This is why I remind you to keep using the gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. Now let it grow, as a small flame grows into a fire. – 2 Timothy 1:6 (NCV)
What gift has God given you? How have you nurtured that gift? Is your gift a small flame or is it a large fire, or maybe on the way to becoming a large fire? What can you do to make that flame bigger?
Right after my son was born I stopped going to the gym. I found every excuse not to go; exhaustion, not wanting to miss moments with him, exhaustion, work I needed to do, exhaustion…
Finally, two months later, I decided it was time to go back to the gym. I started to do the same workout I did before. I couldn’t finish the first set of anything. I didn’t even finish half of the workout. The next day I could barely move.
Two months away from the gym and I had lost most of my strength. The only reason I did not go was because I found excuses not to go when I had all the opportunities.
My mother use to say to me, “If you don’t use it you will lose it.” This is true of the gym evidently, I can’t speak Spanish anymore, and I’ve forgotten more chemistry than most will ever learn. This is the same of God’s gifts to us, if we don’t use them we lose them!
In the parable of the talents, Jesus said that the master took away the talent of the servant who buried it and did not use it. We have to use our talents and our gifts and let them grow into a mighty flame! Pray that today we discover our gift and keep using it so that we might hear Jesus say to us, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master!”
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A Kind Word
“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” – Proverbs 12:25 (NIV)
How has an anxious heart weighed you down? Who do you know who is anxious and nervous? What kind word do you have for people? What kind word has cheered you up?
The following story is from Beth Fryer and can be found at: http://www.peopleandpossibilities.com/33kindnessstories2.html
“Once, many years ago, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and was scheduled for a mastectomy. That morning I attended a college class in which the husband of a good friend was also a student. Most mornings we said hello to one another and that was about it - he would sit with his guy friends, and I usually sat alone. When he entered class that morning, he came and sat next to me. He never mentioned my mom, never talked about the situation at all... he just sat next to me and chatted a bit. That was the day I learned that sometimes the kindest act is just to BE there... and I always remember this as one of the most touching acts of kindness I've ever received.”
Acts of kindness, kind words, and kind people will always help others struggling through difficult times! My wife and I were speaking about our 5-month-old son wondering what kind of person he will become. We thought some and finally my wife said, “I don’t care what he becomes as long as he is kind.” The words of the prophet Micah still ring true as he wondered what more the Lord requires of us than to practice justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God!
An anxious heart weighs a person down, and sometimes an anxious person isn’t so kind. When met with mean people it is easy to become mean and angry in return. But today pray that we become lovers of kindness, and respond to all people with a kind word, gesture, or action. We never know what anxiety we may help overcome!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
How has an anxious heart weighed you down? Who do you know who is anxious and nervous? What kind word do you have for people? What kind word has cheered you up?
The following story is from Beth Fryer and can be found at: http://www.peopleandpossibilities.com/33kindnessstories2.html
“Once, many years ago, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and was scheduled for a mastectomy. That morning I attended a college class in which the husband of a good friend was also a student. Most mornings we said hello to one another and that was about it - he would sit with his guy friends, and I usually sat alone. When he entered class that morning, he came and sat next to me. He never mentioned my mom, never talked about the situation at all... he just sat next to me and chatted a bit. That was the day I learned that sometimes the kindest act is just to BE there... and I always remember this as one of the most touching acts of kindness I've ever received.”
Acts of kindness, kind words, and kind people will always help others struggling through difficult times! My wife and I were speaking about our 5-month-old son wondering what kind of person he will become. We thought some and finally my wife said, “I don’t care what he becomes as long as he is kind.” The words of the prophet Micah still ring true as he wondered what more the Lord requires of us than to practice justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God!
An anxious heart weighs a person down, and sometimes an anxious person isn’t so kind. When met with mean people it is easy to become mean and angry in return. But today pray that we become lovers of kindness, and respond to all people with a kind word, gesture, or action. We never know what anxiety we may help overcome!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Lord's Goodness
I truly believe I will live to see the Lord's goodness. Wait for the Lord's help. Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord's help. – Psalm 27:13-14 (NCV)
Do you believe you will see the Lord’s goodness? What is God’s goodness like? How does one live who waits for the Lord’s help? How can we act strong and brave in the midst of all of life’s trials and tribulations?
We live in interesting times. Many believe that things are getting worse all of the time. It is easy to believe this when we see our savings dwindle, our friends, our family, and sometimes ourselves unemployed. The media addresses our fears by showing us that our fears are well founded. We live afraid.
Fear does an interesting thing to us, it causes us to live lives where we are on constant vigil to see how much worse it is going to get. We become pessimistic and use it as a coping mechanism. When things get worse we feel justified in our pessimism, saying to others, and ourselves “Look I was right, things are awful.”
