Who's work is it?

At the age of 36 I don't claim to understand it all, however as we progress in years I believe it is right to learn and mature in our understanding. I have had these years to learn through my failures and successes. The older I get the more I understand what Paul is talking about here in Romans 8. People are unable to make the changes necessary in life to please God. Paul says that the sinful mind is "hostile to God" and that it cannot please God. No matter how much one may try harder to be better, it will always fall short. The life driven by sinful nature will lead to death, "but if BY THE SPIRIT you put to death the misdeeds of the body you will live..." As hard as people try, it is impossible to create a life that pleases God. It is BY THE SPIRIT that we find life.

If your life seems to be filled with ups and downs, and then more ups and downs, look to what is driving your life. Is it your own strength to simply do better, or is it rooted in the spirit of God changing you from the inside out? Real change that pleases God and leads to life doesn't come through your work, but from work done in you by God's Spirit. Invite the Holy Spirit to begin to make changes in you that will make you the new creation you are meant to be. Be encouraged today!

Investment

"Read the history books and see - for we were born but yesterday and know so little, our days here on earth are as transient as shadows. But the wisdom of the past will teach you. The experience of others will speak to you..."- Job 8:8-10 (TLB).

Do we know it all? Though Bildad's assumptions of Job losing everything were wrong, this is an important thing for us to look at. The past can teach us much. Looking to what God has done throughout the lives of others is an investment we all need in our own lives.

God help us to allow ourselves to be invested in through the past so as to strengthen our future. For our lives are "as transient as shadows." Amen.

Scary Stuff?

In my Life journal reading today I came across Jesus in the region of the Gerasenes dealing with the Legion of demons and the man possessed by them. It is interesting to me that after the entire event unfolds the only person begging to follow Jesus and be with him is the healed man. The people of that region were fearful and told Jesus that he needed to leave now! What is it about what we do not understand that makes us so afraid? It happens all the time. I think it is part of what makes man so intent on only believing what we can prove and make sense of. Spiritual matters are often hard to make sense of, and we can't always explain them away. It's what makes serving God so great is that what He does, we could never do.
Today, let go of the things you feel you need control over and see what God can do with a willing and accepting life! I believe we will be amazed at what He does as we allow Him to move freely! No need to be scared!

Compassion

Looking over the letters we have received from the 2 children we sponsor through Compassion International is always a blessing. Charles lives in Kenya while Natalia lives in Brazil. I so look forward to hearing from them and it's such a blessing to know that good things are happening for them. The latest letter from Natalia tells us that she wants our photo and that she prays for us everyday. She also told us that her little brother is "chubby and cute!" This is not about just giving charity for someone, but rather building a relationship with kids that bless us probably more than we can bless them.
Today I would encourage you to get involved with Compassion International and help children overseas get the care and education that every child deserves. Trust me, it will bless you as much as it has blessed us. Get involved my friends. Use well the time and resources God has entrusted to you. Compassion is simply one way to do that.

Humble & Gentle

Was reminded today while listening online to a message to embrace humility and gentleness in life. It is so easy to get involved in putting our heads down and bulldozing through with our own way, leaving others in the dust and often frustrated. Humility is living in such a way that we don't think we are above all others in our thinking or ways. The things we say sometimes aren't as important as the way in which we say it. We must have a gentleness about us in our words. I am reminded to allow God to show me how much grace I have received and MUST pass that grace on to those I come into contact with. We must do this as believers in Jesus Christ. Without it we cannot call ourselves Christ "followers". Let's allow God to break pride in our lives so that we may become gentle followers who are easy to be with. Amen!

Gems from the Leadership Summit

I spent the day at a Global Leadership Summit in Everett, WA. listening to a satellite feed from Willow Creek Church in Chicago. There are so many things to process and I am mulling back over many of them tonight. I want to share just a few things that really stood out to me and caused me to pause and reflect tonight. I hope they speak to you. Here we go...

1. "Can we please go find some darkness?" There was a cute story that goes along with this statement that I will not go into, but the fact is that Christians are too slow to get involved in the dark places that they would rather be sheltered from.

2. Breakthrough is never a single occurance, but a process. When we are always looking for the home run, we are really only grasping for something to save the day and probably on the verge of losing.

3. How is the quality of your antenna? Are our antennas in good working order to be able to hear from the Lord when He whispers?

4. Putting in long hours is not the same as being productive. They are totally seperate things.

5. Don't let the devil ride cause eventually he will want to drive! :)

6. There will always be certain tensions/problems in every organization that cannot and should not be solved/resolved, they just have to be managed.


Blessings!