Do you find yourself out of energy, no enthusiasm, bored with life, etc.?  Examine your life and see what is poking holes in your gas tank of life.   It’s amazing how we can let the little rodents of life nip away at our vitality.  It seems so easy to focus on the minutiae of life that you no longer have energy to soar with the eagles.  Do you find your self being pulled into a black hole of self-pity and concerns?  You can break free!

Here is some practical advice to help you be re-energized.  Make sure you eat well, get enough sleep, exercise regularly and think positive!  Begin now, today…and start focusing on the positive.  Bathe your mind in the reality of an all loving, unlimited in power, God!  Focus on this loving God, loving YOU!  Get into the psalms and various other scriptures and put them to memory.  Look at the beauty of God’s creation and know that He gives you and I the ability to create as well.  Begin today speaking of how good, how great God is.  Create a new day in your life…Today!  Create a new reality!

When you allow other’s actions, feelings, events, etc. to be your focus, it will drain all of your inner energy dealing with fears, guilt, resentments, revenge, pride, etc. and there will be no power for the life God has called you to.  Jesus said He came to give us life, and life to the full!  Reach out and receive it.

As I speak God’s word, out loud, it gives me a sudden flow of energy that makes me ten feet tall and bullet proof.  You can do it too.  Say it, out loud, “if God is for us, who can be against us.”  Here’s another, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”  Don’t just say it once….do it ten times.  It works right?  Make it a daily habit.  Search the scriptures for more…they are there.

Here’s one more for the road:

Do you not know?
       Have you not heard?
       The LORD is the everlasting God,
       the Creator of the ends of the earth.
       He will not grow tired or weary,
       and his understanding no one can fathom.

 29 He gives strength to the weary
       and increases the power of the weak.

 30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
       and young men stumble and fall;

 31 but those who hope in the LORD
       will renew their strength.
       They will soar on wings like eagles;
       they will run and not grow weary,
       they will walk and not be faint.

Isa. 40:28-31

There’s nothing like a good cup of tea on a cold winter morning.  Eden Food makes up the best cup of tea I’ve ever experienced.  Kukicha is the tea of choice if you are limiting your caffeine intake.  It has a unique, almost smoky flavor.

Many people ruin their tea because they are not aware of the proper brewing of good tea.  You must first heat your water, nice clean, without a lot of chemicals water, in a stainless steel pot.  Bring it to a boil and then let it settle for about 2 minutes.  Then pour your water over loose leaf tea into a porcelain of glass container.  Let it steep for 5-7 minutes for proper and complete infusion.  Then, again, pour your brew into a glass or porcelain cup.

If you are not set up for loose leaf tea and must resort to a bag, make sure to use only Eden’s as they take care in putting their tea in the best paper that will not adversely affect you cup of tea.

Make sure you have a scone, bagel or lightly sugared cookie to enjoy with your tea.

Enjoy!

Just a little over a year ago I had the joy of officiating one of the most beautiful wedding services for a very special friend.  The counseling, the rehearsal, the ceremony, the reception were all full of happiness and hope.  The ceremony was filled with love and intimacy.  It was so touching, it made me cry.

Today, I was in a courtroom watching two lawyers, a judge, and this same couple dissolve this holy union.  As the lawyers argued over money and simple material goods, and the judge made decisions, I wondered to myself, so what?  Why care about the money and stuff when two souls that had been knit together by God are ripped apart?  It was so terrible, it made me cry.

How quickly, in this life, we travel from heaven to hell.

I have always loved a good cafe.  I could spend all day in a cafe setting.  This new blog background is just what I was looking for.  It’s clean and crisp.  It also has a few cafes in the header.This year is all about looking at what I’m doing and innovate.  Change is the mantra for 2008.   Let me know what you think of the new look. 

I’m currently reading an old favorite.  The Power of Positive Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale.  Below is his exercises to help you build up your self-confidence:

1. Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding.  Hold this picture in your mind tenaciously.  Never permit it to fade.  Your mind will seek to develop this picture.  Never think of yourself as failing; never doubt the reality of the mental image.  That is most dangerous, for the mind always tries to complete what it pictures.  So always picture “success” no matter how badly things seem to be going at the moment.

2.  Whenever a negative thought concerning your personal powers comes to mind, deliberately voice a positive thought to cancel it out.

3.  Do not build up obstacles in your imagination.  Depreciate every so-called obstacle.  Minimize them.  Difficulties must be studied and efficiently dealt with to be eliminated, but they must be seen for only what they are.  They must not be inflated by fear thoughts.

4.  Do not be awestruck by other people and try to copy them.  Nobody can be you as efficiently as YOU can.  Remember also that most people, despite their confident appearance and demeanor, are often as scared as you are and as doubtful of themselves.

5.  Ten times a day repeat these dynamic words, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) (Stop reading and repeat them NOW slowly and confidently.)

6.  Get a competent counselor to help you understand why you do what you do.  Learn the origin of your inferiority and self-doubt feelings, which often begin in childhood.  Self-knowledge leads to a cure.

7.  Ten times each day practice the following affirmation, repeating it out loud when possible.  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13). Repeat those words NOW.  That magic statement is the most powerful antidote on earth to inferiority thoughts.

8.  Make a true estimate of your own ability, then raise it ten per cent.  Do not become egotistical, but develop a wholesome self-respect.  Believe in your own God-released powers.

9.  Put yourself in God’s hands.  To do that, simply state, “I am in God’s hands.”  Then believe you are now receiving all the power you need.  “Feel” it flowing into you.  Affirm that “the kingdom of God is within you.”  (Luke 17:21) in the form of adequate power to meet life’s demands.

10.  Remind yourself that God is with you and nothing can defeat you.  Believe that you now RECEIVE power from Him.

Family, Friends Mourn 5 Killed In Crash

It is impossible to imagine the grief this family is experiencing.  How do you pick up the pieces after such a senseless, tragic event?  This family is now forever changed.  I pray for God to bring strength and healing to this hurting family.

Another tragedy is the life of Mike Gagnon.  He is the cause of all this hurt.  He knows it.  He will, and should, face justice.  He will need to live with this burden for the rest of his life.  How does anyone live life with this heavy load of guilt?  His life is now forever changed.  I pray for this young man to find and know the only One who can relieve him of his insurmountable burden.

I think of all the times I drove drunk and can only say, there but for the grace of God go I.

I hope and pray that many will learn something from this sobering event that has destroyed so many lives.  I hope that many will learn how quickly and easily we can harm so many. 

Think BEFORE you drink.

One of my goals for 2007 was to memorize, or learn by heart, the letter Paul wrote to the Ephesians.  I am happy to say that goal was accomplished.  I must admit it was harder than I thought it would be.  Paul is very difficult, due to his style of writing, to memorize. 

So, in 2008, I am setting the bar a little higher.  I want to learn by heart the Gospel of Mark.  I’ve chosen Mark for the following reasons:  1.  It is the shortest (16 chapters)  2.  I like the power of Jesus theme in Mark .   3.  Mark’s style of writing seems the easiest to learn by heart  4.  I want to preach through Mark in 2008

At NewSong my goal for us as a congregation is very simple this year.  It comes from Micah 6:8

“To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” 

Innovate in 2008!

A few other goals I have for 2008 are:

Complete a sprint triathlon in June

Run a 1/2 marathon (time and place yet to be determined by my brother)

Bike from my house to my brother’s house in Imlay City (exactly 100 miles one way) and back.

What are your goals for 2008?