PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE - P1

What's Inside: “You have heard it said, ‘Patience is a virtue’.  But I’ll tell you this; patience is evidence of the Holy Spirit residing in us. It is a way of life” (- Me).  Patience is a quality that everybody needs yet nobody wants to have. We have patience within us by way of the Holy Spirit, but we must be intentional about developing that “muscles”.

TRANSCENDENT PEACE

What’s Inside? We pray for peace: peace on earth, peace in the Middle East, peace and quiet, peace of mind and just plain peace. But what of that Jesus peace that transcends all understanding. What is it and how do we get it? Let’s explore together.

IS YOUR JOY COMPLETE?

What's Inside: I could certainly use a fresh dose of joy, could you? Join me as we wind down this topic of conversation with more tips on how to reignite your joy. (If you missed part one, GOT JOY? read it here.)

GOT JOY?

What's Inside: Could you use a little joy in your life? I know I could. I did some soul searching on the subject and came up with ways that I could refresh my joy as needed. I’ll have to admit, this was a tough one for me. Who can be happy all the time? Is that even a requirement? I‘ll share with you in two parts what I found. I hope you enjoy and share some tips of your own.

LOVING THOSE YOU LOVE TO HATE (Love, Anyone? Part 3)

What’s Inside: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7). This is how we show love to everyone around us. We went into detail with the first two verses of this passage in parts one and two of this post series (click here if you missed it). This week we conclude our talk about love for our neighbor being the first indication that we have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Our neighbor is not just anyone around us but everyone around us including our enemies. It is easy to love this nice people. But, how do you show love for that boss who makes you feel less than, that coworker who constantly tries to undermine you, that parent who refuses to support your choices or that clerk with the nasty attitude? Let's explore 1 Corinthians 13:7.

LOVE, ANYONE? Part 2

What’s Inside: Love. The conversation continues. We are not talking about just any love. We are talking about the love for which we are held responsible as Children of God, the love that is the marker of our faith and the evidence of a Christian. How can you tell if someone really has a relationship God? “By this everyone will know that you are my (Jesus) disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Is it possible to show love to everyone around you? Yes – through your patience, kindness, genuine happiness for others and humility. (If you missed Part 1 to this post series, check it out here). There are so many ways in which we share our love for one another. Lets explore a few more.  

LOVE, ANYONE? Part 1

What's Inside: Love. It is the greatest commandment and the greatest virtue. It is the foundation of the Christian faith. It is the message that will reach the people around us far sooner than our many words. But, how do we express it on a daily basis? How do we appropriately show love to a neighbor or a stranger? How do we show love to our enemies? I have a few guesses. And, I say we start with an easy one – 1 Corinthians 13. We know it as the wedding passage, but it’s application reaches much further than our intimate relationships.

THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING

What's Inside: How can you tell if someone is really a Christian? Is it based on their level of success? How godly he or she speaks, talks or acts? Are the Christians the ones who do the most community service work or go to church three times a week? How do you know when someone is actually walking the walk and not just talking about it?

NOTHING BUT LOVE, BABY

What’s Inside: I talked a lot about what the Christian faith is not. I did more talking about what a relationship with God could look like. But then, I pointed out that the all-important relationship with God is not something we can arrive to. If the rain falls on both the just and the unjust and success and failure come both believers and non-believers, what is the litmus test that we are headed in the right direction with God? Does one even exist? I hope you enjoy this read.

I FALL, YOU FALL, WE ALL FALL TOGETHER

What a disappointment it is to see the image of God’s kingdom once again tainted by scandal (And I don’t mean the fun and entertaining fictional show). It sucks because every time a prominent member in the kingdom “falls” (makes a foolish decision or drastic change in his or her life) it reflects poorly on Christians as a whole. The word Christian has become synonymous with hypocrite. And, non-believers echo once again, “See that’s why I don’t go to church.” It’s sad that so many are just looking for a reason not to follow Christ.

