Day 152 - Simple and Beautiful

"It was simple and beautiful."

There are many things in life that are beautiful because of their complexity. The systems of nature can be so complex that they blow the mind. 

Some things are beautiful because of their diversity. I love the human population and the cultures of the world largely for their diversity. It is wonderful that we aren't all the same or it would be really boring. 

Some things are beautiful because of their variety. When I look at the different kinds of the same thing it blows my mind. How many types of birds are there? 

Some thing are beautiful because of their simplicity. Like the gospel. Jesus came for us, died for us, and because He lives we live by faith in Him. That's it. It is a simple gospel and it is beautiful. 

Other things in life that are simple can be beautiful as well. Like cold water on a hot day. A child with a bucket and hand shovel on the beach building sand castles. The look of love in a husband and wife's eyes moments after they said 'I do'. All simple and beautiful. 

I appreciate complexity, diversity and variety but there is something about simplicity. Maybe it is more memorable or more easily grasped. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be cluttered with lots of other things that distract from the one thing. Whatever it is, enjoy the beauty of simplicity. 

Do you enjoy complexity, diversity, variety and simplicity? What are some simple things in life you enjoy? 

Day 151 - Help Yourself

"It touches the heart to help people."

I find that when I help people I help myself. It may touch someone that we meet a need in a practical way but at the same time it touches my heart when I help them. 

Have you ever done something for someone else and afterward your heart was soaring? That is the feeling I am describing. You are helping yourself by helping someone else. 

My heart grows more tender to people and I am closer to God when I step out and help someone. I remember a time we were leading a team of teenagers into Los Angeles to expose them spot the melting pot of cultures and the diverse needs of the community. I was dreading the trip for weeks beforehand but once I got there and started helping people that all changed. I was soaring on a spiritual high for weeks after. 

Don't wait! Get off of yourself and go help someone else. You will be helping yourself!  

Have you helped someone else and felt good afterward? Why do you think that is?

Day 150 - The Orphan

"Tonight when I got home we had dinner as a family and then watched America's Got Talent. There were two acts that stood out. The first was one where the guys were so in character that you didn't know they were putting you on until well into the act. It was really funny. Then there was a guy who was in the foster care system and was adopted but expressed how as a child he felt like luggage and if anyone even smiled at him he asked if they would adopt him. Our hearts went out to him."

I can still see the guys face there on my television set. I wanted to put my arms through the screen and hug him. How sad that a person would feel like luggage going from house to house. I had good parents that stuck it out through hard times and loved us. To this day our families on both sides are strong. 

My only consolation for this guy was that there was a family who adopted him and loved him. He went far in the competition. People will only go as far as you encourage them. I could tell his parents were loving and encouraged him to follow his dreams. 

There are people everywhere around us who don't have family, who don't know the love of a father and mother. There are people who will never know what family dinner or Christmas morning are like in a healthy environment. 

We need to pray for those in our city, state, nation and world who are without a family. There is a Father in heaven waiting to adopt. His loving arms are wide open and He is smiling, hoping, that they will ask the question; "Will you adopt me?" Without hesitation His answer is "Yes". 

How can we reach out to those who are in need of a family? What scriptures speak about the orphan? 

Day 149 - Dangerous Living

"The merry-go-round was the favorite ride."

During my childhood the merry-go-round was one of my favorite pass times. Today I can't get on one without inducing vomiting. We would jump off the swings and run ourselves in dizzy circles around the merry-go-round for hours.

There are two parks I know of that still have the merry-go-round. One is in Newport Beach and the other is in Loma Linda. I guess kids were getting hurt or there was a time when someone said that the merry-go-round wasn't an acceptable part of a playground.

On some levels I think that the precautions are out of hand. We need to let the kids run and play. Blood and bruises are a part of childhood. I am not saying we need to have death traps on the playground by any means. The metal slide was a torturous device in the summer months. We need light plastic slides that can be enjoyed year round. But where is the merry-go-round? Were kids flying off and knocking their heads? I must have missed the news headlines that kids were getting hurt or worse on the merry-go-round.

I purposefully take my kids to those two parks to let them experience the joy of the merry-go-round. I want them to run around and around and then laugh and scream when daddy pushes from the side.

