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How to Find Solutions When Your Feel Oppressed

May 12, 2015 by

Number 54 in the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” The miracles and promises of Jesus that show us the awesome blessings we can experience each day. I hope it encourages you!

 

In California we’re in our fourth year of a drought. The government is completely unprepared. We’ve increased our population dramatically without increasing water storage. And California periodically has droughts. So surprise, now we’re running out of water.

 

Photo Credit: John Krzesinski

Photo Credit: John Krzesinski

 

So the governor proposed that everyone use 25 percent less water or pay a fine. So like brush my teeth only once a day? Flush the toilet every other time? Let our yard die? Really?

In addition to questioning the sanity of our state government once again it caused me to think about people who live under governments that really are oppressive. Who abuse their liberties continually.

And closer to home, those who work for organizations that are oppressive.

Yet, sometimes we just can’t escape. It’s currently not a reasonable option. So we struggle under the oppression.

 

In the midst we feel trapped. Like we’re suffocating. And we’re afraid.

 

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Filed Under: Happiness, Heaven Tagged With: ,

Sunday Music: “Steady My Heart” by Kari Jobe

May 10, 2015 by

What a fun uplifting song.  A great reminder that when our world falls apart we can find peace in the midst.

I hope this encourages you this Sunday and brightens your day.

 

If you have trouble seeing this video you can watch it here.

 

Do you have a favorite music video?

Please share it on Facebook, Twitter or email me.  Thanks.

Filed Under: Music Tagged With:

Be Surprised with Joy As You Allow Your Gifts to Blossom

May 7, 2015 by

Number 53 in the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” The miracles and promises of Jesus that show us the awesome blessings we can experience each day. I hope it encourages you!

 

Starting this blog has been a constant challenge that frankly I didn’t need.

I took a two year hiatus after ending my previous blog. Then when some commitments ended I pondered what I wanted to do with the extra time. One option was to write a new blog.

Honestly my first response was, “Ugh. Do I really want to?”

 

Photo Credit: Daniel Foster

Photo Credit: Daniel Foster

 

I mean some days feel like I’ve signed up for an exploratory root canal.

So I pushed it off. Tried to ignore it. Debated with myself.

And no I don’t need psychoanalysis.

Yet something inside compels me to write.

 

When I thought about giving it up I felt like something died.  I felt depressed about it.

 

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Filed Under: Happiness, Significance Tagged With: ,

We Can Gain Insights into Solving Mystifying Problems

May 5, 2015 by

Number 52 in the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” The miracles and promises of Jesus that show us the awesome blessings we can experience each day. I hope it encourages you!

 

Let’s face it, life can be pretty mystifying at times.

I mean we get life all wired and it’s running along smoothly when we get hammered with something out of the blue. And we think, “Ugh, not again?”

And often it’s something we haven’t dealt with before so it seems more confusing than ever.

 

Photo Credit: CollegeDegrees360

Photo Credit: CollegeDegrees360

 

I’ve sometimes thought, “Why couldn’t God just have given us a huge binder full of steps to solve all contingencies? I mean today it could be on the internet with Google search. How hard would that be for him?”

But he didn’t consult me before setting up this whole thing called life.

So maybe we read the latest self help book and to get a couple of tips. Yet, somehow it’s just never enough. Or it never works quite as smoothly as written.

 

Frankly, sometimes I find myself more confused than when I started.

 

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Filed Under: Happiness, Success Tagged With: , ,

Sunday Music: “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen

May 3, 2015 by

A haunting soulful version of this popular song sung by Leonard Cohen who wrote it.

I will leave it to you to draw your own message from it.

Personally I find it both troubling and comforting.  But I would be interested to hear your take.

Hope you enjoy it on your Sunday.

 

If you have trouble viewing this video you can watch it here.

 

Please share your thoughts about it with me on Facebook, Twitter or email me.

Also if you have a favorite music video I’d love to share it for you.  Thanks.

Filed Under: Music Tagged With:

How to See God’s Power Unleashed in Your Problem

April 30, 2015 by

Number 51 in the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” The miracles and promises of Jesus that show us the awesome blessings we can experience each day. I hope it encourages you!

 

Let’s be real, there are times we all face problems that are way beyond our power to fix.

We’re cruising along peacefully and suddenly, wham, we get blindsided.

And often it seems the more we try to solve it the worse things get.

