One of the greatest and well known scriptures in the Bible is 1Corinthians 13. Verses 4-7 goes as follows, “Love is patient; Love is kind; Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrong doing, but rejoices in the truth…..” So if we can be patient, kind, and not envious or boastful or arrogant etc., then God will find our actions Godly. Writer Dallas Willard has a little bit different idea on what’s being said here, Willard feels that what is being said is “that it is Love that does these things, not us, and that what we are to do is to ‘purse love’. As we ‘catch’ love, we then find that these things are after all actually being done by us. These things, these Godly actions are the result of dwelling in Love”. Thus we become these admirable traits or behaviors.

Thank you Dallas Willard for once again shedding new light on centuries old writings—-The Holy Scriptures. They are the writings that just keep on giving. Amen

God Bless You and I hope we all “catch” some love this week.

Success is never final, failure is never fatal, its courage that counts.

So what is courage?

Rudyard Kipling writes that courage is “filling the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run”.

Henri J.M. Nouwen writes “the word courage comes from the latin word ‘cor’ , which means ‘heart’. Heart in this instance refers the center of your being, the center of all thoughts, feelings, passions and decisions”. Thus a courageous life is a life lived from the center. In the Bible scripture from 1corinthians 16:13 tells us to “Be on our guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

We are all somebody. We all have a purpose. We all need to believe that we count. We need to have hope. That God has plans for us. God does not throw away anybody. We need to be courageous and stand by God’s word in the Bible that encourages us to live the life that God has chosen for us.

Be Strong and Courageous this week as you begin this new month……..God Bless you.

What are teenagers like? What drives them. I was one once long ago. I think we all are trying to find ourselves in these years, looking for our identity. Teens are kinda wild and crazy. Quiet sometimes, rebellious at other times. But I think, like myself, we are looking for “who are we?”. And you know what, as an older adult I feel like I’m still looking. However, since I have found Jesus I think I have found my identity. It’s in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. I have much more peace and understanding of myself and the world around me through my relationship with Jesus. He has opened my eyes to who I really am and what the world is really like. I feel at peace now. But I have much more ahead of me. I am not finished or do I have all the answers. Everyday can be a beautiful mystery if I will only “be still and know that Jesus is God”. That’s what I want to do and that’s who I want to follow.

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.

America is the one nation in this world founded under God with “liberty and justice for all.” Yet the citizens of this great country are going astray. Why? Well’ I can tell you America is not the problem and God is not the problem. We the people are the problem. We the people blame all our problems on our country and our God. Well, I have news for you….America and God are not the problem. God has never been the problem. We Are! We the people rant and blame God for all the problems that we have because we don’t want to own up to our own sins. Its human nature…….Bleme God for our failures. But it doesn’t work and we know better. The truth is that this country has been greatly diminished as has God. Jesus in the Bible says, “I am the way and the Truth…..Its time we really start believing this and turn our Hearts toward God.

John 14:6 – Jesus anwered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

We all want good outcomes to the things that we do or say. Even when our behavior is poor or we do or say something dumb, we hope for a good outcome. We want to do what we want and then have a good outcome. We get upset when we don’t get that outcome. Unfortunately that’s not the way it works. The Nike slogan “Just Do It” doesn’t always lead to a good outcome. You can’t go through life “just doing it”. There are consequences to our actions. So where do we turn for advice or help to direct our paths? We might try the Holy Bible. Think of the Bible as an instruction manual for living. God created us and has given us the Bible to help us make good choices and decisions in life which leads us to good outcomes. Obviously you would not use a car manual to fix your washing machine. In this respect it is probable not as wise to go to the thousands of self help books for your problems when you have the greatest book every written…….the Holy Bible. Try it, you might like it.

Psalm 32:8 – I will instruct you and teach you in the way should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

God Bless You and have a great week……..

I believe that we all are searching at some point in our life for something better. We are like a computer that searches…..searches….searches…..for information. Often it comes up blank and we are frustrated. That’s how life is. We are never really satisfied. Always we are looking for something better. Something that will fulfill us. Something that will indeed satisfy us. But we search in the wrong places and feel lacking. I believe we should turn to God to fulfill our yearnings. I believe we were created by God and He and only He knows what we are searching for. It amazes me that so many people who feel unfulfilled don’t give God a chance. Its the last place they look. Its crazy to think that when we are down and feeling empty that we don’t turn to the Creator of Heaven and Earth. The Great I Am. Give Him a chance. Talk to Him(prayer), read some scripture from the New Testament in the Bible. Its surely a better idea than the temporary escapes common to us like stuff, money, drugs, alcohol, etc……GIVE HIM A CHANCE!

Matthew 7:7-8….Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and the one who knocks it will be opened.

God Bless You and have a great week.

I am currently reading a very good book titled “Grit: The Power Of Passion and Perseverance”. It asks the question, “What is your Passion?”. I will try and answer that right now.

My passion is to pursue Jesus Christ. Jesus says He is The Way, The Truth and The Life. I believe that. His word is awesome and all encompassing. I want to share that with people through how I relate to them. I want to treat people, especially our youth, with truth and respect. I want to do it expecting nothing in return. I want to give them my time in my everyday doings. I want this to become my life. I want to abide in Jesus. Be the branch. Let him work through me. Its difficult with lots of mistakes along the way. But I am getting better at it and I am determined to stay on the path that Jesus has laid down before me. Its a mystery, and my greatest challenge in life.

God Bless you this week. Take time to think what your passion might be and be grateful to God for all his blessings.

John 15:5….Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

A leader in Christ knows that we do not become leaders for our own gratification. According to author Dallas Willard……1..Power is not a prize. 2..Position is not for personal gain. 3..To get or hold on to a position is simply not an objective. 4..Leading is not something we need to feel okay. 5..My self esteem is not tied to success as a leader. 6..Fear of failure to keep our position does not cross our minds as we follow Jesus.

My experience with leadership says that Dallas Willard is very wise. For 40 plus years I taught and coached young people in a leadership capacity. I witnessed all of the above and experienced it. I failed and failed again. I have come out on the other side of leadership much wiser. Jesus said it in Matthew 20:28 – “I did not come to be served, but to serve….Once again Jesus’s wisdom trumps man’s.

Philippians 2:3-5…Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.

God Bless You and have a great week…….

Strive for excellence in Thought, Word, and Deed. Acknowledge the Almighty in all that you do. Love your friends, speak the truth, practice fidelity and honor tour father and mother. These Godly Principles are the foundation of self-mastery. They make you strong of character, give you hope and put you on the path to greatness.

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Romans 12::2 – ” Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect”.

I was recently inspired by a short reading from Frederick Buechner on “The Mystery of Your Self”. I was fascinated by his take on this subject. I have long felt that life is a mystery, and I would be better off to quit trying to figure it out and accept it as it is. I believe that Jesus is the Truth, and his Truth is itself the mystery. As Buechner quotes, “The more you try to fathom it, the more fathomless it is revealed to be.” I think people today believe they have to have an answer to everything. I don’t have to have an answer or feel that I need to solve every mystery. I kind of like the idea of living the mystery. To say that God is a mystery is to say that you can never nail him down. Don’t get me wrong that one should not pursue answers. I search for answers about Jesus daily. I pursue Jesus. He is the creator of Heaven and Earth—The Universe. It is so crazy to try and put him in a box or think that we somehow can figure him out. We are so foolish. For me, I want to accept God and all his ways even though they are a mystery. I want to learn what I can about him and leave the rest to the mystery about him.

Colossians 1:27….God has chosen to make known…..the glorious riches of this mystery, which is is Christ in you, the Hope of Glory.

God Bless You and have a great week.