of Christ who provided hotel rooms for us Tuesday night and an apartment to stay in
-The incredible kindness of the nursing staff who seem to go beyond their call of duty
-God arranging for Mom to have the top neurosurgeon at UAB
-The abundance of food and magazines and lotion and other treats sent and brought to us
-Hearing of prayers from literally around the world being lifted up in my mom's behalf

I could go on and on, but it's safe to say that God has showered His graciousness on us over the past week in immeasurable ways. Although we won't be able to fully relax until my mom comes home, I do feel so blessed to have such amazing friends, church families and hospital staff on our side.

Please continue to pray for my mom's continued recovery. And if you can, go call your mother.

Concrete Steps

In pondering the importance of setting goals, one important bit of advice is to make them specific and take concrete, tangible steps towards reaching them.

One of my goals (and I imagine it's one of most Christians as well) is to purify my thought life. Well, it's easy to say that's what I want to do, but what steps can I take toward doing that?

Several years ago, I felt strongly convicted to stop watching R-rated movies. I'm not saying that it's wrong for everyone to watch them, but I do know that I was being affected by the violence and sexual content those movies contained. So I made the decision to avoid watching them. Now, I'll admit that I have seen a couple of R-rated movies since then ("The Passion of the Christ" being one of them), but for the most part I've resisted the temptation to watch one. I can honestly say that I don't feel like I've missed out on anything because I haven't been able to see those movies.

Now I'm feeling convicted about another entertainment source. For years I've watched "Law and Order: SVU". I don't watch it on a regular basis; most of the time that I see it, it's in reruns on USA or some other network. But over the past few days I've been thinking that it's not a healthy show for me to watch. I don't need to hear about all kinds of deviant sexual behavior, rape, molestation, murder, etc. I don't like having those thoughts on my mind.

So, I'm making the decision to end my "SVU"-watching days. I'm going to miss it--this weekend, one of the networks was running an "SVU" marathon, and that was hard to resist. But I do think I'm taking another step in purifying my thought life.

Y'all feel free to hold me accountable for this, especially the next time an "SVU" marathon is advertised!

Into All the World

My church is very missions-focused. For several years, many from our congregation have participated in mission trips to Mexico and Malawi and Turkey and the Ukraine and other places in between.

In years past, I've felt led to help primarily through financial support and collecting and helping to organize/pack supplies for various missions projects. However, lately I've been feeling like God is calling me to do something more.

What that more is I still don't know. Today I attended an information meeting at church to learn about upcoming short-term mission trips for 2008. To be honest, I'm not sure if I'm meant to actually go on a mission trip next year. Perhaps God is calling me to get my feet wet, so to speak, by doing more "behind-the-scenes" work for the missions teams. Then again, He may send me on one of these planned mission trips next year. It's something that I'm going to continue praying about over the next month, before the deadline for submitting applications for the various mission trips.

At any rate, I am seeking to make myself available to whatever God has in store for me, whether at home or abroad. I'm realizing that, as a single woman with no children, it is very tempting to live selfishly, particularly when it comes to giving up time or money. The problem is that I begin to perceive it as my time, my money, when in reality it belongs to God.

I've been praying that God would make me more sensitive to His leading and that I would obey Him without hesitation, especially in those moments when He's calling me to do something that is not my choosing or that doesn't make sense to me.

While I don't know how God intends to use me for our church mission trips, I do know that Jesus' command for His disciples to go "into all the world" does not just mean traveling halfway around the world. We are not all called to minister in foreign countries, but we are all expected to minister to the world around us, whether at work or in our family or among friends. So I'm trying to remember that the greatest mission field that God sends me to may very well be my own office. That is really life-long missions.

Rocky Toppled

It's been a while since Bama's given someone a good ol' fashioned booty-whoopin, and I can't think of a better team to deliver it to than the Vols. (Okay, maybe I can think of at least one other--but after the "handful" they've given us over the past five seasons, I'd settle for a one-point victory this year!)

What a great game. This has been quite a season. Who would have predicted Kentucky knocking off LSU last week, and Vandy's win over South Carolina today? With the way Bama's season is going, anything could happen. The LSU game in a couple of weeks will be VERY interesting indeed...

Now I can really relax and anticipate tonight's Auburn/LSU game. I actually do root for Auburn when they're not playing Alabama, and I've never been fond of LSU, so I'll be pulling for Tubby's Tigers tonight.