 

Photo Credit: Gwenael Piaser

Photo Credit: Gwenael Piaser

 

So what do we naturally do?

Well I, way too often, find myself getting mad at God or someone else. Criticizing society or the government. Bemoaning some past failure. A whole array of less than constructive responses.

And frankly I find the help we get at church often not much better.

We may get the “super powers” response. “Just claim what you want. Jesus, because he’s in Heaven, has given us all power to get whatever we ask.”

Or the opposite “super saint” response. “Pray in the most general of terms and always end with, ‘But not my will but thine be done’.” You’ve got to pray in King James English you know or it doesn’t count.

 

Yet I find way too often little happens and I question why?

 

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Filed Under: Success Tagged With: ,

When Friends Turn Against You Because of Your Faith

April 28, 2015 by

Number 50 in the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” The miracles and promises of Jesus that show us the awesome blessings we can experience each day. I hope it encourages you!

 

When I entered into my relationship with Jesus it was an incredible experience. I found a happiness and love I simply had never known.

So naturally I wanted to share my great news. Particularly with those closest to me.

Didn’t exactly turn out the way I expected.

 

Photo Credit: Lyylyn Ylyal

Photo Credit: Lyylyn Ylyal

 

My dad first responded, though later recanted , “Well a little religion is a good thing but don’t overdo it.”

My closest friend said later that his mom, who was like my second mom, told him to be careful. From that day on there was a distance in my relationship with both of them.

A former girl friend, who remarkably I’d stayed friends, said, “Yeah, I heard you’d become a Jesus freak. I couldn’t believe it.” Actually her remark was well earned. But she had no interest in continuing our friendship.

 

I’ve got to be honest. The splintering of those relationships and some others really hurt.

 

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Filed Under: Heaven, Love Tagged With: ,

Sunday Music: “Temporary Home” by Carrie Underwood

April 26, 2015 by

A touching song that beautifully reminds us that no matter the heart breaks of this life this is only our temporary home.

I have found in those times it helps to focus on what is permanent from what is now.

I hope it lifts your spirits on this Sunday.

 

If you have trouble watching this video you see it here.

 

Do you have a favorite music video?

Please share it on Facebook, Twitter or email me.  Thanks.

 

 

Filed Under: Music Tagged With:

How to Overcome the Fear of Creativity

April 23, 2015 by

Number 49 in the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” The miracles and promises of Jesus that show us the awesome blessings we can experience each day. I hope it encourages you!

 

Every morning, as I write, I face the creative demons.

 

Photo Credit: Hans Splinter

Photo Credit: Hans Splinter

 

I enjoy writing and using my creativity to help others. I love the exploration it leads me into. I find it incredibly fulfilling.

But there’s a dark side also. Too often I worry, “What will I say? Will it be any good? Will it help anyone? How should I put it together? What if it falls flat?” And it can cause me to freeze.

So at times I’ve quit writing. Just too much agony. Yet, the gnawing remains so I always come back.

I’ve also tried to develop strict structures to plug information into. Kind of like a “paint by numbers” picture. And the result ended up about the same quality. Something only my mother would really love.

Sometimes I’ve just hung out until a fresh idea popped up. Waited for inspiration. And kept waiting and waiting.

 

I know I’m not alone in this. Everyone of us faces these demons with creativity.

 

Whether it’s in an art, teaching or starting a new business. It’s the fear of creativity.

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Filed Under: Success Tagged With: , ,

The Power to Overcome Our Everyday Battles

April 21, 2015 by

Number 48 in the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” The miracles and promises of Jesus that show us the awesome blessings we can experience each day. I hope it encourages you!

 

When I went to the church I pastored I came with the understanding we were going to change things big time. The church had dwindled to a place it was either change or die.

 

Photo Credit: Ray Chang

Photo Credit: Ray Chang

 

I met early on with the Executive Board, a group of eight core leaders. One evening in our living room I said to them, “We have the opportunity to make a difference. We can change the direction of this church and see lives impacted eternally.”

All of them were excited about being a part of something that would make an eternal difference.

Then I said, “But realize we just declared war on the evil one. And it will be a real war. So you need to put on God’s armor every day. And trust in him to keep you safe and give you wisdom.”

Most took me seriously.

 

But within six months, one had a complete psychological breakdown. And within a year another had resigned.

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Love, Significance, Success Tagged With: ,
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