Chris Vonada's Blog, page 7

“With Faith Like Hers” Bible Study Series by Carol Peterson

One of my favorite blogger friends Carol Peterson is launching a new Bible study series, “With Faith Like Hers.” She has completed 3 books in the series, “I Am Eve,” “I Am Esther,” and “I Am Ruth.” There are 2 more in the works…

Carol sent me a copy of “I Am Eve” – cool even for a dude to read! So I came up with some questions on her series and writing…

What inspired you to write the series?

It wasn’t so much inspiration as God poking me until I agreed to write it. He first gave me a verse from the Book of Esther, which led to me argue with Him over whether I should write a book or a blog post. Once I agreed to write a study of Esther, three people suggested it be a series on Bible women. After more prayer, I planned out the series, With Faith Like Hers.

Or maybe God did.

Do you have a favorite Bible lady? Why is she your favorite?

As a girl, I loved Esther because going from Jewish exile to Queen of the world’s greatest empire was awe-inspiring. Being forced from her home and dumped into a harem was a more likely description, but I loved the Cinderella story, regardless of pesky real life facts.

Surprisingly, Eve became my favorite Bible lady. Yes, we pay for her disobedience. But she walked and talked with God in the Garden. She knew God was actively looking for her. She knew she was loved despite her sin. She sought knowledge and learned about God’s forgiveness and provision—lessons I still struggle to learn.

Frankly, each woman becomes my favorite as I write their story. Ruth had a brave heart. Mother Mary summed up 4,000 years of Scripture in five words—“Do whatever Jesus tells you.” Elizabeth had a hand in preparing the way for the Lord. How can you not love those gals?

One of my favorite devotions from I am Eve was “I Live Amid Incomparable Beauty.” I discovered we have both been to a pretty special place, Kealakekua Bay on the big island in Hawaii. So I’m asking Carol one of her own questions from her book: What aspects of stewardship over God’s resources are you most passionate about?  

Kealakekua Bay is indeed incomparably beautiful!

I tend to be personally rigorous about not wasting God’s natural resources—turning off lights and taking short showers. But the stewardship I’m most passionate about is the stewardship He has given us of our bodies. I haven’t always done the best job taking care of mine, which is why I’m passionate about it now.

It is convicting to combine the realization that this bag of bones belongs to God with the fact that God is living right here in me—watching how I take care of it. We struggle with faulty thinking that: “God owns my heart and soul, but this body is mine.”

The thought I keep in my head is that if I am God’s hands and feet in His world, how am I taking care of His tools? My truth is that I haven’t always done the best job I could caring for this resource.

I’ve heard that most women struggle with their true beauty, so “I Value Modesty” is a very meaningful devotion in which Carol describes how Satan convinces us to feel shameful about our bodies. Carol, describe the importance of modesty in today’s society. How can you encourage modesty in others?

God made our bodies “very good.” Before Eve met Satan, she felt no shame and had no need to cover up. Satan encourages us to feel shame. Satan also encourages others to sin because of woman’s beauty.

Womanly modesty is a matter of self-protection. We can’t stop others from having lustful thoughts but modesty can help us not encourage them. I think of modesty as part of woman’s “robe of righteousness.” If I were sitting next to the Apostle Paul while he wrote to the Ephesians, I would suggest he add a “smock of modesty” to his list of the armor of God for women.

Wearing sweeping cloaks and veils isn’t practical today. But we can stay within socially accepted levels of modesty. One of the ways Christians express their faith is by modeling their lives to others, especially to younger women who look to us for guidance. Modesty should be part of that modeling.

You’re also working on a line of beauty products with your daughter to go along with the book series. Can you tell us more about that exciting project?

My beautiful daughter is a physicist. One day we chatted about Queen Esther’s 12 months of beauty treatments before she was presented to the King. I said it was like a year-long spa experience. That simmered in my imagination until one morning I was using a sugar scrub Nicole had made for me. The two things clicked.

We’re creating a line of products called Esther’s Spa with a unique fragrance for each woman in my Bible study series. We connect the fragrance with the woman’s circumstances—succulent fruit from the Garden for Eve, a sweet floral blend reminiscent of Esther’s palace grounds and a cool, relaxing scent Ruth might have enjoyed after an exhausting day in the barley field.

