Only One Messiah

Approaching election time, people are acutely concerned about the future of our nation. People I know can usually agree on the problems we face as a nation, such as the economy, but are polarized over policies and candidates. While it would be ideal to have a President who embraces all of the values I cherish, that is rare. I don't underestimate the importance of leadership in critical times (Ex: Reagan, Churchill), but no man, save one, is our Messiah.

A fellow missionary recently talked about her experience in a missionary training school. The first day they walked into the classroom, the instructor had written on the board: "You are far worse off than you think you are." And then: "The Gospel is far greater than you realize." Understanding this is key. Yes, we need Jesus Christ to change our lives and then, to take personal responsibility to represent Him in changing the world.

To extrapolate, as Jim Collins stated in his book Good to Great, we have to confront the brutal facts first, while never losing faith. When we consider this critical juncture in our nation, and in the world, the facts are brutal. In the area of the economy alone, the mountain of personal and national debt is like Everest. We have to own the problem, meaning that we take personal responsibility to live within our means, get out of debt, and do what we can on a broader scale, even if it is at a grassroots level.

A compelling need to act comes from being informed about the true state of affairs, and then, when the well of false hope runs dry, to embrace a solid faith that leads to action. A friend, Day, recently commented about how one cannot promote self-reliance and government expansion at the same time. Through teaching high school students Government, Economics and Worldviews at a school for missionary kids in Kiev, he is influencing the next generation of leaders because, as Lincoln said "the philosophy of the classroom today will be the philosophy of government tomorrow."

What can you do?

"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
Galations 5:6

"There is no worse mistake in public leadership than to hold out false hopes soon to be swept away."
Winton Churchill

Thoughts of the Day

More “thoughts of the day” while in NYC with my daughter.

1. Don’t be seduced by the dark side

The dark side doesn’t look dark at the outset, but we are tempted to pursue what looks good to us on the surface because it seems fulfilling. I shared the “sexy carrot” cartoon in Donald Miller’s "Blue Like Jazz" with my daughter and we had a good laugh. The gist of it is that Don Rabbit saw sexy carrot, chased her to New York, then to the moon and finally caught her. The moral of the story: “If you work hard, stay focused, and never give up, you will eventually get what you want in life.” But then he choked on sexy carrot and died, leading to the second moral of the story: “Sometimes the things we want most in life are the things that will kill us.” Be discerning and aware of the spiritual battle.

2. Treat all people with kindness and compassion

New York is multi-cultural, so when we were running along the Boardwalk in Brooklyn, there were more Russians, Asians and Middle Eastern people than people who looked like us. Every kind of person, race and religion exist side by side. Jews and Palestinians pass one another along the Boardwalk. I had an opportunity to encourage and pray for a Muslim Palestinian woman in a store. Her husband made abusive comments and left the store, so she closed herself in a dressing room, crying. I had been talking with her and her children a few minutes earlier, so I coaxed her out and talked with her. When we are aware and open, opportunities to show care towards people are everywhere.

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”

John Wesley

3. Protect your walk with God as your most-valued relationship

Keep that priority no matter what changes, hectic schedules, upheavals or joys come along in life. But remember that it is God who is keeping you, not your own abilities to be good and go through the motions of faith. Keep it alive. Keep it real. Stay close to Jesus.

"Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah."

Ephesians 2:5-6 (The Message)

4. Know you are loved

Period. Good times and bad. Difficulties and triumphs. Successes and failures. Fat or thin. Bad hair day or good. Through laughter and tears. You have tremendous value as a person and a dynamic purpose in God. Your uniqueness is celebrated.

Lessons in New York City

I am enjoying three weeks in one of my favorite cities, New York. Never mind the sweltering July heat, give me the streets of Manhattan, the lush green beauty of Central Park and the off-beat artistic vibe of SoHo. I am enjoying every day while my daughter is participating in an advanced creative writing workshop for high school students at Columbia University. It is a great opportunity for her, and a wonderful opportunity for us to spend time together in the city we both love during the summer of her sixteenth birthday. On the first day of her program, I started giving her my “thought of the day” to make our time memorable and encouraging, so here are my lessons for my daughter in New York.

