Good morning! I hope you had a relaxing weekend and have hit the week with your batteries recharged.
A few months ago, I began to notice something happening to the paint on my truck. On the top of the fender a bubble and a crack had appeared. I began to look around the truck…bottom of the tailgate, bottom of the doors, wheel wells….more bubbles.
A little sanding revealed the terrible truth, years of road salt had taken a corrosive hold on my truck. What had previously been hidden under layers of paint and clear coat was now exposed.
A similar thing happens within the life of a person. Notice what the Bible says:
Mark 4:22 (NLT)
"Everything that is now hidden or secret will eventually be brought to light.
No matter how adept we think we are at pushing down and burying the problems of our life, at some point the evidence of those things will rise to the surface. Bubbles and cracks will begin to form in our calm, cool and collected façade. The pain of our past hurts, the darkness of our deep rooted bitterness or the anger of our unforgiving spirit begins to show. With a little rubbing and friction the ravages of our soul are exposed.
Today, I want to encourage you to examine your exterior for the bubbles of hidden sin, unresolved anger or forgiveness withheld. As you locate those bubbles, ask God to reveal root cause and let Him begin the process of restoration and healing.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Journey into my heart
Good morning! I hope your week is off to a running start this morning.
This past week my wife and I took a few days away in the Texas Hill Country. Each year we try to take a retreat for our anniversary. This is a time to reconnect as a couple and to keep our marriage in its proper place with the other demands of life.
For me, this retreat was unlike any others we had gone on before. Not only did I take a journey with my wife, but God took me on a unique journey into my heart. This journey was unlike any journey I had ever taken before.
Psalm 139:23 (NLT)
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
God began the journey by taking me through the unhealed wounds to my heart. There were things revealed that I had never truly accepted as injuries to my heart. Words that had cut…insults that had hit their target…difficult season of life still remained unreconciled.
God next showed me how guarded I have become. In my days as a police officer, I lived by the 6 foot rule. The 6 foot rule was a radius of controlled space that I kept around me when conducting business. To enter that space uninvited was considered a breach of personal safety for me and my fellow officers.
What God showed me was that I have brought that guardedness into every area of my life. I am not a natural hugger…I dismiss compliments or redirect them altogether…there is always a 6 foot ring of emotional distance. Sadly, I came to realize on this journey that I do the same thing with God. I have not allowed Him to express His love for me in the manner that He has wanted to and in doing so I have missed out on His best for me.
So this past week, I made a choice to drop the protective barriers of my soul. I invited God to show me His love in whatever ways He chose. I invited Him into my wounds, my sorrows, my disappointments and any other closet that I have kept securely locked throughout my life.
As the week went on I began to experience a new intimacy with God, unlike any that I have experienced before. This new level of openness spilled over into my time with my wife and we too related on a much deeper level than either one of us ever remember relating.
Maybe this week you need to take a journey with God. Invite Him to give you a tour of your own heart. You too may be missing out on God’s best.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
This past week my wife and I took a few days away in the Texas Hill Country. Each year we try to take a retreat for our anniversary. This is a time to reconnect as a couple and to keep our marriage in its proper place with the other demands of life.
For me, this retreat was unlike any others we had gone on before. Not only did I take a journey with my wife, but God took me on a unique journey into my heart. This journey was unlike any journey I had ever taken before.
Psalm 139:23 (NLT)
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
God began the journey by taking me through the unhealed wounds to my heart. There were things revealed that I had never truly accepted as injuries to my heart. Words that had cut…insults that had hit their target…difficult season of life still remained unreconciled.
God next showed me how guarded I have become. In my days as a police officer, I lived by the 6 foot rule. The 6 foot rule was a radius of controlled space that I kept around me when conducting business. To enter that space uninvited was considered a breach of personal safety for me and my fellow officers.
What God showed me was that I have brought that guardedness into every area of my life. I am not a natural hugger…I dismiss compliments or redirect them altogether…there is always a 6 foot ring of emotional distance. Sadly, I came to realize on this journey that I do the same thing with God. I have not allowed Him to express His love for me in the manner that He has wanted to and in doing so I have missed out on His best for me.
So this past week, I made a choice to drop the protective barriers of my soul. I invited God to show me His love in whatever ways He chose. I invited Him into my wounds, my sorrows, my disappointments and any other closet that I have kept securely locked throughout my life.
As the week went on I began to experience a new intimacy with God, unlike any that I have experienced before. This new level of openness spilled over into my time with my wife and we too related on a much deeper level than either one of us ever remember relating.
Maybe this week you need to take a journey with God. Invite Him to give you a tour of your own heart. You too may be missing out on God’s best.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Lessons from a heron
Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend and are starting off refreshed and energized.
