When I was around ten years old, I looked out the window and my grandfather was drowning! Minutes before, he’d been standing in the shallow-end and everything was fine. Now his baseball cap was floating in the deep end of our swimming pool. He was a farmer and there had always been too much work on the farm to learn how to swim.

Have you ever noticed that as we get older, we seem to reach the age where we stop believing or attempting the impossible?  In time, everything becomes routine and we begin to stop dreaming. Just like muscles that atrophy without use, our dreaming muscles get weak.

Then it happens. There is a tragedy or an accident, a set back, Cancer; something happens and we feel powerless.

As a pastor, I can’t tell you how many people have come to me with questions and broken hearts. Be it a failed marriage, bankruptcy, diseases, there are a lot unsettling circumstances in this world.

Then there are the movies, right? Most of us like a good story we just don’t want to be the main character when bad things happen.  But to be a good story, there has to be a disaster.

Here’s a short synopsis. First, there is always the setting. Second, something happens, or goes terribly wrong. The plane, for example, that was flying smoothly just moments before hits turbulence and plummets to the earth. Most are killed upon impact but nine of the passengers live.

After the crash, or set back, you begin to wonder how the story is going to end. Maybe right about now you feel like the plane crashed and there are only nine survivors. How are you, the hero, going to survive and reach safety?  What steps do you take to get off the island and back to the mainland?

Bam! We all have a Superpower. The people on the island reach the mainland again and so do we. It may be because we exercise our superpowers or someone else exercises theirs and the helicopter comes along and lifts us to safety on a stretcher made out sticks and rope.

Here are some characteristics of Super heroes.

1. Many times, we aren’t aware of our superpower until called upon to use it. Your daughter has Cancer and you stay by the bedside day after day even when it looks like there is no hope. Or, you lose your job and have no idea how you’re going to feed your wife and kids and pay the mortgage. Or, you lose both of your parents in a car wreck. Up until these things happen, we usually feel special in no way at all, but when we’re called on to rise to the occasion, we accomplish the extraordinary. Are you with me?
2. We often have day jobs. Clark Kent works for the Newspaper. Bill Bixby is a scientist. Although they are capable of great feats, they pass the hours in between being productive and making a  contribution to the world. You may work a job with little recognition then come home and cook supper and help the kids do homework. When your head hits the pillow at night you’re exhausted.  That’s what superheroes do.
3. We are human. The Hulk has a temper. Clark Kent is insecure. Wolverine is torn between a desire to live peacefully and a need to defend himself against those who wish to harm him. None of us are perfect. In fact, in the words of a good friend, we are perfectly flawed. But because of this, we see ourselves in them and them in ourselves. Somehow we’re hopeful. We realize that our flaws are no excuse to sit on the sidelines and not exercise our superpower. We may not be able to save the world, but we can all do something. We all may not be able to fight, but we can at least carry bullets. We may not have a million dollars but we can give someone bus fare when they ask.
4. We live marked lives. Despite the fact that we are trying to help the world, there are forces and people who wish to destroy us. There’s an age old world of good vs. evil and the bad guys are out to get the good guys. While it’s difficult enough to pull off the feats that we do, superheroes must always be vigilant for their enemies as well as the falling towers!
5. We’re likable. Even when we’re gruff. People still can’t help but like us. Why? Because despite all of the challenges we face and our frailties, people love us. In some cases, they love us even more because they realize we are not going to give up despite our struggles. We find out we are a bundle of weakness and strengths. In some cases, we even grow.  Don’t ever believe it when someone tells you they never struggle.

I don’t know what you’re facing right now, but I do know this. You are capable of more than you realize. Up until now you were probably hoping to pass through this world unscathed. Unfortunately, nobody goes through life without pain and suffering, especially when you’re a superhero. But there is good news.

You may find that you are capable of more than you ever realized. Keep doing the ordinary until you’re called upon to do the extraordinary. Remember you’re human and that all kinds of opposition surfaces when you attempt anything worthwhile. You’re also not only likable, you’re loved. Breathe.  It’s o.k to be human.

By God’s gracee, I got to my grandfather in time and eased him back up into the shallow waters. Yet one day, years later, I did end up standing by his bedside as he lay there lifeless. I couldn’t help but stare at his wedding ring. Despite all of his trials and heartaches, he had been a faithful husband and transformed the lives of many people, especially mine. But what strikes me now as I look back is this. That day I jumped in the pool I learned I was capable of more than I could have ever imagined. Not just physically, although that was part of the lesson. I found out I had the power to save someone’s life. Not just anyone, but someone I loved dearly. Go save a life!