1. Believe that anything is possible
After the first day of her program, I told her that I brought her to New York so she would believe that anything is possible. She loves to write and Columbia is the top university for writing and journalism. After she got in, someone offered to pay her tuition and someone else bought her a laptop computer. So, instead of seeing the impossibilities, we should pursue God and our dreams and see what can happen.

“And Jesus said to him, " 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes.”
Mark 9:23

2. Use your talents to make a difference
Talents are gifts to be used to make a difference, not just to say, “Hey, I have a talent, look at me.” That is an important lesson to learn early in life.

“Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.”
Teddy Roosevelt

3. You, too, can be an artist
We went to MOMA, the Museum of Modern Art, and this was the thought I had as we left after viewing one canvas painted entirely in black and another entirely in white. Sometimes simple is genius, but not in that case.

4. Anything is possible, by determination and the grace of God
We have to work at things in life, even when some things come easily for us, to hone our skills. But most of all, we need the grace of God to accomplish anything worth accomplishing. I will paraphrase an example Pastor Brett Fuller gave last night at the Morningstar New York service. When his young son gave him a Christmas gift, he was so pleased as his father opened it, but the money for the gift was not his own. He had to purchase the gift with his father’s money. In the same way, anything we accomplish for God is because God Himself has “given us the money” or the abilities, strength and grace to do so. Therefore, we should humbly and thankfully acknowledge the work of God in our lives.

“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever!"
Romans 11:36

I will elaborate on four more in my next post.

Not Giving Up: Part 3

The Hope of Calling

Can you imagine a symphony orchestra without a conductor? A team without a coach? A book without an author? Or, God forbid, a wedding without a groom?

When someone pursues calling and purpose in life without acknowledging a “Caller”, the attempt is futile. One popular author who does not mention God tries to infuse life’s work with meaning by referring to “the summons of that which needs doing”. That has about as much appeal as fizzless Coke, and can lead to extremes of becoming either a dogmatic addict or a disillusioned drop-out.

In his book The Call, Os Guinness offers a well-spring of life in his definition: “Calling is the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion, dynamism, and direction lived out as a response to his summons and service.”

First, He calls us to Himself.
Then, He calls us to use the abilities He has given us to serve others.

Guinness relates the story of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who was an aimless writer before his horrible experience in the Russian Gulag. Later, he was miraculously cured of cancer and met a Jewish believer who led him to faith in Jesus Christ. He had an increasing sense of calling to put “the dying wish of millions” on record. His did just that in many volumes, including The Gulag Archipelago, which had a profound impact on my life.

Many people can remember a moment during childhood when they felt joyfully awakened to what they love to do, whether in the area of music, sports, art, medicine, science, teaching or whatever. Do you remember such a time? Often it is forgotten when the stresses of life threaten to overwhelm us.

The same is true of God. There are times when He seeks us out and wants to reveal Himself to us, drawing us to know Him and embark on the journey that He has planned for our lives. Conducting the most breathtaking symphony we have ever heard. Coaching us to not give up during a difficult season, while assuring us that victory is ahead. Writing our story for others to read and come in contact with the love He seeks to reveal through our lives. And walking with us in a loving relationship that lasts into eternity. Are you listening?

Hear the call.

Not Giving Up: Part 2

The Power of Relationship

I don’t have statistics, but people don’t usually implode or explode and take a dramatic exit stage left in life when they are vitally connected and embraced in loving, affirming, life-giving relationships. But when you try to believe you have great worth against overwhelming life experience to the contrary, you become schizophrenic, in a sense. If people treat you like trash for long enough, you are likely to believe it and the climb out of the rubbish heap into the light of day is not easy.

Yesterday I went to hear Josh McDowell, well-known author and speaker with Campus Crusade, speak to a group of leaders about the need to build relationships with young people if we want them to accept our values and follow our beliefs. From birth, we are wired for relationship. Parent to child, husband to wife, friend to friend, colleague to colleague, we don’t get very far or even survive without relationship and the quality of our relationships should always come before what we want to accomplish in life.

