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God Rocks #19: Surprising Abundance

December 30, 2014 by

Part of the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” Stories and promises of the awesome blessings God gives us each day. I hope it encourages you today!

 

The church is at war about whether we should expect abundance and prosperity in this life or not.

 

Photo Credit: JD Hancock

Photo Credit: JD Hancock

 

One camp says, “If you claim it God will deliver it. Whatever you want state it and God will fulfill it.”

The other camp recites their motto, “If it doesn’t play in Calcutta it isn’t true.” In other words, “If what you’re expecting isn’t the same in the most destitute of circumstances then it’s not truth.”

 

Yet, the problem I see with both of these positions is they leave people frustrated and discouraged.

 

The first one puts God in a bottle as a genie and us as the master. And frankly God doesn’t play that role so well. So when it fails people think God failed.

And the second view leaves people expecting little in this life beyond subsistence. Which frankly isn’t very attracting.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Abundance, Heaven Tagged With: ,

Advent #4: Experiencing the Love of Christmas

December 24, 2014 by

Christmas amplifies loneliness. It doesn’t create it but it certainly magnifies it.

For some people as they see others enjoying family and friends it brings them face to face with their own emptiness. It’s one reason Christmas is so hard for so many.

 

Photo Credit: Smabs Sputzer

Photo Credit: Smabs Sputzer

 

During the year it’s easier to stay busy with work, hobbies and volunteer activities. The loneliness may hide in the shadows but if you stay busy enough you can keep it at bay.

 

But at Christmas, when everything slows down, many are brought face to face with their emptiness.

 

And so for a few days they have to deal with the deep hollow in their hearts. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Heaven, Love Tagged With: , ,

Advent #3: Healing for the Hurts of Christmas

December 23, 2014 by

A short series in Advent focusing on a few significant snapshots of the Christmas story and the amazing gifts they reveal.

 

Christmas Eve is both joyful and difficult for me.

After we were married and had children we celebrated Christmas Eve with my family.

 

Photo Credit: Ian Muir

Photo Credit: Ian Muir

 

Early evening we attended candlelight service at church then went to my parents home. We were greeted with eggnog and appetizers. Then in the family room in front of a blazing fire we’d open gifts. Christmas was big for my mom so she always bought lots.

Our kids giggled with excitement and loved grandma’s.

After gifts we ate dinner and dessert.

What great memories.

When my parents both died in 2004, it left a hole that quite frankly still has never been filled up.

 

I understood firsthand how people struggle so much with Christmas.

 

Missing the fond memories or mourning never having had them. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Happiness, Heaven Tagged With: , , ,

Advent #1: The Impossible Becomes Possible

December 16, 2014 by

A short series in Advent focusing on a few significant snapshots of the Christmas story and the amazing gifts they reveal.

 

What are you facing today that seems impossible?

Health issues?

An imploding marriage?

Financial struggles?

Emotional upheaval?

A loved one’s or your own imminent death?

 

Photo Credit: Cary & Kacey Jordan

Photo Credit: Cary & Kacey Jordan

 

We all go through challenges.  No they don’t all look alike. And for some they’re certainly more severe. But none of us get through this life unscathed.

 

So the question isn’t if we’ll face struggles but how?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Heaven, Significance, Success Tagged With: ,

God Rocks #16: Set Free to Live an Amazing Life

December 4, 2014 by

Part of the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” Stories and promises of the awesome blessings God gives us each day. I hope it encourages you today!

 

On the night I prayed, ever so hesitantly, to ask Jesus into my life I felt an incredible peace that’s hard to describe. Those early days were heady filled with a sense of joy and love I’d never known before.

Yet, soon the pressure of religious legalism crept in. Slowly my experience filled with requirements to live out this new life so God would be pleased with and bless me.

 

Photo Credit: Sander van der Wel

Photo Credit: Sander van der Wel

 

I even attended a popular three day seminar and came away with a huge red binder filled with steps to respond to every conceivable contingency in a way that would align me with God’s blessings.

 

I was overwhelmed and crushed. I felt like I was dying under the load.

 

And honestly many times I wished I’d never started down that path.