So--War Eagle and Go Tigers! (as opposed to Geaux Tigers!)

ROLL TIDE, y'all!

Great Story

I love a good (true) story. And I love sports. So it's special whenever I come across a story about a sports figure that transcends sports. Like this story about Jason Ray, the mascot for the North Carolina Tar Heels, who was fatally injured when struck by a car earlier this year. Jason's deep faith in God and his zeal for living life to the full created a huge impact on those who knew him, and even in death he continues to change lives.

I have to warn you, it's a tear-jerker of a story. But aren't the best stories always tear-jerkers?

Thankful Friday

For the second morning in a row, I woke up to the sounds of rain outside my bedroom window. Much needed rain, I might add. I'm thankful that God sent us this rain--and also thankful that I have a solid roof above my head so that the rain stays outside!

What are you thankful for today?

God Knows the Difference

Today all of our staff attended a workshop on handling people with diplomacy and tact. One topic that we spent a great deal of time on was personality differences. The instructor discussed four basic personalities, and the characterstics of each. Then we discovered how to interact with each different personality.

To no one's surprise, in order to effectively communicate with others, you have to approach different personalities in different ways. While some can handle direct criticism, others need it tempered with some praise. Some may need a listening ear, while others need the social aspect of talking. Some act out when they're upset, and some withdraw. The key to effective communication is figuring out the personality type of the person you're talking to and acting appropriately.

I'm reminded that God, who created us and knows us inside and out, knows not only our physical attributes but our personalities as well. He knows how to perfectly relate to each one of us, and those ways of relating vary from person to person. While I can be deeply moved by a gorgeous sunset or a beautiful song, you may be more inclined to relate to Scripture or a movie.

We are each uniquely formed, and we each have differing desires and needs and dreams. The funny thing is that what is good for one of us is not necessarily good for all of us. And yet we can easily become jealous or frustrated when we see that someone else has something that we want, something that we think we should also have. We may not realize that whatever that something is may not be what's best for us, or perhaps it's just not the time to have it.

I'm trying to learn to stop comparing myself and my life to others, and to trust that wherever I am in life right now is God's best for me. What's good for you may not be good for me, and vice versa. God knows the differences in each of us, and He knows exactly what we need, when we need it.

What I Really Needed

Over the past year I've spent a lot of time trying to figure things out and asking lots of questions, most of them beginning with the word "Why".

I think that whenever we experience a broken heart and a broken relationship, it's natural to wonder why it happened. Was it him? Was it me? Was it both? Did I expect too much? Did I not expect enough? Should I have spoken up sooner? Did I miss a lot of signs that the end was near? Had I been in denial about some things?

As you can imagine, I can pyschoanalyze the heck out of everything, so a broken relationship makes for lots of late night ponderings. When we first broke up, one of the things that I earnestly prayed for for both me and my ex-boyfriend was clarity. I just couldn't figure out why a relationship that I had no doubt had been designed by God ended. We both sought some answers.

A year later, I can't say that I really have much more insight than I did earlier. God has opened my eyes to some things in my own heart and life, and He has been tenderly working on my heart in various areas. For that I am extremely grateful.

But do I know why two people who love God and who loved each other so much are not together? No, I can't say that I do. And I don't know that I'll really fully know those reasons, at least not while I'm here on Earth.

Although I prayed for answers and clarity, God gave me something much greater. He gave me Himself. Throughout this heartache, I have experienced God in new ways and have grown closer to Him. There have been days where He has carried me through, days when I don't think I could have gotten out of bed on my own, let alone drag myself to church or work and keep my chin up.

It's been a really hard year, but it's also been a really good year. I could not have gotten through it with my sanity intact without God's steadfast love and assurances. As painful as this experience has been (and still continues to be at times), I can definitely say that it's been worth it because of the closeness I have with God.

Random Thoughts

I have several friends who are going through hard times of various kinds right now. Some are marriage and family-related, some job-related, some health-related, some friendship-related. I tell you, considering some of the heartbreak that my friends (all devoted Christians) are going through, I can't fathom how people make it through life without Christ.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tonight after class, I saw one of my students from when I helped in the five year-old class on Wednesday nights last quarter. She ran up to me and gave me a big hug. What a great feeling to not only be remembered by a former student, but to be shown appreciation (and especially without being prompted to do so by their parents)!

