As a parent of five incredible kid-adults I am reminded regularly how tough it is being a teenager. In the past few weeks I've witnessed my oldest daughter share her testimony during her baptism, her and her husband purchase their first house, my son's soccer team loose in the final game and my other son's volleyball team win an important tournament. All those events caused me to watch and listen to the people around each arena.
Watching teenage boys participate in their favourite sports and interacting with other parents is a privilege. While neither are the stars of their teams they both contribute their best. They set the example of good sportsmanship and cheer on their teammates. The soccer team has struggled with a few players lack of self-control to the detriment of the entire teams' performance and yet a few boys kept encouraging them towards a better attitude. The volleyball team on the other hand, has such camaraderie that the entire bench stood together, arms around each others necks cheering on the starters!
My daughter and son-in-law have walked out their first two years of marriage very well and grown together. Spending a weekend with them, observing them leading Jr. High youth at their church (and yes I joined in and played dodge ball) it struck me how mature they are and what great examples they set. They purchased their first home, with confidence. She shared some of her expectations, struggles, and victory in front of her new church family and showed how real she is. I am very thankful for her authenticity and commitment to personal growth.
I am reflective of these events because we had a sermon today on parent/teenager relationships and on both sides of the equation it was about love, respect and responsibility. As we strive to raise children to become positive, contributing members of society, we must first look at the example we set and be real enough to admit that we have dreams, struggles, and victories too! We are put in families/communities to help each other learn about ourselves and become who we are meant to be.
Witnessing my eldest daughter's baptism reminded me that all the driving, cheering at sporting events, discussions and late nights were worth every bit of effort and the rewards are eternal!
Enjoy this video:
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
God's Chisel « Videos « The Skit Guys
When God chisels the dead weight out of our lives it can be very painful. In one of their most requested skits, Tommy and Eddie give a very creative look at a typical believer having to go through the process of discipline.
Click here to see the video - God's Chisel by The Skit Guys
Click here to see the video - God's Chisel by The Skit Guys
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Relationships: Does True Love Exist?
An online devotional by ACTS International
"A new command I [Jesus] give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."1
A Daily Encounter reader asks, "Does true love exist? I have had three broken relationships. Each one made big promises he never kept. I have tried healing myself by reading some inspirational articles, but nothing worked. I always ask God, 'Why has all this happened to me when I was true to them?' Is there no one made for me to give me love? I feel my life is full of regrets. Please tell me what I need to do to heal myself?"
The number one issue Encounter readers write to me about is poor relationships. The fact is that loving relationships—for which we were created—are vital for healthy and meaningful living. Without such relationships we limp along in the shadows of life eking out a lonely, empty and hollow existence—and very likely will die before our time.
True love does exist but it is a fruit of personal growth, maturity and wholeness—emotional and spiritual—for only to the degree that we are made whole will our attitudes, our behavior, our actions, and our relationships be wholesome.
Speaking personally, I had a lot of emotional issues from my childhood that I had to acknowledge and resolve before I found the love of my life. That took a deep commitment not only to God, seeking his help, but also for getting the counseling help I needed to overcome my personal issues and deficiencies.
Unfortunately, some Christians are expecting God to bring the "right" person into their life. It doesn't work this way. If we want to be attracted to the "right" person, we need to be the "right" person. Only healthy people are attracted to healthy people. Actually, if we are truly honest with ourselves, we can learn a lot about ourselves by looking at our significant other relationships as we are as healthy or as sick as the people we are attracted to.
In earlier years why was I attracted to ladies who were afraid to love? It was because I was unconsciously afraid to love. This was because I had felt rejected as a child and was unconsciously afraid of being hurt again. To overcome my fear I needed to acknowledge it and get all the counseling help I needed to overcome. Was it easy? No, at times it was extremely difficult but I knew that unless I overcame my fear of love, I would be running from love the rest of my life. I acknowledged my need when my pain was greater than my fear.
So, like the young lady who asked if true love existed, if you are struggling with poor or impaired relationships, start by asking God to confront you with the truth about you and what it is in you that is causing you to be attracted to bad relationships? Without confronting this truth, you may be floundering in painful relationships for the rest of your life. As Jesus also pointed out, only the truth sets people free.
Then ask God to lead you to the help you need to guide you through the healing and recovery process. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world it can be extremely difficult to find qualified counseling help. However, there is some free online lay counseling that can be helpful. For counseling resources see http://www.actsweb.org/counseling_resources.php.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to see that my poor relationships are your wakeup call to awaken me to the fact that there are unresolved relational issues in my life. Please help me to see what these issues are and help me to find the help I need for healing and recovery. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."
"A new command I [Jesus] give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."1
A Daily Encounter reader asks, "Does true love exist? I have had three broken relationships. Each one made big promises he never kept. I have tried healing myself by reading some inspirational articles, but nothing worked. I always ask God, 'Why has all this happened to me when I was true to them?' Is there no one made for me to give me love? I feel my life is full of regrets. Please tell me what I need to do to heal myself?"