Throw caution to the wind! Merry-go-round riders unite!

What was your favorite activity at the park? What do you remember doing as a child that could be viewed as dangerous today?

Day 148 - Christian Crossfire

"I think the church is talking to much to ourselves about what we believe and unbelievers are getting caught in the crossfire. Then we wonder why they won't become a Christian. What we need is love and unity in the Body of Christ."

As long as we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot we will walk with a limp. If we as the body of Christ can walk in unity and love we would become exponentially more effective. Jesus Himself prayed for the unity of the body. 

Unity does not mean uniformity. We don't all have to be clones. We just have to live in respect and honor. 

I think that God left some things out of the Word so that we would have to learn to walk in love. We don't have all the answers but we do have 'the' answer, His name is Jesus. Those who are searching would look harder in our direction if we were loving to our own. Jesus said they would know us by our love. Let's love the brotherhood of believers, pray for each other and have each other's back. We are after all on the same side. 

How can we promote unity in the body of Christ? What is the difference between unity and uniformity? 

Day 147 - Jury Duty

"During the jury selection process I was as honest as I could be and they still kept me around."

Every year like clockwork I get a summons to do my civic duty. Last year they opened a new courthouse in San Bernardino. It is beautiful and modern. For the first time I went to the selection process. 

I enjoyed hearing everyone's life and thankfully the judge was a kind man who liked to smile. It took the edge off being in a courtroom. The case was for a terrible crime and the levity was appreciated. 

I remember thinking that the moment they hear that I am a pastor and a Christian they will let me go. Not so. Others who had gone through similar situations as the case were let out one by one. At the end of the day the selection process wasn't done so I had to be back the next day. 

I guess I would rather be on the rehabilitation end of the process. Bring me the guy who is getting out and ready to change his life. Send me the woman who has had enough tough times and wants to connect with Jesus. Jury duty is just that for me...duty. 

How do you feel about jury duty? Are you someone who likes the courtroom experience or would you rather not be there?

Day 146 - Honor

"We got going to the pool at around 11 and the kids didn't stop swimming until around 6." 

I wrote this on Memorial Day last year. It is so striking to think that for seven hours my kids were able to swim all day because there were brave men and women who gave their lives to protect our freedoms. 

I am an idealist I guess. I still believe that the United States is the greatest nation on the planet. I enjoy our freedoms and I am grateful that there were others who thought the same and were willing to die for that ideal. 

If you're reading this and you have served or your family has served in our armed forces, thank you. Thank you for the sacrifices you have made. Thank you for protecting our freedoms. Thank you for the safety we feel and for the opportunity we get to live the way we do. 

What did you do on Memorial Day this year? Do you remember last year? 

Day 145 - Giant Killers

"It is interesting to note that in 2 Sam 21:15-22 that the servants of David are noted for their mighty acts. As servants and close relatives to the king they now are carrying on the legacy of being giant killers. The sons or the giant and the brother of the giant are at war with Israel and David is no longer with them physically in battle. That doesn't stop the victory. In the same way we know that Jesus has defeated the devil and has now placed in our care to be the giant slayers. We now take out the enemy."

If you are a Christian then you are a giant killer. The devil fears you but he won't ever tell you that. He will just lie and act like he has the upper hand. All you have to do is remind him that Jesus slew the giant (sin, death, the devil) and send whatever demon is trying to come against you running scared. 

It is so simple in the Bible. We are to humble ourselves before the Lord which means we just depend on Him. We submit to God, resist the devil and the devil will flee. Just like when the army of the Philistines fled from David when he slew Goliath ...did you get that?! A whole army running from a good looking red headed boy?! Why? Because he was a giant killer. Now you are too. 

It doesn't matter if a whole army or the hoards of Hell come against you with God on the inside you will send them running. Lift up His name and proclaim His victory and you slay your share of giants. 

Day 144 - The Living Word

"As much as I was wondering how the message would turn out so did it speak to God's people. Some said it was exactly what they needed to hear who have been going through years of trial. One woman said that she had the truth which she knew drop in her heart as a reality in a fresh impacting way. Only God can do that!"

There is a difference between simply hearing a message from the Bible and hearing the Word speak. We all have had times when the Word came alive on the inside of us and it changed our lives. That doesn't happen by the will of man or by eloquent speech. It happens because there is a listening ear of faith in partership with the Holy Spirit teaching and making the Word come alive. 