As I wrapped up my study time this morning, specifically my time of visualization, I was reminded how exciting it is to have the power to make choices! You will make many choices today and while it is important to make good choices, the attitude you choose is just as important. Let me explain.

We should not only make good choices on a daily basis, we should also be thankful that we have the privilege of choosing!

Maybe it’s because my wife and I watched Lion last night. I promise not to give away the plot, but the setting is in India. Did you know that 80,000 children go missing every year in India? Most of us, however, do not face these types of living conditions. Aren’t you grateful?

Instead, you and I will have the opportunity to make many choices today. In fact, we will most likely choose between what is good and what is best. For example, we may drive through the McDonald’s drive through and that’s o.k. Or we may eat a banana. While both choices fulfill our need to eat, they both have different nutritional value. Meanwhile, kids in India today may eat nothing or have an opportunity to eat something that is less than desirable but has nutritional value.

After we’ve eaten breakfast, you may choose to shower. Most likely you won’t shower for just a minute or two, you’ll shower until you are forced to get out of the shower to go to work or somewhere else (wherever you choose). Do you see my point?

The fact that we have choices should be pretty evident by now. So lets talk about power. If that word brings up to0 many pictures of abused power, think more along the lines of action. What actions will you take today?

First, you’ll have the ability to act and get out of bed. As I write, my son just came into the kitchen and asked me to come and look at a bird he saw outside the bathroom window. The return of our feathered friends in the Northeast after a long winter is something to really be thankful for.  Power allowed him to make that observation and share.

Again, isn’t it wonderful that we get to make so many choices on a daily basis. I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel really thankful.

I’m thankful that I will walk into any room in my house today, flick the switch, and a light will come on.I’m thankful there’s a car out in my driveway waiting to take me to work.

I’m also thankful I’ll be able to take in the scenery on the way to work and listen to some good music.

I’m thankful I’ll get to hug my children and wife today. I’m also thankful for the opportunity of looking into their eyes one more day.

I’m thankful I have a job to go to and all of the tools I need to do my job properly. Today I’ll have the pleasure of writing, reading, helping people, cleaning, etc.

I guess what I’m saying is it’s good to be alive! That may not be the deep, empowering, mind shift you were looking for today, but it sure works for me.

I don’t know about you, but in my limited experience, we have a tendency to take things for granted. Be it our families, our jobs, life itself, friends, luxuries, needs. We all need to make time and recalibrate our thinking. Here is an actionable step I’ve been taking that I think will really help you.

Visualization.

Many sports figures have used it for years. Tiger Woods, for example, visualizes every shot he’ll take before actually taking it. He probably needs to do that off the golf course as well, but that’s another story.

Now let me ask you a question. When you think about the day to come, what are your thoughts? Do you imagine the day being a success or a failure? Enjoyable or difficult?

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that most people dread their day. Unless they’re going on vacation that particular day. It shouldn’t have to be that way.

Remember, we all make choices. In most cases, we have good options. And, it’s fun-even highly pleasurable- to make choices. So why not choose to not just endure your day but enjoy every facet of it?

Rather than fighting with your spouse today, why not imagine yourself responding in a loving manner regardless of what he or she does.

Do you see the difference? We could visualize all kinds of other things, but we won’t. The important thing is to face the reality of where you’re at, to choose where you want to go, and adjust accordingly.

Likewise, don’t just picture yourself achieving success. Imagine how good it’s going to feel when you….walk across the stage to receive your diploma!….Lose the twenty pounds!….know that you’ve had a date night once a week for a year straight!

The morning is the best time to make this happen. You don’t have to visualize for 10,15 or 20 minutes. Start with a minute or two, maybe 3-5 minutes. Set a timer on your phone. Do it while you’re driving or walking to work. The duration of the activity isn’t important…. building a new habit is.

While you’re at it, don’t get in the habit of doing it the same way every time. You might get some old magazines and cut out pictures of things you like, places you want to go, people you admire.

The key is variety. Often times, we need to keep doing what we’re doing, we just need to be more creative in the ways we’re doing it. Always be on the lookout for new and innovative ways to complete old tasks. In the end, you’ll be thankful and so will the people you lead.

