Tag: Jesus

One Step Back. At Least Two Forward!

There are a lot of stories about how many failures Thomas Edison had before he perfected a working light bulb, but the number isn’t important. It’s that he learned from his mistakes. In fact, the light bulb is the product of taking one step back but making sure Edison took at least two steps forward.

A given in life is that you are going to make mistakes. I am the king of mistakes!!! But my guiding principle is to make sure I take at least two steps forward for every one back. I try—not always successfully!!!—to learn from my step backwards so that the steps forward are on more secure ground. I get mad at myself for the mistakes but try not to beat me up. Although I’m not always successful there. Tough to escape that Catholic guilt!  

My message is simple. You will make mistakes. Try to make them minor but if they are major deal with it. Think one step back, learn, and boldly take at least two forward.

I think the person who says they don’t make mistakes is either delusional or in complete denial. Or simply won’t admit to a mistake. That’s sad. We grow stronger as individuals when we understand and acknowledge our mistakes and do our best to move forward—at least two steps at a time.

And, to end, God knows every mistake you have made and will make. But He forgives you. All those mistakes are nailed to a cross. You just have to know your mistakes and vow to correct them.

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13

Remember—one step back but two forward!

“You’ve Got a Friend”

It’s the song written and first sung by Carole King and also by James Taylor. King said the song practically wrote itself. No wonder. It’s uplifting and comforting, especially when you feel “down and troubled.”

You always have a friend. His name is Jesus. He’s the expression of God come to this earth to save and comfort. He will “brighten up even your darkest night.”

Just call out His name.

I can’t say it any better than the lyrics to the song. Think Jesus. He’s the best friend you’ll ever have!

When you’re down and troubled,
And you need some love and care,
And nothing, nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me,
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night.

You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I’ll come running to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I’ll be there
You’ve got a friend

If the sky above you grows dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind begins to blow
Keep your head together and call my name out loud
Soon you’ll hear me knocking at your door

You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I’ll come running, running, yeah, yeah, to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I’ll be there
And I’ll be there, yes I will.

Now, ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend
When people can be so cold?
They’ll hurt you, yes, and desert you
And take your soul if you let them,
Oh, but don’t you let them

You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I’ll come running, running, yeah, yeah, yeah, to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I’ll be there, yes I will.
You’ve got a friend

You’ve got a friend
Ain’t it good to know, you’ve got a friend?
Ain’t it good to know?
Ain’t it good to know?
Ain’t it good to know, you’ve got a friend?

Oh yeah, now
Oh, you’ve got a friend
Yeah, baby
You’ve got a friend
Oh yeah…
You’ve got a friend

Carole King, January 1971

Purpose

Yesterday I wrote about the answer to Jesus’ question, “What are you looking for?” The answer is God. Find God in your life and you find your purpose in life. And if you don’t realize it yet you have a God-given, special, and unique purpose in life. Yes, you!

Find your purpose and you find fulfillment. Fulfillment is joy.

I know, I know. This all seems too easy, pat, cute, and sing-songy. It is in a way. Life is meant to be simple. With God it’s simple. With us it’s complex.

The first Secret to Life is simply to LISTEN for/to God. LISTEN and you will find Him. Find God and you find your purpose. Fulfillment and joy come naturally.

But you have to start by opening up your mind and heart to God in order to LISTEN for/to Him. You have to want to do it. And you have to make the time. You have to start. God will fill in the rest—if you let Him.

Have a fantastic day!

What Are You Looking For?

One of my favorite Bible verses is so simple it seems meaningless—“What are you looking for?” (John 1:38) That’s what Jesus asked when two of John’s followers started following Him.

This is simple beyond simple—“What are you looking for?”

You and I should be asking ourselves that question every day. What are you looking for in life? And there’s only one answer—God. Father, Son & Spirit. Separate but together. God. Simple. So simple we complicate life beyond all recognition.

More people today go looking for life in all the wrong places—money, alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, things, and more things. They look so hard that these become rabbit holes (addictions) they go down and can’t escape.

God. That’s what we are looking for. Our Father Creator, Son Savior, and Spirit Advocate. What more can we ask for? How simple can this be?

I know—it’s tough at times. I go down dead ends like everyone else. And I have to remind myself that I’m looking for one thing to give true meaning to this relatively short time on earth. God.

Simple. But, girl oh boy, do we know how to complicate life so much. We complicate it so much that we can’t see the simplicity. God. And we want to go in the other direction by separating God (“church”) from life (“state”). No wonder why this world is spinning out of control.

What are you looking for?

Only You Can Make You Feel!

I can’t make you feel anything. Regardless of what I may say about you, I can’t make you feel. Only you can make you feel.

I hear all the time people saying that so-and-so makes them feel one way or another. Even my wife on occasion will say something about how I make her feel. But now she stops and smiles before she says anything because she knows what I am going to say—“Only you can make you feel!”

You may think this sounds insensitive. That we can say anything to and about anyone with free license. Far from it. Our words can be like swords. What comes out of our mouths need to thoughtful, compassionate, and positive. We have no free license to say anything we want. But words can’t make us feel. Only we can make us feel.

