Search

Building A Dream Life

God Is in The Business of Making All Things New

by

 

 

 

A New Building on An Old Site

 

 

 

There was a building for sale in a rundown part of town. It had broken windows, graffiti and trash scattered all around. It didn’t look so good. When a potential buyer met with a realtor to look at the property, the realtor said, “The seller will make the necessary repairs and clean up the trash and graffiti.” The buyer said not to worry about it, he was going to tear it down, clear the site and build a new building.


God can rebuild or repair our trashy rundown lives.


Whether it’s a repair project or a start from the ground up rebuild, God can turn ugly into beautiful. We can leave the old rundown building standing, or we can make it a place that radiates beauty. Our part is to decide.


There are a couple of reasons the old ugly buildings are left standing.

  • First – We think we’re supposed to be perfect. I’m supposed to have it all figured out. This is what others expect of me. I put on a positive coat of paint on the outside and no one will know. People will let their building fall down before letting anyone see that the structure needs help.

 

  • Second – We think we’re unworthy to be helped. Everyone else has it all figured out, not me. Everyone else knows what they’re doing. People would think less of me if I ask for help. People expect my building to fall down so I should just let it.


We can decide if we’re going to let our building fall into disrepair or not.


In the play “Man of La Mancha” from the mid-sixties, Quixote meets Aldonza, a servant girl and prostitute. She has grown up abandoned and believing she is worthless. He sees her as a beautiful lady that he will serve forever and insists that her name is Dulcinea.


They encounter each other again and he continues to build her up and call her Dulcinea. She questions his seemingly irrational perspective after being beaten and raped by a group of men.


Years later Quixote is dying and has lost his positive outlook, when a beautiful woman that he doesn’t recognize forces her way into his room. She reaffirms his vision and says, “My name is Dulcinea.”


We can decide to be Aldonza or Dulcinea.

 


God has a dream for our building, whether it’s a clean up or a rebuild. We need to find out what that plan is and get to work. Our dream needs to align with His.

 

 


Turn your Aldonza into Dulcinea…it’s up to you.

The Land of “What If” or the Land of “What Is”

by

 

Which One Have You Been Living In?

 

If you don’t like where you’re living, you can move.


Moving is not much fun. It takes a lot of work to pack up your life, along with all the stuff you’ve accumulated over the years. The end destination can be worth the work, if you’re moving to the right place.

 


How do we know where the right place to live is?


The definitions of, if and is, are a good place to start. Meriam-Webster defines if as follows; 1. in the event that, 2. allowing that, 3. on the assumption that, 4. on condition that. These statements leave things open ended and uncertain. Asking these questions can help us find answers and direction, but don’t involve the physical act of moving.


The important thing is to not get stuck in the land of “What If”.


On the other hand, is, is defined with one word – be. Being is a real tangible existing thing. The first example Meriam-Webster gives is, God is love. God lives in the land of “What Is”. God is…


Some people who live in the land of What If see all the possibilities out on the horizon. Some see all of the negative things that could go wrong. Others see this as a big land of exciting adventures. This dream world can be a great place to live. The problem is that in the land of What If, nothing ever becomes What Is.


Pastor Lee told a story of a boy in the hospital after being diagnosed with Leukemia. As would be expected he was down and depressed. He was asking all the questions that would normally be asked. He couldn’t see any future, he was living in the negative land of What If.


When he received some flowers from his aunt, he noticed there were two cards. The first was the normal well wishing from his aunt. The other one was from the salesclerk at the flower shop, it shared her own struggle with the disease years earlier. This card changed his perspective and made a more immediate difference than any of the medical treatments.


Jesus came to earth as a human. He has felt our pain and knows what it’s like. In Revelation 7:9-17 we get a view of What Is. It is a land of plenty, where we won’t be hungry or thirsty, it will be the perfect temperature and no sadness. We don’t have to worry about What If.


Regardless of which place we live; it comes down to perspective. Which place are you going to live, the land of “What If or the land of “What Is”?

 

 

The Real Answers Are in the Believing

by

 

Put Me Down as A Believer

 

The small son of a pastor was out playing in the yard before coming in to join the family at the supper table. His mother, as usual, told him to go wash his hands. As the little boy headed to the sink he said, “Jesus and germs, that’s all I ever hear around here and I haven’t ever seen either one.”
Seeing is believing.


This Sunday’s Scripture, John 20:19-29 is the story about “doubting Thomas”. Most of us have heard the story of Jesus appearing to a group of His followers when Thomas wasn’t there. Then a few days later Jesus came a second time and showed Thomas the evidence of the nails in His hands and the spear in His side. This caused Thomas to believe. Jesus said, “You believed because you see me. Those who believe without seeing me will be truly blessed.”


How do we believe without seeing?

 


Believing without seeing is hard. We want to have all the answers. Clarity makes life so much easier.