You may love Blueberry pie, but if you ate it during every meal for the next month, I guarantee you wouldn’t be so fond of it 30 days from now! The same is true with this or any new habit. You have to commit for the long haul. If visualization and thankfulness appeal to you, don’t just try it for a day or two, commit to the next 30 days. In the meantime, what would it look like if you were to take a clean piece of paper or your devise and write down 10 different visualization exercises to use during the next 30 days?  Come to the fountain and you can be satisfied!

If you’ve searched the world over and found ‘the one’, or if you’re still looking, it’s time to refine your search. There’s nobody out there who is going to fill that spot, except for one person. Today you’re going to learn about that person and why they’re the only one who can make you happy.

Between my second and third year of college, I met her. The one, that is. Or so I thought. Nine months later, or so, she was gone.

I remember sitting in the dining hall at Plattsburgh State looking at an Apple Jack floating in a spoonful of milk and not having the strength to eat it….Good times! Need I say more?

I was fortunate, my ‘one’ got away before marriage. Since then, God has given me an incredible wife.  I couldn’t have hand-picked a better one and she is an amazing mother to our children to boot.  Maybe you weren’t so fortunate. By that I mean, they were ‘the one’ but now that you’ve been married for a while, that’s no longer true.  I’m not saying marriage is easy, but it becomes even more difficult when we place demands on our spouse that they are incapable of meeting.  Although I’m not perfect and never will be, I have learned a thing or two.

Here’s the catch….If your ‘one’ is not ‘The One’, you’re going to be sorely disappointed as you go through life.

Let me explain. I’m glad my ‘one’ got away because I hadn’t meant ‘The One- Jesus’ yet. Maybe if ‘the one’ had stuck around, I wouldn’t have met ‘The One’ shortly after. I met Him and the rest is history.

The bible says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important  command.” Matthew 22:37-38.

How do we keep the greatest command in the whole bible? By loving God with all of our heart, soul and mind. If we love anything more than God, that person or thing becomes an idol.

God has given us this command because he loves us more than we could ever imagine and knows we have a tendency to put other things and people before him. He also knows that idols will let us down every single time. The fact is, nobody can meet your needs and wants better than God!

So, is it possible that you’ve put your mate on such a pedestal that you’re expecting them to be perfect? Good luck with that. If I told you that your spouse is God, you’d laugh out loud and say that was the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard. However, as a pastor, I meet and talk with many people who expect their spouse to be perfect.

Maybe you’re not married yet. In fact, maybe you haven’t met ‘the one’ yet. That may be better news than you think! Have you met ‘The One’?

If you haven’t, why not talk with a friend or someone else who knows Jesus. Ask them to introduce you to him. (By the way, that’s also a good way to meet your future mate….wink, wink).

If are single, and you do know ‘The One’ (Jesus), are you compromising your Christian values in the pursuit of love or are you upholding them? I hope you’re not compromising and thinking you’ll come clean and pursue your relationship with ‘The One’ after you reel in ‘the one’ (a.k.a the hot, handsome, fun guy at the gym). Here’s why.

Like attracts like. While you pursue ‘the one’, it’s important that you be the kind of person you are looking for. If you want to meet someone with little or no moral values, go for it. The choice is yours. However, if you want to meet someone who is trustworthy, reliable and puts the needs of others before their own, then you need to be that kind of person. In fact, those three brief character traits pretty well sum up those of ‘The One’.

No matter where you are on your journey, it’s not too late.

– Don’t let your mate take the #1 slot in your life; only God can fill that space.
– Be the kind of person you expect your mate to be.
– Pray. If you’re married pray with your spouse. If your single, and looking to marry, pray for your spouse.

Maybe you didn’t know it, but according to some studies, only 8% percent of married Christians pray together. Out of those 8%, less than one percent of married Christians who pray together divorce.

The national divorce rate for Christians and Non-Christians is 50%. If you like those statistics and want to take a chance, go ahead, the choice is yours. However, if you want to remain married or have a marriage that stands the test of time, pray with and for your spouse!

As always, you can comment in the box below.  What is your own experience with this subject?

Sooner or later trouble moves in and how you address it makes all the difference in the world. Whatever you do, don’t do what most people do.

