Never Give Up!

Gee, today is 1/11/11.  Seems like there should be some significance to that date!  If you know of any, please add a comment to this posting or send me an email at pastorjim@what areyouexpecting.org.  Whether there is any stated significance or not, I am planning on this to be a special day non-the-less!  It is supposed to rain any moment, and I do not have any outside yard jobs scheduled for my part time yard and garden business.  So I plan to work on the blog, and then spend some precious time with my wife!  Sounds great doesn’t it?

I am also excited today that I get to talk with my daughter in Oklahoma tonight.  For many years throughout her childhood and teens she studied ballet.  When she felt led to go to Bible school, she put her love and ambitions for ballet on hold so she could concentrate on her ministry  studies.  Now that school is complete, she has felt the release to continue on with the development of her dance skills and to see what the future may hold for her in this field.

Have you ever had to put a dream on hold, never to see it come to fruition?  This occurs to many of us.  The events of life seem to take over and before you know it, the dream is just a distant memory.  Don’t let this happen to you.  It is never too late to see your dreams through to completion.  Like my daughter, you may have to put your plans on the shelf for a while, but keep the dream, expectation or vision alive inside of you while you pursue the current priorities in life. 

The Bible says: “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” (Proverbs 29:18 King James Version)  Don’t allow that part of you to perish as you walk along the paths of life.  Write it down and tape it where you can see it everyday.  Another scripture that speaks about having a vision tells the reader to: “…Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run.” (Habakkuk 2:2 “The Message”)  Keep it ever before you and don’t let it go, even if it takes years before it materializes.  I waited 20+ years to go to Bible School, and as I look back now, I can see that it was God’s perfect timing for me and our younger children.  Once again, dream big, write it down, post it in front of your face and NEVER give up on it!  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself…”What am I expecting today?”

Look For The Good!

I woke up this morning to a beautiful blue sky filled with puffy white clouds.  It reminded me of our three year stay in Oklahoma when I attended Bible school.  While I am not particularly beholding to the Oklahoma weather, I have to admit that they have some of the most gorgeous blue skies and spectacular cloud formations that I have ever seen… of course, they are usually accompanied by terrific downpours with thunder and lightning storms that can make your hair stand up straight!

You know what… there is a lesson in that.  There is usually something positive that you can find in just about any situation.  Like I said before, I was not very fond of the weather in Oklahoma.  To a guy that’s lived his whole life in temperate northern California, 45 minutes from the beach, Tulsa’s weather was a shock!  Hot and humid during the summer with cold and icy winds in the winter.  Believe me, after three years, I was ready to come home! 

But, today’s picturesque view out our tall window in our stairwell, did stir up fond remembrances of our stay.  It made me think of the wonderful and life changing time at Rhema Bible Training Center, the many good friendships from school and work, that first snow, and of course, the outrageous skies that we hardly see in our part of California.  So even though I was ready to point the car west in a moments notice, that experience is now a vital part of my life that I would not change!

So what am I trying to say… Look for the good in life everyday.  Find something to be happy about and let that memory form a positive outlook in you. Then pass that blessing on to somebody else.  Most people I know like to hang around with positive, happy people.  Who knows?  You just might be that one good thing in somebody’s life today!  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today!”

Take Time To Laugh!

Well, I’ve got a quick thought for you to ponder on this dreary Friday afternoon here in northern California…  When your day is just kind of mundane, not especially bad but nothing really spectacular happening, try laughing away the blues!  There is a scripture that says: “A joyful heart is good medicine…” (Proverbs 17:22 God’s Word©)

Think about that for a moment.  Free medicine that you always have inside you that you can take whenever you need a dose!  Laughter can be taken as an antidote when times are just so-so, or when things look really bleak.  Is it distasteful to the system?  Not really, but it may seem really strange to start laughing, especially when you don’t feel like it.  It takes a little practice but the rewards are refreshing! 

