Audit your return

Good morning!  I hope you had a great weekend.

Over the past few weeks most of you have been collecting your personal financial data so that you can complete your tax returns for 2009.   Putting together your financial information is always insightful.  You discover what you earned for the year, your expenses, your charitable giving and so on.   Our tax forms are not simply a government reporting of income and tax liability, but in many ways it is a snapshot  of the priorities in our life.  

For many people the objective of their life is to put larger numbers into the earning box each year.  They work a little harder, a little longer and look for new sources of revenue in an effort to secure a better way of life.  Unfortunately with each new calendar year, the count returns to zero.    So the question becomes:  “What did you do that was lasting in nature?”

Matthew 6:20-21 (NASB)
20 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
21 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Work is a normal part of life, the real issues arise when our work only feeds a continual cycle of needing more.   So much of what we are working to obtain, is temporal.  They are things that quickly lose their value and at some point will no longer be desirable. 

As you look over your financial information this year, perhaps you need to conduct your own personal audit.  As you examine the figures for 2009, determine if those 365 days were well spent.  What did you achieve in those 365 days?   Whose life did you invest in over that time period?  What did you establish that was lasting in nature?   What adjustments do you need to make this year?

As you take this time to evaluate.  Commit your ways before the Lord this week and ask Him to lead you into those things of lasting value.

Until next week, may God's richest blessings be yours.

Carl

Spirit lifters

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

2 Corinthians 7:5-6 (NASB)
5 For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within.
6 But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus;

Perhaps you can relate to these words of the Apostle Paul. We all go through times when there just seems to be no rest for the weary. Trouble is at every turn and from the time you wake up in the morning, until your head hits the pillow at night you are in a knock down, drag out street fight with the fears that lurk deep within you.

God is very aware of our circumstances. In Paul's case God sent Titus to minister to Paul's needs. Titus was truly a gift from during Paul's time of need. Titus' presence lifted Paul's spirit and his report of the ministry he had received from the church in Corinth was all the more encouraging.

I have found in some of the darkest days of my life, God has done a similar thing throughout my life. During these seasons, I have received the unexpected phone call from a long time friend; the surprise invitation to breakfast or the unexpected knock at the door. These divine contacts have been medicine to my soul in the difficult seasons of life.

Today you may feel the prompting to call someone you haven't talked to in a while. Realize that you may be God's messenger of hope in the midst of someone's darkest days. Your call, visit and extension of yourself may be just the shot in the arm someone else is needing today. If you are the one in the dark season today. Keep your eyes opened for the “Titus” God is sending to encourage your soul. 

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

Carl

The Super Bowls of Life

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

This week is filled with Super Bowl hype, as the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts prepare to face off. For the New Orleans Saints this is their first Super Bowl appearance in the team’s history. For a city that was so devastated by Hurricane Katrina, this game has refueled a great sense of civic pride. With so many dreams, aspirations, and sentimental motivations for winning on the line, the Saints will be under pressure to perform at the peak of their abilities. During this week the coaching staff will reinforce the basics of ball control, timing, clock management and everything else that goes along with winning football games.

In life we often face Super Bowl sized challenges. Times when every ounce of our being is required to see us through successfully. Fortunately for those times, we have been given a powerful coach. Look at the words of Jesus:

John 14:26 (NLT)
But when the Father sends the Counselor as my representative—and by the Counselor I mean the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I myself have told you.

Superstar athletes do not become that way by themselves. It is the constant feedback and motivation given by their coaches that takes them to the top of their game. In the Christian life we cannot make it in our own strength, but we have been given the Holy Spirit and His power indwells us.

The Holy Spirit constantly reminds us of the basics….”Loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength”…”Loving your neighbor as yourself.” In those clutch times He empowers us with strength and abilities that are beyond us. We have the right words to comfort a friend in need. We find a wellspring of peace when we are in the midst of turmoil. We find the strength to press on in spite of personal pain and loss. Instead of calling in a play, the Holy Spirit brings a passage of scripture to mind that is a perfect fit for your situation. At other times He places a song in your heart that changes your perception of the situation at hand. At other times He sends in different personnel to walk along side of you to mentor, encourage and strengthen you.

This morning you may find yourself in the middle of life’s Super Bowl. Take a moment to look at all God has done to prepare you for such a time as this. Look at those who surround you and have made you better. Recognize God’s touch in every part of your circumstances.

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

Carl