Ironically, you won’t notice when trouble moves in. At first you just assume he is a visiting house guest. You may even show him the town. Then it happens.

You come home one day and his socks are in your drawer. One morning you walk in to the bathroom and he’s using your toothbrush. You ask him to leave. He doesn’t.

You call the police to have him removed, and they do. There is peace and quiet, but you’re left to wonder when he’ll be back.

Some aren’t as fortunate. Trouble moves in and takes up permanent residence. He comes in the form of chronic pain, fatigue, uneasiness, debt….

Before most people do the right thing, they usually try to solve the problem on their own. Thankfully, we all have a device to help. With our devices we can find all of the information we need in the wink of an eye. For example, if it’s 9:00 Friday night or 1 a.m Wednesday morning, our problems are no match for our device. You guessed it, our cellphones and computers.

Most of us as Christians would never dream of consulting a fortune teller or a Ouija Board.  Yet, all you have to do is type in your symptoms and problems and the race is on. You can spend hours finding out what is wrong with you. In some cases there are even videos people made who had what you probably have.

However, after the satisfaction of diagnosing your illness, your original houseguest shows up and is more annoying than ever. He convinces you that really you should call the under taker and make your final arrangements.

While this may all strike you as comical, the truth is our over-dependance on knowledge can be a handicap rather than a blessing. True knowledge is wonderful, the problem is that anyone with a keyboard and a domain can come across as an authority today. In ancient days it was called the power of the pen. Today we call it the internet.

Now before you write this author off as a crack pot, please understand he is not against knowledge. But this is the tendency I see. As a society we have reached a point where we value quick answers rather than discipline and commitment to the long haul.

For example, when it comes to debt, it’s inexpensive and convenient to just go online and listen to a six minute Youtube video on debt reduction. No big deal. If it doesn’t take, we’re not out of anything.

If our marriages are struggling, we decide we’ll try going to church online. That’s not to say there aren’t great videos online. There are. However, we weren’t designed to do life alone, we’re designed for relationship.

The crux of the matter is that most of us prefer self-certified experts rather than professionals. By now, you’ve probably figured out that your sister-in-law, although she doesn’t charge and her intentions are good, may be adding to your problems rather than helping them every time you call her for advice.

Look at it this way, when you have a tooth ache, do you go see your neighbor Tom and have him use the tools in his toolbox to fix your tooth?  That’s ridiculous you say, but what’s the difference between that and going online when you need personal spiritual advice?

It’s hard to believe it but we live in a day when pastors are considered just a step below used car salesmen.  They’re to be avoided at all costs, unless of course you’re in a jam.

The good news is you may not be as sick as you think you are.  Maybe the pain you’re currently experiencing is just a gift to help you get the help you need.

I know this one lady who couldn’t stop bleeding for twelve years! She was constantly on the look out for help and spent every last penny she had in the process. Not only did she experience physical pain, she experienced emotional pain in the form of shame and was constantly accosted psychologically! Finally, she met a Dr. who treated her and cured her illness. Can you imagine her joy?

When we try to save a dollar or some time, by taking a “shortcut”, we often do more damage than good. It’s not that they’re aren’t any experts these days, there are. The problem is there are a lot of counterfeits.

In your search for the real thing, don’t let the counterfeits discourage you. Again, they are often well meaning and readily available but that doesn’t mean they deserve a minute of your time. In fact, the minute you stop referencing them, they’ll go away.

You, yourself may be an expert. Congratulations! We need more people just like you. However, just because you’re an expert in one field, it doesn’t make you an expert in all fields. Taking it just a step further, if you’re a mechanic, I’d be willing to bet your own car is in much need of repair. If you’re an accountant, I bet you’re own books are a mess and you have the habit of spending more than you make. Yes, you may be an expert and you’re helping a lot of people but you are also the proverbial cobbler whose own kids have no shoes.

In fact, I bet if I were to ask you to name someone who is an expert in your field, you’d be able to blurt out their name without a moment’s notice. Why don’t you call them and talk with them? Do you think a dentist drills and fills his own teeth?

Perhaps by now we’re tapping a bit closer to the heart of the matter. We all believe we can do it alone, when it was always designed to be a team effort. Find an expert with ‘skin on’. Stop trickling away your fortune to multitudes of lazy boy quarterbacks and pay the expert his reasonable fee. Those freebies that have got you this far may be just fine for now but you know they’re going to fail you at 3 a.m when you crash and there isn’t anyone around to help you get the help you need.