I was reminded that teachers of all ages need to be shown appreciation. Has your life been touched by a school teacher, a teacher at church, or someone who teaches by their example? Take some time to show your appreciation to them this week.

Clueless or Clued In?

Today I was reading the newsletter of a public relations association that I'm a member of. Each issue includes a spotlight interview with a different member. This month's featured member was a fairly young man, about 25 or so. The questions were pretty typical--Where did you go to school?, How did you get interested in public relations?, What do you like about public relations?, etc.

However, I was rather surprised by his answer to the question, Where do you see yourself in five years? His answer was, I don't have a clue. Now, perhaps he just couldn't think of a clever answer so he gave that one. Or maybe he genuinely has no idea of what direction he'd like for his life to head in over the next few years. Most people I know (men in particular) have at least some vague notion of where they'd like to see themselves in five years. Many have five and ten and even twenty-year plans. In a society that places so much emphasis on personal achievement and climbing the ladder of success, I'm surprised to find someone who is clueless about where he's heading in life.

Of course, just because we make plans, that does not mean that life will turn out accordingly. In fact, I can just about guarantee that life will take turns and detours that are not on our maps. But I don't think that means that we should aimlessly drift through life waiting for God to open doors for us.

I've been reading The Power of an Ordinary Life by Harvey Hook. One chapter in particular that has challenged me is the one on setting goals. I'm a great dreamer, but I admit that I don't always write down my goals. Perhaps it's a fear of commitment, or a fear that I won't be able to reach my goals. I can talk a good game about doing things, whether it's getting my budget in order or updating my resume or getting up early to exercise. But until I actually set goals and timelines of where I want to be a month from now, or a year from now, or five or ten years from now, I'll keep procrastinating and miss out on opportunities to act on the plans that God has for me.

I'm praying that God will open my eyes to certain goals that He has in mind for me, and that I'll take action at the appropriate times. I plan to sit down and write out goals for various areas of my life--spiritual, financial, career, house, health--as well as action steps to take to reaching those goals. Some goals can be achieved in a few weeks; others may take years before I see fruit.

I'm curious as to how many of you actually write down goals and timelines/action steps for them. How often do you review and update your goals? Monthly? Yearly? Do you have anyone hold you accountable for working toward those goals? Any advice you can offer to a fledgling goalsetter?

Seeking Him, Chapter 4

In this week's study of Seeking Him, the focus was on repentance. I don't know about you, but for many years I thought of confession and repentance as being pretty much one and the same. Now I know that it's somewhat easy to confess sins, but more difficult (at least for me) to change my life in response to those confessions.

Here are a few nuggets of wisdom that I underlined in my workbook:

-Repentance cannot be considered genuine unless there is outward evidence--a change of behavior. It's not just a matter of feeling bad about our sin. If repentance is real, it will show itself. The outward manifestaton of repentance may be instantaneous or it may be seen over time. The length of time for real change may depend on the nature of the sin and how long one has been involved in it, or other variables. But sooner or later, there will be change in behavior.

-Something in our lives will break down as a result of unconfessed sin.

-...no matter how strong the bondage of sin or how long we have been involved in it, God can deliver us by His grace. [Isn't that great news? It's not up to us to deliver ourselves from bondage!]

-The purpose of repentance is not to make us feel better about ourselves but to restore us to a right relationship with God, so that our lives may again bring glory to Him and be used for His purposes. [Wow, I needed that reminder!]

Forgive and Forget--Really?

Earlier this week a co-worker and I made a major boo-boo at work. We were joking around with another co-worker and said a couple of things that hurt her feelings. When we realized that she was really upset, we apologized. A couple of days later, we got an email from her telling us what a bad week she'd been having, and going into detail about how our picking on her made her feel a lot worse.

Now, I have to admit that my first reaction (as well as that of my other co-worker) to that email was to get bent out of shape. After all, we'd already apologized and thought that our apology had been accepted. Who was she to keep throwing our comments back in our face? When someone is genuinely sorry and apologizes, you should let it go, right? Our hackles were definitely up. We were starting to feel a little insulted and offended ourselves.