WELL WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?

What’s Inside: The conclusion to The Relational God series. What is the dynamic of your relationship with God? Is it based on the your expectations of what God SHOULD be or who He ACTUALLY is? Is it about time you stop giving God your little ultimatums – threatening to deprive Him of the intimate relationship that He literally died to have with you? Well, it all starts with your expectations. What are you expecting from God today? Perhaps you need to change that.

JEHOVAH FIRE, GOD MY SPARE TIRE

What’s inside: Is the Lord your God waiting in the wings of your life? Is He the sixth man off the bench watching to see if you’ll put Him in just as things start to go south? Well, this Spoiled By God weekend read is just for you.

UH…RESPECT ME THOUGH?

What’s Inside: Finding yourself in a power struggle with God? Would you like a little friendship advice on how to get ahead? Well, enjoy this read.

FRIEND OF…GOD? REALLY?

What’s inside: We are continuing with advice on how to build and maintain our most important intimate relationship. Is it possible to have a relationship with an invisible God? Let’s find out how.

"YOU MIGHT SEE HIM IN THE CHURCH BUT SHAWTY YOU DON’T KNOW GOD"

What's Inside: We are wired for relationships - relationship with God, relationship with people, and relationship with ourselves. But how do we navigate our most important fundamental relationship? Is it even possible to build a relationship with an invisible God? In response to questions from my earlier posts “To Know Me is to Trust Me” and “When Trust Fails,” I  wanted to explore ways in which we could actually get to know this relational God so that we can trust Him and protect that relationship come what may. And I did not have to look any further than the relationships we engage everyday.

WHEN TRUST FAILS

Photo by Jason Audain (@yahudah_ solutions_photography)

I am obsessed with understanding the degree to which God involves Himself in our lives. Is He there in the intricate details? Or is He only concerned with the big stuff? I know that He is ever-present. I know that He loves me. I know that He has all power and can change any situation at anytime. But I’ve noticed that He doesn’t always intervene. He does not readily manipulate circumstances in my favor. He does not answer my every prayer...

TO KNOW ME IS TO TRUST ME

Photo by @Yahudah Solutions Photography

To know me is to trust me. When that phrase came to my mind as I questioned how I could trust God, I scoured my Bible for the scriptural reference only to find that it was not there. I then entered the text into a Google search.  Low and behold it was not the Holy Scriptures from whence commeth such truth, but rather an essay from an Industrial Marketing Management textbook. Interesting. Had I really just credited John Hawes with coining a statement so profound and yet so poetic that it is as one breathed by God? Maybe I am being a little dramatic. But, yet again, truth parallels. We typically go through the process of getting to know people before we truly trust them. And if trusting God plays such a pivotal role in our lives and the Christian faith, then maybe we better take the time to get to know Him. Does that ring true to you? Keep reading and I’ll share how.

TRUST GOD

Photo by @yahudah_solutions_photography

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust God. Trust also in me”. This was Jesus’ petition to His disciples on his final night with them – the night that He was betrayed. “Trust in God. Trust also in me”. Today we rattle off the phrase, “trust God” as a commonplace cliché. We have made it into a blanketed statement and the go to advice for a myriad of problems. No matter the trial, you can always answer, “Trust God” and hit the resolution nail on the head - just trust God and make it all go away. But the reminder to trust God should be more than a mere selection from the Rolodex of Christianize. It is a powerful statement and foundational principal in the Christian faith. But as the universal answerer to every problem, those very powerful words can fall on the listener’s ears with very little meaning.

DARKNESS

I find intriguing the relationship between light and dark where darkness is the absence of light. Upon the introduction of light, darkness vanishes. Another way to look at it is darkness exists on its own. Darkness is. I can conclude then that darkness is a natural state of being. Why? Because, darkness does not require anything else in order to exist (only to reappear). One could even say that darkness lurks waiting for light to extinguish so that it can again prevail.