One moment, Jesus was going to be made a king. The next, they were ready to throw Him off a cliff. No wonder He went away by Himself for some quiet time to think and pray. Jesus didn’t let the highs and lows get to Him. We need to take some lessons here.

I know it’s tough when people can say mean things. It can hurt. But, once again, you control that hurt. There’s no better way to ignore the “noise” by getting away from it. And thinking and praying, making sure you open up and LISTEN for/to God. It may not be easy, but I can sure tell you it works! 

Your feelings are yours exclusively. You control them. No one else. And your ability to really control them will only get stronger thought getting in touch with God—Father, Son, and Spirit.

Take control today! And have a SUPER one in the process!!!

Jesus is Shaking His Head in Disbelief and Sadness!

Another mass shooting. The worst since the killing of innocent little children in my neighboring town of Newtown, CT. Tragic. Shocking. Senseless. Horrific. Keep going. No words can adequately describe Newton or Parkland.

All Jesus can think is disbelief and sadness.

When faced with his own capture and death, Jesus told Peter, “Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52) We keep drawing our swords and dying by them. We learn nothing. Disbelief and sadness.

I’m not a hunter or a shooting range marksman. I don’t want to force taking away anyone’s guns, although there is no place for automatic (semi or otherwise) rifles meant to do one thing and one thing only: kill people.

I just don’t understand why we can’t put our guns down. Jesus, and our Father, give us one command: love. How can we do that with a gun?

I’m sad, shocked, numb, and in disbelief. I can’t imagine how Jesus—who lived and died for us—is feeling right now.

Join me in praying, and hurting, for all those who lost a life or lost a child or brother or sister yesterday. And for all those who’s lives will never be the same.

Into the Desert…

The start of Lent. For some, a time of giving up something you really like. For others, a time to give up something for yourself in favor of giving to someone else. For some, a time to do both and more, And, for others, a time to do nothing different—just trudging aimlessly through the desert of life.

I think Lent is an opportunity for self renewal. Yes, give up chocolate (you can see where my head is at!), reach out to others in need (something I need to do more of!!!), But walk into the “desert” like Jesus did and reflect.

Just what does that mean?

Find some quiet time to reflect on your life. Do you know your special, unique, God-given purpose in life? Are you walking into the desert, aimlessly wandering, or headed out of the desert to your own Promised Land? If you can manage to shut the world out on occasion it’s amazing what you may discover about yourself and life.

Some think Jesus was alone that 40 days in the desert of reflection. He wasn’t. He had His Father; your Father. And it’s a crowd with you because you have Father, Son, and Spirit.

OK, enough “religion.”

Just keep these thoughts in your head while your getting the shakes from giving up chocolate (already starting!) and reaching out to someone in need (top of my list). Get some quiet time. Shut out the world so you can really reflect. Where are you headed in life? What’s your purpose? Are you achieving that purpose? What’s holding you back? Ask yourself these questions and more. Think. Question. Reflect. Renew.

And most importantly—You are NEVER alone in life, regardless of how “alone” you feel. In the desert or otherwise. God, in all His forms, is less than a heartbeat away. And He loves you more than you can ever, ever understand!

I don’t want to say “enjoy” Lent but enjoy it. Reflect. Go inside yourself. Renew.

And in a strange bit of timing—Happy Valentine’s Day!!! 

A Life of Boundless Opportunity

In case you don’t know it, I’m here to tell you that God has a very specific, unique plan for you. Yes, you! We each have our own plan in life. The trick is to understand that plan—a plan with boundless opportunities—and then implement it. And what better time to start the understanding and implementation than now as the New Year unfolds before us. Continue reading “A Life of Boundless Opportunity”

Visiting The Shack

If you have not seen the movie The Shack I highly recommend watching it. I read the book when it came out but wasn’t sure the movie would do it justice. It did—at least as I remember the book. It certainly delivered the main messages in the book.

We all have out own “shacks.” They are dark places —some way darker than others—that eat away at us and stand in the way of moving forward with life. We need to face those “shacks” and not avoid them. And in doing so we need to look inward and not outwards at others—and judging in the process.

I haven’t written in a while because I was stuck. Watching The Shack helped me out of the rut. It helps put into perspective what is really important in life—the one and only most important thing in life.

Have a GREAT day!!!

Battleground of Good and Evil

That’s our planet. Evil came out in full force in Manchester when children were very purposely fingered for death. That was evil on a very visible scale, with reporting around the globe. But evil is everywhere and its clash with good takes place every minute, everywhere on this planet.

Life has a fork in the road for all of us—actually, constant forks. One path is good and the other is evil. Most people scoff at the idea they are evil. That’s the thing about evil. It starts out as a tiny seed of doubt and/or dislike. If fed, it blooms into full blown evil.

There’s a reason God commanded us to love. And why Jesus was the message of love, both figuratively and literally. Only love keeps evil at bay. Walk in love and you keep evil at away.

Smile. Be mindful of others. Help someone in need. These may be tiny gestures but they keep you centered on the fork of love.

Whether you like it or not, or acknowledge it not, there’s a fight going on between good and evil. And you’re are part of it.

Love makes the world go round. Evil will destroy it. The choice is up to each one of us to choose.

Choose love! And have a wonderful day!