Later, the Holy Spirit tapped me on the shoulder and gently but firmly reminded me of times when I had said that I accepted someone's apology, but internally I wasn't so quick to let the matter drop. I might not have shared with them how their actions or inactions had grieved me, but I might have had conversations in my head in which I launched into a diatribe of how they had offended me. An imaginary, one-sided airing of the grievances, if you will.

It's one thing to say that we forgive someone. Actually forgiving and loosing our grip on the offense (and offender) is another story. Forgiveness does not necessarily mean that we let the other person off the hook, as if their offense does not matter. In many cases, there are repercussions to deal with, some that can last for a lifetime. In forgiving someone, we are not letting them get away with what they did, but rather, we are choosing to free ourselves from bitterness and resentment that go hand in hand with an offense.

This episode with my co-worker this week has certainly made me really consider the timing and wisdom of my words. More so, it's made me think about the power of truly forgiving and letting go of anger and resentment.

It's funny how even a seemingly petty situation and gain some spiritual insights from it. Hopefully, my co-worker will be in a better mood come Monday, and there won't be any more tension between her and us. We are all a pretty close-knit group of co-workers, so I am hopeful that all will truly be forgiven and we can move on. But it's definitely been a learning experience, not necessarily one I care to repeat, but one I'm grateful for nonetheless!

But God Is Good

Yesterday a friend and I were emailing about each other's weeks. We've both had trying weeks, dealing with hurting friends as well as some of our own hurts and struggles. My friend remarked that she didn't know why it seemed that Satan was attacking so many people right now. I replied, "Yeah, Satan's a big ol' jerk!"

In retrospect, I should have added, "But God is good."

It's so easy to focus on the negative and become discouraged at the things that are going wrong around us. I don't know why I'm surprised by troubles...after all, in the Gospel of John, Jesus clearly states that trouble is a fact of life:

"...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33b)

While we should not be surprised by troubles and trials that come into our lives, we should also not focus on them, but rather on the second part of Jesus' statement, which was the joyful news that He had overcome the world and its troubles. And we are likewise overcomers.

One of my favorite chapters in all of Scripture is Romans 8. Chock-full of hope and reminders of God and Jesus working on our behalf, I have found great strength and encouragement from reading this section of Scripture. Here are just a few of the great nuggets of hope:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, (v. 1)

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (v. 18)

We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. (v. 26b)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (v. 28)

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (v. 31b, 32)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (v. 35-39)

Having a tough day or week? You're not alone, we all do. But take heart--through Jesus, we too can overcome the world's troubles and all that Satan throws our way. Though the circumstances troubling us may not change, our outlook and hope can.

Love and Patience

Love is patient...(I Corinthians 13:4)

In Paul's famous description of love in I Corinthians 13, I don't think it's mere happenstance that patience is listed as the first fruit of love. I don't think it was a virtue that he just listed at random. I tend to think that the first item in a list (unless it's an alphabetical listing) is usually the item of greatest importance. Perhaps I'm off base here, but I'm sticking to my theory when it comes to these characteristics of love.

I'm not downplaying the importance of kindness, protecting, trusting, and the other descriptions of love that Paul lists. But, perhaps more than ever before, I am realizing the great connection between love and patience. I think that Paul placed patience at the top of that list in order to underscore the importance of patience and the role it plays in loving others.

I'll be the first to admit that I struggle with impatience. I don't like having to wait in line at the grocery store or in traffic. And when I think someone (including those I love) should do something, I think they should do it now.

This applies to my relationship with God as well, I confess. I love reading about His promises in His Word--and I want Him to fulfill them now! I don't like waiting, including waiting on God. Even though I know that God knows what is best, and that His ways and His timing are always perfect, I still struggle more often than I'd care to admit with impatience.

So when I think about how important it is to show love through patience, I could easily become discouraged, because I am not always a patient person. Thankfully, I have seen how God has been teaching me the importance of patience, and I have become more relaxed in waiting on Him as well as on those I love.

More thankfully, while on Earth I will never be a perfectly patient person (say that three times fast), God is infinitely patient in His love toward me. Let's face, I will never be perfect in any of those descriptions of love, but God's love for me and for you IS perfect. He is always patient, always kind, never envying or boasting...bottom line, His love never fails, even when my love for Him and for those who has placed in my life does fall short of the mark.

In reminding myself of God's great patience with me, I'm able to relax my grip on those around me and be more patient with them, with God, and with myself.