He gave seven principles of building relationships with our children or youth. As I went for a run in the park in Kiev later that day, I began to think about how these principles extend into our adult lives. We have to receive these principles for ourselves and let go of the lack or negatives we have experienced relationally so we can give to the young people who need us so much and model our values as an example for them to follow. (Hint: We can receive it from God and find healthy relationships.) My love language must be motion, because I have some of the most refreshing, insightful moments while I am running or just after.

Here are his seven principles with a few of my comments:

1. Affirmation
Affirming the emotions of another person gives a sense of authenticity to what they are experiencing and builds a bridge. If someone is sad, share their sorrow. If someone is happy, share their joy. (Rom.12:15)

2. Acceptance
Unconditional acceptance gives a sense of security. A performance-based home will not experience the joy intended. The child will think: “If I don’t perform, I will not be accepted.” Don’t acknowledge their success as much as their effort. Don’t acknowledge their effort as much as their being.

3. Appreciation
Catch children doing things right and express appreciation as the overall principle instead of catching them doing something wrong and disciplining them. You lose the right to discipline when it is outside of relationship.

4. Availability
When you stop what you are doing and take time for them, this shows them they are important.

5. Affection
When a young person receives healthy affection they are less likely to seek the wrong kind of relationship.

6. Approach/ Step into your child’s world
Be a part of their world, their music, their interests and take the time to connect with them there.

7. Accountability
This comes with relationship. Rules without relationship leads to rebellion.

Not Giving Up: Part 1

The Value of Life

Life. What a gift. Or so it should be. Imagine waking to a day of possibilities as promising as the sun warming your face, but the day takes a turn for the worse. You and your family are marched to the edge of the city to be “resettled” only because of your ethnicity. You are a Jew. As you reach the edge of the city, you realize the horror that awaits you, but it is too late. A corridor of soldiers blocks your escape. They ruthlessly murder you and 33,ooo others,throwing you into a ravine, Babi Yar, on the edge of Kiev.

It was a beautiful spring day last week when we walked along the grassy area that was the site of that massacre. I can never fathom racial hatred and prejudice. I grew up without it, except for a prejudice against those who are prejudiced. Still, it takes a step, many steps further descending into a murderous disdain for life and the accompanying pride that justifies it. Hell. And now reverse it to its polar opposite, and then some, so far removed as to be disconnected. This is where we find love and value for all life, all races of people, young or old, wealthy or poor. All of life bears the mark of its Creator, a glory and potential intended by Him. When connected with the grand designer and sustainer of life, every person has value and every day holds promise. He infuses desperate situations with hope, much like spring after winter.

We see both, heaven and hell, operating in the world. This morning I arranged a meeting with someone to collaborate to put a stop to a horrible situation of abuse at a facility for invalids in this part of the world. We can offer life and hope. We can battle the hatred for life that still raises its ugly head.

And what about you today? Do you see your life as bearing the mark of a wonderful designer who can renew you and inspire you to give life to others? Or do you want to give up because you can only see hopelessness camping out around your pain and making its home in the lies you believe about yourself, about life? Many have been there.

Let it go, I urge you. Be renewed today.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." Jesus Christ

The Difference is in the Details

I was recently talking with a student about her school work when I told her that the difference between an “A” and a “B” is in the details. If she pays attention to the specific directions on a test or assignment and is willing to be thorough, this makes all the difference. It doesn’t take a huge commitment of time, but requires clarity of focus. As I gave it some thought, I realized that the attitude of just “getting by” can become a bad habit or creep in over time in many spheres of life. Sometimes life moves at such a frenetic pace that it is difficult to do anything well or wholeheartedly. The rewards of living a focused life in the following areas will make a difference in who you are and where you are going.

Attitude
We are all well acquainted with our flaws, but accepting a bad attitude as just a part of our personality is really a guise for refusing to change. Our attitudes, positive or negative, will greatly affect the people around us. Negative attitudes carried far enough can close doors on important opportunities or lead to broken relationships. It is worth it to cultivate a positive, loving, humble and gracious attitude.