Now, you may be wondering how I ever got on this subject… we’ll I’ll tell you.  This morning I was reading the story of Abraham and his wife’s encounter with God as He informed them that they were going to have a child.  In case you’re not familiar with the story, Abraham was 99 years old and his wife was not much younger.  When each of them heard the news, they laughed at the naturally impossible proclamation.  God then continued and informed them that they were to name the child Isaac which means "he laughs"…  and a year later the miracle baby boy was born!  (sounds like another miracle birth we discussed a couple of weeks ago, doesn’t it…)

I think God had Abraham and Sarah name that baby “he laughs” because He wanted them to laugh every time they ever thought again about disbelieving what He said to them.  Whenever they had His word on a situation, they could laugh when it looked like things were getting sidetracked.  It’s the reason that I can laugh when my expectations are not yet visible.  My foundation gives me the confidence to move on and laugh to the frustration of whatever, or whoever may be trying to slow me down!

So, when things aren’t going like you think they should… stop and take a moment to stir up a little ho, ho, ho, and keep going until the dam breaks and the laughter starts to flow.  Before you know it, you’ll be feeling better and the sunshine will be poking through the clouds that were surrounding you.  Have a great weekend!  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”

You're Doing A Good Job!

Okay everybody, we are six days into the New Year and I was just wondering how you were all doing with your goals for 2011.  Do you still have the enthusiasm and drive to pursue them or has part of the excitement already passed you by.  On the other hand… did you even take the first baby steps on the road to their completion by December 31^st?  Well, let me encourage you to pick up the pieces and keep moving on.  Now that reality has hit and you’re back into the flow of your normal world following the holidays, you might want to adjust some of your timelines, or even thin out the list a little.

I ended up setting goals for four different areas in my life for the New Year.  Those areas included physical, spiritual, business and ministry goals.  After almost a week, I am actually doing pretty well, although out of the total of ten goals, there are a few that will need to be looked at again.  I think I was rather aggressive with my timeline with one goal in each of the four sections that I divided my life into.

Make it part of your regular routine to check the progress on your goals on a weekly basis.  Be honest with yourself and make adjustments where necessary.  The main thing is to keep moving forward, even if it is just a tiny step toward the completion of the goal.  Have fun with the process and use wisdom in determining which way to go when you hit a roadblock.  The very last scripture that I read this morning really spoke to my heart about a lot of things in my life including the progression of my goals.  The verse found in Proverbs chapter one verse 33 says: “But whoever listens to me (wisdom) will live without worry and will be free from the dread of disaster.”  (God’s Word©)

What does this mean?  Well, to me, it says to stay the course of your goals, to not get under condemnation when you fall behind in the steps you’ve set, and to seek the wisdom of others and/or from your foundation when questions, problems or impossibilities arise along your daily path.  Following this direction will keep your expectations high and not allow the dread of failure or disaster to cloud your enthusiasm or your judgment.

If you haven’t heard it yet, then let me be the first to tell you that you’re doing a good job, keep it up!  … and let me know how you are doing along the way.  Attach a comment to the blog or send me an email at pastorjim@whatareyouexpecting.org.  By the way, one of my goals is to increase the readership of this blog… and you can help by telling others about it!  Thanks!  In the mean time, stay tuned and keep asking yourself, “What am I expecting today?”

Expect The Sun To Rise!

I commented to my wife a few days ago, as we walked along the path that rambles through the park like setting of our housing community, about how swiftly the weather can change.  It had been dark, dreary and rainy for the previous couple of days and nights, but when we awoke on that Monday morning the sky was clear, the air was crisp and everything seemed to shimmer in the afterglow of the cleansing rain.

The dramatic change in our surroundings got me thinking about how quickly the situations in our personal lives can also turnaround.  It was a vivid example of why it is so important to not give up when the darkness seems to persist about you.  Psalms 30:5 takes specific aim at situations like this.  The Psalmist wrote: “…Weeping may last for the night, but there is a song of joy in the morning.”

Our foundations help us to walk through the long nights in life, while keeping a watchful eye on the eastern horizon, knowing that the song of joy will arrive in the morning.  Never let the expectancy of that song of joy depart from you.  As I mentioned in a previous post, my Bible says that His  joy is the energy that provides me with the strength to go on, even when everything and everyone says to give up.  Stay tuned, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”

Coming Through The Dark Valleys In Life

Yesterday, my wife and I received a year end letter from our daughter in Oklahoma.  It was one that she copied and sent to many of her family and friends.  In the course of the letter she explains all the good things that happened over the time of her stay in Broken Arrow and Tulsa throughout 2010.  She then ended the letter by encouraging all the readers with the statement that “the best is yet to come.”  Following her signature was a P.S. that said “or as my father would say, ‘What are you expecting today!’”