“And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.” Mark 5:29

Have you ever had something just slip through your hands?  Maybe it was a dream or a rare opportunity.  Perhaps it was something you believed was going to be a source of joy.  Me too, so lets talk about it.

Of course, when I say everything, I mean something.  Something you valued highly.  Maybe it was your marriage, a job, a friendship, money, status, a child.  We both know none of these things are everything.  Important, yes!  Everything, no.  But at the time.  When you’re holding your heart in your hand and soul ache becomes your constant companion, it feels like everything, right?

However, when you repeatedly fail, but keep on going, you end up with something better than you had before the heartache.  You can call it what you want, but when you boil it down it’s called character.

We live in a world where if at first you don’t succeed, try something new.  When that becomes your mantra, you end up with a pile of half-hearted attempts and little character.  What happens is you never end up developing the skills that only come with time and practice.

I’m not going to break it all down into three steps for you.  I already know by the stats that my readers aren’t interested when I do that.  Instead I’m giving it to you as I see it based on personal experience.  Consider it more a talk over some coffee.  The truth is, I don’t know it all, but I do know this.  Chances are it’s the end of the year and you feel like you messed it up.

In fact, taking it a step farther, you might even feel like you blew it and there aren’t going to be any new opportunities next year.  The truth is you may be right.  Maybe there won’t be those same exact opportunities.  But maybe something better is on the way.

Lets face it, sometimes Cancer is terminal.  Sometimes we lose the good job and don’t get a better one.  Sometimes we lose the love of our life and end up doing life alone.  Sometimes our kids rebel and never come back.  Sometimes we fail the course and get dropped out of the program.  The question is, what are you going to do about it?

I’d be willing to guess this is a very difficult time of year for you.  Along with the normal stresses of life, you’re now wondering how you’re going to get it all done this month.  You’re wondering how you’re going to pay for it all or if there even will be an all.  You’re wondering what troubles you may face this upcoming year.

Here’s a tip.  You’re more than the things you say, think or do.  The enemy wants you to think that’s not true.  He wants you to think that everything you own and achieve is all that matters.  If your dream doesn’t come true, he wants you to think it’s because you’re a failure.  That’s not true.  If your dream doesn’t come true, maybe it’s because it wasn’t God’s dream for you or you just need to keep pushing.

So what do you do when your dream doesn’t come true?  I’m glad you asked.  What do parents tell their kids when the kids don’t get what they want?  Wait until we get home (just kidding).  No, what we tell our kids is maybe next time.  That’s not saying ‘yes’ and that’s not saying ‘no’.  It recognizes the fact that the future is a mystery.  Not always unknowable, but a mystery.

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived- next to Jesus- wrote, “I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.”  Ecclesiastes 9:11.

Clearly, sometimes despite your best efforts, you don’t get what you seek.  It’s not because you aren’t fast or strong or brilliant, it’s just the way life is.  The good news is if you aren’t all of those things, you still have a chance.  So if you’re not winning, celebrate with those who are!

Once a farmer prayed to God because he had a humungous rock in his field that he could not move.  God told the farmer to go out into the field and push on the rock each day for twenty minutes each day.  The farmer did.  For twenty years!  And still the rock didn’t move an inch.  Finally, he cried out to God because he was unable to budge it after all of his time and hard work.  God answered him and said, “I never asked you to move the rock, I just wanted you to push on it.  I can move it anytime I want!”

Maybe God isn’t expecting you to move the rock in your field just yet.  Maybe all he wants you to do is push on it for awhile.  When you do, many things will happen.  Ultimately, you’ll end up a whole lot stronger than you were to begin with.  Maybe there are others like your spouse and children who are watching and deciding what they’re going to do when they face difficult circumstances in the future.

At the end of the day, there are many people out there who “made it” without any effort on their part.  If you were to ask most of them how they did, they’d probably tell you they did it on their own.  Yet many of these same people, though successful, are not able to duplicate the process.

The truth is, you haven’t lost everything.  Yes, it feels that way right now, but in time you’ll see it’s not true. That’s not down playing your loss or your pain.  They’re both real.  However, if what’s been lost cannot be regained, you need to acknowledge that and move on.  With a little persistence, you might look over the next ridge and see your dream standing there looking back at you!

