Monthly Archives: March 2010

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Got Any Problems?

"All God's Children Got Problems!"Problems! Do you ever have any problems?  I know that’s a crazy question.  Of course, we all have problems!  God has been showing me some things about problems as I have been working through some of my own problems.  I hope my thinking out loud in this blog might help you with any problems that you might have!

Here are a few of the things that I have learned about problems:

I have learned that problems are everywhere! There is no place that you and I can go on this earth to escape problems.  The lesson to learn:  You can’ t run away from a problem, because as you run out of one, you will run into another!

I have learned that everyone has problems! It does not matter how much money you have or don’t have.  It does not matter how smart or dumb you may happen to be.  It does not matter which side of the tracks you live on.  No one is immune!  ”I got problems, you got problems, all God’s children got problems!”

I have learned that problems don’t just go away! We have to work on them and through them!  A problem worked through can make us better, stronger and more effective.  A problem ignored can make us bitter, weaker and render us ineffective!  Don’t ignore your problem – deal with it!

I have learned that all problems have a solution! Some solutions come quickly and easily, while others take time and hard work.  If we will work for the solution, then God will use our problems to take us to a place of growth and blessing.

Here are a few steps to help you work on and through your problems! 1.) Talk To God! I am not talking about just going through the motions.  I am talking about really having a conversation with your Creator and Sustainer.  God loves you and He has an amazing plan for your life.  You will be amazed at how taking a little time to talk with Him can reveal solutions to so many things that you are facing!  2.) Don’t Give Up! As I look back on my life, I can see many times where I was just one decision away from break-through, but because I gave up and gave in – my problem got the best of me, instead of me getting the best of it!  Stay with it, work through – you will be glad that you did!  3.) Stay Focused! One of the biggest challenges to my working on and through my problems is all of the distractions that life seems to want to throw my way.  Know your problem and do whatever it takes to get through it!

You Can Do This! You can do this, because you are God’s special Creation.  Your life matters and you can make more of a difference than you know or realize.  So when your problem smacks you up side the head today – take it on, take it out and grow on to the next thing!

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Is That A Bad Word?

"Extra"Ordinary!

Excellence is one of those words that we just don’t seem to hear so much anymore.  To be excellent, we have to excel above the average expectations!  It is very easy to become complacent and allow satisfaction to rob us of the opportunity to do things above and beyond.

I have been thinking about excellence and how I have myself slipped and as a leader allowed those that I lead to slip away from this high and holy calling.  So here are a few steps that I am in the process of taking to get excellence back!

Admit That You’re Not There! There is always room for improvement and average just will not do – not for the child of God!  I want to care more, dream bigger, work harder, expect the impossible and be willing to risk whatever it takes!

Believe That You Can Be And Do Better! My Dad used to say:  ”If it’s worth doing, then it’s worth doing right!”  He would also say:  ”Do it right the first time and you won’t have to worry about coming back and fixing mistakes!”  Details matter! So make sure that you are paying attention to the details of life and what they may are may not be saying to you about your lack or level of excellence.  People matter! Be willing to go the second mile by always giving more than you receive.  At the end of the day and at the end of your life, you will be glad that you did.  You matter! Start a self-improvement plan for yourself that is focused on you and that helps you to pursue and achieve the excellence that God has marked out for you!

Commit To More Than Enough! The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the “EXTRA”!  Become a 110%er!  Go the extra mile to be who God has called you to be and do what God has gifted you to do.

A Few Questions To Help Get You Started: 1.) What do you want out of this life?  2.) What will it take to get what you want?  3.) What Price are you willing to pay and when will you start paying it?

Excellence Is Not That Far Off! We just need to be willing to take the few extra steps, regardless of what everyone else is doing.  When it’s all said and done – we will be glad we did!

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Blessing God!

Blessing God!

We all need a little encouragement and some of my greatest encouragement comes from taking time daily to read and meditate on the Scriptures.  I am loving this passage of Scripture and thought that it might be a blessing to some of you as well!  It comes from 1 Peter 1:3-5

3.) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4.) to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, 5.) who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

So Thankful! I am thankful for God’s blessing on my life and I want my life to be a blessing to Him.  God has blessed me with His great gift of mercy and caused me to be born again to a living a hope that never dies!  I do not deserve and I cannot earn a relationship with Him, but through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, I have been blessed with an everlasting relationship!

An Imperishable Inheritance! This relationship will allow me to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and that will not fade away.  This inheritance is reserved for me in Heaven.  I will not have to fight for it and I do not have to worry about anyone taking it away from me!

God’s Protection! I am protected by the power of God through the faith that He has provided.  My salvation does so much more than get me out of Hell and into Heaven.  My salvation moves me from death to life and grows me for service to the King!  I want to be and I am ready whenever God decides to come, not because of what I have done, but because of what He has done for me!

Blessing God! We bless God when we make the choice to live in the power of our right relationship with Him!

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Something Different!

I thought I would share something a little bit different today!  I love photography and I am what you might call an amateur photographer, so I thought I would share a few of my favorites with you!

