Friday, January 15, 2010

I love our country! #Haiti

I love our country! With the recent tragedy in Haiti due to the earthquake, the people of America have once again stepped up to the plate to give, serve and sacrifice for others. Though many people are hurting from loss of employment and a very difficult year, people are still giving. America continues to lead the way in compassion and love toward the world. But why? It goes to our roots. We were founded upon Christian principles. What that means at least in part is that we have learned to give. We have learned to treat others as we would like to be treated. The mature Christian grounded in Scripture also understands that when we give to those in need, it is as if we were giving aid to Jesus Himself. (Mt. 35:37-40) Though many have forgotten these roots, they are still a part of the fabric of our culture and I am grateful that in the midst of one of the greatest trials our country has ever know, that we do not turn a blind eye to the needs of others.

If you are looking for a safe way to contribute to the needs in Haiti, you can give at the following link. A/G has people and supplies on site right now through Convoy of Hope.


http://ag.org/top/haiti.cfm

Friday, January 1, 2010

Are New Year's Resolutions a thing of the past?

Are New Year's Resolutions a thing of the past? There are so many jokes about failed resolutions that they aren't even funny anymore. But is the answer to just forget about it? The idea of setting goals is actually essential to living a full and successful life. I think the New Year presents a great opportunity to engage in goal setting. The secret is to make attainable goals that will help propel you toward a better life.

Let me give you an idea for a start. This is something that is very doable and will enrich your life in ways that if you haven't done it before you cannot imagine. It will be fuel for every other area of your life. It will impact your joy level. It will enable you to have healthier relationships. It will help you to navigate life in a way that will not only be successful, but more importantly a success that is personally keyed to your life. Ready?

Commit to a Bible reading plan for this year!

Let me give you a few tools. Here is the one that I use:
http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/all

There are several different plans for you from just reading through the Gospels to reading the entire Bible in a year.
You can go online each day and read from many different versions (I prefer the TNIV or NLT).
There is also a very handy iPhone app (youversion) check it out! I believe they have other options as well for phones with internet access.

Don't stop committing yourself to a better way of life just because you didn't hit the goals in the past. Reading God's Word everyday is like food for your entire being. It's like seed (Mt. 13) that bears fruit in your life over time...but without seed there can never be fruit.