Have you ever been there? Are you living there right now? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Happiness, Heaven Tagged With: ,

God Rocks #15: Breaking Into Daylight Out of Darkness

December 2, 2014 by

Part of the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” Stories and promises of the awesome blessings God gives us each day. I hope it encourages you today!

 

I’ve gotten where I hate to read the news quite often. And frankly I never watch it on TV or listen to it on the radio. I mean it’s depressing.

 

Photo Credit: uditha wickramanayaka

Photo Credit: uditha wickramanayaka

 

From ISIS butchering more innocent people.

To Russia invading Ukraine.

To some crazed gunman shooting people randomly he doesn’t even know.

To a police shooting and the subsequent riots.

To another incompetent blunder from our government.

To the latest probe of unethical behavior on Wall Street.

 

We seem to live in a world gone mad.

 

Yet, I think the world has always been crazed with darkness. The difference is now we get a front row seat to watch it 24/7.

And I find myself sometimes wondering, “How can we ever find daylight again?” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Happiness, Heaven Tagged With: ,

God Rocks #13: Surprised by Joy Even when Rejected

November 25, 2014 by

Part of the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” Stories and promises of the awesome blessings God gives us each day. I hope it encourages you today!

 

Christians are being persecuted in greater numbers around the world today than at any time in history. You see it constantly in the news.

But frankly, we don’t need to go very far from home to find it.

 

Photo Credit: Sam Gewinski

Photo Credit: Sam Gewinski

 

What about the woman whose husband leaves her because she gave her life to Jesus and suddenly has changed?

What about the man passed up for promotion when he no longer feels comfortable going along with less than ethical business practices because his life has changed?

What about the friends you had who no longer want to hang out because you don’t party like you used to? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Happiness, Heaven Tagged With: ,

God Rocks #12: Surprising Peace in the Midst of Anger

November 20, 2014 by

Part of the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” Stories and promises of the awesome blessings God gives us each day. I hope it encourages you today!

 

I was driving to work on the freeway when a car a ways in front of me pulled over from the far left lane into the middle lane without looking and cut off a guy in a pickup truck. He slammed on his brakes then immediately pulled into the left lane and sped up. Just as he passed the car that had cut him off he swerved to the right in front of it causing that driver to slam on her brakes almost causing an accident.

By this time I backed way off from them thinking, “Not sure what game you’re playing but I don’t want to be a part of it.”

Then I thought, “Really? All that anger for one mistake? Was it worth it?”

 

 

Photo Credit: Randy Rathbun

Photo Credit: Randy Rathbun

 

Yet, unfortunately I think that’s a picture of how so many people live in their relationships. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Happiness, Heaven, Love Tagged With: ,

God Rocks #11: Seeing God Everyday

November 4, 2014 by

Part of the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” Stories and promises of the awesome blessings God gives us each day. I hope it encourages you today!

 

I was having lunch with an atheist friend a few weeks ago. He said, “I look around at our world and universe and I don’t see God.”

I replied, “I look around at our world and universe and don’t understand how someone can’t see God.”

 

Photo Credit: Steve Levi

Photo Credit: Steve Levi

 

I have friends who are Christians who talk about karma and luck. Then say, “I never see God act.”

Occasionally I’ve replied, “I don’t believe in karma or luck. And frankly I see God everyday when I’m looking.”

I’ve had people tell me, “I get along just fine without God.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Heaven, Love, Success Tagged With: ,

God Rocks #9: Finding Healing in our Failures

October 28, 2014 by

Part of the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” Stories and promises of the awesome blessings God gives us each day. I hope it encourages you today!

 

Unresolved guilt and shame is a leading cause of mental and emotional distress according to many authorities.

We hurt a loved one with a cutting word or betrayal. Then later we regret it and feel empty because we hurt the one we love.

 

Photo by Rowanhill

Photo by Rowanhill

 

 

We break our own moral values and wonder afterward, “How could I do something like that?” And we’re filled with shame and self condemnation.

 

So we try to fix the problem but sometimes we can’t.

 

So we ignore them thinking, “Well, everyone makes mistakes.”

And you know they do. But we’re still left with the lingering guilt which haunts us.

And often leaves us feeling far away from God. Maybe too far we think. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Happiness, Heaven
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