Wisdom!

Faithful! This is a tree in the field beside my house.  I have had many a conversations with God while just standing and looking at this tree.  It has always been there and is always there whenever I need it to be and so is He!

Possibilities! This was my Uncle’s truck and then it became my Dad’s truck and now it is sitting in my back yard.  I have seen it go through several transformations and I look forward to one day taking it through a transformation myself.  Would love to get it back to my Dad’s shop for a Pop’s and Son project!

Chrome! One of my favorite colors!  This is the motor of my 08 Heritage Softail!  I love to ride and being able to ride during the last couple of years has probably helped me to not go totally bonkers!  If I have to explain, then you would not understand!

Wisdom! This is one of my neighbors and she has forgotten in her life time more than I can remember.  As I look in the mirror, I am discovering that every line has a story to tell and a lesson to learn!  Thank God for our Elders and what we can learn from them!

This is just a few and if you like this format, then let me know.  I may try to do something like this once a week or two in the future!  I hope my blog in some way blesses you!  Thanks for looking and reading!

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Got A Goal?

Achieve Your Dream - Accomplish Your Goals!

Do you have a dream?  Do you have any goals that can help that dream become a reality?  Many people who I talk to have lost their dream and given up on their goals.  Today – I want to challenge you to dream again!  I want to encourage you to set, work toward and accomplish the great things that God has in store for you!  So read on, dream on and get to work on some goals!

Don’t Give Up! It is really hard to believe, but there are a lot of people living in our world today that have never set a goal.  So many people have given up on dreams, so they just don’t dream anymore.  The challenges and frustrations of the world that we live in, have caused many people to throw in the towel and just take whatever life may bring their way!  There is nothing wrong with learning to be content, but at the same time, we should know, trust and believe that God has something better!

Goals Matter! Having a goal is a natural part of life!  God has goals!  Look around you at His creation and you will see that He has short, medium and even long-term goals!  God’s ultimate goal is that man will come to know Him in a real and personal way.  It is God’s goal that each and every one of us might know His love and enjoy His friendship.

Blessing! God wants to bless you!  Part of you’re getting to the place of receiving God’s blessing is wrapped up in your setting and working toward the accomplishment of goals!

A Few Steps: First – Talk To God! Ask God to help you discover and develop some worthy and meaningful goals.  Ask God to help you in working toward the accomplishment of these goals.  Second – Get a blank sheet of paper and dream a little bit! What would you like to see happen in your spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, social and financial life?  Third – Get To Work! “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step!”   Start taking the steps!  And as you begin to accomplish and achieve the things that God has put in front of you, make sure to give God glory as He works to feel your life with His blessing!

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Did You Say Free Easter Egg Hunt???

Free Easter Egg Hunt!

Easter is just around the corner and that means that it is time for Northwood’s Annual Family Easter Egg Hunt.  This hunt started years ago as a small get together for our church family and has grown into a full-blown outreach event to the community.  Last year we had well over a thousand people who attended and we are expecting an even bigger crowd this year.  It’s going to be a whole lot of fun and I hope that you will bring all of your family and friends!

Love In Action! Someone ask me:  ”Why does Northwood do these big events for the community and for free?”  The answer is very simple:  “We love Jesus and we love you!” This is just one more way that we can share the love of Jesus with the community that God has allowed us the opportunity and priviledge to minister in.

Hard Work – But Worth It! It is a lot of work that takes a lot of people and a fair amount of money to provide the free food, prizes, eggs, candy, inflatables, games and a lot of surprises, but it is worth all of the time and every penny to know that we are planting a seed to help people find the right direction in life!

Working Together For God’s Glory! We are very honored this year to have Ridgeview Church in Taylors partnering with us for our annual Easter Egg and Candy Grab at the Lake Cunningham Picnic Shelter in Greer!  The Easter Egg Hunt is this Saturday, March 27 from 2:00-4:00 pm!  It brings God greater glory when congregations work together to share His love!

For More Info! If you need more information, then please visit us at www.rightdirections.org. or give us a call at 864-877-5417!

Directions to the picnic shelter:  From Hwy, 29 (Wade Hampton Blvd), take Hwy. 101 to McElhaney Road.  Turn right on McElhaney Rd, just past the Lake Cunningham Fire Department.  The Picnic Shelter is on the right.

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So You Had A Bad Day!

So You Had A Bad Day?

What do you do when the phone rings and the person on the other side of the line gives you bad news?  It may be a call from a family member sharing with you the news of a loved one that has passed.  It could be the scary call from the Doctor with the results from the test that don’t look very promising.  Or it could be any number of different scenarios giving you the news that you have always dreaded to hear!  If you live long enough you will experience some of these dark times of life.  Times where the bad news of circumstances seem to be bigger and heavier than the good news of daily living.

Dark Times! During the dark times of life it is very important that we take the time to remind ourselves of some very important truths.  These truths will shine as a light in the darkness and guide us through to the other side, where we will find blessing for having made it through the challenge.