Many have read the Bible, heard preaching and wondered what was the big deal. Some have gone as far as studying and critiquing. Some even hold it in high regard the way they would other great works throughout the ages. But when you realize that nothing in this world has the power to change anything, all hope is lost without it your faith becomes real. When you believe beyond reason the Word comes alive and becomes your reason. 

Put yourself in position today to hear His voice. Dive into the Word. Get to church. Listen to preaching. Talk about it with your family. Get quiet. Listen. God will make the Word come alive to you!

What has your experience been with the living Word? What factors hinder you from hearing God's voice? 

Day 143 - Tasty Morsels

"The stuff that was said was utter foolishness. I'm not sure why any of it would have ever been believed but gossip is a slippery snake."

One of the Proverbs in a modern translation likens gossip to tasty morsels that go deep into the body. But like any candy laced with poison, tasty as it may be, it will either make you sick or kill you. Maybe you have heard it said of gossip that it is juicy. It reminds me of that old bubble gum that had the juice in the center so that the first few bites it was a gushing flavor fest in your mouth. Soon after though the flavor was gone and the gum was hard and tasteless. The only remedy was another piece. 

Gossip is a lot like that. It is juicy and tastes good initially but soon it will turn on you. Soon others won't talk to you because trust has been breached. As they turn on you they will share tasty bits about you with others and your reputation will be tarnished. 

Make the choice not to listen to gossip or to share it. Think before you speak and have the courage to shut it down when others want to share gossip with you. It is tough to do and people won't like you at first but in the end you will be trusted and won't have that poison running through your body. 

Is there a tactful way to stop gossip? How can we determine what to share and what not to share? 

Day 142 - Plays well with others

"We did a brainstorming meeting that actually was a true brainstorm. It was nice to get creative and think together. We got some good concepts and will come together next week to edit and plan."

I love to collaborate with creative people on projects. Don't just get me the leaders but get me the creative followers too. One time we had tables in the church sanctuary with paper and crayons to get the juices flowing for a stage idea. It ended up being a brilliant move. 

Vision may come from the leader but it may be a follower who sees it better than the leader could. Or maybe there is a clarity or facet that a leader from somewhere else may see. 

God made us all unique with gifts, talents, passions and personalities. With that comes a unique perspective. I think of the modern day parable of the three blind guys who were all holding on to something together. The first says It is a snake. The second says it is a tree trunk. The third says it is a cord hanging down. Who was right? All three. They were holding onto the same elephant in different parts. 

I see collaboration that way. We all have a different part of the same thing and if we can get together with vision from outside we can appreciate and understand but also get to the right conclusion and destination. 

We have to honor and respect others to successfully do this. The Bible talks about the church as a body that has differing parts but the same purpose. As we get together and work in unity and oneness the job gets done. Wether that job is doing church, business or home, we're better together than we are apart!

Do you work well in group settings? What are the advantages of having others to collaborate with? 

Day 141 - The Deadly Duo

"How the lies of the devil and insecurity of the flesh can cripple us!"

There is a deadly duo that can hinder our efforts and halt us in life. Lies and insecurity. One is demonic the other is fleshly. They feed off each other like cancer cells bringing pain, sickness and try to choke life right out of us.

We don't often know which one came first like the proverbial chicken and the egg (even though we all know the answer to that one). Did the lie come first and then insecurity flooded in or was it our insecurity that opened the door for the lie? Whichever way it happens we are in bad shape if we allow it to continue.

The good news is that we already have the tools to help us overcome. The devil is defeated and every lie is demolished by the truth. Jesus defined truth for us when He was praying to the Father and said "Your word is truth". Light overcomes darkness, Jesus beat the devil and the truth of God's Word overcomes every lie. Not only that but we now are no longer living according to the flesh. Insecurity based on natural ability, looks, education etc. no longer applies. We now can be confident in our position in Christ. It is His strength, ability and power that will take us through every tried and we are ultimately and eternally secure in Him. We wage a spiritual warfare and live life in the spirit now so we are secure in His Spirit.

Don't be crippled by lies and insecurity. Declare the truth of God's Word over your life and confidently live out His promises every day!