A sugar scrub is first. We hope to have a matching lotion by the end of the year, for the release of I am Mary (a study of Jesus’ mother) and her spicy fragrance, with hints of frankincense and myrrh. The fragrance for I am Elizabeth will give a nod to her son John the Baptist’s diet that included wild honey—expected to release in 2015.

 

Just one more announcement for today…

Carol Peterson’s Cyber Party

This post is part of a week-long cyber party, celebrating the launch of my new Bible study series. A party isn’t a party though without friends and gifts. So please get to know some of my friends, by heading to their place and signing up for a drawing. Leave your name and email addie in a comment. At the end of the week, I’ll pick three people who will each receive one of the Bible studies in this new series.

For more fun:

*Monday’s delicious CYBER LAUNCH LUNCH is still going on at my site www.CarolPetersonAuthor.com. There’s plenty of cyber food left. (OK, so they’re recipes, but they’re still available for download and still delicious!) Leave a comment with your email address to enter the drawing.

*Also on Tuesday at www.CarolPetersonAuthor.com, I’ll chat a bit about the writing of I am Eve and how I had to rethink the idea that living a life like Eve was a bad thing. Remember to leave a comment to enter the drawing—once more.

*Then return to Wednesday’s post at www.LynnMosher.com to glimpse a bit about one of Jesus’ ancestors, Ruth. Don’t forget to leave a comment to enter the drawing—one more time.

*Then Thursday, go to Terrie Thorpe’s blog at www.4everhischild-tathorpe.blogspot.com to glimpse a bit about Queen Esther. Don’t forget to leave a comment to enter the drawing—one more time.

*Return to the celebration on Friday at my site again www.CarolPetersonAuthor.com. More gifts and offers await you there; along with my thanks for helping me celebrate this launch.

One more gift to you: if you purchase two of the three print books in this series from Amazon, email me a copy of your receipt and I’ll email a pdf of the third book FREE.

All three books are part of Amazon’s “match book” program. If you purchase the print book for a friend, you receive the Kindle version for only 99 cents. That’s a good deal available any time.

BIO: Carol Peterson has an unquenchable desire to understand and share God’s Word with others and help them apply His teachings to everyday life in the modern world. Her books are available on Amazon. She writes about faith on her website CarolPetersonAuthor.com.

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Two Ways To Change History

If you’ve got the gigawatts, one day there just may be another way back to the future. Today, there’s just one honorable way.

The summer doldrums… do you know the feeling? I love the longer days of summer but the heat is a bit much here in Jacksonville, Fla. By the time Labor Day rolls around every year I am yearning for the season of change. Fall. As my mind wandered to change I got to thinking more about it and came up with two ways to change history…

The secret to change is not resisting what we’re called to leave behind, it is the burning desire to build upon what is new. (Click To Tweet)

Until there is a time machine gizmo to take us back to the future, like Dr. Emmett Brown’s, we’ll have to settle to some other ideas for changing history. Fortunately, I bring good news today. If we think of every moment as moving on the continuum from past, through present, and into the future, there are two ways to change history:

- I’m first going to share with you an unbecoming way to change history: to muddle the truth. My example: the attempt to convince that Martin Luther King Jr. was not an awesome guy. Wait what what? Yep, the notion that if we throw him under the bus his influence with be diminished. I believe MLK Jr. came in the name of love, as the U2 song goes. If you try to change the truth you’ve come to raise the dead. There is only One who can and will raise the dead. His name is Jesus. Raising the dead by anyone other than Jesus is spiritual attack. We can effectively defend that by using God’s word (the sword of the Spirit), putting on the shoes to keep moving in the forward direction of the future (shoes point that way for a reason).

- The second way to rewrite history is to Change it before it occurs. Remember “#52: Thankful It’s A Keeper” – maybe not lol… I wrote an inspiring piece about the last week of the year. It was several years ago. I ventured into a challenging week with an optimistic spirit. In doing so, I was able to be a change agent in what otherwise might have been an embarrassing and ill-fated journey down a dark road for a few folks. We collectively changed history in that moment.

Be it the summer doldrums or some other season that needs a spark in the right direction, we can change history as it happens. Changing the past by manipulating the truth is looking for trouble – I wouldn’t suggest venturing down that one. Let the truth speak for itself.

If you’ve got the gigawatts, one day there just may be another way back to the future. Today, there’s just one honorable way.

