Revitalize Your Church

1. Determine to have a good day. Make up your mind that you are going to make the best of this day, no matter what! A firm decision to live positively is half the battle. 2. Start your day with a prayer.  Before you get out of bed, pause and thank God for your life and ask for guidance and wisdom. 3. Don't sweat the small stuff.  Isn't it funny how we can become so uptight about non-essentials? My friend, Eunice Walker, calls these petty frustrations "bugs on the windshield of life." Refuse to let minor annoyances get the best of you. 4. Look for postcards from heaven.  Every day God sends postcards that say, "I love you." He hides them in the most unexpected places - and you have to search in order to find them. Each day is packed full of blessings for you to enjoy. Look again! 5. Release your resentment and regret.  Some people are hostage to the past. Regret and resentment (the  Siamese  twins of misery) bind us up so we cannot enjoy the present. Yesterd...

Author, Eric Blehm has written a truly inspiring story of valor in the biography, Fearless.  He relays the account of Adam Brown, a young Arkansas man, who overcame his inner demons and a troubled past to become a Navy Seal Team Six Operator. Adam's wife, Kelly stood by his side throughout the entire ordeal -- believing in him, helping him overcome drug addiction, and cheering him through the grueling process of becoming one of the nation's most elite warriors. This is a story of redemption, courage, humor in adversity, faith and ultimate sacrifice. A very compelling read.

When a wise person speaks, pay attention. I recently obtained Billy Graham in Quotes ,  a fabulous resource for speakers and writers.  This excellent work captures thousands of inspiring thoughts from Dr. Graham's books, articles, sermons and personal works.   There are nuggets of wisdom concerning just about every topic related to spirituality, relationships, and life in general.  It's a real treasure trove, and has already proven itself useful for the new book I'm writing. Purchase here

You and I were created to be thankful. Deep down inside our hearts and minds, we know we're supposed to be content. Unfortunately, envy, resentments, and various circumstances of life can derail us along the way. Instead of being positive and thankful, we find ourselves being negative, ungrateful, and petty. (In other words - hard to live with!) Think about it for a moment. If you were to measure your uplifting thoughts of gratitude v.s. your mental visits to the "complaint department" during the last week, which would win out? Most people would find that the complaints outweigh the praises. I don't think anybody is grumpy on purpose. Nobody intends to be ungrateful. Discontentment sneaks up on us and attacks us from behind. Often, we don't even realize when we are being a negative pain in the neck! The Bible recognizes this fact of human nature, and reminds us to "Give thanks in all circumstances." (I Thess. 5:17) Here are...

A long walk in the woods is good for the soul. "I went out for a walk,and finally concluded to stay out till sundown" said naturalist John Muir, "for going out, I found, was really going in." The forest brings the majestic symphony of God's orchestra alive -- a far better production than anything originating from Carnegie Hall. The heavens declare the glory of God. The birds, trees, sunsets. and lakes remind us that all is well. Want a good remedy for a troubled heart? Go take a hike! Get out into nature and observe - watch - listen. You will find peace there. It's hard to be all worked up when you are quiet in a woods. The Bible says, "Be still and know that I am God." Somebody bigger than me is in charge of the universe. I don't have to panic when situations arise beyond my control. Watch the birds. You'll see! Joy is the natural state of the soul. The absence of joy indicates some kind of soul disease. "Entanglements" keep us...

I guess folks are getting creative with obits these days. This week, I stumbled across two very different obituaries which have been making the rounds on the internet. The first one was of a beloved and colorful 85 year old, Mary "Pink" Mullaney .  After reading this, I wish I could have known her.  One would be hard pressed to find a tribute of greater beauty. On the other hand, the second obituary, of Marianne Theresa Johnson-Reddick , was shockingly ugl y.  In this final "eulogy", her children painted a horrifying picture of abusive violence and torture.   I cannot recall ever seeing such a tragic summary of a life. I'm struggling with the appropriateness of the second obituary.  Momma always said "never speak ill of the dead", and  "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything." However, it does raise awareness concerning the evils of child abuse, and certainly provides a good example of what not to do. A couple...

A few years ago, I had the privilege of spending the evening with a saintly author, Wesley Duewel who was in his 90’s. In the course of our conversation, I happened to mention a recent scandal involving a well known religious figure, which made national news. Dr. Duewel seemed confused for a moment.   “I’m sure you remember. . .” I said and added a few juicy details. Then, the kind minister smiled and said, “Oh yes. ..it was completely out of my mind  until you brought it up.  I chose to forget about that.” I was appropriately rebuked.  Rehashing another person's failures doesn't do anybody any good. Sometimes, the best alternative is just to forget the whole thing. Forgetting things can be rather frustrating. All of us know the stress of attempting to pull a lost memory from the dark, cobwebbed corners of the mind. Some people are more forgetful than others. I hate to admit it, but I'm a member of the "forgetful club." We've organized "Forgetters An...

Back in 2011, when the Kansas City Chiefs snapped our Green Bay Packers’ 19 game (over two seasons) winning streak, I was extremely disappointed, and grumbled all over the house,   That afternoon, my son, Ryan brought some perspective to the situation.    He reminded me the Colts had just won their first game of the season, after a long losing streak.   “The Packers are 13 and 1 and the Colts are 1 and 13,” Ryan noted, “And I wonder what’s going on in their locker rooms right now?”   I imagined defeated Packers slumping to the lockers under gloomy clouds of sullen despair.  Meanwhile, I pictured jubilant Colts cheering, slapping backs, and congratulating each other.   Then Ryan said, “But despite how they’re feeling today, the fact is the Packers are still 13 and 1 – and on top of the league, while the Colts, at 1 and 13, are still in the basement.”   And I needed to hear that.   Sometimes, like the Packers, We end...