What scriptures do you go to when you realize the lies of the enemy are trying to invade your thinking? How can we build confidence in our position in Christ?

Day 140 - Weight Lifting

"Today was more of a relaxing day."

My title is a play on words. As you can see my quote from last year speaks of relaxation, not working out. I wrote these words after some stressful days. My days off were even work days and I was under financial pressure and had deadlines fast approaching. As time went on though the weights that I was carrying started to lift off my shoulders and I was able to enjoy a day off with my kids who literally played morning noon and night that day. 

If you are going through a trial today look up. There may be a weight on your shoulders now but as time progresses the Lord will either lift the burden or make you stronger. You just have to trust him. 

They say hindsight is twenty twenty. If I knew today what I knew then I would have not worried and took my time with decisions. But I guess I had to go through the trial to learn that so I will store it for next time. Experience is valuable if you learn from it. 

What experiences have you had that you learned from? What was the lesson? 

Day 139 - Loving the Lost

"He was funny. His attitude and mild use of profanity was a catalyst for me to try and win the guy to Christ."

You gotta love humanity. As rough and rugged as people can be they are people. They have love and care, humor, anger passions and drive for the future. 

Sometimes at crowded places like the mall or an amusement park I people watch. If you don't know what people watching is it is where you sit on a bench and watch people. Not much there but fun nonetheless. 

I find people interesting. How did God come up with so many faces? What are their lives like? Where are they going? What are they doing? 

The unifying factor for all of us is that we all need Jesus. Some of us are more aware of the fact than others so we make it our aim to tell as many people as we can. I didn't end up winning that guy to the Lord last year but there is still hope for the future. He would be a great Christian if he wasn't so sure he was doing fine without Jesus. 

A greater unifying factor is that we are all loved by God. Even people who think they don't need God will admit they want want love. So we offer them a God they need by showing His love. Love never fails. 

Do you people watch? What do you enjoy about humanity? How can we reach people with God's love? 

Day 138 - When Love Hurts

"I embrace suffering and problems and trials because Jesus did and I am following Him. It is an opportunity for the glory of God and the shaping of my heart. There is nothing in this world that I can't handle because God already knew it would happen…to me…and has given me the power of the Holy Spirit to endure."

We need reminders that with the life of following Jesus there will be suffering. Wherever He went we are going if we are following correctly. His road was one of sorrows, suffering and sacrifice and ultimately led to a cross and a grave. We now lay down our lives and take up our cross to follow Him.

Thank God for His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. We know that we can endure and that we will make it. In fact we can thrive in the midst of adversity. God will make a way and He will not allow our foot to be moved. He also will not give us more than we can bear.

Remember today that if you are going through pain and suffering that Jesus endured the same. There is a beautiful promise in Romans that says if we share in His sufferings we will also share in His glory. Love came in the flesh, Jesus. Love hurt, suffered and died. But love was raised from the dead and now gives us the power to endure and the hope of glory.

How can we identify with the sufferings of Jesus? What does it mean to take up your cross?

Day 137 - Fort Couch

"I got home and my mom and the kids had built a fort in the living room with the couch cushions."

Do you have memories of building couch cushion forts as a kid? I remember building tents, forts, cities and even a summer camp in our living room. Who needed fancy toys when you had building blocks as big as you were?! My brother and I would often play for hours with the simplest of items; a stick, a ball, dirt clods, a shovel. One item and a whole lot of imagination was all we needed for an afternoon of fun. 

I get sad when I see so many kids today staring at a screen. No matter if it is a small one or a large one I can almost feel the brain of that child slowly melting into a puddle of dead cells. 

Thankfully there is still air, sunshine, sticks, balls and dirt clods on the earth today. With my kids I will see them with my phone or watching television and after a little while I am kicking them outside. Yes they protest but after a little while their brains turn back on and they get a revelation of how fun it can be to imagine and play. 

I guess in some ways I am still just a big kid because I am usually the one who wants to get outside and have my architectural design in a lot of the couch cushion forts. 

Where did your imagination take you as a child? How can we get our children more creative and imaginative? 

Day 136 - Passionate Prayer

"A passion to pray came over me at the end of my prayer and I could feel that I was getting somewhere in the spirit." 