In what ways are you being a change agent to the glory of God?

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The Shower Of Babel And God’s Final Word

Image courtesy of wikipedia.com

Not too long after God flooded the world to start over with Noah, there was a little predicament…

The tower of Babel was built out of man-made materials as a shrine or exhibit to the people who built it. It was an emblem of their greatness, a testimony to their self-worth and identity. They built it tall, as to reach to the heavens, so they would make a name for themselves. They built it as a symbol of their unity.

When the Lord saw the tower He quickly came to a different conclusion:

And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth. Genesis 11:5-9

Lordy Lordy. Humanity is just that way. Time and again in the Bible we read of our failure to fall in line with perfection. Why? Well, we’re human. God intentionally dispersed the people and created barriers to their unity as it wasn’t honoring Him. It seems like life before Jesus came was tough. Life before the Pentecost was different from what we have now living in “The Church Age.” It will be different after the Rapture as well. We live in the age of grace and for that I’m thankful. For all of the difficulties that we face in the world today, we have it pretty good in comparison to the other ages of humanity. O for the love of grace…

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

One of the very last passages in the Bible is how we should respect and use God’s word to teach other people. I thought this must be pretty important, since it was at the very end… and since it mentioned possible repercussions for the misuse of His Word. This is God’s final word:

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Revelation 22:18-19

So I got to thinking, as someone who writes regularly about the Bible and Jesus and whatnot, how important it is to SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE. We’re called to handle the Word of God with great respect in two ways:

- We’re not to distort His Word, like using it out of context or for some reason other than its intended purpose.

- When also to avoid taking away from God’s Word. I think of this, I envision someone who wants to pick and chose the parts of the Bible they want to prescribe to.

What does all of this lead up to?

A shower of Babel… if it doesn’t honor God.

As someone who is interested in helping to spread the Gospel, this seems to be a pretty big deal.

Be it the plagues or the eternal lake of fire, I don’t want to go there by misusing His Word. So I have to be diligent in the use and teaching of scripture. The Bible as we know it is perfect and complete. The more I read and learn about scripture, the more I can see how perfectly put together it is.

Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Unity is awesome when it is pleasing to the Lord… I’m excited to learn more about God’s Word and how to use it to further His kingdom.

How can we be sure to respect God’s Word? In what ways can we add to or take away from scripture?

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The Top 5 Magnetic Qualities Of Happy People

I think everyone wants to be happy, but how many people do you know that you can say actually are happy? Like not just on Friday evening, or when they receive the annual bonus check – we’re all pretty happy on these occasions. It is interesting that few of us are happy whatever the occasion or day of the week. It doesn’t have to be a party for these folks to shine. You know them, they’re pleasant to be around and draw other people to them… much like a magnet.

What is it that we find so inviting about happy people? Here are the top 5 magnetic qualities of happy people:

Happy people are warm and energetic. Others are attracted to their inviting smile, good nature and their heart of compassion. They don’t have an interest in gossip or complaining – they’re a joy to be around.


Happy people speak the truth. They shoot straight, and other people are naturally attracted to this quality. Time shows that authenticity and honesty don’t bode well with deceit and lies. People on the plus side are comfortable just being themselves. Life is less complicated, dramatic and stressful when we are real. As long as you’re being you and I’m being me we’ll all get along copacetically. (Click To Tweet)


They are willing to commit to working on good relationships with other happy people. Wait, what what?? Yep, that’s right – these folks know that relationships at times mean work and that it’s worth it because they make wise choice of those people they’ll let in to close proximity. Remember, The Four Circles And The Great Beyond?   Ha! I know… long time ago and already written into a great book about people, and happiness.


These people are content. They are grounded in this simple truth: Perspective is a powerful attitude, providing the ability to see circumstances, no matter how challenging, as an opportunity. (Click To Tweet).


There is something very different about the expectations of happy people: Happy people, being giving by nature, don’t often look for what other people can do for them, or for materialistic “wealth.” These folks know happiness comes to them from within – they have diamonds on the inside. Because other people are constantly disappointed with unmet desires, they live in a world of misery. Bummer dude.

The road to being a happy person centers on true, inner peace and happiness. We have to be comfortable in our own skin. Then, the light comes on and glows for everyone to see.

What Are You Bringing To The Party?