Thank God for Peter

If I had to identify one of Jesus' apostles that I most closely relate to, I'd have to go with Peter. Impulsive, outspoken, stick-his-foot-in-his-mouth-at-times Peter.

Yesterday was one of those days I wish I could do over, as I found myself tripping up time after time, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time (a result of speaking before really considering my words). I'm thankful that I was able to pray and ask for forgiveness and receive it, and that today is a fresh start, although, by day's end, I will find myself once again having sinned in some way and in need of God's grace.

I'm also thankful that the Bible reveals the human side of the apostles, particularly Peter. While, like me, he had plenty of faults, he was also used in incredible ways by God. He was willing to be used by God, and that is really the only pre-requisite to God using someone in a mighty way for His glory.

I have to admit that there are times when I'd rather God just leave me alone and let me do my own thing for a little while. As I get older and a little bit wiser, those occasions are fewer and farther between, but I don't always have the zeal and passion for God and His kingdom that I should.

How thankful I am that God uses messed-up sinners like me and Peter and David and Paul and a host of others to accomplish His purposes. I don't have to be perfect--thank goodness--I just have to be willing to let Him use me.

Going Deeper

Over the past week or so, these verses from Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus have kept coming back to me:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

I have a pretty big imagination, and it's hard for me to fathom God being able to do not just more, but immeasurably more than anything I could dream up in this overactive mind of mine. And yet that's what His Word promises. I really think that my prayers and desires just scratch the surface of what He truly desires to do in and through me.

I want to dream great dreams, to take big risks and to let God do incredible things in my life. But most days my prayers are rather mundane, focused on just making it through the day without getting stressed out at work.

It's one thing to read that God can do immeasurably more--it's quite another to really believe it and live with that mindset. I think that, slowly but surely, I am getting from the former to the latter. I'm trying to challenge myself to go deeper in my prayers, both in praying for myself and for those God has put into my life.

For example, instead of merely praying for a change in circumstances, I've begun praying for God to change my attitude (or, if I'm praying for someone else, their attitude) toward the situation. Naturally, I want a trial to end or a troublesome situation to be resolved--but more often than not, God wants to use that particular trial to refine me and draw me closer to Him. I feel like my perspective on life and the challenges that come with it is changing. I'm not able yet to clearly see from His point of view, but the view is getting less hazy.

In what ways have you deepened your prayer life?

Connecting with God

This morning, Buddy presented an excellent lesson about making spiritual connections--defined as "the way we most naturally connect with God's presence and experience spiritual growth."

It was refreshing to be reminded that we are all individuals, uniquely created by God, and that we all connect with Him in different ways. One of the ways that Satan attacks us is by convincing us that there is only one way to truly connect with God, and that something must be wrong with us if we're not connecting in the same way that everyone else is.

Buddy listed seven types of connection. They are:
-Intellectual (a hunger for God's Word)
-Relational (drawing close to God through significant relationships)
-Serving
-Worship
-Activist (having passion for a cause)
-Contemplative (connecting best when alone with God)
-Creation (connecting through nature)

Although I connect with God to various degrees in each of these categories, I'd have to say that my primary way of connecting is in a contemplative way. Creation is a close second, however. There's something so special about experiencing God through the natural beauty, especially the majesty of the heavens, water and mountains (as evidenced by my new header).

Is there one way of connecting that immediately stands out to you? Can you think of any other ways of connecting that are not on this list?

Seeking Him, Chapter 3

As I mentioned the other day, this past week's lesson focused on honesty. Here are a few nuggets of wisdom that I underlined that address honesty and how it pertains to our personal revival:

• God cannot bless or revive a heart that refuses to acknowledge the truth.
• God wants to experience intimate fellowship with His children. That is possible only if we are honest with Him about the true condition of our heart as He knows it to be.
• Honesty is liberating...it is for our good and by God's mercy that He reveals the truth about us, no matter how shameful that truth may be.

That third point in particular encourages me. I need to remember that I am not meant to keep things to myself--when I allow God to reveal them to me (and when I confess them to Him and to others), it is for my good, not for me to be shamed by them or walk with my head downcast. Part of living life to the full is seeing myself as I truly am, and accepting the grace and mercy that God gives as He forgives my sins and cleanses me. But in order to experience that merciful cleansing, I have to be honest with myself, confess and repent. There is no room for pride.