The number one issue Encounter readers write to me about is poor relationships. The fact is that loving relationships—for which we were created—are vital for healthy and meaningful living. Without such relationships we limp along in the shadows of life eking out a lonely, empty and hollow existence—and very likely will die before our time.
True love does exist but it is a fruit of personal growth, maturity and wholeness—emotional and spiritual—for only to the degree that we are made whole will our attitudes, our behavior, our actions, and our relationships be wholesome.
Speaking personally, I had a lot of emotional issues from my childhood that I had to acknowledge and resolve before I found the love of my life. That took a deep commitment not only to God, seeking his help, but also for getting the counseling help I needed to overcome my personal issues and deficiencies.
Unfortunately, some Christians are expecting God to bring the "right" person into their life. It doesn't work this way. If we want to be attracted to the "right" person, we need to be the "right" person. Only healthy people are attracted to healthy people. Actually, if we are truly honest with ourselves, we can learn a lot about ourselves by looking at our significant other relationships as we are as healthy or as sick as the people we are attracted to.
In earlier years why was I attracted to ladies who were afraid to love? It was because I was unconsciously afraid to love. This was because I had felt rejected as a child and was unconsciously afraid of being hurt again. To overcome my fear I needed to acknowledge it and get all the counseling help I needed to overcome. Was it easy? No, at times it was extremely difficult but I knew that unless I overcame my fear of love, I would be running from love the rest of my life. I acknowledged my need when my pain was greater than my fear.
So, like the young lady who asked if true love existed, if you are struggling with poor or impaired relationships, start by asking God to confront you with the truth about you and what it is in you that is causing you to be attracted to bad relationships? Without confronting this truth, you may be floundering in painful relationships for the rest of your life. As Jesus also pointed out, only the truth sets people free.
Then ask God to lead you to the help you need to guide you through the healing and recovery process. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world it can be extremely difficult to find qualified counseling help. However, there is some free online lay counseling that can be helpful. For counseling resources see http://www.actsweb.org/counseling_resources.php.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to see that my poor relationships are your wakeup call to awaken me to the fact that there are unresolved relational issues in my life. Please help me to see what these issues are and help me to find the help I need for healing and recovery. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."
Friday, September 25, 2009
Noah's Ark ... Everything I Needed to Know
Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark:
1. Don't miss the boat.
2. Remember that we are all in the same boat!
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
4. Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
5. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
9. When you're stressed, float awhile.
10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
11. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.
1. Don't miss the boat.
2. Remember that we are all in the same boat!
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
4. Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
5. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
9. When you're stressed, float awhile.
10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
11. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Paradoxical Commandments
By Michael Josephson of Character Counts (607.2)
In 1968, when Kent M. Keith was a 19-year-old sophomore at Harvard, he wrote the Paradoxical Commandments as part of a booklet for student leaders. He describes the Commandments as guidelines for finding personal meaning in the face of adversity:
* People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
* If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
* If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
* The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
* Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
* The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.
* People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
* What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
* People need help but may attack you if you help them. Help people anyway.
* Give the world the best you have and you may get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.
The essence of these Commandments is that each of us must choose to do what we think we should do, even when we think we have good reasons not to. They remind us that we are capable of rising above common practices that demean our nature and our culture.
We can rationalize distorting the Golden Rule as "Do unto others as they have done onto you" or "Do onto others before they do onto you" but, in the terminology of the '60s, we then become part of the problem rather than the solution.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
(c) 2009 Josephson Institute of Ethics; reprinted with permission. Michael Josephson, one of the nation's leading ethicists, is the founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics and the premier youth character education program, CHARACTER COUNTS! For further information visit www.charactercounts.org.
In 1968, when Kent M. Keith was a 19-year-old sophomore at Harvard, he wrote the Paradoxical Commandments as part of a booklet for student leaders. He describes the Commandments as guidelines for finding personal meaning in the face of adversity:
* People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
* If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
* If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
* The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
* Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
* The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.
* People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
* What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
* People need help but may attack you if you help them. Help people anyway.
* Give the world the best you have and you may get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.
The essence of these Commandments is that each of us must choose to do what we think we should do, even when we think we have good reasons not to. They remind us that we are capable of rising above common practices that demean our nature and our culture.
We can rationalize distorting the Golden Rule as "Do unto others as they have done onto you" or "Do onto others before they do onto you" but, in the terminology of the '60s, we then become part of the problem rather than the solution.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
(c) 2009 Josephson Institute of Ethics; reprinted with permission. Michael Josephson, one of the nation's leading ethicists, is the founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics and the premier youth character education program, CHARACTER COUNTS! For further information visit www.charactercounts.org.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Commitment towards the future...
"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, "begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."
by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
As I reflect on turning 47 I look back and count my many blessings, 5 children strike me as my most important contribution to this world. The opportunity to raise children and be an example that influences their lives...the people they marry...future grandchildren...their career paths, friends, and the list goes on!