What Makes Chasing A Dream So Much Fun?

Have you ever thought about chasing a dream but decided it was too much work? Or maybe that it wasn’t worth the effort? I know I have. Sometimes we lose out on chasing the dream because we’re impatient. Something else comes along and we settle for less than what God had placed the passion for in our heart. We compromise and settle into the wrong groove. This becomes evident whenever we yearn for something more…

For me personally, writing 4 books was something I never would have dreamed to be a goal in life… then suddenly God placed it in my heart. I took the initiative, overcame adversity and stayed true to the path. Writing for me has been an extremely rewarding experience, combining strengths in teaching and encouragement with the pursuit of wisdom, it just seemed to be a natural dream to follow…

“Turning your passion into your job is easier than finding a job that matches your passion.” Seth Godin

I admire younger generations that place greater importance on following their dreams as a key factor to leading a fulfilling life. That rocks!

So we all have more than just one dream, right? How do we know which ones to chase? Maybe you’ve chased a dream and it went nowhere. Maybe that just wasn’t the right dream. How do we know?

Chasing the dream is fun when we don’t take ourselves too seriously.

Sure, there will be challenges or obstacles to achieving anything worthy of our passion, or a dream. However, chasing a dream should be fun – a realization that provides gratification right along with the sweat-equity we are devoting to this endeavor at hand. I think part of the gratification that comes with fulfillment of the dream comes by virtue of the effort required to reach the desired result. But it should be fun. When we get busy we lose the margin in our schedule that allows us to catch our breath and to do fun stuff on a  whim. I miss that when I’m crazy busy. Just don’t take yourself too seriously. If it’s a chore read the writing on the walls, you’re most likely chasing the wrong dream, or taking yourself too seriously. (Click To Tweet)

What dream are you chasing or feeling God has laid on your heart? Is it an endeavor that you truly enjoy?

Image courtesy of RF Designs on flickr.com

The Power Of A Decided Heart

Happy Trails…

I had lunch with an old friend recently who shared with me a heartbreaking story of how she had her heart broken. Apparently letting a man in close proximity to her before really getting to know him, she got burned. Pretty crazy, right? Not really, it happens quite often. I shared with her some of my similar experiences. She had texted me earlier in the week, reeling from the pain of finding out who this individual actually was, so I sort of already had an idea of what to expect at the lunch. She didn’t want to talk about it but when I reminded her about Proverbs 4:23 and guarding your heart I think she realized I had already noticed what was going on…

My friend is no spring chicken. She’s been around the block a time or two… but it is interesting how we often keep making the same mistakes in life. Maybe it’s our vulnerabilities that continually draw us in I don’t know… but I do know now more so than ever the power of having a decided heart. I also continually see example after example of how powerful this verse is:

Guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.

I have also noticed something about grief – that response or feeling when we lose something to which a bond is formed. This all centers around a re-kindled friendship with an old college buddy. She’s a grief guru, you can check out her website here. It’s sort of funny every time I think of the word “grief” Charlie Brown comes to mind. The gang always heckled Charlie Brown and his antics with the phrase, “Good grief Charlie Brown!!” And so I came to the conclusion that grief is indeed good… when we heal and recover from it. If you visit my friend Kelly’s website you will see she is a proponent of the full recovery from grief and the loses in life. I like that.

Back to the decided heart… and my other friend’s predicament…  the “ghosts of girlfriends past” – those gremlins that seem to sneak into our minds. I’m not referring to the sociopath who can’t let go – they’re dangerous and need help… 50 shades of creepy.

Remember, it’s about how we approach the end of the story. God breathes life into us daily through His word and the power of the Holy Spirit. With every breath is He deeper into you? (Click To Tweet)

This is like addictions, this grief thing – once you admit to yourself there’s an issue, you have hope. Only then can you celebrate and click the button like Desmond, resetting the clock every 108 minutes… Cheerios!!

Hopefully my friend will be a little more conservative about letting strangers have a part of her heart. The power of a decided heart would help her from having more weeks like the doozy.

