Heartache, Broken Pieces

http://youtu.be/tUpfhoo5jzQ

If you can watch this video. Music has been soothing my soul so much recently. 

On Sunday while at a church event I received a text from my oldest son. He was asking for prayer for his friend John. 

John's 23 year old daughter had overdosed on drugs and died.

How sad! 

How terribly sad!

The more I read and see even among my Christian friends and families, I see that people are broken. This world is hurting and our Hope and change has changed most of us into hopelessness.

People need Jesus. He is our hope!

I was nothing before Him. Please watch the video and maybe share it on your own page. You never know who needs to hear and believe the words.

Follow your Heart?

Do you follow your heart?

"The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9 NASB)

Is thy heart right with God?

Have thy affections been nailed to the cross?

Is thy heart right with God?

Dost thou count all things for Jesus but loss?

Is thy heart right with God?

Is thy heart right with God,

Washed in the crimson flood,

Cleansed and made holy, humble and lowly,

Right in the sight of God?

Hast thou dominion o'er self and o'er sin?

Is thy heart right with God?

Over all evil without and within?

Is thy heart right with God?

Is there no more condemnation for sin?

Is thy heart right with God?

Does Jesus rule in the temple within?

Is thy heart right with God?

Are all thy pow'rs under Jesus' control?

Is thy heart right with God?

Does He each moment abide in thy soul?

Is thy heart right with God?

Wow! What words!

Clear Vision

Just received this from our friend, Pat, and thought I would share.

One thing that I learned early in managing a business is that you have to be perfectly clear with your employees. They shake their head yes and say yes but then go and mess something up, because they really didn’t understand. And I have never really liked bosses or church leaders that are vague and beat around the bush.
In business, in church, in your family and in all of this life, you will always accomplish more through others than you will ever accomplish by yourself.

But you'll only do it if you're able to give clear direction. Most of the time a successful business manager has successful people working under them that understand the company mission, policies and goals or objectives. And for sure it is the same way in a church, a family or any organization.

My marriage works really good because my wife finally learned to be very clear with me. HA!

There is an old story about a track coach who always communicated his goal to his runners before the race. Just before the starter's gun sounded to start the race he would say, "Stay to your left, run as fast as you can and get back here as soon as you can." It doesn't get any clearer than that!

I have a new quote book and Ed Rowell says, "A dream is a better future in need of an architect who will show others how to make it a reality." So it helps in your business and your life if you can kind of become like an architect. You must identify the dream and be able to plan it and draw it, not only for your benefit but also for the benefit of others. If you create a fuzzy and vague picture or plan, people will follow you in a fuzzy and vague way.

Lack of clarity hinders initiative, inhibits persistence, and undermines follow-through. People don't give their best to something they don't understand. They don't stay on course for something they don’t understand. Nobody becomes motivated by something they kinda, sorta, believe in.

The Bible says in I Corinthians 14:40 "Let all things be done decently and in order". God is a God of order, and He honors our efforts when they are carried out in a clear and orderly way. God instructed the prophet Habakkuk, "Write the vision down and make it plain on tablets”,

Last Sunday, our senior pastor was talking to a visitor after the 2^nd service and they told him, “I believe in God but I don’t believe in organized religion”. Without blinking an eye, my pastor said, “That’s great; our church is so disorganized that you’ll love it here”. He was joking of course—but what a great come back.

If you are not clear as to your vision, seek God's guidance, write down what He tells you, and communicate it to those who work under you or those you need in a clear, step-by-step, orderly way.

<°)))><

 

Forgive

Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word by Elton John

What have I got to do to make you love me 

What have I got to do to make you care 

What do I do when lightning strikes me 

And I wake to find that you're not there 

What do I do to make you want me 

What have I gotta do to be heard 

What do I say when it's all over 

Sorry seems to be the hardest word 

Chorus: 

It's sad, it's so sad 

It's a sad, sad situation 

And it's getting more and more absurd 

It's sad, so sad 

Why can't we talk it over 

Always seems to me 

That sorry seems to be the hardest word 

Chorus 

What do I do to make you love me 

What have I gotta do to be heard 

What do I do when lightning 

Strikes me 

What have I gotta do 

What have I gotta do 

When sorry seems to be the hardest word

Remember this song? The performance was always hauntingly painful. 

Why do we have such a hard time saying, "I'm sorry?" It is only 2 little words. And saying them really doesn't hurt. 

We are hurting because of an offense, we don't say we are sorry because we are afraid that the person won't forgive us and we will feel bad. Well, if you already feel bad, why not just say it then. 

Now the issue falls to the other person. Will they forgive or won't they? It is really up to them but you will notice immediately that regardless of the outcome YOU will have begun to feel better already.

Unforgiveness is drinking poison while hoping the other will die.

Are you a forgiving person?

Trinity

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14 NASB)

This verse was today's verse on the verse a day calendar. Isn't it a beautiful sentiment? Where would we be without Grace? And the love of God, it sustains me. How about fellowship with the Holy Spirit? Doesn't that sound amazing?

Sing and make music in your heart

On Sunday evening at church the preacher had us play a game. He read the words from the third verse of some songs and we were to name the song.

It was hard, partly because we seldom sing verse 3 but mostly because we often sing without any thought to the words we are singing.

How many times have you sang, "Where He leads me I will follow," and then ignore the prompting of the Holy Spirit?

How many times have you sang, "Trust and Obey for there's no other way" and then worried and faltered?

Music and song is a form of worship. It is an important part of our services. It is spreading the gospel through song. It is prayers set to music.

Find a song for your heart to sing today. Read the words and sing them in your soul.

Let me know what song you chose. Pray for me. I am praying for you.

This Little Light of Mine

Verse 1

This little light of mine I'm gonna let it shine

This little light of mine I'm gonna let it shine

This little light of mine I'm gonna let it shine

Let it shine/Let it shine/Let it shine

Verse 2

V. 1

Everywhere I go/I'm gonna let it shine

Everywhere I go/I'm gonna let it shine

Everywhere I go/I'm gonna let it shine

Let it shine/Let it shine/Let it shine

V. 2

Hide it under a bushel Oh no!/I'm going to let it shine

Hide it under a bushel Oh no!/I'm going to let it shine

Hide it under a bushel Oh no!/I'm going to let it shine

Let it Shine/All the time/Let it shine/Oh yeah!

Verse 3

V. 1

Jesus gave me the light/I'm gonna let it shine

Jesus gave me the light/I'm gonna let it shine

Jesus gave me the light/I'm gonna let it shine

Let it shine/Let it shine/Let it shine

V. 2

Don't let the Satan blow it out/I'm going to let it shine

Don't let the Satan blow it out/I'm going to let it shine

Don't let the Satan blow it out/I'm going to let it shine

Let it Shine/All the time/Let it shine/Oh yeah!

Looks

Israel wanted a King. They wanted to be like the other nations. So God allowed them to have what they wanted even though it was a rejection of Him.

Samuel looked at Jesse's son, Eliab, because he was tall and handsome and "looked like a king."

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7 NASB)

Many times in our lives, we perceive people and judge their character based on their appearance.

And many times people dress a certain way hoping to look older, younger, smarter, thinner, more athletic and so on.

What does your dress say about you? What does your appearance say about your heart of God?