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” -Herm Albright

Excellence
When we do something to the best of our abilities, it is rewarding. It is a gift to ourselves, to others and to God. But when we have too many plates spinning, something is likely to come crashing down. It is better to do a few things well than to commit to many things without following through.

Care for People
If we excel in many areas but forget this one thing, we have missed the mark. Don’t miss the important daily details of caring for the people around you. We have to stop and listen to people to know their hearts and their needs.

Moral Choices
Moral failure starts with the heart. We have to establish and maintain boundaries in our thoughts and emotions to protect our hearts. It is not just about our name, but honoring God. In “Batman Begins”, Bruce Wayne was about to enter the room where his guests were waiting to celebrate his birthday. He was careless about what they thought of him, but the butler said: "It's not just your name, sir! It's your father's name!" We need to think about honoring the name of God and not just pleasing ourselves.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14)

Valentine’s Day (Not) in Black & White

In Saudi Arabia, the virtue and vice squad raids stores on the eve of Valentine’s Day, seizing symbols of love. They have banned all things red, heart-shaped and Valentine-related – even teddy bears. Roses can only be found on the black market. The reasoning behind this is the idea that the holiday promotes immoral relationships. Here is my defense of red hearts, roses and romance.

1. Romance is the spice of life
Life needs romance like food needs spice. And not only romance, but true expressions of love and appreciation. I like a holiday where the words “I love you” are expressed in many ways. Winning the heart of another includes finding out what makes another person come alive. This usually includes loving words and romantic, thoughtful expressions. Keep winning the heart of your husband or wife even after you are married.

2. The beauty of a rose
I cannot think of the purpose of a rose except that it is beautiful and fragrant. I think that says something about its Creator. God is in favor of beauty, color and fragrance. The color red makes quite a statement. I can’t imagine a world in black and white, or Valentines’ Day without the dramatic color of red.

3. Just curious, how are people expected to go from friendship to marriage without romance?
There has to be a way to express love to another through words and in other thoughtful ways. Many couples probably get engaged on Valentine’s Day. All things romantic are not immoral.

4. Platonic love
I always give Valentine’s Day cards and gifts to my daughters and people often give friendly Valentine’s cards to show appreciation to friends and family members. Overall, it is a great day to show love and appreciation.

5. Oh, and last but not least . . .
In favor of chocolate – it is a great day to have a sweet treat with the ones you care about.

Enjoy!

The Gift of Love (part 2)

The Bible is a love story of the greatest proportion. It is a story of intimate fellowship, followed by the greatest heartache and rejection, followed by the perfect, sacrificial act on His behalf to restore that fellowship, followed by our receiving that restorative life and intimate union by the Holy Spirit. St. Irenaeus of Lyon, one of the earliest theologians, stated: “It is not possible to live apart from life, and the means of life is found in fellowship with God; but fellowship with God is to know God, and to enjoy His goodness.” He described the work of God in relational terms as God the Father continually drawing us to Himself through “His hands”, the Word and the Spirit. And as we respond by stretching our hearts out to Him in love, trust and worship, we draw closer to each other in this mutual “embrace”, growing continually in our relationship with God. In light of mankind’s Fall and God’s saving work on our behalf, this image of God’s embrace is especially powerful.

Imagine standing outside of a warm house on a cold winter’s night watching a family inside enjoying an evening together. There is light and love in the home, but you are on the outside, alone and shivering in the cold, gazing through the window. Some people feel that way their entire lives. But God calls us to come inside and stay, adopting us into His family. His invitation is open, free, and much deeper and fuller than any natural, earthly example. We cannot merely look to Christ as one observing from a distance to know His love, we must be “in Christ” in a personal relationship like Paul said in Romans 8:39 “the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” When we place our complete trust in Him, surrendering our feeble attempts to find life apart from Him, we begin living life on an entirely different level as a new creation in Christ. Here we find eternal love and life, complete and undiminished. Only then can we love in the way that Jesus commanded us: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Here are a few ways that we can love others in the way that He first loved us. The closest example God gives us is within marriage. Marital love is ideally agape in its main expression, as in Paul's exhortation in Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it.” In order to restore us to perfect fellowship with God, death and suffering were required. Redemption cost more than creation. In principle, when you are facing a relationship that has been marked by pain or brokenness, you are making a choice to love out of commitment, not out of emotions. This takes a supernatural kind of love that you receive from God. During times like this when you experience pain in a marriage relationship, parent/child relationship or friendship, you may ask yourself: Will I ever feel again? But death is followed by resurrection life. It is possible for a difficult or broken relationship to be restored to a place of health and emotion again, and even if it is not, for the person who is walking with God to experience wholeness and demonstrate love and forgiveness.