As a pastor, I’m acutely aware that we live in a day and age when people are highly critical of others and lenient on themselves.  No, it doesn’t help that some people make themselves easy targets by their stupid behavior, but that’s no excuse to excuse ourselves.  Remember, when you point the finger at someone else, there are 3 fingers pointing back at you.

Now imagine standing before a King and accusing him of murder!  I know a guy who did just that.  They funny thing is, he was a murderer himself.

I never really thought about it, but I suppose the legal system is much more lenient than it once was.  How else could the apostle Paul have killed Christians and gotten away with it?  In some ways, his freedom, was a daily reminder of God’s grace.  And isn’t it funny to think that the accurate charges against Paul were dropped, yet he was brought up on false charges?

The man Paul stood before was named Agrippa.  You can read about him in Acts 12 where he is referred to as Herod Agrippa.  He’s the same guy who had James- the half brother of Jesus killed- and had Peter imprisoned.  Paul has the chance to speak with him on his way to Rome.  Ironically, Paul is more concerned with Agrippa’s welfare than he is with his own,  and he uses the opportunity to rescue Agrippa from the coming judgment.

In a nutshell, Paul shares the story of how he was an over zealous murderer who had an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.  He tells Agrippa Jesus asked him why he was persecuting him and how he repented.  Jesus then orders Paul to witness for him and serve.

Here are three reminders from Paul.

One, the ground is level at the cross.  If we’re going to help others, we have to come along side and remind them that we know what it’s like to be in the same exact mess they’re in when it comes to their standing before God.  If you don’t think it’s really that bad, may I remind you that- like Paul- you’ve killed someone!  That’s right.  Because of your sin, Jesus had to die.  We tend to forget that fact.  When we do, it’s awful easy to look down our noses at others.  However, when we’re reminded of our own plight, it’s much easier to be compassionate with others.

Two, love doesn’t leave people where it finds them.  The scriptures quote Agrippa saying that he was almost convinced to be a Christian.  That’s still a huge leap for someone who seemingly was hardened to God’s love before the interview.  While Paul doesn’t exactly say so, I don’t imagine it was very difficult for him to figure out that Paul was empathizing with him.  The story he told Agrippa was a picture, and then Paul provides illustrations to open a window.  Finally, Paul’s story allows Agrippa to look in the mirror and see himself.  Specifically, he sees himself in Paul’s story and realizes he’ll have to pay a penalty for his own actions if he doesn’t repent.  However, Paul doesn’t leave him there.  He insinuates that just as he once had a bleak and painful future because of his actions, there was a solution!

Three, Paul offers his listener hope!  Someone once said when people tell you about their problems, tell them about your hope.  Paul does just that.  He tells the King that a glorious future awaits him if he will amend his ways.  Agrippa doesn’t have to remain a slave to his passions and lusts, a life of purpose and service is his for the taking!  Friend, whatever you do, don’t leave people in the dark.  Open the door and let the light break in!  Invite them out into the bright clean air of life and freedom.  Be careful that you don’t get so caught up in seeing people as they are that you fail to see their potential.

I don’t know that Agrippa ever became a believer.  But I do know that he had every opportunity because of Paul’s love for him.

Not everybody you share with is going to accept your gift, but that shouldn’t stop you from sharing.  What if you determined, right now, to never stop inviting people to heaven?  And while you’re at it, what if you followed Paul’s example.

To recap, Paul admitted his own guilt and unworthiness.  He says, “Look, I’ve messed up too!  Big time.  I thought I knew it all, and I did every thing in my power to harm and kill others.”

Second, Paul shared about the hope Jesus offered him, despite of what Paul had done.

Third, Paul invited Agrippa to receive the same forgiveness he had received.

Look, in my earlier days as a Christian, I did my fair share of pointing the finger at others while forgetting what it felt like to be in their shoes.  That’s not to say, people don’t need to know the truth.  But the truth without love leads to condemnation.  I’m sorry to say, there have been times when I told the truth, but left people in the dark without any hope because I wasn’t compassionate or got too hung up on focusing on the sin tethering them to the ground.  Jesus wants to cut people free so that they can rise indefinitely.  Their is no ceiling to our potential because of what Jesus did on the cross.

