To Live For Something Greater

Trusting the process is often difficult when we see results.  When we trust in Jesus we are doing so without seeing.  We can gain knowledge from The Bible,  witness miracles, attend church, participate in bible studies, worship through the arts, fellowship, prayer, etc.  For me, it boils down to love and trust in Jesus.   Without a doubt, I trust that Jesus has my back.  Things don’t always go the way I anticipate or desire, but I trust without waiver.  The inner peace I feel when I live every day from a perspective of love is something I am unwilling…

In this world filled with opportunity sometimes we miss all the joy that is around us.  Chaos clutters our minds and we are overcome with stress and anxiety.  But we do have the choice to see the good and to be grateful for all the little things that make life worth living.      The text that says, “I love you.”      Retrieving the newspaper, trash can, or mail on the way to the house.      The call from a neighbor or friend checking in to say, “Hello.”      The sun shining brightly on a beautiful afternoon.      The car starting up on a chilly winter…

Being a good neighbor is a deep statement.  On the surface, it is easy to wave from afar, but it is much more complicated to love your neighbor as yourself.  It warms my heart when I see someone moving out of their comfort zone with compassion.  In this context, the word neighbor includes everyone, every day.   Being nice should be easy, right?  It becomes a challenge when things don’t go as planned.  Stress starts to take over and life becomes chaotic.  Being a good neighbor becomes more difficult because we are not at peace.  Because we don’t have…

Some people appear to enjoy and thrive living in an environment of chaos, but that is not how I choose to live.  I believe if one puts forth the effort, one is able to change the way in which life is lived.  Some things can be altered that don’t have any monetary requirement, simply a desire to do things differently. Given all the options in the world, do you choose peace?  If so, what would you be willing to do to be at peace while walking through life? I stop and breathe.  With my eyes, I evaluate what is…

All my life I have had a never-give-up attitude.  That doesn’t mean that I have not made changes along the way or that I haven’t passed up opportunities that I once thought were for me.  But I have been very grateful to have lived my life thus far with the attitude that all things are possible.  I don’t give up if it doesn’t work out the way I had hoped.  Praying through the obstacles I give thanks for just about everything.  Trusting that when the time is right, the opportunity will open up if…

When I first moved to our current home, there was an abundance of weeds overtaking all the beautiful plants.  The beginning of spring always opens the door to the growth of new weeds.  After that first year, I learned to clear them early by digging out all the roots.   The more care and attention I gave to the job, the less work I had throughout the summer.  I learned to go out when the ground was damp so that the roots were more easily lifted from the dirt.  My intent is always to let the beautiful greenery shine, not be…

Expectations are defined as strong beliefs that something will happen in the future.  Those expectations can lead us to be hopeful but they can also create issues.  Problems arise when we get hopeful based on flawed logic or assumptions.  Most of us form expectations. Some of us do a better job than others in managing those expectations and creating a more balanced life. Social media, print media, advertisements, and our circle of influence all play an enormous role in how people today set their expectations.  We think we are making decisions based on what is real, but how much of…

I had a conversation with a lifelong friend this week that made me step back and think about how I manage difficult situations.  I rarely think or worry about any situation.  If it is not productive, I don’t spend time thinking about what could be or might be, I just move forward knowing that Jesus will guide me so long as I pay attention and listen for the clues.  It is rare that I even want to talk about difficult situations. There are some exceptions, particularly when I or others can learn from the mistake or issue.  For the…

The gift of love, something you can’t buy, something you choose to embrace, something that is free to all, yet is underutilized by many of us.  Love, prayer, and gratitude guide my journey and strengthen my relationship with Jesus.  Once I expanded my capacity to love I found peace in all areas of my life.  When you live life with love in your heart you have compassion for all.  Frustration, anger, and stress over daily life disappear and peace takes center stage.  It is a gift that is affordable to all.  A gift that changed my thought process and…

I often need to remember how simple it is to give my worries to Jesus.  Daily I give away the small stuff, but then the bigger worries creep in and make life challenging.  The bigger worries make me feel tired and stressed, and even start to develop pain throughout my body.  Why do I put up with all that when I can rely on Jesus?  Sometimes it takes weighing us down in worry to remember he is on our side and there for us.  Recently I allowed my thoughts to wonder and imagine all the things that could go wrong…