When Paul wrote to Timothy, a colleague in ministry, he was not afraid to express his love for him. ‘I constantly remember you in my prayers… I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy.’ II Timothy 1:3-4 Love brings out the best in people by providing a foundation of acceptance, care and encouragement.
Read MoreTwo men were walking through a desert. Their journey was long and hard. Halfway through the barren landscape, one man struck the other man in anger. The other man bent down and wrote in the sand, ‘My friend struck me in the face today.’
Read MoreAnger is a pervasive problem in our culture today. Businessmen and women get angry at their leaders for not leading and at their followers for not following. They then take it home where they take out their anger. They get angry at their spouse and children. Then they feel guilty and angry at themselves for not being who they want to be.
Read MoreOur lives are like roller coasters. There are many twists, turns, and loops. The speed, the noise, and the unpredictability can be both fun and anxiety-producing. While we all experience life differently, we all have anxiety from time to time. Trauma, loss, stress in relationships, work or finances can all cause anxiety. We know we are anxious when we get a stomachache, have nausea, a racing heart, sweating, or insomnia.
Read MoreTo have lasting changes in our lives, we need to refocus our minds. Specifically, we need to change our thought patterns away from what we don’t want—from what we have been focusing on-- toward what we do want to focus on. Because whatever we focus on is what we move toward.
Read MoreJesus doesn’t let us coast in life. Just when we think we are doing well, He raises the bar.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matt 5:43-45)
Read MoreThe second law of thermodynamics states that all things move toward disorder if there is not additional energy put into the system. If you don’t believe that, just go into one of my kids’ rooms! Day by day clothing is shed and dropped on the floor, beds go unmade, and clothes that were tried on but not used get shoved haphazardly into drawers. And the room will only get worse unless some concerted energy is put into it. The same is true
Read More‘I love you’ is not just for lovers to say but for friends, family, and colleagues. Many people (men especially) have a hard time saying ‘I love you’ because it has been relegated to the area of romance. But love – caring for a person as a person and being committed to their good - is much bigger than that.
Read MoreThere is an interesting story in 2 Kings 5 about an Aramean general, Naaman, who goes to the prophet Elisha in Israel to be healed of leprosy. Elisha didn’t even come out of the house to greet him. Instead, he sent his servant to Naaman who conveyed the message that Naaman should wash himself seven times in the Jordan to be completely healed. Naaman was indignant.
Read MoreIn the business world, “margin” is what is left over after expenses. Increasing margin is the goal so that more can be invested in the company, paying workers, and serving clients. However, margin is not just for businesses, we need margin in our lives. We work so that we can rest, so that we can be refreshed for more productive, life-giving work. Without margin in our lives, productivity plummets. With the advent of all the
Read More