Friday, March 22, 2013

Hello

I'm sure that you've noticed that the older and older you get, the smarter your parents are.  As a teenager, nothing would have been further from the truth.  But as you get older, work a full time job, raise a family, you  find yourself calling your parents about what to do with sick kids, a leaky faucet, a car that makes strange noises, and maybe even questions about your spiritual life.  

The reason I bring this up is because the older you get, the less you seem to know.  When you're hit with that reality, it can be very easy to look at your life and feel discouraged and defeated.  The good news is that you're not alone.  Most of us feel that way at some point (at least once) in our adult life, including Matthew West.  His latest song is Hello My Name Is...and it is meant to provide that encouragement you need to know that you are not only meant to do great things, like your parents likely said, but that God will be there to encourage you too.  Need that shot of encouragement, listen to this:



 

Friday, March 15, 2013

Waiting

Waiting has to be one of the most frustrating things in the world to do.  Seriously, how many things do you  enjoy waiting for?

For the doctor to see you?  Nope.
For the car in front of you to start moving because the light has been green for five seconds?  No, that is rather annoying.
For your prayers to be answered?  Now that's a tough one.  Your friends say, "God's timing is perfect,"  "He is always walking beside you even if you don't hear an answer right away."  Those answers are great until they (your friends) need an urgent answer to prayer.  Then they start to get frustrated too!

What does the Bible say about waiting?  More than you might think...here's the proof:

Psalm 27:14 "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"

Psalm 37:7 "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!"

Habakkuk 2:3 "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay."

Isaiah 40:31 "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Psalm 62:5 "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him."

Psalm 33:20 "Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield."

Hopefully by reading these verses it helps us realize that "waiting" is nothing new.  And even more importantly, it's nothing new for God.  He has promised and commanded us to be patient and to trust Him.

Everything is always easier to understand when put to music.  Hopefully this song helps you too.  It's from the movie Fireproof, which challenged married couples, but the lyrics can work for any situation.  Enjoy!






Friday, March 8, 2013

Need A Laugh?

Life can be so serious sometimes...so we need to laugh as often as possible.  I'm not the only one who things that way:


A day without laughter is a day wasted. Charlie Chaplin

The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. Mark Twain

You have as much laughter as you have faith.  Martin Luther.




If those quotes don't help...hopefully an interview with a Guinea Pig will:



Friday, March 1, 2013

Oprah

Oprah Winfrey is one of the best known personalities on tv.  Her show remained popular from start to finish...and then she started her own cable tv network (OLN).  I was never a regular viewer of her daily tv show but she started something on the network called, Oprah's Lifeclass.  She brings guests on the show that   will hopefully encourage and challenge her viewers.  On Sunday, I watched her interview with Rick Warren in front of a live audience.  Here is a short version of Pastor Rick explaining the 5 things that Shape a person.



And...remember this story?