Struggling After the Small Stuff

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,” – Ephesians 3:20 ESV

I just watched as Annie, my puppy, strived and struggled to move Hogan’s (the older dog) food bowl. I noticed this went on for a while and so I finally moved the bowl for her.

Under the bowl was 1 (count them 1) piece of dog food. She gobbled it up and went on. This was particularly interesting because her bowl sits untouched and FULL. She hasn’t taken a single bite out of it, yet she spent all that time trying to get one piece from under Hogan’s bowl.

I can’t help but think how often we are like that. We have our heart set on some little thing we must struggle for and God has provided so much more, so much richer blessing, yet we are so caught up in our little endeavor we miss what He has so graciously provided.

The verse above is my favorite. It is a reminder that God has more for us than we can even begin to think we can imagine. If we would just struggling after the leftovers, we would find our cup (and bowl) really does runneth over.

My prayer for you this week is that you will cease struggling for the small stuff long enough to embrace the abundant blessings God has placed before you.

“Life is Tough, But It’s Tougher If You’re Stupid”

“For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them;” – Proverbs 1:32

One of my favorite quotes has been attributed to John Wayne, Chesty Puller and several others. The truth is probably none of those guys said it first, and it certainly wasn’t me. Here it is:

“Life is tough, but it’s tougher if you’re stupid.”

That’s the (very) loose – but very literal translation of the verse above.

This passage is certainly not talking about education (knowledge) but application (wisdom). The story below illustrates the difference between those two attributes.

Three men were working hard cutting stone from large blocks of granite. When asked what they were doing, the first man said, “I’m making bricks.” The Second man said, “I’m cutting stones for the foundation of a large building,” while the third man said, “I’m building a cathedral.”

Our outlook and attitude, which we can clearly control, has a lot to do with how we approach the tasks we face every day. If we see it as drudgery, it certainly can be. If we look at the bigger picture, and see where we fit in the big scheme of things, we are much more likely to find satisfaction.

For those in positions of leadership, part of your task is to show folks where they fit in. Just about everyone works better when they see how their efforts fit into the final product.

My prayer for you this week is that you will have the God-given wisdom to see where you fit into His plan, and to see how that plays out in your everyday life.

The Bone House by Stephen R. Lawhead

The Bone House is a difficult book to review. It is the second installment of the Bright Empires trilogy, following “The Skin Map.” That book had a strange ending in that there was no ending. It just stopped. No closure. And end, but no ending. It was interesting to the point of being a page turner, but the ending was odd.

The Bone House continues the pattern. There is a small section of introduction to bring the reader up to speed on the characters – and that is very helpful. But, as The Skin Map ends, so begins The Bone House – and continues. The plot of the series is the quest for a “parchment” of human skin which has been divided into sections and hidden in various places. The places are in different times and dimensions which are reached via portals called “ley lines.”

I would recommend this book on the condition the reader first read The Skin Map and plan to read The Spirit Well – the final installment due out in September 2012. The whole story of time/space/dimension travel is immensely intriguing and I want to find out what happens to all these folks. The good guys, the bad guys, and the ones I haven’t quite figured out as of yet.

Until then, I guess we’ll just have to hold on for the finish.

Thomas Nelson provides a free copy of these books for review through their “Booksneeze” Program www.booksneeze.com ; however, I am not required to give a positive review of the book.

The Image of Christ

We’ve all heard and seen the stories of folks seeing an image of Christ in various objects.

There was the corn flake, the tortilla, and who knows what else. I understand a couple of those things sold on e-bay for quite a sum of money.

Last year a town in Connecticut was in the news for an elm tree which the locals proclaimed sported an image of Christ from a certain angle. Tourism went up in the town apparently as folks traveled from far and wide to see the image on the tree.

One of the most recent reports is a depiction of Jesus on a Wal-Mart receipt. In answer to the question, “What would Jesus do?” I somehow don’t think the answer is show up on a Wal-Mart receipt!

While these apparitions may be interesting, the Bible doesn’t teach us to look for the image of Christ in the material world around us. It does teach those of us who are Christians that WE are to bear the image of our Lord and Savior.