There is prayer and there is passionate prayer. I can talk with God and then I can have a deep passionate communion and fervent faith filled prayer time. I pray every day but much to my dismay I don't have this passionate prayer every day. 

That is partly due to my struggle with the flesh or lack of taking real time to get into prayer and is partly due to the necessity of this type of prayer. The book of Ephesians describes different types of prayer. In fact we are to pray always with all kinds of prayer. We should employ a passionate prayer with our heart every time we pray. It will be fight to get there but we can make. When we do the results are awesome. 

Nothing gets done on the earth without prayer. Everything is started in prayer, sustained by prayer and is finished in prayer. If we are going to get the job done in life we have to first get the job done in prayer. 

What are some hindrances to a real passionate prayer? How can we overcome these hindrances? 

Day 135 - Another Busy Day

"Another busy day."

There is a danger of being busy and losing track of the day. Sometimes the busyness gets to where we lose track of days on end. 

I am glad that I wrote more than this three word sentence that opened the thoughts from the day. Had I left this my only thought I would have lost a day. What a waste it would have been. 

The good news is that I wrote a whole lot more about what actually happened on this day. It was a day filled with activity, emotion, humor, significance and so much more. It was an important day and by no means a waste. 

We need to make sure that we have more than just busy days. We should always endeavor to see past just the plans and get to the purpose of God for the day. After all, He made the day. He has a purpose for it. Don't let busy creep in and steal significance from you. 

How do you guard against busyness wasting or stealing your days? How can we find the purposes of God amidst a busy life?

Day 134 - Trust

"I just have to trust God."

Last year we had a situation that kept us on our toes for weeks. Over the course of the events we were back and forth, wasting time and money and not knowing what would happen. We got bad advice from well meaning people and ended up making wrong decisions and went against what we knew we should have done. 

Thought that time I wrote the words "I just have to trust God." Those words ring true today. A year later I can see how God covered it all. He is faithful and true. He is completely trustworthy. 

The Apostle Paul wrote some words to a young minister named Timothy that he said were a faithful saying. In this faithful saying he describes God as faithful even when we are faithless because God cannot deny Himself. 

What that means is that God is completely trustworthy even when we can't trust ourselves. No matter what condition you are in, how much bad advice you have listened to or the road you seem to be going down today, God is faithful and can be trusted. 

No matter the situation you face...you just have to trust God. A year from now you will be glad you did  you will be able to say that He is faithful! 

What have you seen God do that showed you He can be trusted? How do you build trust in God more? 

Day 133 - Pleasing God

"Ultimately the goal is to be pleasing to God and if I'm pleasing people I've got the wrong direction."

Everyone likes to be liked...right? It isn't a bad thing to be respected, loved and appreciated. Unless that is your motivation. We ought to please God rather than man. 

In a day and age of political correctness and tolerance we have watered down our morals and let into the church and our lives things that shouldn't be there. If we were aiming to please man at all costs this would be okay. Our aim, however, is not to please man it is to please God. 

There are things we can easily see that are pleasing to God. Obedience is one of them. Jesus was pleasing to God and modeled it through obedience to the will of the Father. We can imitate Christ and know that we are pleasing to God. 

Thanksgiving is also pleasing to God. Think about it, we like it when we are thanked and appreciated for what we do. How much more God?! 

Love is pleasing to God. God is love and He loves us with an undying love. When we operate in God's love back to God and to other we are pleasing to Him. Let's make it our aim to please Him in all we do!

Why do you think obedience is pleasing to God? What else do you see in the Bible that is pleasing to God? 

Day 132 - On Repeat

"Very few people are interested in history any more."

Today's quote from last year actually comes from my dad. He is a very wise man with a great heart. We took him and my mom to experience Disneyland with their grandchildren to celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary and Mother's Day for my mom. While we were there we went and saw Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. It is a patriotic inspiration with a godly attitude behind it. 

As we were looking around the theater we noticed how few people were in there and my dad responded that very few people are interested in history any more. I understand that we were at Disneyland where people don't want to be educated they want to be entertained. Also I recognize that there is an upsurge or history related television but really that is a lot of entertainment as well. 