With vulnerability we should demand authenticity. Then we can open up and things start to get real…

Image courtesy of OakleyOriginals on flickr.com

Honing In On Self-Actualization

Self-actualization – the need to be fully alive or achieve the full meaning of life. It’s Abraham Maslow’s final level of psychological development for an individual. I”m guessing some people achieve it without ever knowing what it’s all about, while this place of nirvana eludes droves of intellectuals. I was fascinated to learn about it over the weekend and discovered there are 2 key character traits that center us on the road to self-actualization. I also found this concept is grounded in faith and much of what Jesus taught us.

“What a man can be, he must be. This need we call self-actualization.” Abraham Maslow

Here’s my take of Maslow’s theory from the ground up:

I started talking dude before I can remember, when I was just a little dude. Maybe that’s an attachment theory by-product I don’t know… somewhere along the way, early on, I stepped beyond the physiological basics – breathing, food, water… and on to the next level of dude. Yes, this is the basic building block in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Let’s take a look at the further progression in the life of dude…

The second block up the road to fully developed is centered on the theme of safety or security. Most folks find this to be sort of second-nature, like the physiological needs, once they reach adulthood. Prior to reaching adult status we are pretty dependent on other people to provide these basic needs. Still, this is the low hanging fruit, the stuff that many of us take for granted at times in our daily walk – personal and financial security, good health, and developing a safety net for the times of crisis.

Maslow contended that, as an individual, if we have to spend considerable time and effort tending to these most basic needs that we can’t progress further up the ladder toward self-actualization, and being all that we can be. I get that part, it makes sense when you consider the struggles and setbacks that so many in the world today face with famine, plagues or even cancer, and natural disasters.

Next comes the need for love and belonging. This is where life gets interpersonal. We develop relations within our families, with friends and more intimate relationships too. Some small and large groups of people can fulfill these needs within our community or even in part through an online social network. This category fills many of our social needs, including acceptance.

Life gets more complex at this point… call it the onset of existential anxiety in the absence of authenticity… or the realization that we need something more than ourselves to experience fulfillment in this life. That whole notion, to me anyway, is placed in the heart and soul by the One who defines love – our Lord and Savior.

It is interesting to me in my rather brief study of Maslow’s theory how the “needs” develop from taking to giving at this point in the pyramid. Healthy, pure, unconditional love is given and not taken as the previous needs are defined. Remember, it is in giving that we receive…

Esteem is next to the top of the food chain of needs. This has to start within oneself, and then as an outward expression of respect for others. Feelings of personal accomplishment and achievement fit in here too.

The down side of this esteem thing, in our world today, seems to be despair, or a loss of hope. Hope. Where do we find that one? Yep, there is just one place we find hope. Knowing God is in control gives me hope. We have hope in God’s nature and promise…

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. Hebrews 6:17-20

And about that respect thing…

Self-actualization is at the top of the pyramid in Maslow’s theory. It is achieved by people with healthy personalities and minds. Maslow believed that for an individual to understand this level of need they would have to master the previous needs. Further, self-actualization may for the basis of our calling or reaching our full potential – sometimes. Who’s to say the widow raising 5 children in the slums of Haiti isn’t fulfilling God’s will while continually stuck trying to meet basic needs for her family. Or my friends in the Bahamas who look forward to fishing every Wednesday afternoon – perfectly content to be living in the Lord and well below our standard for poverty. Indeed, from their point of view, they are living the dream of self-actualization – maybe they have all the rest of the building blocks here, and maybe they don’t – but they have certainly found contentment and have God’s hope in their hearts.

Noticing things…

So where do people get hung up on the road to self-actualization? Many lose out at the turning point from taking to giving. You see, self-actualization as a concept is fine once we realize it’s not all about me. Once we learn and then put into action love and respect our self and then others, the door is open. That all centers on identifying with our Maker and what Jesus taught us. I’m jumping on the soap box and letting you know -  Reaching your full potential to self-actualization and being great centers on love and respect. (Click To Tweet)

Why do I mention all of this?

“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself.” Abraham Maslow

So it’s about finding hope… and peace, within our self and in the world around us. It’s also about identifying with our Maker and focusing on our calling.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to His disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:30-32

Self-actualization can’t be achieved by the self-righteous any more that it can by the one who is stuck grasping to fulfill their basic needs. While I admire Maslow’s work and the basis for it, a study of highly “successful” people including Albert Einstein, Jane Addams, Eleanor Roosevelt and Frederick Douglass, many intellectuals face a different battle in their quest for achievement, success and identity.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 2:18-19

Where there is Jesus, there is hope. There is also direction, contentment and peace that transcends understanding. That, to me, is the full meaning of life. Finding His way and plan for me, as the Lord gave me my spiritual gifts and talents to use to His glory. It’s really not all that much about me, when you put it in the proper context. It’s all about where you find your identity. Do you find that in yourself, or in Jesus? That, to me, is the centering of self-actualization – where do we find our identity?