We are to do that by demonstrating the fruit of His Spirit listed on Galatians 5 – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control

Surviving Your Serengeti by Stefan Swanepoel

What animal are you? Other authors have posed this question from a standpoint of emotions and relationships, but Stefan Swanepoel’s book “Surviving Your Serengeti” addresses it from a perspective useful for both family and professional life.
A couple going through their own challenges, much like everyone faces, find themselves on the plains of Africa. As the result of some strategic observations of the wildlife, their guide points out the basic strength of each of the animals they observe.
The strengths are the basic survival skills they possess. The guide points out the need for each of these skills in our daily “survival.” The book also addresses the need to complement these skills in teams and workgroups.
“Surviving Your Serengeti” is a relatively quick read, but the reflection on the question, “What animal are you?” will continue after you close the book.
There is a link to a quiz which will help you determine the answer to that question included at the end of the book.
I post these reviews as a member of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger Program. I receive a free copy of the book, but am not required to give a positive review.  Check it out at www.booksneeze.com

Sermon from the Side of the Road

“But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.” – Hebrews 3:13 HCSB

The following is an excerpt from Max Lucado’s Shaped by God (original title: On the Anvil). Copyright (Tyndale House, 1985, 2002). I found myself needing this last week and thought I’d share it with you today.

Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s OK to stumble… . I will get up. It’s OK to fail… . I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.

Today I will make a difference.

 

MacArthur: America’s General by Mitchell Yockelson and Stephen Mansfield

 

Are leaders born or made? This question dogs the student of leadership like the proverbial, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”

In “MacArthur: America’s General” by Mitchell Yockelson and Stephen Mansfield, the question receives no definitive answer. “Both,” seems to be the proper answer in the case of Douglas MacArthur.

This well researched work gives the background of the making of the man whom many came to know and love for his military endeavors during World War II; however, we learn there was so much more to him than the military record. His love for his family, literature, and other everyday aspects of life are often overlooked by historians who focus on the storied Army career of MacArthur.

This book not only gives much detail to the life of “America’s General,” but also there is much info about the battles and background to place the exploits in a proper context. This is accomplished without being tiresome or tedious.

I recommend this work whether one is a military history buff or not.      

I post these reviews as a member of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger Program. I receive a free copy of the book, but am not required to give a positive review.  Check it out at www.booksneeze.com

Long Term Damage

“… exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” – Hebrews 3:13

As I write this, I have just completed an early morning repair job. Going into he kitchen to make my morning coffee, I heard a steady hissing noise. Soon, I was able to locate the source of the noise. The water line behind the refrigerator which leads to the ice maker was spraying water.

It took a minute to move the fridge to reveal a soaked floor. I’m not sure how long the line had been leaking, but it appears there is no major damage. Compare that to the long term damage of a slow leak which makes no noise, just a steady silent drip, drip, drip can lead to a rotten floor, sub floor and worse.

This serves as a reminder that sin can be the same way. Seldom is it a lone major blow out which leads to destruction, but the steady compilation of many sins over time. In fact, the verse above reminds us we can become hardened from sin over time, to the point of even failing to recognize sin or even care about our condition before God.

“Unleashed” by Erwin Raphael McManus

Have you ever wanted to live life on the “wild side”? How about living the Christian life on the wild side? Does that sound contradictory? Well, that’s exactly what Mr. McManus proposes in “Unleashed.” He calls it the “barbarian” way.

McManus’ proposal is that the modern church has become much too civilized in order to be safe. He posits the early church, and especially Christ did not picture this type of life as normal. In this challenging work, he calls for modern Christians to get back to the culture confronting , living on the edge type of faith to which Christ has called those who will follow Him.

The author makes the pint well we have been called to walk by faith, not to be frozen by fear. As the Church, we are far less dangerous – and take far fewer risks – than God ever planned for us. There are many who will not be comfortable with this challenge, and that helps make the author’s point.

I recommend this challenging work, but be ready to feel convicted, confronted and called out by it.      

I post these reviews as a member of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger Program. I receive a free copy of the book, but am not required to give a positive review.  Check it out at www.booksneeze.com

Blisters

“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” – Romans 12:18 

Blisters. No one likes them, but everyone gets them. I’ve recently done some research on these aggravating little things. Wikipedia describes the primary cause as “forceful rubbing (friction).” What a pain they are, literally!

Often when someone gets a blister, they cease the activity which caused it. Raking the yard caused a blister? Well, I won’t do that again! Walking in a new pair of shoes? Put them away and don’t wear those suckers any more.

Sadly, some people cause us “blisters,” maybe not on our body, but on our psyche’. They are just painful to be around. These folks cause friction wherever they go, and what’s worse, some even seem to enjoy it!

The easiest remedy is to just avoid them like the activities which cause blisters on our hands and feet. But that’s not the direction this passage takes us. This verse, and the context from which it is taken, tells us we are to “live with” them, be nice to them, and not to be overcome by evil, but to “overcome evil with good.”

Not an easy task to be sure, but one to which we, as Christians, are called.