Heard from an old friend

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend and that your week is off to a great start.

This past week I found myself riding the roller coaster of “what if” worry and “what now” doubts. I have always been one who expects the best, but plans for the worst. Unfortunately at times I get overly focused on the planning for the worst.

I am so thankful that God doesn’t allow me to wallow in these times of shaken confidence and rattled faith. During my greatest time of doubt this week I was blessed by a phone call from a friend. The Bible has many thoughts on friendship and today I wanted to share this with you:

Proverbs 17:17 (NLT)

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.

My friend Don is a fellow pastor from Kansas. He called me out of the blue to let me know I had been on his mind. We talked, laughed and caught up on what was going on in both of our lives. Even though Don gave me no advice, just our time of connecting boosted my spirits and refocused my perspective for the day.

Over the years I have seen this same scenario play out on a couple of occasions. I consider the friendships that God has allowed me to form over the years to be some of the greatest riches that God has given me in this life. I am blessed to know that I can send out an email or make a few phone calls and immediately tap into the prayers and counsel of men and women who care deeply for me and my family.

Today I encourage you to give thanks for your friends. I also want to challenge you to be the kind of friend who is by nature a blessing to others. You never know how God may use you to refresh, renew and encourage a brother or sister in need.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl

You've Got a Great Guide

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend and that your week is off to a great start.

Have you ever wondered where you are going? My family and I are currently in the midst of a transition where the future destination is not clear yet. There are times when I find myself questioning the path and direction. It is with this thought of direction that I want to speak to you this morning.

I am a firm believer that life is not a series of random circumstances, but instead a divinely crafted and planned journey. When I look back at the course my life has taken I see where the dots connect. Steps that didn’t make sense at the time are now perfectly clear in meaning and importance. Each experience fits perfectly into place with the others. The Bible speaks to this divine design:

Psalm 32:8 (NLT)

The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.

I will advise you and watch over you.

I once went through a retreat that dealt with discovering your purpose and mission in life. One of the keys that we looked at in our lives was “destiny pointers.” Destiny pointers are events in our lives that point towards God’s divine purpose. As I reflect I see many destiny pointers in my life. Throughout my life I have seen God’s hand pointing in the direction that my life has taken.

It is the assurance of God’s guidance and care that give me peace during times of ambiguity. I know that God has carefully laid out the course of my life and that He will reveal the next steps when the timing is right.

Today you may find yourself in a time of uncertainty. I encourage you to take comfort in the fact that your course is already known and your Father in heaven sees every twist, turn, hill and valley. Trust His leadership and enjoy the journey.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl

Who's Speaking Into Your Life?

Good morning! I hope your weekend was restful and that your week is off to a dynamic start. Today I want to speak with you about the issue of accountability.

In today’s world very few people really choose to make themselves accountable to anyone. They go through life haphazardly not really giving much thought to how their words, attitudes and actions affect others. They never really have incentive to change course until a situation gets out of control or the damage inflicted becomes catastrophic.

One of the things I have maintained for many years is a group of people who hold me accountable for the way I conduct my life and the way I lead my ministry. These men and women are given the task of speaking to actions and attitudes in my life that are detrimental to either my ministry or the ministry of the church.

The Bible speaks to this type of relationship in the book of Proverbs:

Proverbs 27:6 (KJV)

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

This past week I had to face the wounds of a friend. I had allowed careless words and actions to cause pain and harm to others around me. Fortunately, I have this group of leaders surrounding me and they were faithful to the task. They spoke the truth in love and through them God opened my eyes to the reality of what was going on within me.

Now I will be the first to tell you it is no fun to be held accountable or to have to seek the forgiveness of those you offend, but there is healing and cleansing in both.

Imagine if you doctor didn’t tell you that he/she had found cancer in your body, because they didn’t want to hurt your feelings. They would be considered negligent. You would want the bad news, because at least you could work towards a solution. To ignore the problem could lead to greater complications and even death.