Well, you know what?  As I re –read her letter this morning, I was extremely blessed and highly encouraged by her concluding remarks!  Not only did it send a zing of energy into my day, but it made me proud that my daughter would think it important enough to quote what I have been telling others for the last year!  Ah!  A chip off the old block!

After being led to study along particular vein this morning, I thought it was important to add an addendum to yesterday’s post.  One of the various scriptures that I explored today was the familiar 23^rd Psalm.  In particular verse 4, where it states: “Even though I walk through the dark valley of death, because you are with me, I fear no harm. Your rod and your staff give me courage.”  (God’s Word©)  In the previous installment of this blog, I spoke of not allowing fear to blind you from exploring new avenues in your future.  The flag that popped up within me as I read the above verse, was the fact that fear does attack us at times in our lives.  It is a real adversary that we have to deal with, and today’s point is how we handle it in order to grow.

It is an interesting to me that the 23^rd Psalm is a familiar scripture to many of us because it is regularly read at funerals.  While I can see the application, I firmly believe that this particular verse is better used as an applicable for those of us who are alive and well and facing the everyday issues of life!  You’ll notice it says “even though I walk through the dark valley of death…”  We all enter dark valleys of death (or times of fear) in our journeys through life, but this scripture says that we can go through  them and come out on the other side!  The very next portion of this verse is the key to the successful completion of these times in our lives.  It speaks of the important role that our foundations play in the drama of life.  In speaking of the foundation in which I walk my daily steps, the 23 Psalm continues “…because you are with me, I fear no harm…”  In other words, I do not walk my path alone.  A force greater than myself resides with me, giving me the comfort and courage to move through the storms that arise on the horizons of my life.  So even though the storms may pound down on me, I KNOW  that I can successfully weather them and come out on the other side of the deluge warm and safe.

This is the confidence that a strong foundation can afford one in this life.  You can be assured that troubling times will come upon you, but the right foundation will guarantee the support to keep you steadily progressing along the right path in fulfilling your unique destiny.  Stay tuned, and keep asking yourself, “What am I expecting today?”

Don't Let Fear Blind You!

This morning my wife and I began reading “Daughter of Destiny”, which is the authorized biography of Kathryn Kuhlman, written by Jamie Buckingham.  In case her name does not ring a bell with you, Kathryn Kuhlman was a world renown evangelist from the early 1930’s into the mid seventies.  She had a tremendous healing ministry that was accepted by almost all segments of the church world, in the United States and across the globe.  My wife fondly remembers a meeting of Miss Kuhlman’s that she and her mother attended when she was young girl that was held in our local area.

The first chapter of the book mentioned the name of one of her confidants whom I thought had also written a book about her in recent years.  When we were done reading, I went on to the internet to see if I could discover if this was true.  In perusing the various hits that came up as I goggled the information, I came across an article that was written by an individual that was very negative to many of the things that Miss Kuhlman did during her ministry days.  As I quickly scanned through some of his arguments and the Biblical reasoning that he used to discredit her, I was amazed to see that he had missed many of the clear scriptural examples of the very activities he stated are not in the Bible.

What quickly came to mind was that this individual was seemingly blind to documented examples that went contrary to his fixed beliefs.  As I pondered this, I began to realize how much the fear of something new or different can blind us from moving into new, greater revelations in and for our lives.  How many times has this stopped us from exploring new possibilities in personal growth, travel, friends, doctrines or even trying a new dinner item on the menu!  My paternal Grandmother was a very sweet and intelligent individual, but even well into her eighties, never really accepted her life in the United States, after moving here from Italy as a young women.  One of her most common statements from which she predicated many conversations was “back home…”

As you think about your future at the beginning of this new year, don’t allow a fear of expanding into new areas for your life to stop you from moving on and growing into the individual that your were destined to be!  One of my all time favorite scriptures is found in Philippians 4:13 where the writer, having just described a variety of both good and bad situations that he had been through states, “I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.” (God’s Word©)  

Through the years, that scripture has enabled me to go way beyond my comfort zone to conquer new heights and discover new truths that have widely expanded who I am as an individual.  Do you have that same “can do” mentality?  Does your foundation give you the confidence to forge new streams in your life?  Don’t let the fear of the unknown stop you from becoming all that your are meant to be!  Stay tuned, and keep asking yourself…”What am I expecting today?”