JCM Blog
Hope in the Lord
In recent days I have been thinking much about the
importance of living intentionally. We are all have a
natural tendency to get caught up in the routine of daily
activities that we begin to drift along in our spiritual
life without taking positive steps that will help us grow
strong in our relationship with Christ. We may continue to
ask a blessing at meals, go routinely to church, and try to
read the Bible when we can squeeze it into our schedule. We
pray primarily when we feel desperate. But I believe we have
a deep down longing for more.
More Intentional
In recent days I have been thinking much about the
importance of living intentionally. We are all have a
natural tendency to get caught up in the routine of daily
activities that we begin to drift along in our spiritual
life without taking positive steps that will help us grow
strong in our relationship with Christ. We may continue to
ask a blessing at meals, go routinely to church, and try to
read the Bible when we can squeeze it into our schedule. We
pray primarily when we feel desperate. But I believe we have
a deep down longing for more.
No control
This month our weather went up and down from temperatures in
the 30s and up to the 70s. I have learned to “double
dress”—I wear clothes that have layers that can be taken
off and added to according to the current temperature! At
school I have learned to adjust for varying temperature
settings in the classroom—perhaps freezing in the morning,
but in the afternoon blasting heat in a room already at 70
degrees! We can complain about the weather, but we can’t
change it—there are no thermostats for us to adjust.
Stinkin Thinkin'
I spoke this weekend on Stinkin Thinkin! (Charles Tremendous Jones coined that phrase.) Bad attitudes are contagious, they affect our relationships with people, and they reflect our relationship to God! Five sneaky bugs that contaminate our attitudes are 1. Negativism; 2. Criticism; 3. Passivism; 4. Impatience; and 5. Entitlement. I had a sweet time with the wonderful ladies (of all ages) at HPBC retreat!
Anything you are or do in His name is ministry!
Recently I received an email from a former student of
mine-his words broke my heart. He described his painful
feelings of failure. When he was young, preachers had told
him that God had a great purpose for his life, and now, in
his 50's, he decided that these preachers had deceived him
What kind of great accomplishments had he ever made, he
asked. He had not become a great preacher or missionary. But
he had been true to a calling that he believed God had given
him, serving in a dangerous and difficult occupation in law
enforcement. Now in midlife, he felt betrayed because he
could show little of what he called "fruit."