Facing a setback?

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and were able to share the time with family friends. This week will be filled with many creative recipes for turkey, stuffing and mashed potato leftovers.

Have you ever been through a time where you were so certain that something was going to happen in your life and then it all fell apart right in front of your eyes? I think all of us have experienced this at one point or another in our lives. Bill Gothard refers to this as the “death of a dream.” Today I want us to focus is in on God’s plans for your life.

I was recently reading a book when I came across this simple but profound statement:

“Setbacks are often setups for God to act.” Chazown,Craig Groeschel. Sometimes God doesn’t give us what we think is best for us, because He has something better in mind. God often has to get our own plans, hopes, dreams, aspirations and pre-conceived notions out of the way, so that we can fully know and appreciate His perfect plan.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

Our perspective of life is so narrow. We can only see the past and the immediate future, but God sees eternity. He sees the beginning, the present and what lies ahead for all of eternity. We can trust in God’s directions for our life to be consistent with His perspective. When we come to the point of trusting God’s choices in our lives, then we can take comfort in the fact that even when our dreams fall apart…His best is yet to come.

Time and time again, I have watched God use some of the greatest setbacks in my life to set me up for some of the greatest victories I’ve ever experienced. But my dreams and aspirations had to die first. My agendas would have gotten in the way of God’s perfect plan. I would have settled for good, when what God really wanted to give me was the best.

Today you may be facing the death of a dream. I encourage you not to see this as a defeat, but instead look at your situation as preparation for things to come.

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

Carl

Giving Thanks

Good morning! This weekend was a special weekend for me as I had the privilege of ordaining one of the men in my church into the pastoral ministry. This was one of the greatest highlights of my ministry to date.

This week we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. Families will come together and celebrate over a feast of turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Football games will be watched and many a nap will occur in recliners all over the country.

Today, I want to challenge you on this idea of thankfulness.

Psalm 95:2 (NLT)

Let us come before him with thanksgiving.

Let us sing him psalms of praise.

Praise for the Lord begins with a thankful heart. We often allow our busy lives to crowd out time to just say “thank you” and to rejoice. All of us will agree we have so much to be thankful for, but do we really take the time to reflect and rejoice?

This week I want to challenge you to look for opportunities for thankfulness. Whether it is a sunrise, a beautiful bird, the fall colors or the hug of a loved one that brings joy to your heart, stop for a moment and say “thank you.” As you enter into the Thanksgiving holiday, I encourage you to take some time out and make a list of things you are thankful for. Share that list with those who are with you and let your Thanksgiving become a festival of praise.

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

Carl

You Could Use A Good Laugh

Good morning! This weekend was a time to honor our military veterans and say thank you. I hope you took a few minutes to reflect, remember and give thanks for the freedoms you enjoy and for the men and women who have put their lives on the line for that freedom.

Sunday evening I had the opportunity to get together with friends from church to watch the Steelers game. During our time together the laughter was continuous and joy filled the house. Today I want to challenge you with laughter.

Job 8:21 (NLT)

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.

I am one who loves to laugh and looks for the humor in life. Sadly, life is filled with so many circumstances that rob us of our joy. Each day the enemy comes to “steal, kill and destroy,” but Jesus has promised us a life that is “abundant.” One of the greatest sources of rejuvenation comes from laughter. Laughter changes the way we see life and gives us a place of retreat during difficult times. I find that so many times my day is turned around by a good joke, a funny show or the quick wit of a friend.

Today I challenge you to look for the humor in life. Studies tell us that laughter can even be beneficial to your health. Laughter is thought to:

• Protect the heart
• Improve brain function
• Boost immunity
• Lower blood pressure

Look for those humorous moments that randomly occur throughout your day and thank God for filing your mouth with laughter.

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

Carl

Keep on Truthing

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend and have started your week refreshed and energized.

This week is mid-term election week. The weekend football games were simply bookends for the political advertisements. With all of the political rhetoric it is often difficult to distinguish truth from a lie.

Our society is permeated with mistruths, stretched truth, fabrications and outright lies. In my care group this week one of our ladies made the comment that even when others are lying we should continue “truthing.” It is with this thought today that I want to urge you to “keep on truthing.”

Proverbs 11:3 (NLT)

Good people are guided by their honesty; treacherous people are destroyed by their dishonesty.

Honesty is a quality we all expect from others, but sadly we are willing to settle for situational truth. Unfortunately when honesty is not the priority the aftermath can be devastating. Deception fosters an environment of animosity, resentment and hostility.

One of the greatest ways to stand apart from the crowd is to simply practice honesty in everything you do. In a world where integrity is rarely seen, people take notice when the tongue in your mouth and the tongue in your shoes are moving in the same direction. People will go great distances for those they trust and have full confidence in.

Ultimately, your integrity is a reflection of your faith. When you make honesty a priority, others see the glory of Christ reflected in your life. When honesty is not your priority, you betray the testimony of your faith, rendering it powerless and void.

Honesty is not always easy, but in the long run your honesty will stand out in a world of compromise. This week I want to challenge you to make honesty your personal police of practice. When given the opportunity to choose between truth and lie, I encourage you to make choice to “keep on truthin.”

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

Carl