The danger of writing off history is that we can miss the lessons and have to go through the same or similar things our ancestors did. Edmund Burke took it a step further when he said "Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it." 

It is true. That is why there are 66 books of the Bible and millennia of history for us to learn from. God even commanded festivals and feasts for the Israelites to remember significant happenings from history. They would even set up large monuments to remember and they were instructed to teach their children the story when they would come across it. 

For us it is no different. You don't have to be a history buff to learn the lessons from the past. Especially when we have such a diversity of books, Bible translations, and modern day story tellers. Guaranteed that whatever you are facing today someone has gone before you and can help you to make it through. There is nothing new under the sun!

What is your favorite time period from history? How has knowing the past helped you with the present? 

Day 131 - On Guard

"Protect the anointing."

Many don't know what the anointing is. The best description I have heard is that of a painter painting a wall. The wall could have been boring and lifeless. Once the paint is applied now the color of the paint changes the wall from drab to fab (if I could steal a line from HGTV). 

The anointing is very similar. When the anointing is applied to our lives it changes us from who we once were to something new and better. 

In Old Testament times they would apply the oil to the head by smearing it on or by pouring it out of a container on the kings and priests. Where they were just men before the anointing, now that the oil had been applied, they have become what they are called to be. 

In today's terms in church we still pray for people and anoint them with oil but also now that the Holy Spirit has come we can experience the anointing in a new way. The oil of Old Testament times represented the Holy Spirit who would be given to the church. In fact in the book of 1 John it says that the anointing we have from God will teach us. It then goes on to say that the anointing is the Holy Spirit. When He is applied to your life everything changes and you can become all that God has called you to be. 

The problem is that we aren't aware of the anointing we have nor do we fight to keep the anointing. The Holy Spirit is a Person and can be grieved or welcomed. He also can be acknowledged and we can learn from Him or we can ignore or even reject Him. It is our call. 

We need to protect our relationship with the Holy Spirit. There are a few ways we can do this. 

First off we need to guard our hearts and stay pure. God doesn't enjoy sin. We need to quickly confess and repent of sin so we can enjoy fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Repentance means that we turn from our way and go God's direction. The more we follow God's ways the less we will grieve Him. 

Next we need to guard our lives from contamination. The world would love to pollute us. There are many voices that could speak into our lives. We have to get quiet and take time to listen to the anointing, the Holy Spirit, who will teach us and lead us. He will guide you if you will simply follow His instructions. 

Finally we need to guard against the enemy. The devil will try to lie and deceive you into false thinking. He will either tell you that you are crazy, or not to worry, that you are okay where you are at so why go through trials, or he will drum up some other lie. The more you know the voice of the Holy Spirit the more you will be guarded against the lies of the enemy. 

How is your relationship with the Holy Spirit? Can you think of another way we can protect the anointing? 

Day 130 - Continuous Improvement

"We are learning how to handle stress."

At every level and in every season of life there will be stress. The stress may vary and differ in intensity with each new level and in those seasons. That means we have to be life long learners. 

I have found a few ways to handle stress in any situation I find myself in. The first is to cast your cares. God cares for you and knows what you're going through. He is also able to handle it. 

Second is to commit your way to the Lord. The word picture for commit in the Old Testament is that of a camel kneeling down with a heavy burden and rolling it off his back on to the ground. In this scenario we are the camel and God is the ground. It is nothing for God to take on any weight we struggle to carry. When we are weak He is strong. 

Finally continue to learn, grow, get stronger and develop your trust in God. We don't have all the answers and we most certainly cannot handle everything life throws at us. That is why God is with us all the time. We can make it when He is with us. 

If we get these basics down then we can continuously improve our life. We most certainly will be less stressed too!

Are there unique trials or pressures you have seen in different seasons of life? What else could be added to my ways of handling stress that you have seen work? 

Day 129 - Finding the Heart of God

"I got to meditating on the Word for this weekend and found the heart of God in the matter."

You will find no rest until you find the heart of God. There will be no wisdom unless it comes from above. 

No amount of talk will get you to the heart. It comes through quiet meditation on the Word of God. As you listen He speaks. 

Take some time today to get alone and get quiet. Turn off the phone, the TV, and any other distractions, and get the heart of God. He knows the question and has the answer. He knows the problem and has a solution. 