Too many times we don’t give people permission to be honest with us about what they see in our lives, but we should. The objectivity of another often reveals things about ourselves and our actions that we never even realized were present.

Today I encourage you to hold yourself accountable to someone. This could be something as simple as accountability for a diet or exercise, time with your kids or even deeper spiritual accountability. The transparency may be a little uncomfortable at first, but in the long run you will be a much better person because of it.

Until next Monday may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl

If At First You Don't Succeed....

Good morning! I hope you had a restful weekend and have hit the ground running this morning. I spent a good chunk of my weekend working on my house. As fall settles in my opportunities to wrap up my house painting project are fading quickly.

Today I want to speak to you about the issue of persistence. It is said that Thomas Edison did not successfully invent the light bulb until he had made 10,000 unsuccessful attempts. Studies also show that some of the most successful business people in our nation have had at least one business fail prior to their success. Had these individuals given up at the first sign of failure we might not be beneficiaries of their persistence.

Now I realize you may not be looking to start a new company or invent the next technological miracle, but the concept of persistence is just as important for you. Maybe your issue is getting a date, getting a promotion or making a job change. You may have been seeking resolution for some time now, but the answer continues to be “no” or “not now.” Today I want to encourage you with these words from Jesus:

Matthew 7:7 (NLT)

"Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened.

If you find you are losing hope over the seemingly endless stream of “no” answers, I want to encourage you that your “yes” is coming. With each no, not now or later you are another step closer to a yes.

When Thomas Edison was asked about his failed attempts at creating the light bulb he replied: “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” The challenge for us is the similar, to find the lessons of our wait. I have found that when God tells me no, He always has a better plan for my life than whatever situation I am pursuing. I have seen this happen in both professional and personal situations.

Today if you seem to keep hitting walls everywhere you turn, take heart. Your “yes” is near and God has something much better in mind. Keep seeking, keep knocking, keep asking…when the time is right your answers will be clear.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl

Postcards from God

Good morning! I hope your weekend was restful and that you have hit the ground running this morning.

This past week was a difficult week for me spiritually, mentally and physically. As I arrived home from India a week and a half ago my family was getting over head colds. So as I finished off the jet lag I found myself coming down with the same head cold. Unfortunately for me I have asthma so most colds don’t stay in my head long, but instead go straight for my chest and this one has been no different. Emotionally I was simply drained by the pressures of my current transition in ministry and the uncertainties of my professional future. Spiritually I had hit a low point and wondered if I was truly strong enough to see things through.

I’m sure you’ve had times like this as well. Times like these are often lonely times for me when my normal avenues of strength and encouragement just aren’t available to me.

It is precisely at these times that God shows some of His greatest care for us. For me this past week it was a passage of scripture that I want to share with you this morning:

“I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand, and I tell you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I will help you.’

Isaiah 41:13 (NCV)

A friend of mine calls these “postcards from God,” those times when God reminds you of His closeness during your times of pain, fear and uncertainty. This verse was special to me, because it reminded me of my own children.

There are times when we go to busy, bustling places or places that are unfamiliar to my children. When we make such journeys my youngest daughter and son (the 16 year old is a little past this now) generally will take my wife or I by the hand to guide them through. The grasp of our hand is a reassuring sign of safety for these young children. They may not know where we are going, but they have confidence that when they are hand in hand with us no harm will come to them.

As I looked at my own situation this past week, I found myself speaking to my Heavenly Father. I admitted that I was a little scared and uncertain, but I extended my right hand with confidence, knowing that God, being faithful to His word would hold on tightly. In the following days after I received this “postcard from God,” I began to see my situation in a different light. Answers that had not been apparent in the beginning were now clearly visible. Walking hand in hand with my Heavenly Father, I now had confidence that I would make it through these current hardships safely.

If you are going through a time of great difficulty I hope you find comfort in the postcard that I received. Reach out your hand, because the hand of God is reaching for you.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be upon you this week.

Carl