The Taste of Success!

The Taste of Success!

Proverbs 24:16 (NKJV)

16 For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again,But the wicked shall fall by calamity.

Just as the fork approached his mouth, plop! The meatball fell off of the fork. 2, 3,4,5,6 more times he picked the meatball out of his bowl of Chef Boyardee spaghetti and placed it on his fork. 

Repeatedly, his efforts to enjoy that feisty meatball were thwarted by the ball falling before the success of consumption.

Standing close enough to watch yet not get involved, I was enamored at my son’s tenacity. After the second attempt, I think I would have either switched back to the noodles, thrown that troublesome meatball, or whined for assistance. A part of me wanted to grab his fork, stab that meatball then place the fork back in his hand.

But, my son’s focused persistence wouldn’t let me jump in. With each failed attempt, he laughed and tried again.

A popular verse that is often misinterpreted is in the book of Proverbs chapter 24 and verse 16.

Many people quote this scripture with the thought that the seven face plants happen daily (some manuscripts have it added) or that the falls are into some type of repetitive sin. However that is not true for the original translation. 

The falls that are being referenced are the unavoidable circumstances that occur in the life of a believer. Seven references the fact that there is a plurality to events taking place. You didn’t see the death of a family member or friend coming, that flat tire in rush hour traffic wasn’t planned, and that large bill was not on your to do list – but nevertheless they happened.

The bible encourages us by saying a righteous man (or woman) defined as someone who is morally right or in right standing will rise again. I like to put it this way, anyone who is known to stand up right with God will be able to get back up if they become tripped up by situations. 

Take a lesson from Peter. He didn’t plan to be in a storm with the disciples, but it happened. He didn’t make some major moral mistake when he began sinking, but it happened. Nevertheless – Jesus was right there the entire time watching and teaching.

Don’t be discouraged when God is seemingly silent – even schoolteachers are quiet during a test.

On the seventh try, my son mastered that meatball and enjoyed every bit of it.

Trials come but just as Jesus got up – so will you. Get up and taste Success!

It's only a flesh wound - or is it?

How many times have you heard "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me"? I would venture to say that you have probably heard that saying as many times as I have heard it preached -- that words DO HURT.

I ascribe to both thoughts but with greater insight.

When any of the youth I work with at church approach me and tell me that they were in a fight, I immediately ask for details. As interesting as it is to hear the blow by blow commentary - I am more interested in HOW it all started. The funny thing is that a majority of the altercations were ignited by somebody's words. Someone said something about somebody and everybody got excited.

Although the words never drew blood the intended opponent still saw red. 

Proverbs 18:21

New King James Version (NKJV)

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Matthew 26:51-52

New King James Version (NKJV)

51 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish[a] by the sword.

Often, the difference between our words giving life or taking slices from life is minimal. One thing said the wrong way or in the wrong moment changes WORDS to SWORDS and somebody's getting cut.

It is my challenge to you that you consider the content of your conversations. 

Peter, protecting his leader, drew his sword and for all intents and purposes aimed to remove the head of the soldier, Malchus. However he only severed the soldier’s ear.

I believe that someone is always listening and our words could be the very swords that remove the ears of those who need to hear about saving grace and the favor of God. 

Thank God for being a healer even to the lost that they may know Him and still become saved.

So although it is true that words do not draw blood - they can paint an ugly picture. You have the ability to use your words for good and when they need to be swords allow them to cut up and rightly divide a lie to expose the truth.

The biggest LOSER just WON!

The biggest LOSER just WON!

Galatians 6:4 (NKJV)

4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

In order to keep the peace while driving, I allow my son to play on my phone. (Sidebar: This is also my ingenious way of keep me from texting and driving). I am always amazed at how he navigates the different apps on the phone. 

If he feels like watching one of his favorite cartoons, he goes to the Disney Jr. app. If he feels like doing some learning, he goes to the learning apps, and if he feels like hearing his own voice in a shrill and very annoying tone for daddy, he goes to the talking tom app. But lately, he has advanced to some of my personal games that I thought were a bit too advanced for him. His personal favorite is temple run. Now mind you, he is not very good. He just enjoys the sound of the game and watching the little guy run until he falls.

Today, I heard him playing the game in the backseat and laughing to himself. When we arrived at his daycare, I pried my phone from his hand, and walked him into class. As I was getting back in my car, I noticed that I had several Facebook notices. This little dude had posted his score from temple run to my Facebook page and people were commenting on the terrible score.

I would have been ok with him posting his score but it wasn’t a very good score. Hey, my reputation is at stake.

Then I thought about it. For my son it wasn’t about getting a high score – he was happy to play the game and was more excited about his ability to work the app. 

In life, we cannot measure our accomplishments against everyone else. We must not only be our biggest competition but also our biggest cheering squad. It’s not about being boastful or braggadocios. It is about challenging yourself to make great personal accomplishments and then having the where with all to be ok with your own applause.

I challenge you to celebrate yourself this week even if your accomplishment isn’t as big of a deal to someone else. And, be sure to take off the post feature on your phone when you let your kids play with it!

God Rocks!

How Much for 1 Rib????

Where will you spend?

Matthew 6:21 (NLT)

21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

It is incredibly intriguing that the familiar phrase, “Time is Money” was coined by the man on the face of a one hundred dollar bill. Benjamin Franklin was not only a celebrated inventor but also a person who understood the value of time.