Receiving God’s gift of love is intrinsically bound together with receiving His forgiveness and walking in His ways. The person who is forgiven much, loves much and we are living in a world that is in dire need of powerful, real expressions of the love of God through our lives. Some people unnecessarily experience pain over and over again in relationships because they are seeking answers from people that they should be getting from God. You cannot find answers to the deep questions of your soul or derive meaning in life from people. These are questions such as: Am I worth it? Am I loveable? Am I beautiful? Am I valuable? You have to take these questions to God or you will try to draw life from the wrong source and hurt your relationships. However, when you have a deep, abiding relationship with God and find your value and purpose in Him, you can give to others throughout your life.

The Gift of Love

In keeping with the "love month", here is the first in a series on love.

The greatest joys and deepest heartaches come from our relationships. As C. S. Lewis said,
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

Natural love can only take us so far before we find ourselves wanting to quit or lock our hearts away and throw away the key. Love involves risk because it involves another human being. But there is no risk with God. In the Bible we find the statement that “God is love” (1 John 4:8), which draws us to seek out the true meaning of the breadth and depth of that love. The word “love” has been weakened through overuse in trivial contexts such as having an affinity for a certain thing or in the carnal sense when someone really means “lust”. Let’s face it, the word “love” has been watered down like bad coffee that is no longer potent enough to wake you up in the morning.

The powerful, full-orbed love of God, agape, is best described in 1 Corinthians 13 and best demonstrated in Romans 5:8 and elsewhere when He showed His great love for us through Christ’s death on the cross to save us while we were still sinners. In 1 Corinthian 13:4-8, love is described in the following way: “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” In his book The Four Loves, C. S. Lewis differentiates between divine “gift” love or agape and “need” love which includes the three other Greek words for love: phileo (friendship), storge (affection) and eros (sexual or romantic love). We have relational needs that are undeniably met through all four loves as God intended, but natural or human love cannot meet our needs on the deepest level. Our hearts seek for a perfect love and can only be satisfied fully when we receive the perfect love of God through knowing and responding to Him because God created us in His image, to thrive in relationship with Himself.

We must receive the gift of God’s love, which transforms and empowers us to love regardless of the response of another and to have health in our souls when we lack any of the natural forms of love. We are created to worship, so we will either worship God or something else. Whatever thrills you or fills you can, to the same degree, feel like it is going to kill you when it is no longer available. We can become addicted to what gives us pleasure and when that person or thing is no longer available, emptiness can be the result unless we are drawing life from God, who is constant in love. On one level, life is a series of longing, fulfillment and letting go. This teaches us to go to God where we can live on a higher level, having our needs met in Him. Sometimes our attempts to find fulfillment any other way are thwarted so we are left in the position of needing to respond to God.

In the natural sense, the bottom line in why we go after certain things comes down to a basic question of need: What do I want? Or what do I believe I need? There is a vivid scene from the film “Merlin” in which Merlin finds the woman he loves, but they are both advanced in years. They look at one another with longing in their eyes, with the flickering light of shared memories, but their bodies are old. He summons his last powers to turn back the clock for both of them and they are temporarily restored to youth and vigor. Then he smiles at her, takes her hand and leads her into a tent. The scene is one of restoration, beauty, love and anticipation. I describe that scene because something that mankind always passionately yearns for and needs is eternal love and life. The cry of the heart is that emptiness, loneliness, longing and death be now and forever swallowed up in completeness, love and life where no power of hell can penetrate. Is it not? The great news is that God does this. Yes, He starts the process now and brings it to fruition in eternity. We thirst because there is such a thing that quenches our thirst: water. We desire eternal love and life because God intends to fulfill that desire.