 

 

When the brilliant ethicist John Kavanaugh went to work for three months at “the house of the dying” in Calcutta, he was seeking a clear answer as to how best to spend the rest of his life. On the first morning there he met Mother Teresa. She asked, “And what can I do for you?” Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him.


“What do you want me to pray for?” she asked. He voiced the request that he had borne thousands of miles from the United States: “Pray that I have clarity.”


She said firmly, “No, I will not do that.” When he asked her why, she said, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.” When Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for, she laughed and said, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So, I will pray that you trust God.”


Mother Teresa’s Prayer for The Clinger 


I struggle with looking for clarity. I want to know the answers. As a ‘problem solver’ by nature finding the answers is what I do. Seeking answers is not the problem. The problem is getting hung up on seeking them.


We don’t and never will in this life, have all the answers.


If we can’t have the answers why even bother looking. Wouldn’t it be easier to just float through life not bothering to even look for the answers? I don’t think this is God’s plan for us either. It’s about having faith and trusting in God. In Matthew 17:14-20 Jesus tells His followers that if their “…faith is big as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move”.

 

 


We don’t need to have all the answers, just believe as big as a mustard seed.

When We’re Being Sought, Why Do We Hide?

by

Hide and Seek Shouldn’t Be Played in the Game of Life

A man was having computer issues when working on a Saturday. He didn’t want to bother the IT tech at home, but after continued issues, decided to call him. The phone was answered by the tech’s young son with a whispered, “Hello.”. The man asked if he could speak with the boy’s father. He whispered, “No.”. “What about your mother, can I speak with her?” Again, at a whisper he answered, “No.”. In the background the man could hear people yelling the boy’s name and what sounded like sirens and…a helicopter. The man asked the boy what the commotion was, he answered, once again in a whisper…

They’re looking for me.

After Jesus’ crucifixion His followers were lost. Last week we discussed the empty tomb and the disbelief that accompanied it. In Luke Chapter 24 Verses 13-35, the story continues with two of Jesus’ followers walking to the town of Emmaus. As they walked, they were joined by Jesus but didn’t recognize Him. They were enjoying their time with Him so much, they asked Him to join them for supper. When Jesus gave thanks and broke the bread, they recognized Him, and He disappeared. They immediately went back to Jerusalem and told the other followers.

After we’re found by Jesus, we need to tell others.

It’s hard to imagine what it would be like to be confronted by someone who we thought to be dead.

There is a story of two brothers who fought in the Civil War. Both were told that the other was killed in action. After the war they went separate ways. One back home and the other to a new life. More than forty years later at a Civil War reunion they came face to face. They weren’t hiding from each other; they just were unaware. This was a big loss due to not seeking.

Too often, people go through life unaware that our brother, Jesus, is alive.

Jesus came searching for us when He came to earth 2000 years ago and continues to look for us today. Being found in this game of hide and seek is how we win.

We Are in The Land of The Dying

by

On Our Way to The Land of The Living

Sunday was Easter, the ultimate victory story! In Luke 24:1-12 the women go to Jesus’ tomb and find the stone rolled back and no Jesus. They are worried and afraid. Then there were two men in shining clothes standing beside them. The men asked, “Why are you looking for a living person in this place for the dead? He is not here; he has risen from the dead.” The women remembered what Jesus had said and went away celebrating and shouting the resurrection message.

When the apostles heard their story, they didn’t believe them. Peter went to the tomb and found Jesus’ burial clothes and no body. He went away doubtful and concerned. He assumed the Romans had come and taken Jesus’ body. Jesus’ followers had been through some dark days, but Peter was ignoring the light that the women saw.

Darkness is overcome by the light; in the midst of our deepest darkness the SON will rise!

We can choose to be like Peter or the women. They both saw the same empty tomb. Peter went away discouraged and the women went away shouting and celebrating that first Easter morning.

The tomb is not a dark alley, but a thoroughfare to Christ.

Pastor Lee told a story about a soldier who lost his legs and was recovering in a hospital. As you can imagine he was depressed about his situation. He could see no reason to even be alive. What good would he be without legs.

After days of lying there wallowing in self-pity another patient came in, sat down and started playing a harmonica. He played for a while and then got up and left. This went on for several days, never saying anything, just playing the harmonica. Then one day he came in playing the harmonica and attempting tap dance. When he was finished the harmonica playing tap dancer told the soldier to smile and live. The soldier replied that this was easy for him to say that. He was walking and dancing. Then the harmonica player lifted his pant legs to reveal two artificial limbs. He said again, smile and live, it is the only way to thank Him for being alive.


The young soldier’s resurrection began that moment.

Just like the soldier and the harmonica player, we need to remember that there is nothing that we have gone through or ever will go through that Jesus hasn’t already been there and done that.

We need to smile, live and say THANK YOU!