Coming Clean

I read that, after years of denying use of any performance-enhancing steroids, Olympic sprinter Marion Jones has admitted to using steroids prior to the 2000 Olympics. I remember watching Jones at the Olympics in Sydney, in which she came away with five medals, three of them gold. A few years ago, when allegations of steroid use emerged, Jones vehemetly denied using them. I have to admit that, having heard similar denials from other runners, baseball players and other athletes, I was skeptical of her proclaimed innocence. Now Jones is coming clean, and faces jail time, not to mention being stripped of her medals.

It's a little ironic to me that this story is breaking in the same week that the chapter in the Seeking Him study is about honesty. It's easy for me to shake my head in disbelief when athletes deny using steroids to enhance their performance. But don't we all, in one way or another, have something that we try to hide? Don't we all want to project a positive image of ourselves, to protect our reputation, even if that means keeping something hidden?

We are in good company. Even King David--a man after God's own heart--kept his affair with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of her husband covered up for a year. When Nathan the prophet confronted David about it, he finally confessed and repented of it. But in that year of silence, he suffered greatly. In Psalm 32, David wrote:

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah
Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "—
and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:3-5)

Although Marion Jones no doubt has a long road to face--possible imprisonment, tarnished reputation, loss of trust--perhaps in admitting her guilt, she can begin the journey to redemption. When we admit our guilt and stop covering up our sins, stop being so concerned about what others think of us, then we are able to be cleansed by God and truly live the life we were meant to live.

Recommended Radio Series

I'm currently listening to Chip Ingram's radio broadcast series titled "Good to Great in God's Eyes." The series is about maturing in our faith, and covers the following topics:

• Read Great Books


• Think Great Thoughts
  


• Pursue Great People



• Dream Great Dreams



• Pray Great Prayers



• Take Great Risks



• Make Great Sacrifices



• Enjoy Great Moments



• Empower Great People



• Develop Great Habits

I've only listened to about half of the series so far, but I'm really enjoying it and highly recommend it. You can listen online for free by clicking here.

End of an Era

So long, Andruw. We'll miss you.

Something Else to Be Grateful For

Last week a couple of co-workers and I attended a kickoff luncheon for the Arthritis Foundation's annual Jingle Bell Run, which our office has participated in over the past few years. As we enjoyed the free lunch at Carrabba's, we heard several stories of people who lived with arthritis every day. Despite its reputation as an affliction for the elderly, people of all ages--including children--can be diagnosed with arthritis.

One story in particular that I remember was given by a man who used to be an avid runner. Then, in his thirties, he was afflicted with arthritis. Today, while he is still fairly mobile compared to a lot of others, he cannot run like he used to.

It's amazing the things I so often take for granted, including my health. At lunch that day, I was once again reminded that my health is a gift from God that is not to be taken for granted, but to be used for His glory.

So, if you're having one of those days where everything seems to be going wrong and you struggle to find something to be grateful for, be grateful for your health. Thank God that you can get up out of bed, unassisted, that you can dress yourself, that you can walk up stairs, that you can see where you're going, that you can hear your telephone ringing...there is so much to be grateful for.

Fools Rush In

I'm a fixer. If something's wrong, particularly in a relationship of some sort, I want to rush right in and fix it. Good intentions, right?

The problem is that good intentions can't solve every relational struggle. And I don't know how to fix every relationship. While I may have the best of motives at heart, I don't always have the wisdom to bring about healing, and that's very frustrating to me.

The good news is that it's not my job to fix everything. Jesus is the Great Physician, the Divine Healer, and He alone knows what's needed in every particular relationship and situation. Rather than me jumping in and trying to fix things (which often makes an even bigger mess), I need to leave the fixing to Him.

He may call me to some sort of action in regards to the situation--in some cases, I may need to approach the other person and apologize. In other cases, He may need to work on my heart first before the time is right to bring healing to the relationship. Or He may be working on the other person's heart to make them receptive to restoring the friendship.

I'll be the first to admit that getting out of Jesus' way and trusting His timing is not always a piece of cake for me. And yet He has never failed me. When I do wait on Him (and sometimes it's a loooooooooong wait), the end result is always better than what I would have settled for. I need to keep reminding myself of that right now, because I've been tempted to try to play Ms. Fix-It with a particular friendship. He knows what's best for us, and He will bring about what's best if I wait on Him, patiently and expectantly.