It's that time of year again. It seems all of North America is coming out of the winter thaw and looking for a good excuse to get out of work early and this excuse comes in the form of March Madness. Millions of dollars will be wasted on worker productivity and millions of dollars will be spent on wagering on these games. I get it and will even participate in it, but what I do think is sad is that for many people they will spend more time studying the NCAA brackets over the next few weeks than they will trying to improve their relationship with God for the next 9 months of 2011 or for that matter the next several years.
Can you imagine how different this world would look if all 300 + Million of the people living in the United States would place as much emphasis on improving their relationship with God as they do analyzing their NCAA brackets. I'm not going to sit on my soap box and preach, but I will present this challenge, how about we all try and put March Madness into proper perspective and spend a little more time talking to God during March Madness than we will spend chatting it up about how well we are doing in our pools.
Keep it in the Fairway!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
NO PAIN NO GAIN
I had a basketball coach in high school that used to say this to me a lot. Of course I can reflect back now and in looking back that coach was right. Anything in life that I have ever tried to accomplish came after experiencing some pain. I had a friend say to me today that we live looking ahead but we learn looking back. Today, when I reflect back on my life I can say with full confidence that I have been transformed into a new person. I'm trying everyday to grow in this new life. I'm trying to think of spiritual things more often and trying to consciously grow my personal relationship with God.
But yes you guessed it. It seems to me the more emphasis I place on my spirituality and becoming a better Christian the more growing pains I feel like I'm experiencing. I was recently reading Job. Job really did experience some rough times and he often questioned God. In chapter 3:16, Job said "I wish I had been born dead and then buried, never to see the light of day". In verse 20 he says "why does God let me live when life is miserable and so bitter"?
I have in grey seasons of my life had some of the same thoughts as Job. But today I try to consider myself lucky and even Job says in chapter 5:17-18 "Consider yourself fortunate if God All-Powerful chooses to correct you. He may cause injury and pain, but he will bandage and heal your cuts and bruises".
I pray today that I may see signs of my growth in my new life. I pray that I may always keep trying to grow. I realize there are still going to be grey seasons in life, but the good news is today that those grey skies do not get as grey as they used to and they do not stick around as long as they used to.
I have an attitude of gratitude and know that God is not going to put more on me than I can handle.
Keep it in the fairway!!!
But yes you guessed it. It seems to me the more emphasis I place on my spirituality and becoming a better Christian the more growing pains I feel like I'm experiencing. I was recently reading Job. Job really did experience some rough times and he often questioned God. In chapter 3:16, Job said "I wish I had been born dead and then buried, never to see the light of day". In verse 20 he says "why does God let me live when life is miserable and so bitter"?
I have in grey seasons of my life had some of the same thoughts as Job. But today I try to consider myself lucky and even Job says in chapter 5:17-18 "Consider yourself fortunate if God All-Powerful chooses to correct you. He may cause injury and pain, but he will bandage and heal your cuts and bruises".
I pray today that I may see signs of my growth in my new life. I pray that I may always keep trying to grow. I realize there are still going to be grey seasons in life, but the good news is today that those grey skies do not get as grey as they used to and they do not stick around as long as they used to.
I have an attitude of gratitude and know that God is not going to put more on me than I can handle.
Keep it in the fairway!!!
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