The Most Important Week in History

by

Its Importance Was Overlooked Then and Now

Last Sunday was Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. When this week occurred for the first time, what started out as a celebration quickly turned into a dark time for Jesus’ followers.

They were expecting something completely different than what happened. They thought that Jesus was going to over turn the Roman Empire and become a worldly king. They misunderstood Jesus’ message and purpose.

This is like the story Pastor Lee told about a woman that became distraught when she saw a sign in her bank’s window. She went into the bank and asked what was going to happen to her money? The teller asked her what she meant. The lady said the sign in the front window read, “Closed for Good Friday”. When she read it, she saw, “Closed for good, Friday”. We need to be careful to not misunderstand the Message.

It is easy for us to put our perspective on things that in turn lead to misunderstanding. We invite Jesus into our lives and ask Him to make a few changes and freshen things up a bit…you know a little remodeling project. The problem develops when we haven’t really looked at the blueprint, or maybe we don’t know how to read one. God’s plan for our lives more resembles a full-blown renovation, rather than a little remodel.

He plans to turn us into a mansion, if we’ll just let Him.

Usually when we hear the word passion we think of an emotion. We put it in our worldly view. Historically though this word meant to suffer for something cared deeply about, to the point of martyrdom. Jesus cared so deeply for us that He was willing to give His life for us. His passion to for us lead to His death. This is the Passion of Christ.

As humans no matter how high we reach or how long of a ladder we climb on. we can never reach God. He on the other hand can reach us, if we will let Him.

Remember the importance of this Holy Week and let the Master Architect design your dream mansion.

What Is the One Thing That Matters?

by

It Took A Lightning Strike Experience for Paul To Figure It Out

While some have had extreme, life altering experiences, many have grown to know what matters most through steady incremental progress. Paul (previously known as Saul) was enthusiastically passionate when he was persecuting Christians and showed the same vigor when sharing Christ’s message.

Paul had a purpose from the beginning, and it took a “board upside the head” experience (which I can identify with) to help him see what it was. Regardless of what has happened to get you to where you are, the important thing is to keep pushing forward to the purpose God has designed you specifically for.

There is so much to do and so little time to do it.

I remember when our kids were growing up and they would say, “There’s nothing to do. I’m bored.” This drove me crazy. I can’t ever remember feeling bored. I’m sure there were times that I did, but I don’t remember them. The definition of boredom is when an individual is left without anything in particular to do, is not interested in his or her surroundings, or feels that something is dull or tedious. This sounds like someone who hasn’t found their purpose.

I find the opposite of boredom to be true in my life. I keep trying to figure out how I’m ever going to get everything done. I have to intentionally take time to slow down and enjoy life or I’m on the go all the time, this isn’t good either. Taking a day to rest and honor God is a part of His plan for us to accomplish our purpose. It worked for Him, it will work for us, but resting certainly isn’t the same as boredom.

Boredom is a big cause of people getting into trouble. They fill their time with things that are unproductive. These people haven’t found their purpose yet. I believe it is because they aren’t actively looking for it. Without a purpose they become bored and lost. Unhappy people are bored and bored people are unhappy? There are many worthwhile things to be done. You don’t have to be bored. It comes down to a personal choice.

We’re only bored if we choose to be.

Paul found the one thing that really matters. His life and death were lived proving this out and he wasn’t bored.

Following Christ will never be boring!

Knowing Yourself Is One of The Most Difficult Things to Do

by

It’s A Critical Component in Being Productive

This past week I listened to Michael Hyatt’s, Lead to Win podcast, “3 Actions to Beat Your Biggest Distractions”. The actions were: 1st – build a wall against interruptions, 2nd -put a leash on distractions and 3rd – increase your frustration tolerance. They spoke about how easily we can be distracted, especially nowadays with the bombardment of information.

Most of the things they discussed were great solutions. Some of them, however, were not what I would have done.

Each of us has been designed differently by plan. To be the most productive version of ourselves we need to take time to intentionally figure out what that plan is.

Ultimately it comes down to knowing…

  • WHO we are
  • WHY we do the things we do
  • WHAT we need to be able to accomplish those things
  • WHEN do those things need to be done
  • WHERE do we need to go to achieve those things?
  • HOW do all the pieces fit together

Being our most productive selves is no one’s responsibility but our own.

They talked about interruptions and distractions as different things. For me they really are one in the same. (This reminds me of last week’s post.) If I’m distracted, I’m being interrupted and conversely if I’m interrupted, I’m being distracted. Believe me I know, because I’m interrupted and distracted a lot. Let’s just call it disruptions.

The point here is, regardless of what you call it, you need to know what things disrupt you and how to best deal with them. You can predetermine what those things are and implement systems to handle them ahead of time. It will take some trial and error to figure it out, but you are the one who can do this for yourself. I know that if I get on a social media site that I will spend more time than planned so I’m careful about when and how often I do it.