What an exceptional gift I've received and take very seriously. Each one a unique person that has different needs, strengths and weaknesses. Each requiring me to grow personally in a different area of my life to be whom they need.
What could be more important. Only my relationship with my God, as without that none of this is possible. I am reminded once again that without Him I can do nothing. Immediately after my children Jordan comes to mind. The experiences we shared as God used us to show so many what can happen when you act on faith!
To my wonderful family, I truly have learned that when the bottom falls out...it is your family that is there for you. Thank you Mom, Dad, Wayne, Sharon, Brian (yes even my absentee brother with a huge heart!), and Lisa. Lisa continues to inspire me as she hasn't let her health challenges stop her walk!
Leading a team Independent Business Owners is next on my list....the lives I've had the chance to watch, learn and be influenced by - THANK YOU! Now to all of you on the team; I wish I could find the words to show you my appreciation for giving me the permission to lead you. I do not take this lightly. You motivate me to continue the journey of growth, to aspire to become the best I can to assist you with your leadership development. Oh the many lives that we'll touch.....
To all my extended family, friends, and co-workers...thanks for the part you've played in my life; each of you has brought something into my life to learn. I pray that it has been mutually beneficial.
I am one extremely blessed woman that realizes each new day, each new year is a gift to be unwrapped and savoured for everything can change it a heartbeat! I am looking back this morning to prepare myself for the best that is yet to come. I've heard many people talk about their past longing for the good old days...well I prefer to commit to what our Great God has in store for the coming days! I desire to surrender my life daily; less of me and more of you God! The sense of urgency I feel for reaching others is spurring me on for the second half...
by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
As I reflect on turning 47 I look back and count my many blessings, 5 children strike me as my most important contribution to this world. The opportunity to raise children and be an example that influences their lives...the people they marry...future grandchildren...their career paths, friends, and the list goes on!
What an exceptional gift I've received and take very seriously. Each one a unique person that has different needs, strengths and weaknesses. Each requiring me to grow personally in a different area of my life to be whom they need.
What could be more important. Only my relationship with my God, as without that none of this is possible. I am reminded once again that without Him I can do nothing. Immediately after my children Jordan comes to mind. The experiences we shared as God used us to show so many what can happen when you act on faith!
To my wonderful family, I truly have learned that when the bottom falls out...it is your family that is there for you. Thank you Mom, Dad, Wayne, Sharon, Brian (yes even my absentee brother with a huge heart!), and Lisa. Lisa continues to inspire me as she hasn't let her health challenges stop her walk!
Leading a team Independent Business Owners is next on my list....the lives I've had the chance to watch, learn and be influenced by - THANK YOU! Now to all of you on the team; I wish I could find the words to show you my appreciation for giving me the permission to lead you. I do not take this lightly. You motivate me to continue the journey of growth, to aspire to become the best I can to assist you with your leadership development. Oh the many lives that we'll touch.....
To all my extended family, friends, and co-workers...thanks for the part you've played in my life; each of you has brought something into my life to learn. I pray that it has been mutually beneficial.
I am one extremely blessed woman that realizes each new day, each new year is a gift to be unwrapped and savoured for everything can change it a heartbeat! I am looking back this morning to prepare myself for the best that is yet to come. I've heard many people talk about their past longing for the good old days...well I prefer to commit to what our Great God has in store for the coming days! I desire to surrender my life daily; less of me and more of you God! The sense of urgency I feel for reaching others is spurring me on for the second half...
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Thankful
"I thank my God every time I remember you."1
I have read that "Charles Plumb, a US Naval Academy graduate, was a jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent six years in a Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.
"One day after Plumb gave a presentation, a fellow came up to him and said, 'You don't know me, but I am the person who packed your parachute the day you were shot down.'
"Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, 'I guess it worked!'
"Plumb assured him, 'It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today.'"
If it weren't for somebody else—perhaps many "somebody elses"—most of us wouldn't be where we are today either. And if it weren't for somebody else telling us about Jesus and his gift of forgiveness and eternal life, most of us wouldn't know him and wouldn't be bound for Heaven. May we ever be mindful and thankful to all who have "folded our parachute" and may we do the same for others.
Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes of ACTS International
I have read that "Charles Plumb, a US Naval Academy graduate, was a jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent six years in a Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.
"One day after Plumb gave a presentation, a fellow came up to him and said, 'You don't know me, but I am the person who packed your parachute the day you were shot down.'
"Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, 'I guess it worked!'
"Plumb assured him, 'It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today.'"
If it weren't for somebody else—perhaps many "somebody elses"—most of us wouldn't be where we are today either. And if it weren't for somebody else telling us about Jesus and his gift of forgiveness and eternal life, most of us wouldn't know him and wouldn't be bound for Heaven. May we ever be mindful and thankful to all who have "folded our parachute" and may we do the same for others.
Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes of ACTS International
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)