When you know the heart of God you can rest and trust. It is peace and joy all at once. 

How do you feel when you get to the heart of God? What helps you to get quiet? 

Day 128 - Directionally Challenged

"As a leader people don't always know where you are going or don't want to go where you are going."

My wife has a natural sense of direction. She knows inside where she is and what way she should go. She couldn't tell you North South East or West and sometimes gets right and left mixed up when giving me directions but if you were to ask her what way she could point and tell you "That way!" 

I have known others who habitually lose their car in parking lots and who have to use their alarm to locate their car by listening for the sound of the car locking through the horn or the tone. I admittedly have used this method on occasion and have started off in a direction that later was corrected by my wife's confident "That way" instruction. 

When I look at the statement from last year I see the essential quality of a leader is so simple. Point people in the direction you know they should be going and tell them "That way". Leaders lead; both in example and in instruction. You could also say in word and in deed. 

People won't know where you are going unless you tell them. Communication is key. I get so frustrated with myself when I know I haven't communicated and things go wrong. It is on me at that point. When we communicate and point out the way it helps others to have a clear vision and almost always they will reach or exceed the goal. 

If people don't want to go in the direction you are going then it is your job as a leader to get them on board. Once again it is vital to communicate. The question is one of value. Start with the ultimate value of following God. Are we following the true leader? Is it in the Bible? Once you can say yes with confidence then ask if it is a problem of leadership, vision or style. Two of those are easy to overcome. The real leader is God and if he has put me here then trust His choice and let's do this together. If it is a matter of style is there a better way or can you trust that this style will work to accomplish our goals? The last of the three is the biggest hurdle. If they have a problem with the vision then it is time to rehearse the vision, identify the outcomes and hear the objections. Don't be afraid to look at criticisms. It may help the vision get stronger. But if it is found to be negativity or undue then follow the vision and invite them along. 

What are some other obstacles you have encountered as a leader and how do we overcome them? How do you communicate vision?

Day 127 - Capacity

“God has always given us more than we can handle but never more than we can bear.”

Eleven men were not able to handle the gospel and the church. Neither were the 120 able to handle the outpouring of the Spirit that was about to take place on the day of Pentecost. The Apostle Paul couldn't handle being the Apostle to the Gentiles and what he would suffer because of his calling. The great men and women we have as heroes of faith throughout the ages couldn't handle their God assignments and neither can you and neither can I. 

But we can bear it. 

What is the difference? God knows our capacity. He gives us more than we can handle because His plan is much larger than our capacity. We wouldn't go as far, see as much, dream as big or ask large enough for His plan. So He gives us greater amounts than we can handle. 

But we can bear it. 

How? By His grace (His sovereign divine ability to get the job done on our behalf when we can't do it). He gives us strength to succeed. We can do all things through Christ. Even if it is more than I can handle I know I can bear it because God will make up the difference. When I am weak He is strong. 

We can bear it. 

Have you seen God give you greater capacity? What does the phrase from the Bible "When I am weak He is strong" mean to you? 

Day 126 - Just My Luck

"We went on a hike in Oak Glen with the family. It was fun but cold. I don't know why both times we have done this hike this year it has been bitter cold."

Have you ever had reoccurring things happen to you that made you think "Well, that is just my luck"? It seems like sometimes when things happen like this we raise an eyebrow and wonder if there is any significance. 

I am not sure that there always is or isn't. What I do know is that God has ordained all of our steps, every day is the day that the Lord has made and He is working all things for my good. So what if it is a cold day both times I went hiking at the same spot?! We had fun and I probably would have enjoyed a cold hike more than a hot one! 

We have to watch our attitudes. Otherwise complaints creep in and eventually we speak negative stuff over our lives. Perfectly good days get ruined with complaints. Look for the silver lining and speak what God says. It is a good day. God is doing something good on my behalf. My steps are ordered of the Lord! (Try it out right now and see if you're not smiling by the time you're finished.)

Have you had experiences that made you wonder if it was 'just your luck'? What are some other positive confessions from the Word we can speak over our day? 

Day 125 - Next Generation Ninja Turtles

"We decided to reward the kids for good grades and they wanted to spend some of their money so at Toys R Us they got some toys they liked. It is fun to see the second generation of toys we had as kids. Micah got a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. I always liked Michelangelo but he wanted Leonardo because he was blue."

