I post thoughts on Facebook. Most of them come out as I intended. Some don’t.

Sometimes I want to edit my update. LinkedIn gives me something like 14 minutes to edit my comment. Facebook is relentless. The picture to the right lists all the options after a post has been made. If I want to edit my update, I have to delete the entire post and start over. But by that time, it’s hit several new feeds. My update is out there for all to see.

Words Are Powerful

Ever say something and as you’re saying it, your brain is yelling, “Pull back!! Pull back!!“? Too late. The words have left the mouth. The damage as been done. No editing opportunities when we verbalize things. Words are powerful.

Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift. (Ephesians 4.29 MSG)

The Inner Conversation

The words we say verbally and audibly are one thing. The words we tell ourselves all through the day are quite another. Sleepless nights are a product of unseized faith opportunities throughout the day. God is there using multiple expressions of His love and faithfulness to us. He speaks through the things we read, the tasks we’re involved in, the conversations we have with others. But if we’re so busy telling ourselves we don’t measure up, we’re worthless, we’re no good – we miss all these golden divine moments.

What are you saying to yourself today? Be careful. You may be missing out on a lot more of God than you are getting. It’s true. We are what we think.

Share something God’s been telling you about Himself…

We can learn a lot from those who encourage. Where does your encouragement come from?

There’s been a lot of talk recently about the end of the world. If there’s one thing Harold Camping has done, it’s bring the urgency of the eternal importance of a right relationship with Jesus Christ to the forefront of everyone’s mind. This isn’t a rant against Mr. Camping, or any other doomsday predictor who came before him. I simply want to point out 2 doomsday predictions of my own:

First, ONE DAY it will all be over.  One day we will lay all of our burdens down and look up to see the.most.incredible sight we have ever seen this side of heaven. We will close out our Twitter and Facebook accounts. We will no longer send or receive email messages. There will be no more hunger. No more poverty. No more racial violence or abuse in the home. One day we will cut the apron strings to the bondage of the finiteness of a fallen world and embrace the freedom of an entirely new way of infinite existing – a way we will never understand until we arrive.

Second, ONE DAY it will all begin.  One day peace will have the upper hand. Contentment will take full bloom in an array of colors and emotions that we have not yet been able to comprehend. Happiness… oh, happiness that defies any wikipedia definition or constitutional right. Joy, utter joy. There will be people we have longed to see again. People we have had the privilege of helping into heaven before us because of God’s grace and our obedience.

In the meantime, may I remind you what the Apostle Paul said to us via his letter to the Galatians,

“So, let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.” (Gal 6.9 MSG)

I encourage you today. Serve strong. ONE.DAY.it.will.be.worth.it.all.

btw, here are results from a recent Serving Strong poll regarding the May 21 prediction

Your Turn: What ways do you stay encouraged in the Faith?

The folks over at mojomechanics have a picture posted that caught my eye:

It is such a rich metaphor showing the fragile nature of our spirits and what one single word of discouragement can do to those spirits. You know what it’s like to have someone burst your bubble with a single comment, right? Have you ever burst a bubble yourself? We all have. We could all use a healthy dose of encouragement right now, couldn’t we?

This post is not completed yet. The title of this post gives it away – this post is unfinished. It needs YOU to complete it.

In a comment, give a shoutout to someone who has been an encourager in your life. Tell us as little or as much as you like. The reason for this post is simple. Encouragement is like the tide rolling in – it raises all the boats in the harbor. To serve strong, we must have encouragement.

Ready? GO…

Last Sunday at our church we were given instructions to visit up to 6 stations located within the worship center, each with a meditation and a tangible action to drive home the Truth in the reflection.

One station stood out above the rest.

There was a table. On the table was a bowl. In the bowl was sand. We were instructed to put our hand in the bowl of sand to feel the dryness tactically.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians SIX.nine

This bowl also contained a small cross mixed within the sand. We were to feel the cross under the sand. This symbolized the reality that, although there are dry times in our walk with God, Christ is not absent.

Are you walking through a dry season in your ministry these days? Let this reality of Christ presence comfort you, instruct you, guide you, and embolden you to keep walking – not alone, but with Christ.

Your turn: What keeps you going through dry seasons?

photo: EuroMagic

Standing in a room.

No windows. No light source.

Put your hand in front of your face… nothing.

There is no getting used to the light because there is no light to use. They say that when light is not present, the rod cells and cone cells within the eye are not stimulated. This means the photoreceptor cells are unable to distinguish color frequency and wavelength. The result? lack of color; only black.

“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19.30)

Darkness on the hillside.

Darkness in the sealed tomb.

But, Jesus proclaimed himself as the “light of the world”, right?

Oh, what a difference a couple days makes…

Got troubles?

Got Jesus?

“You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end – which you can never afford to lose – with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” (Stockdale Principle)