Monday, October 19, 2009

"He Cares"

1 Peter 5:7 "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.


"HE CARES"

Do you know that? Have you forgotten? Let this serve as a gentle reminder - "He cares"..."He cares" for YOU.

Right now - in the midst of your circumstance(s) - "He cares"!

Listen, the secret to "casting" your cares upon Him is in you "coming" to Him! Many times, our focus is wrong when we are burdened or worried with the things of life. All we want to know is how to cast our cares on Him. But, He wants us to know how much He cares for us. The secret in knowing how to cast our cares on him is by realizing how much He loves and cares for us! Let this image sink deep inside your heart - the Father God, "caring" for you in this very moment, in the midst of whatever you're facing - "He cares"!

Several years ago, I was overwhelmed with many different struggles - working two jobs, going to school, feeling all alone, dealing with a bad relationship, living at that time away from friends and family. As I began to pray for God's direction and help, this verse, "He cares", came to my mind. While I asked God to help me understand how to cast my cares upon Him, I was reminded what I really needed was to know how much He cared for me! At that moment, the very presence of God covered me completely with love, peace, and joy.

Let me offer 3 suggestions for experiencing the reality of this truth for yourself:

1. BE SURE - Ask God to help you realize how much He cares for you.
a. Don't rest content until this thought impacts your daily life. He cares about the details of your life.
b. Look for other verses to reinforce this truth to you.

2. BE SURRENDERED - Make sure your whole life is surrendered under God's control.
a. If there are areas that are not under His Lordship, ask for forgiveness and help to change.
b. Yield those areas to Him immediately and daily!

3. BE STEADY - In other words, stay steadfast in the things you know are of God.
a. Don't be moved by circumstances. Many times we can't control what happens to us, but we can always control by Gods grace how we respond to what happens to us.

Live well.









Saturday, October 3, 2009

PURPOSE OF THIS BLOG - "What to expect"


As the verse above (Ecc. 12:11) indicates, my purpose for this blog is to communicate thoughts that "prod" you to "live well"! My aspiration will be to encourage and challenge you to move beyond your norm. Growth is essential if we are to "live well". Catch this - growing is a process and the best way to enjoy a process is to progress!

What you will find in this blog will not be a clean, mountain top viewpoint from a guy who has it all together; but a messy, process-submerged perspective that will carry hints of victories and defeats. I believe we will discover that this journey will be easier traveled together, and when we reach the mountain tops - it's party time! There are always two parts: messy process and mountain-top party! This is the process of growth. This is my invitation extended to you - join me!

This journey will cause you and I both to look deep within ourselves and ask questions, examine motives, confront weaknesses, and summon us to live at the edge of our potential! Get ready - we will be learning, unlearning, and relearning...each of us in different ways.
Live well,
jc