There is nothing new under the sun. Did you know that is in the Bible? I love seeing what they have done with the toys we had as kids. It is like I get to relive all my childhood memories through the eyes of my children. Thank goodness my mom kept some Lego's and transformers! 

Speaking of which I wish the Transformer's movies were more accessible to kids. What fun is a childhood memory you can't enjoy with the kids? On another note they really have done a great job with the Lego Movie and isn't Barbie's life in the dream house hilarious? (I'm asking for a friend...) 

What can we learn from all this? Well...if you don't like the way things are wait a little while and they will change. Much like the weather in the Midwest. You can count on things that you do like coming around every so often. Also cherish the times you have and when you can enjoy them with someone else have fun with it. 

That is my take, what lesson do you see in all this? What were your favorite toys when you were a kid? 

Day 124 - Gravity

"It was like gravity; people just came rushing to the altar."

My brother in law was ministering on this day last year. Before he got into the message the Spirit called out for people to give their hearts to the Lord and get saved. He called out in one of the services that there were ten more people and ten people came like they were being pulled from orbit into the atmosphere. It was like gravity. 

There is an old movie that they were adding mass to a planet in order to make it into a star. The more they added the more the core heated up and eventually it would set ablaze and light up. Momentum is like that. When God is doing something He blesses and increases and makes it come alive with light and a glow everyone can feel the warmth from. 

Even our lives, as we shine forth the goodness of God, will attract others. We are to set ourselves on fire and let others come and warm up to the glow of God's goodness  in our lives. 

What attracts you to God like gravity? How can we shine the light of God's goodness to others? 

Day 123 - Work in Progress

"Thank God He is gracious and kind and isn't finished with any of us yet."

God has forgiven us and with that forgiveness cast our sin as far as the East is from the West. While we live in this present truth we also know that there is still a war in the flesh against the spirit. In 1 John we are told that if we say we have no sin we are liars. Thank God He offers not only past forgiveness but also present forgiveness if we confess and repent. 

Knowing this isn't enough. We must live in it. If God isn't finished with me then I know that tomorrow is going to be better than today. I also can forgive myself and strive to do better with every life lesson. 

If God isn't finished with others then I can be patient with them, just as God is patient with me. I also can extend the same forgiveness that God gave me. 

Finally if I know all this then I should be the most grateful person on the planet. He who has been forgiven much loves much. A thank you should be on our lips every moment of every day. 

Have you seen growth over the years while God patiently worked with you or others? What other applications do you see that we can live in this truth? 

Day 122 - Stress Dreams

"I can tell the pressure is on me. I had a dream that it was the day before the event and swarms of volunteers were coming and we were setting up but the grass was all dead."

This is a pretty tame dream for me. I have had dreams that I just stepped out of the shower and was wearing only a towel and walked out on to the stage where I was to preach. Talk about a stressful dream! 

I have noticed that when the pressure is on I tend to have these types of dreams. I am not sure that there is a deeper meaning to be interpreted other than that no one likes being undressed in front of a crowd. I know for the dream I had last year I wanted everything just right for the event and my mind went to dead grass to express the concern and stress of the process leading to the event. 

The answer to all of this is prayer...and Bruce Lee.

Let me explain. The first year I did a Men's Conference at the church I wasn't able to sleep at all. I don't know which is worse, stressful dreams or not being able to sleep. You end up tired in the morning either way. Since I couldn't sleep I got up and went downstairs. My back was hurting. I brought the stress to the Lord and gave it to Him in prayer. I love that the Bible gives us permission to cast our cares on God. He can handle them when we can't. He knows them already and knows what He, or we, will do with the situation. 

After praying and casting my cares I got a massage pad on my chair to relax my back and watched a Bruce Lee martial arts movie. There is no cure for cares like prayer and a kicking karate movie. After releasing the cares and watching the bad guys get beat I slept like a baby. 

Okay, if you don't like movies maybe there is another stress relief you can use in the natural to partner with the spiritual stress relief. Exercise, journaling, music and art are all ways I release the stress of the day and get my focus off the stress and problems. 

Have you ever had a stress dream? What are some natural ways you relive stress?