Paul says, “Man, I was such a phony!  I had it all fixed up on the outside, but inside, every thing was a mess.  I had people killed.  True love doesn’t do that.  Now love lives inside me and the last thing I want to do is harm someone, let alone kill them”. (My paraphrase).

Ultimately, the reason we like putting the spotlight on other people’s sin and shortcomings is because it takes it off our own.  Instead, what if every time we were confronted with the sin of others, we were reminded of our own?  And what if instead of condemning others, we used the reminder as an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus and provided an opportunity for them to find ultimate freedom?  You do that when you tell your story in such a way that others are able to relate to it personally.

Paul was no dummy.  He wrote at least thirteen books in the New Testament.  If while his life was in danger he used the opportunity to save someone else rather than preserve himself, what’s stopping you and I on a daily basis?  Especially considering the fact that most of the time our lives aren’t in danger.  You see, the real person who was in trouble, though he was vulnerable, wasn’t Paul.  It was Agrippa who was tottering on the edge of destruction.  And so are many of the people we meet on a daily basis.  So let’s be like Paul and help them.  Tell your story and when you do, God may just allow others to see themselves in it.

Have you ever had one of those days when it seemed like the whole world was conspiring against you? I have and it’s no fun. Here’s what I do when I feel like the sky is falling.

Take for instance, the upcoming election. Many believe it’s the end of the world. One bumper sticker I saw the other day, pretty well sums up how many people are feeling. It read, “Giant Meteor 2016- Hope for the Future!

I don’t know about you, but I’m going to vote as the Lord leads and open the windows on November 10th. Chances are, the birds will still be singing.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows”. Luke 12:6-7

When we start caring about ourselves more than we ought to, we have a tendency to forget about how much God cares for us!

Sparrows are one of the smallest birds, yet the scriptures tell us that although they are of little value in man’s eyes, they are of great value to him! In fact, not one of them is forgotten before him.

Right now, it may seem like your sky is falling, but you need to know that God cares for you. Not just you in general, but all of your details. Your health, finances, children, marriage, job….God’s got you covered. So even if your sky does fall, you can be sure God’s ready to do something about it.

Someone once said 9 out of 10 problems coming down the road at us, end up in the ditch. I don’t know how true that is, but in my own experience it sounds about right. Usually the problems we face are actually opportunities in disguise.

If you’ll only wait one more day, you may be surprised how quickly things can change in 24 hours. This isn’t just speculation, I’m speaking from experience.

Remember George in “It’s a Wonderful Life”? George was the kind of guy who put everybody before himself.  He even decided against college to fill his father’s vacated C.E.O position at the home town bank.  One day his uncle misplaces the bank’s deposit and the town finds out about it. The next day, they all come to withdraw their money and the bank goes belly up. To make matters worse, George is at his breaking point and mistreats his family and gets into an argument with his wife, so he goes out into a ferocious snow storm.

Now angry and hopeless, George gets drunk and crashes his car into an oak tree. In fact, things get so bad, he contemplates suicide. Just as he is ready to jump into the icy river, his angel, jumps in before him. Now rather than thinking of suicide, George jumps in to the frigid waters to rescue his angel. Up until this point, George has been thinking about nobody but himself.

How about you? Is the decision you are about to make based on what is best for your family and friends or is it all about you? Right now, it feels like you have to take matters into your own hands. Right now, you probably just want to start feeling better and happier.  Would you do yourself a favor?

Sleep on it.

Don’t find out the hard way like George did that it pays to stay at home. You don’t have to go somewhere else and start a new family to be loved.  God loves you right where you are. What you need to do is trust him and wait.

Here’s a prayer to get you started.  “God, treat us kindly. You’re our only hope. First thing in the morning, be there for us! When things go bad, help us out!” Isaiah 33:2 (The Message).  Notice Isaiah sees himself as part of a larger group.  He doesn’t just pray for himself, he prays for others also.  We’re all in the same boat.    I’ll bet there are many others feeling the pressure just as much if not more than you are.  Don’t just pray for yourself, pray for them.

Chances are things didn’t get this bad over night and it’s going to take some time to rectify. If God has preserved you this long, wouldn’t you agree he’s capable of doing so a while longer. Do something rash and your sky just might fall. Instead trust God is going to keep your sky from falling. He’s pretty good at that you know.  The sky is not falling, Henny Penny.  It was just an acorn.

“He is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Colossians 1:17