This past Friday, I took some time to enjoy one of my favorite pastimes…fishing. One of the things that make fishing special along the coast is the wide variety of birds, fish and other assorted land and sea dwellers that will show themselves during the day.
About midway through the afternoon, I was joined by another fisherman. Now this fisherman is not like most fishermen. He did not come with a rod and reel. There was no tackle box or bait. Instead this fisherman came with a keen eye and patience.
You see the other fisherman was no man at all, but instead it was a heron. The heron sat across the waterway from me. As I would reel in fish, he would fly over next to me looking for an opportunity for a free lunch. Over the course of the afternoon, the heron and I worked out a deal. I would catch bait fish and throw them his way. Pretty good return for his patience and careful watch.
This got me thinking about the opportunities God puts before us:
Ephesians 5:16 (NLT)
Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days.
Have you ever been driving along absorbed in a train of thought only to realize you have driven right past your exit or destination? Most of us have had this type of experience before. We get so preoccupied with what is going on in our lives that we miss the opportunities that surround us.
I find that when I open my eyes and began to look around me, I see the opportunities of God all around me. That may be the chance to say a kind word to someone who could use a boost, the opportunity to lend a hand to someone in need, the opening to pray with someone who needs God’s touch….and the list goes on.
This week, I challenge you to be like the heron. Keep a watchful eye on all that is going on around you, and seize the opportunities that God throws your way.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
This past Friday, I took some time to enjoy one of my favorite pastimes…fishing. One of the things that make fishing special along the coast is the wide variety of birds, fish and other assorted land and sea dwellers that will show themselves during the day.
About midway through the afternoon, I was joined by another fisherman. Now this fisherman is not like most fishermen. He did not come with a rod and reel. There was no tackle box or bait. Instead this fisherman came with a keen eye and patience.
You see the other fisherman was no man at all, but instead it was a heron. The heron sat across the waterway from me. As I would reel in fish, he would fly over next to me looking for an opportunity for a free lunch. Over the course of the afternoon, the heron and I worked out a deal. I would catch bait fish and throw them his way. Pretty good return for his patience and careful watch.
This got me thinking about the opportunities God puts before us:
Ephesians 5:16 (NLT)
Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days.
Have you ever been driving along absorbed in a train of thought only to realize you have driven right past your exit or destination? Most of us have had this type of experience before. We get so preoccupied with what is going on in our lives that we miss the opportunities that surround us.
I find that when I open my eyes and began to look around me, I see the opportunities of God all around me. That may be the chance to say a kind word to someone who could use a boost, the opportunity to lend a hand to someone in need, the opening to pray with someone who needs God’s touch….and the list goes on.
This week, I challenge you to be like the heron. Keep a watchful eye on all that is going on around you, and seize the opportunities that God throws your way.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
Monday, January 07, 2008
The Joy of Commitment
Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend and that you have hit the ground running this morning.
Today is a special day for my wife and me. On this date 19 years ago my wife and I exchanged our wedding vows. 19 years and three kids later, she is still the love of my life and the person who makes me a much better man than I would be of my own accord.
My wedding anniversary has me thinking about the issue of commitment today. Commitment is an outward reflection of our underlying love and loyalty. We commit to those things that matter most in our lives.
Deuteronomy 30:20 (NLT)
Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
Commitment is also a choice. Every day we choose whether to honor the commitments we have made or whether to ignore them. We live in a world today where commitment is a rarity.
Commitment requires a deep resolve. For me faith is the centerpiece of my commitments. I have to draw upon the strength of my faith to keep me committed on those days where I just don’t want to. I have to allow God to hold me accountable for those promises and vows that I have made.
This week you may be working through your New Year’s resolutions. I want to challenge you to go deeper than resolution this year and instead choose deep commitment. You will be glad you did.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
Today is a special day for my wife and me. On this date 19 years ago my wife and I exchanged our wedding vows. 19 years and three kids later, she is still the love of my life and the person who makes me a much better man than I would be of my own accord.
My wedding anniversary has me thinking about the issue of commitment today. Commitment is an outward reflection of our underlying love and loyalty. We commit to those things that matter most in our lives.
Deuteronomy 30:20 (NLT)
Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
Commitment is also a choice. Every day we choose whether to honor the commitments we have made or whether to ignore them. We live in a world today where commitment is a rarity.
Commitment requires a deep resolve. For me faith is the centerpiece of my commitments. I have to draw upon the strength of my faith to keep me committed on those days where I just don’t want to. I have to allow God to hold me accountable for those promises and vows that I have made.
This week you may be working through your New Year’s resolutions. I want to challenge you to go deeper than resolution this year and instead choose deep commitment. You will be glad you did.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
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