Recently I read that many stores are opening the evening of Thanksgiving for the early Christmas/post Thanksgiving sales. Although I applaud their efforts at reducing the rush and having concern for crazy crowds, a part of me feels that the purpose behind Thanksgiving is being pushed to the side.

Thanksgiving day is more than belt busting delicacies that destroy diets. It is a time of togetherness that provides people pause to examine their lives and profess their appreciations.

The bible teaches us that physical possessions are not bad but should not be our greatest focus of value.  Where will you spend your time and your money this Thanksgiving?

The Bells are Ringing - I'm hungry!!!

Repetition is a powerful teaching tool. Think of all the test questions and song lyrics you have memorized through repetition and repeated hearing.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.Matthew 5:6 (NKJV)

My son ran into the kitchen after finishing his dinner and exclaimed, “spoon!” I was confused. He had demolished a bowl of ravioli, some applesauce, and a banana – what more could he want? Again he said, “spoon!” Bewildered but intrigued, I handed him a spoon. He took a few steps back, placed the inside of the spoon on his nose, and then slowly pulled his hands away. He actually hung the spoon from his nose! After applauding and telling him well done, I nearly busted up the kitchen reaching for my phone just to take a picture.

It took a minute, but I realized that he learned this cool trick from repeatedly watching a kid from one of his favorite television shows.

There was an experiment in 1902 by a Russian Scientist named Ivan Pavlov. He concluded through using a bell to cause his dogs to salivate that a behavior could be learned. In the experiment, he would ring the bell every time he fed his dogs. Soon, he discovered that just the sound of the bell would increase salivation in his dogs, even before he handed them food.

The constant and consistent repetition of Pavlov can teach us a life lesson. Everyday we will experience good and bad things. The way we react is solely determined by the solutions we are frequently exposed to.

If we regularly see our leadership breakdown in a crisis – then we will break down in a crisis. If we see faith and trust in God from those we esteem in times of circumstance then our reaction will be the duplication of their actions.

Life will give you several moments to be the teacher or the pupil. In either case, you must be aware of what you are instructing others to do and what lessons you are allowing yourself to learn.

The bells of triumph are ringing. What will your reaction be? The bells of tragedy are ringing? What will your reaction be? Will you wallow in sorrow or salivate for the peace of your savior?

When we earnestly thirst for right living in everything we do and experience – the bible says we will be filled! The dogs had a physical reaction to the bell that ignited their hunger. The bell rang and they were filled with food from their master’s hand.

Like everything else, relying on the master takes practice and repetition.

Bruce Lee said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

When you practice trusting God above all else in every circumstance you will strengthen you spiritual muscles. When anything occurs, you will have muscle memory to immediately do what you have trained your body to do.

As the bells of your circumstances ring, will you trust your master to satisfy your needs? Practice pursuing God in everything, because, WITH GOD, all things are possible!

Bruised apples have good seeds!

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—

A young boy’s father gave him a bright red apple to take to school with his lunch. The boy placed the apple in his brown lunch sack, threw the sack into his backpack, and ran off to board the school bus.

During the coarse of the day, the apple tumbled around in the lunch sack. When it was time for lunch, the boy pulled the apple eagerly from his bag. When the boy saw the apple, his happy feelings immediately deflated. The apple, once brilliantly red and round, was now misshapen and covered with dark bruises. 

Disappointed, the boy slid the apple back into his lunch sack and tried to forget about it.

When the boy arrived home from school, he carried the bruised apple to his father. With tears in his eyes, the boy lamented over the demise of the apple’s beauty. The father then took the apple, sliced it in half, and handed it back to his son. He said, “ Son, the life of your apple is not over because inside of it are seeds that will make fresh new apples.”

Think about this. People are like the little boy’s apple. Life gives them bumps and bruises over time. Life experiences can make an individual feel worthless. Even worse, other people will cast someone off if they are too battered and misshapen for their liking.

Yet, there is hope! When you accept Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit plants a seed of regeneration inside of you. You will face hard days. Friends and family will turn their back on you. But you will not pass away. 

The Holy Spirit will give you the power to rejuvenate and flourish once more. Bruises will heal, true companions will return, and your God always lives. He gives beauty for ashes and a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness! (Isaiah 61:3)

Be encouraged – you may feel down, but the healthy lady at the opera isn’t about to hit her high notes. You have an encore performance coming soon. Plant yourself in Christ and allow him to not only renew you, but also help you encourage others to be renewed.

Jesus is a TEXAN! He does everything Big!

Celebrate the small stuff! Every blessing from God is a big deal!

James 1:17 (NKJV)

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

 

A vibrant “Hallelujah” echoed through the office like a Sunday church bell. I rushed over to my friend to see why he was experiencing such jubilation.

“I found my sunglasses.” He was beaming uncontrollably as he waved the sunglasses in the air.

I was both confused and surprised. “What?! That was it?”

After the initial surprise of the moment had passed, I realized that life was full of fragmented blessings.

Others may view your personal blessings as small, but it is perfectly okay for them to be a big deal for you! On top of that, small blessings often accumulate into bigger ones.  I rarely pass up the chance to pick up fallen change because my grandmother once told me that if you collect enough pennies, eventually you would make a dollar. Many of us are waiting for that one big blessing from God – when, in actuality, every blessing we receive is not only good, but also a part of a giant and perfect plan for our lives. We must learn to celebrate every gift we receive from the Lord.

Take some time today to tell God “Thank you!” You have received some great gifts from the best giver. Everything adds up, so count all of your blessings and be grateful!