Image courtesy of J. Finkelstein on wikipedia.com

Achieving Diversity Through Unity

A picture of the church achieving diversity through unity? Likely not.

Achieving diversity in any group requires us to “grow outside the box.”

We can get there by showing hospitality to visitors who want to join in. The Bible encourages us to do this, being receptive to all people, including non-believers, coming into the church. Should we allow sinners to participate? Absolutely. We’re all sinners, right? Further, going beyond a simple invitation to making everyone feel a part of our body of believers.

Reading through the book of Revelation, Chapters 2 and 3, you’ll find there are some words of the Lord for the seven churches of Asia Minor. If you visit some churches today, you can find those who actually represent these churches described in the Book of Revelation – The Churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Mere coincidence? Ummm, likely not. Research clearly shows that many churches today go through a life-cycle – some flourishing while they’re focused on doing things right and doing the right thing, others withering and fading away…

My thought here is that achieving diversity through unity is one of these “doing things right.” Consider the Church at Philadelphia – referred to by Jesus as “the church of the open door.” Geographically, this community was built-in a frontier area as a gateway to the central plateau of Asia Minor. The open door also represents a church that is a portal of invitation by spreading the Gospel – thereby making the door to salvation an equal opportunity to everyone. Further, the people of Pergamum, where the church of Philadelphia is located, were considered living in a fragile area, physically due to earthquakes but also spiritually as they were under attack spiritually (is this sounding familiar in comparison to modern-day believers/followers?) Jesus even recognized the spiritual endurance and patience of these people, and encouraged them to hold on in a broken world…

Contrasting to the Church at Sardis, a body of believers who had a solid reputation, Jesus spoke… “I know your deeds”… and stating they are spiritually dead – rich and cocky, having soiled their clothes… most but not all… they focused inward and exchanged the spirit of unity for the comforts of this world…

We need to reach that happy stage of our development when differences and diversity are not seen as sources of division and distrust, but of strength and inspiration. Josefa Iloilo

Diversity is the greatest factor in unity, as unity is defined as a state of oneness, harmony and a totality or related parts. (Click To Tweet) It means we are undivided, regardless of the differences we may share in some areas of our lives or beliefs. That only happens with diversity.

I’m not referring to the bad actors we know as the wolves here. Paul forewarned us that wolves would mix within our congregations as soon as he left, so we can be certain they’re already present. However, many of them are difficult to spot! They “blend in” by wearing the sheep’s clothing. Literally, that’s what the Bible says. Many also prey on the innocent. They only like parts of the Gospel, refusing to strap on the sword of the Spirit, or the Word of God, which should be savored in all of its Glory. Remember, the wolf is an extremely social animal, they run in packs where they have close ties and loyalties. As it relates to unity, these packs are like having five index fingers… they won’t work together on a single hand when it attempts to attach to the body. One can’t replace the thumb with an index finger or a big toe for that matter… and why would we want to? Here’s an interesting interpretation of the wolves… while they may take the face of the sexually immoral, they’re more often noted as those who disrupt unity and harmony in our church today. Why do I bring all this up about the wolves? Remember, the folks on Sardis Street looked good on the outside however their clothes were soiled…

Think of it this way… the Bible tells us the church, the bride or Christ, is made up of one body with many parts. All of the parts have to fit and work together. This, to me, is the perfect picture of unity… and of achieving it through diversity. That’s how we get there in the “conflict of the two ages” or this time before Jesus returns to unite us within the fold… in the meantime, were all players on a chessboard… where will you fall in the battle between good and evil? In Isaiah Chapter 56, the Lord says, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all the people.”

And Jesus’ final words to each of the 7 churches? “He who has ears let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” In fact, He repeats it several times in Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation.

If you had to pick a body part, what part do you see yourself as in the body of believers?

Image courtesy of Joey Lax-Salinas

The Top Reason To Stop Making Excuses And Focus On The Most Relevant

Are you living out the dream?

