Learning the Art of Self-challenge by Jason Jaggard
Through taking healthy risks that make you a better person or the world a better place, you begin to develop a deeper appetite for good. At first it might not be very tasty. Taking even a small risk can be more difficult than it sounds. And that is why we have to practice. We have to develop the skill of challenging ourselves.
[ … ]
“I believe nothing can separate me from God’s love: God’s love was present with me when I was spinning out of control, when the truck was stuck in the mud in the middle of the Mexican mountains, as well as during the various times when I was anxious about my personal life or work situations. He held me and loved me when I was pinned in a waterfall and dying. He kept me from feeling pain or worry. The experience of His presence, love, and compassion reassures me that Willie suffered no pain at the end of his life. His spirit probably left his body long before it was broken, and I feel confident that he was greeted by a host of overjoyed and excited witnesses.”
Excerpted from To Heaven and Back by Mary C. Neal, MD
My wife taught kindergarten for several years. One of the learning activities she employed was the time-tested game of Bingo. Letters and numbersand prizes! It’s a game of chance, as far as her kids knew. The teacher pulls numbers from a hat and the lucky one wins, right? Not exactly. Wanting every child to experience the thrill of winning, Anne would roam about the room looking for needed numbers on the cards
of her winless kindergartners. Feigning a real draw, she would call out the necessary numbers so each child would get a chance to win. The unsuspecting child would holler, “Bingo! I did it! I won! Where’s my prize?”
But a loving, sovereign teacher had orchestrated it all.
Your life hasn’t been a series of accomplishments in which to boast. Your life hasn’t been a random draw of [ … ]
“Focus on the Family” is re-airing its broadcast with Milan and Kay Yerkovich, authors of How We Love Our Kids. Click here to listen to Today’s Broadcast.
This Year: Dream Bigger, Start Smaller by Steven Furtick
Ive met a lot of people who knew what it was to burn plows and set out to live for God but didnt know what to do next. They prayed, they made a commitmentand they got stuck. As a pastor, Ive seen it over and over again. As a man trying to live for God, Ive experienced it over [ … ]
Why is it that some people with disabilities […] or others with serious illnesses or cruel diseases can find peace, enjoy other aspects of their lives, and even make positive contributions despite their own challenges? Could it be that they have not allowed their physical problems to cripple them emotionally? Could it be that they’ve chosen to focus on what is good in their lives instead of what is bad? Perhaps. Here is another possibility: maybe they’ve let go and let God. Maybe they’ve decided to let go of their pain, anger, and grief and let God handle it instead. Most people dealing with serious health problems or severe disabilities put faith into action every day in some way. Often it is faith in their doctors and nurses or in their pills, treatment, and medical equipment. Accepting professional medical care [ … ]
“So we face a very important question: Will we be like the frightened workmen who fled adversity to save their lives, or will we be courageous and relentless as we pursue heaven’s mandate?I believe within this message are truths that have the potential to forge within you a relentless stance. Not only will these truths strengthen you to stand strong, but they will equip you with the power to overcome and make a positive difference.
It’s essential that you be grounded in this knowledge. For far too long God’s people have gone into captivity and been destroyed for a lack of it (see Isaiah 5:13; Hosea 4:6). Correct knowledge weaves a foundation of faith, and by faith we effect change in a lost and dark world. You were created to make a difference in your world of influence. Together, let’s [ … ]
The gifts have been opened, holiday meals eaten, and reheated and eaten again. Relatives are gone, the house and schedules are beginning to return to some semblance of normalcy. Now our minds turn toward a new year and the possibilities that are present as the calendar signals another year on the horizon.
This is a wonderful time to slow down and listen in prayer to what God’s desire is for you in the coming year. In prayer, release disappointments, unfulfilled projects and goals, and any hurts that happened over the last year. Give the Holy Spirit time to speak encouragement and hope to your heart. Give thanks for the blessings and the blessings hidden in the trials and tests you experienced. Surrender any losses into God’s hand and let His love heal your heart. Like each new day, each year [ … ]
“Mama,” Little Cub asked one night. “Who ‘vented Christmas? Was it Santa?”
“No,” Mama Bear said. “God invented Christmas. God gave us Christmas.”
“Is God more important than Santa?”
“Oh yes, much more important!” Mama said with a smile
“What is that?” Little Cub asked in wonder as she watched the dancing lights in the sky.
“That is God at work, Little Cub. He sent his only Son as a baby so that we would know light from dark. Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus is how God gave us Christmas.”
Excerpted from God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa T. Bergren
Daily Reflection:
How can you thank God for everything He has given you?