It is no wonder that recent studies have declared less people are attending church now. The one place God has called to a beacon of hope in a world of distress has allowed itself to become boggled down with despair. Often churches contain members and ministers who act just as pessimistic as the rest of society.
Sermons become soliloquies of depression, members bemoan a loss of Christian values, and all the while we never realize that our actions demonstrate a lack of faith in a great God!
Where is the hope unless it abides in us? Where is the joy unless we live into the joy of the Psalmist who proclaimed during a stressful time, “I truly believe I will live to see the Lord’s goodness.” Things may be bad, but we have a faithful God whose help is on the way. We help others by being strong and brave in the midst of the storm believing in the promises of God.
Jesus said, “I have appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last…” Our fruit will last when we abide in the love of Christ, and stand strong in the midst of life’s storms. When we, with faith, wait for the Lord’s help, we become a beacon and hope and joy in world that needs hope and joy! Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord’s help!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Do you believe you will see the Lord’s goodness? What is God’s goodness like? How does one live who waits for the Lord’s help? How can we act strong and brave in the midst of all of life’s trials and tribulations?
We live in interesting times. Many believe that things are getting worse all of the time. It is easy to believe this when we see our savings dwindle, our friends, our family, and sometimes ourselves unemployed. The media addresses our fears by showing us that our fears are well founded. We live afraid.
Fear does an interesting thing to us, it causes us to live lives where we are on constant vigil to see how much worse it is going to get. We become pessimistic and use it as a coping mechanism. When things get worse we feel justified in our pessimism, saying to others, and ourselves “Look I was right, things are awful.”
It is no wonder that recent studies have declared less people are attending church now. The one place God has called to a beacon of hope in a world of distress has allowed itself to become boggled down with despair. Often churches contain members and ministers who act just as pessimistic as the rest of society.
Sermons become soliloquies of depression, members bemoan a loss of Christian values, and all the while we never realize that our actions demonstrate a lack of faith in a great God!
Where is the hope unless it abides in us? Where is the joy unless we live into the joy of the Psalmist who proclaimed during a stressful time, “I truly believe I will live to see the Lord’s goodness.” Things may be bad, but we have a faithful God whose help is on the way. We help others by being strong and brave in the midst of the storm believing in the promises of God.
Jesus said, “I have appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last…” Our fruit will last when we abide in the love of Christ, and stand strong in the midst of life’s storms. When we, with faith, wait for the Lord’s help, we become a beacon and hope and joy in world that needs hope and joy! Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord’s help!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Monday, May 4, 2009
Living for What Matters
Again I saw something here on earth that was useless: I saw a man who had no family, no son or brother. He always worked hard but was never satisfied with what he had. He never asked himself, "For whom am I working so hard? Why don't I let myself enjoy life?" This also is very sad and useless. – Ecclesiastes 4:7-8 (NCV)
What do you think this passage says about life? What is sad and useless about a life without satisfaction? How does one live a satisfied life? Are you satisfied with your life? How does one who is happy with life live?
The following story is found at: http://www.inspirationalarchive.com/texts/topics/makeadifference/sharetime.shtml
A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door. "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
"Yeah, sure, what is it?" replied the man.
"Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?
"That's none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.
"I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy.
"If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour."
"Oh," the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?"
The father was furious. "If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you're being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and don't have time for such childish games."
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy's questioning. How dare him ask such questions only to get some money.
After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00, and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. "Are you asleep son?" he asked.
"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.
"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man. "It's been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here's that $10.00 you asked for."
The little boy sat straight up, beaming. "Oh, thank you daddy!" he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man.
"Why did you want more money if you already had some?" the father grumbled.
"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.
"Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?"
There is much more to life than work! Family, friends, fellowship and community are what make life worth the living. Make sure time is well spent so that life does not become sad and useless. Find satisfaction in life and there joy will be too!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
What do you think this passage says about life? What is sad and useless about a life without satisfaction? How does one live a satisfied life? Are you satisfied with your life? How does one who is happy with life live?
The following story is found at: http://www.inspirationalarchive.com/texts/topics/makeadifference/sharetime.shtml
A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door. "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
"Yeah, sure, what is it?" replied the man.
"Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?
"That's none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.
"I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy.
"If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour."
"Oh," the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?"
The father was furious. "If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you're being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and don't have time for such childish games."
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy's questioning. How dare him ask such questions only to get some money.
After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00, and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. "Are you asleep son?" he asked.
"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.
"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man. "It's been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here's that $10.00 you asked for."
The little boy sat straight up, beaming. "Oh, thank you daddy!" he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man.
"Why did you want more money if you already had some?" the father grumbled.
"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.
"Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?"
There is much more to life than work! Family, friends, fellowship and community are what make life worth the living. Make sure time is well spent so that life does not become sad and useless. Find satisfaction in life and there joy will be too!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
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