“Lent is the span of time in the church calendar that starts with Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter Sunday. Ash Wednesday commemorates the beginning of Jesus’ 40-day fasting and temptation in the desert, and Easter Sunday commemorates Jesus’ resurrection from the grave after his crucifixion." Andy Rau, Senior Manager of Content, Biblegateway.org.
Ever been tempted to run away at Christmas-time? It would be nice take a two week trip, maybe to a deserted island and just be alone with your family? Guess what. Christmas comes around the same date every year, and it’s wonderful to know, even in the midst of the flurry, we will have another opportunity next year, to start over and ask God to help us make Christ the center of Christmas. To make it easy to remember, let’s use the letters in the word PEACE for a five-step acrostic:
It’s amazing how much my sisters and my productivity and our good deeds increased when we had an attitude of gratitude. The same is true with our relationship with God. Let’s stop today and apply a little “thank you” therapy.
Little things can become a big deal. Instead of limping along with a wounded heart, we can be healed and whole. We can learn lessons from the little things, as we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and apply truth from God’s Word. We can learn how to pay attention as we choose to trust God for His timing.
You’ve failed. Again. It’s time to reorganize. Start over. Begin again. Use a fresh approach, a new strategy. When you are discouraged, it’s probably not that you are doing the wrong thing, but you might be doing it in the wrong way. Our natural temptation is to give up on our dream. We think, “Maybe God didn’t give me this dream in the first place.” No, it’s probably just the opposite. However, it might be time to expand your vision and ask God to give you new ways of thinking.
"How can we acquire, train and retain talent?" It's worth considering. We must view our team members as co-laborers brought to us by God. He has given them to us to steward, and allows us to nurture and encourage them along the way. So, let's grapple with the opportunity of how best to engage our team members to connect with God. As leaders, we can lead them closer to God only if we have gone there first. We must answer these two important questions: (Lead Like Jesus Revisited, pages25-27)
One of the best things about the Lead Like Jesus Encounter is the unique experience it brings for growth in leaders. It works because leaders take time out for positive…
It’s not the path I would have chosen for me or my family. It’s been a time of healing, questioning God, and trusting our Creator for what is in store. I never would have imagined I’d be a widow. It breaks my heart to watch my own children grieve this loss as we face the future without their father. As many of you have experienced, at times in our lives, God’s will does not make sense. I trust God because He is good. I’ve chosen to depend on God.
Armor up! When we pray Scripture, we are doing battle God’s way. The battle is not against flesh and blood. 2 Corinthians 10:4 reminds us, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” Obeying God’s instructions, we put on our ‘spiritual armor’ and stand firm in the authority of Christ.
Recovery programs in my city require a one-year court-ordered commitment, the individual’s progress is monitored by a probation officer. For over a decade, I’ve volunteered at The Mission at Kern…