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Consider This: Dealing with Life’s Transitions

    When I was young, it seemed that everything was getting better. I graduated from high school, went to Bible college and felt more independent and grown up. I started making my own money and had some financial freedom. I got married, bought a house, and had kids. Life was not perfect, but it was moving in a good direction. Lately, that has changed. Now, things feel like they are going the other direction. My kids have grown up, and the house is a little emptier. Friends I enjoyed hanging out with have moved away. People I looked up to and respected have passed on. My health, something I never gave a second thought to when I was younger, takes up more of my attention these days. People I care about are facing the prospect of selling their home and downsizing, or moving to an assisted living facility. Instead of gaining, it feels like life is going backwards. One aid to navigate these transitions is the Book of Ecclesiastes. In it, elde...
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It's time to Go!

 Dreams are fine. Good intentions are great. However, nothing happens if we never start.  https://youtu.be/VC_z58zeycQ  
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Consider This: Comparing and Competing

  “You must learn to enjoy life without needing an audience to see that you are enjoying life” – Unknown Source.   One of the lost arts is knowing who you are and how you are doing without outside approval. Of course, social media does not help this problem. It seems we cannot do anything without telling everyone how talented we are or showing how much fun we are having.   Honestly, I get it! Celebrating achievements with friends and family is important. We all want to be seen, and the desire for external validation is real. However, there is a thin line between healthy sharing and competition that makes each person better, to comparing ourselves with those around us in a way that undermines our relationships.   In 1 Corinthians 13, we find a list of what love does and does not do. Consider this part, “(Love) does not envy, it does not boast” (verse 4). Envy focuses my attention on what others have that I do not. Often, this produces feelings of shame and emb...
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Navigating Life's Transitions: Finding the good when nothing stays the same

Things change. Always. The question isn't "How do we stop that?", but rather, "What are we supposed to learn from it?"  https://youtu.be/ECxnQwRFyXI  
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Consider This: In and Among

  The Bible did not come with chapters and verses. They were added later to help people find specific sections more quickly. One unintended consequence, though, is that sometimes those chapters and verses break up portions of scripture that were meant to be taken together. The end of Mark 6 and the start of Mark 7 is a good example.   First, we get a description of Jesus at the height of his popularity. “Wherever he went – into the villages, towns, or country – they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed” (Mark 6:56).   Next, because the religious leaders, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, wanted to investigate what Jesus was doing, they too went to the marketplace. However, their reaction to being with the common people was very different than Jesus’. “The Pharisees… do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing… When they come from the marketplac...
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One Small Act After Another (1 Corinthians 13)

 We honour mothers on Mother’s Day, not because they are perfect, but because they do this over and over.  https://youtu.be/UBKWh02y8fI  
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Consider This: Master the Pause

  “A major cheat code in life: Master the pause. Before responding to that text. Before saying that nasty reply. The pause is where the wisdom lives. Most mistakes happen when we rush. Most regrets come from quick decisions. Remember, response time does not equal response quality” (Paraphrasing a quote by Scott Clary)   I have been thinking about this quote a lot lately. The worst purchases I have made have been the ones when I bought something on impulse. Rather than thinking it through and weighing the pros and cons, I just stormed ahead and regretted it later.   The worst arguments I have been in over the years have come from reacting rather than waiting. Someone says something that I perceive as mean or unfair, and I fire back in an attempt to hurt them in return. Then it takes hours and hours to undo the mess. Had I just paused, taken a breath and thought about it, I likely would not have said what I said.   One time, a buddy of mine sent an email ab...
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