One of the things that is hard for me is the constant battle between my desire to serve people well and the need to stay focused on what I’m working on. If I’m in the middle of preparing a proposal and the phone rings or a text message comes in and I don’t respond I feel bad. On the other hand, if I stop what I’m doing to respond I’m losing my concentration and dragging out getting the proposal done.

Every situation is different, the key to unlocking productivity is to think about it and be prepared before it happens. In each instance which is more important? If it’s the proposal and I can’t control myself to not respond, then turn the phone off. If it’s a call that I’ve been waiting for all day then I should take it.

The important thing to remember is that it’s up to me. I can choose.

There’s no easy fix. No one size fits all. If you are still alive then you can do something to improve your productivity. The key is to know yourself. This requires asking questions, trying different things and never giving up.

What Is the Most Important Journey?

by

That Would Be the Journey of Salvation

Life’s journeys can be hard, some harder than others.

In the 1065 Henry IV became king at the young age of 15. His lack of experience and wisdom at this young age including dealing with various rebellions found him in a difficult time.

One of these conflicts involved the church and Pope Gregory VII. Pope Gregory VII asserted that the College of Cardinals could appoint popes, bishops and other high-ranking church officials. These positions came with income producing lands and other perks. This caused a power struggle between the Emperor and the church.

In 1076 the young Emperor was excommunicated by Pope Henry and the bishops. Being excommunicated meant that the Emperor was banned from the church and taking communion. In the middle ages this was like closing the door to Heaven.

Following the suggestion his adversaries, the young Emperor decided to meet with the Pope at the castle in Canossa. This journey through the Alps in the middle of winter is known as the “Road to Canossa” or the “Humiliation of Canossa”.

Once the Emperor reached the castle, the Pope refused him entry. Henry IV stood outside the castle gate for three days bare footed wearing nothing but a hair-shirt (traditional monk’s robe). Finally, on January the 28th Henry was allowed to enter. That evening the Pope and the Emperor shared communion signaling the end of the excommunication.

Another hard life journey.

Jesus’ also had a hard journey, it included four stops along the way. The first was in the Garden of Gethsemane where he prayed to have this suffering taken away. He knew how hard the was going to be. The second stop was Gabbatha. Otherwise known as the place where Jesus stood trial in front of Pontius Pilot. Third is Galgotha, the place where He was crucified. The great thing is that the journey doesn’t stop here. The final place is the garden tomb where Jesus was buried. This is where His journey ends and ours begins.

Our journey to salvation is much easier than these. Jesus did the hard part. All we have to do is believe, get on and enjoy the ride. This doesn’t mean that there won’t be rough places along the way, but it’s much easier with Jesus showing us the path. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 tells us about the journey.

It’s definitely a trip worth taking.

The Worst Thing We Can Do Is Nothing

by

We Are Living in The Grace Period

According to Wikipedia, a grace period is a period where a penalty or other action is waived after a deadline or an obligation has passed. This can apply to the starting of a new job, paying a bill, a rental agreement or the meeting of a legal requirement. All of us have experienced the benefits of a grace period.

In Luke 13:6-9 Jesus tells a story about a man who planted a fig tree. After three years the tree had not produced any fruit. The man told his gardener to cut it down. The gardener asked the owner to give the tree one more year. He would work the soil around tree and fertilize it. Then if in another year it still isn’t producing any fruit it will be cut down. This was the tree’s grace period.

Many of us go through life, just like this fig tree, doing nothing and wasting our talents. Too many times we don’t believe that we have what it takes. We think that for something to be valuable, it has to be fabulous and incredible. This isn’t the case. If we all would do the little things that we have the chance to do, the accumulated result will be amazing.

We need to do what we can, where we can, whenever we can.

Too often we hide our gifts afraid that we might make a mistake. Jesus shows us how wrong it is to waste our talents in the story of the three servants, Matthew 25:14-30. In this scripture a wealthy man gives three servants varying amounts of gold (some versions refer to this as talents) to care for and use while he is gone. When he returns two of the three have used their gold (talents) wisely. They are rewarded for this. The third hid his, so the wealthy man took it away and threw the man out into the street. There is a price for not using the gifts we have been given.

Every day is full of opportunities to use our gifts to help others by:

  • Providing a service or product through our vocation
  • Listening to others
  • Getting involved in ministries
  • Treating people with respect
  • Loving our family and friends
  • Smiling at someone
  • Teaching and leading
  • Saying a kind word
  • Donating goods, services and money
  • Opening a door
  • Saying thank you
  • Saying you’re welcome

God has given each of us a purpose. He expects us to use the talents we have been given to fulfill this purpose. As long as we are alive, we should work to accomplish His plans. Each of us is living in the grace period.

Choosing to do nothing with our gifts is the worst thing we can do.