Remind Yourself That God Loves You! That’s right!  We know it, but we take it for granted and we often forget about it!  It is somewhere in there, but not where it needs to be.  Put right up in the front of your mind and heart the reminder that “GOD LOVES ME!”  God does love you – more than you can dream or imagine!

Remind Yourself That All Things Work Together For The Good Of Those That Love God And Who Are Called According To His Purpose! God is always at work.  And God is always working for our blessing.  When we love God and live in obedience to Him and His calling, then His blessings are able to flow to and through our lives.  God can use even the bad for our good, if we will love, trust and obey Him!

Remind Yourself That God Has A Plan And It Is Better Than Any Plan That You Can Come Up With! Look around you – everything that God has created has a purpose!  God has a plan and purpose for your life and if He has allowed some challenge to come into your life, then you can bank on the fact that He is going to use it to grow you and use you for His glory!

Remind Yourself To Deal With Any Sin That Might Get In Between You And God! We don’t like to admit it, but the truth is:  WE ARE SINNERS AND OUR SIN GETS IN THE WAY!  Don’t beat up on yourself for being a sinner.  Just admit it, asked for God’s forgiveness and strength to overcome!  Don’t allow sin to block the flow of God’s blessing to and through you!

Remind Yourself Of The Reality That God Has Been With Me, Is With Me Now And Will Be With Me For Always! God has been with you always and will be with you always.  He was with you before you were born and desires to be with you after you die.  There may be times that you feel like you are all alone, but God is always just one prayer away.  Take some time to talk with Him today and thank Him for what you’ve been reminded of!

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Where Are You Going?

The Way Everlasting!

A Good Word From The Word! Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

Inside-Out! I need God to search me, because I sometimes will not be honest with myself!  God knows my heart and I need His help, if I am going to know and grow my heart for His glory and man’s blessing.  I am a man, flesh and blood, spirit and soul.  There is a constant battle waging inside of me.  I want to be victorious for the Kingdom!  I will be victorious for the Kingdom, but I cannot do this thing by myself, in my own strength and through my own power!

This Is War! Anything in me that is offensive – that gets in the way of God’s Kingdom work, I want God to reveal and give me the motivation and strength to take it on and take it out!  Enough of this pretending that we are perfect.  Enough of judging others so that we never have to look at ourselves!  Enough of playing games that take us to a place called nowhere!

The Way Everlasting! I want to go to the place that only God can take me!  I need Him to lead me in the way everlasting!  This is a journey worth beginning and finishing!  Come and go with me as I go with God!

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Unscrewing A Screwed Up Life!

Unscrewing A Screwed Up Life!

God Can Use Bad For Good! I know that there are a lot of people out there that are going through some very tough stuff!  Trials, frustrations, challenges and disappointments are never easy, but it is very important for us to understand that God can use the bad stuff for our good, if we will continue to love and trust Him.

In James 1:2-8 we read: “2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends! It is through the tough and hard circumstances of life that our heart is purified and our faith is strengthened!  I need for my heart to be cleaned up, because living in this world causes it to get dirty and polluted pretty quickly!  I need for my faith to be strengthened, because I know that I cannot make it through without some help from my friends!  (Father, Son And Holy Spirit!)

The Wisdom Challenge! What I don’t always have and what I often need most is WISDOM!  Challenges and tough circumstances are a reality and there are times that they cannot be avoided, so I need to learn how to best respond to these challenges that the world throws my way – whenever they may come!  The last part of the above Scripture tells us what to ask for and exactly how to do it!

What And How! We are to ask for Wisdom – this is the what!  We are to ask “in faith without any doubting” – this is the how!  God created all things and so we know that God created wisdom.  Wisdom is what we need, so we should go to God and ask Him for it.  God created wisdom, so that He could give us wisdom, so there should be no doubt on our part about Him providing what we need.  We ask, we believe and we receive! It is often our lack of faith, our wavering in belief that keep us from getting the great stuff that God has for us!

You Need Wisdom! God made wisdom and He wants to give it to you!  Ask Him for wisdom and believe that you have it!  Now use that wisdom to go through your trials and troubles to the greater place of blessing that God has for you!

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Use It Wisely!

Open And Use!

I have been getting ready for a new series on CHARACTER that will be coming up in April, and I have spent a great deal of time thinking about our BIBLES!  Almost everyone in America has at least one Bible and everybody in America has access to the Bible in some shape or form.  It is easy for us to look at the Bible as just another good book, but it is so much more than that and we need to learn to see it and treat it in that way!

What The Bible Says: This is what the Bible says about itself in Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

It’s More Than That! The Bible is more than just a good book.  The Bible is God’s Word!  God – the Creator and Sustainer of all things, has provided us with a love letter of written out directions that will guide and grow us to live the most incredible life ever, but we often miss out because we are too lazy or distracted to take even five minutes to pick it up and allow God the opportunity to speak into our lives.

Making Life Better! You’ve got problems and the Bible has solutions!  Take a little time today to get your own copy and invest a little time everyday in reading and taking God’s Word into your head and heart.  It is amazing the difference that it will make in your life!