Juxtaposed Opposites

We dream of living in a world of peace and harmony, where any disagreement can be resolved with civility over a cup of coffee or a friendly political debate. We wish for an ideal world free from war, conflict and pain, but instead there is a battle going on, a spiritual battle for the hearts of mankind that is manifest wherever we live on a daily basis. It can sometimes seem that differences are not such a big deal, that we can live in a gray world if we abandon ideals and live with a syncretized view of live. All we have to do is blur the lines between right and wrong, good and evil, truth and falsehood. But at what cost? Often at the cost of our very lives and the lives of the next generation.

Here is a glimpse at the spiritual realities that lie beneath the surface of our everyday lives.

Good/Evil
There are moral absolutes, whether we choose to believe it or not. And there are consequences for the choices we make. If God is not the giver of life, neither good nor evil is a meaningful term. In an amoral world, one with God removed from the picture, there is no point of reference for good. But when we admit it, the reality of good and evil hits close to home in the attitudes of our own hearts and the choices we make. If we have lived for any length of time, we are touched by the deeply moving power of good, but also marred by the pain of evil whether in its subtlest or more extreme forms. If the latter has been your experience, let the pain lead you to God who comforts and restores and not away from Him. As G.K. Chesterton said: “When belief in God becomes difficult, the tendency is to turn away from Him; but in heaven’s name to what?”

Love/Hatred
Love is what makes life worth living; it is the most wonderful part of our existence. Love comes from God and the opposite of love is hatred. We can see both extremes when we simply read the news headlines. Acts of love and hatred are all over the news every day. No one has to tell us the difference, it is stamped within our consciences.

Truth/Falsehood
If you ask someone who holds to a postmodern worldview if the chair they are sitting on can simultaneously be a duck, they would laugh at the ridiculous question. But when it comes to spiritual reality, they may argue that Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity are just different paths to the same supposed God, even though they contradict one another. One characteristic of man-made religion is attempting to reach God by human effort. However, God reaches us. He answers the major questions of our existence – with Truth.

Heaven/Hell
No one likes to think of hell, and heaven is often viewed in ethereal terms with fat cherubs and fluffy clouds. But what would we think of a court of law that refused to judge the atrocities of the Holocaust? God, our lawgiver, must punish evil. Rejection of God and His ways leads to separation from Him forever, or, Hell – the absence of God and His goodness, love, truth and light. We cannot bridge the moral gap that separates us from the perfection of God. As Eric Metaxas wrote, we are like “cut flowers” because of our sinful natures. We have to be attached to the source of life through the saving work of God in Jesus Christ. The pardon and forgiveness that we can receive in Christ because He bore the penalty of our moral separation is liberating, leading to eternal reconciliation with God.

So, where is the encouragement in all of this?
That we can know the reality of goodness, truth and love if we accept His invitation to choose life. And I don’t mean “know” it like Tom Cruise with his incoherent, ecstatic statements on YouTube where he talks about Scientology without really saying anything. I mean know it in a way that makes sense and changes your life.

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” (Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT)

For further inquiry:

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About God (but were afraid to ask)
by Eric Metaxas - short and witty

The Case For Christ
by Lee Strobel - longer and in-depth, but fascinating

Blue Monday?

Someone somewhere has prognosticated that today will be the most depressing day of the year. Yes, due to sociological trends, today should be a Blue Monday, the bluest of blues. But I intend to do without a Blue Monday, choosing a healthy dose of joy and encouragement instead.

Here is an excerpt from the “Time” article:
“There's a lot to feel down about this month: the subprime mortgage crisis, stormy, unpredictable weather, rising gas prices, presidential primary free-for-alls. So, it would be easy to believe the theory set forth by Dr. Cliff Arnall, a researcher from Cardiff University, that the third Monday of the month (Jan. 21, this year) — a day he calls Blue Monday — will be our most depressing day of the year.” Bill Tancer

Since I am living in Kiev, I am not immersed in the sociological trends of the US, but it is a gray, rainy day here in Ukraine and there are things that could potentially rob me of joy if I go there in my thoughts. Frankly, I choose not to and I believe it is a matter of choice both in the short-term and the long-term.