Recently I got super busy. This is a good thing, but it leaves me feeling down in a way as I don’t feel as close to the Lord. Whenever I get really busy I have to be more intentional about deciding how I’m going to spend my time. Sometimes, that makes me feel bad… like I’m neglecting some things or some people.

At the same time, the exercise of going through my activities is a grounding experience – I learn from it. Like some of the stuff that doesn’t make “The A List” didn’t really belong in my world anyway. While it may have served a purpose for a season, it’s simply not a part of my calling or long-term agenda. I can see those to-do’s more clearly now, particularly when I’m hopping on it.

My writing has taken more of a back seat right now. I’m good with that, having chalked up 4 books in the past 4 years. Intentionally taking a break from writing daily last summer was a good decision, while this time I expect my long-term plan for writing more books will prosper through the experiences that I’m sure I’ll go through on the immediate horizon. I’m ok with all of that. Just a part of living the dream…

Are you living out your dream too? There are some fairly common stumbling blocks to living out the dream… I’m bringing all this up as I want to encourage you to live your passions, and to go forth and prosper. No regrets, remember?

If you have a dream that is super important don’t make excuses about WHY you can’t achieve it – instead, figure out how to get from point A to point B and make it happen. Sure, there may be setbacks along the way, but these obstacles will make achieving your dream all the more savory. There are times we need to stop making excuses and stay focused on the most relevant.

Many of the barriers to achieving your dream are imaginary. They’re excuses that we use to justify not crossing the boundary to the uncomfortable arena of vulnerability, or the land of fear or the possibility of failure. At the same time we miss the impelling opportunity to live out the dream…

Our passion comes alive because our soul is into it. God ignited a flame inside us that shines brightest when we are obedient. (Click To Tweet)

So what’s holding you back?

A vast majority of this illogical reasoning has to do with what other people might think. Should we really care? As one who has battled adversity on many occasions let me assure you the pundits are there for only one reason: jealousy. Pay no attention…

What is your penchant? Maybe you should be chasing that, without delay. Do you charge into Happy Monday? Maybe it’s time to make that change…

Image courtesy of katmary on flickr.com

How You Will Know When It’s Time For A Change

Time to saddle up and ride?

Life change can be super scary. I’m not going to kid you and try to convince you otherwise. I think that’s why we’re often so resistant to change, because it requires a leap of faith. It leaves us in an uncomfortable place called vulnerability. Change takes guts, sometimes just to recognize and then profess that we need to change, and to take the resultant, formidable action. Yikes.

“Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.” John Wayne

Well said Duke, on the courage to change, or saddling up in the spirit of doing good.

How do we know when it’s time for a change?

Whenever we yearn for the future or escape by daydreaming about memories. I know what you’re thinking… it is good to be excited about the future, and to have fond memories – we’re in the same boat on that one. However, if we’re not living for the here and now, we’re missing something. There’s a disconnect for some reason. Figure it out, and give it a twist – just saying…
When the daily routine seems like we’re just going through the motions. Life becomes stale and stagnant. We’ve essentially stopped growing at this point. The routine is drab. This is as draining as being stuck in hypothetical paralysis. Dude, it’s time to lively up yourself.
If you find yourself avoiding the truth. You could just be lying to yourself or to other people as well. The truth is foundational to change and growth. Remember, where there is truth there is freedom.

“Being true to yourself means living in truth with each person in your life. It means refusing to say or do something that you don’t believe is right. Living in truth with other people means that you refuse to stay in any situation where you are unhappy with the behavior of another person. You refuse to tolerate it. You refuse to compromise.”

— Brian Tracy

Time for a cool change?

Something or someone got you down… but you’re beginning to see the light?

Remember, there may be some resistance or hesitation… so you may need some help.

Strap on the armor brother and join the enlightenment found in the Word of God!! Memorize some “it is written’s” to carry with you throughout the day, and lock down some friends of the faith as prayer warriors. They’ll also be there like a rock to help you move forward. If there is anything ailing you that you need to give up to the Lord, jettison it. You have a choice to make and the choice should be to be happy.

Change is good. It happens. Embrace it for all the goodness this world has to offer.

How do you recognize the need to make change in your life? Do you have a close circle of friend who you can count on to help you move forward in life change?

Image by Auntie Rain on flickr.com