Here are two antidotes to depression that can lead to many joy-filled, jazzed out, technicolor Mondays, and just think of what Friday could bring?

1. Own it
I am referring to taking personal responsibility for your own life, thoughts and actions. You reap what you sow, so if you allow your thoughts to dwell on what you do not have, how you have been wronged and so on, you are setting yourself up for a Blue Monday. Human nature, apart from finding satisfaction in God, His goodness and provision, tends toward the disgruntled, discontent and disappointed. Think of Adam and Eve, they were in a perfect paradise with a match made in heaven, but they were lured and led astray by the temptation that they were being deprived of something. Leave the “dis” mentality behind and cultivate your own garden. This requires living with boundaries in your thought life and caring for the precious gifts that God has given you.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8)

2. Dream it
Rekindle that dream that may be lying dormant, fan that flame and keep passion alive. Joseph had a dream, but his brothers were jealous and threw him into a pit, thinking that his dreams would come to naught. But instead their actions played a part in fulfilling the plan of God for his life.

"Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams." (Genesis 37:20)

Do you feel like your dream has hit rock bottom and is incapable of being salvaged? Ask God if the dreams you have are consistent with His plans for your life and surrender every area of your life to Him with a willingness to move forward in faith in the God who created us for His purposes. Joseph’s dream led to the salvation of the known world from famine, so it was not just about him. Dream big enough to make a difference in the lives of others. And let your dream take flight in the nurturing relationships you are meant to have with God and others.

Still having a Blue Monday? It takes a while for new ways of thinking to become habits that change our lives, but there is no better day to start than now.

Hope Renewed

It is the beginning of yet another year, a time when people reflect on the past and resolve to make changes, to do better, to enhance their lives. For some that is an invigorating thought, but for others it is depressing. Maybe your life is so far from the place you wanted to be ten years ago that you can hardly recognize yourself. Or perhaps your life is going well, but there is one important area that you have difficulty facing and overcoming. I read a NY Times article about how living with regret negatively affects people. The author stated:

“Over the past decade and a half, psychologists have studied how regrets — large and small, recent and distant — affect people’s mental well-being. They have shown, convincingly though not surprisingly, that ruminating on paths not taken is an emotionally corrosive exercise. The common wisdom about regret — that what hurts the most is not what you did but what you didn’t do — also appears to be true, at least in the long run.”
- Benedict Carey

Have you ever tried to encourage someone, but everything you say just doesn’t stick? It is like the surface of their hearts is made of Teflon, preventing encouragement, hope and faith from penetrating and bringing positive results. But others have a past that reads like a tragic Russian novel, yet they have overcome to the place that you cannot believe they are the same person. Whatever the case may be, the New Year is an opportune time to learn from the past, leave it behind, and invite God into every area of life to fill you with hope.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

1) Learn from the past
You probably know the expression, if you don’t learn from the past you will end up repeating it. Consider the outcome of your current lifestyle and where it will lead if you do not make changes. If you don’t like where you are in life, you need to map out a path to reach a different destination. Ask God to direct your life so you can focus on what really matters. Remember to travel lightly and don’t bring regret and past mistakes into the new year. Also, consider the impact of your life on others, which can give you fresh incentive to change.

2) Start fresh
Before God, we are held accountable for how we live, but the great news is that we can start with a clean slate because of His forgiveness. Changes do not happen unless you are deliberate about changing. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many goals. Choose one or a few areas that you need to focus on, and then write out a clear, practical plan that you can follow on a daily or weekly basis. Enlist a friend or family member to stand with you and encourage you along the way.

3) Invite God in to fill you with hope
Jesus Christ is our hope and our example, because He conquered sin and death so we can freely walk in new, abundant life. But we have to invite Him in, even into the areas where we are afraid to change, and walk with Him every day. Ask Him to specifically fill you with hope and faith in every area of your life so you can have a positive outlook and have the power to change.