Tag: gifts

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counting marbles Daily Post

Counting Marbles – 51

It’s Friday again, the end of week 2, and the spending of the second marble.

I had an incredibly challenging week this week. It was not the challenge of trouble shooting a broken heat pump from 5 states and several hundred miles away, nor the challenge of directing a nervous teenager via a phone call to find the water value while water from a burst pipe rained down on him. No my challenges were more mental ones as I spent the week surrounded by incredibly brilliant people in a training seminar. Although I could share lots of fresh ideas about leadership, teams, and my own strengths and weaknesses, the one thought I want to share with you was shared as a closing remark in the opening keynote. As this rather successful business profession closed the session that morning she was asked a what motivated her to action( or something like that). She answered with this statement. (Or something similar )

My mother impressed on me at a young age the truths in the statement ‘to whom much is given, much is expected’.

Maybe because this statement was spoken by my favorite human being of all time it resonated with me so strongly. It felt like it was perfect to share on this Friday as head into the weekend.

Luke 12:47-48 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Take some time to think about that and have an Friday and a weekend worthy of your gifts !

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Daily Post

First Rounder

I was thinking last night how with the simple call of his name the Indianapolis Colts turned Andrew Luck from a ‘starving’ college student into a multimillionaire.  ( If you didn’t know the NFL draft started yesterday, and the Colt choose Mr Luck as their first pick).

And so just like that huge contracts, large guarantees and lavish gifts have been placed on his head.  And huge expectations that he returns the favor by producing wins on Sundays, and restores glory to the Colts name.

Wouldn’t that be nice?  Called out?

Turns out, if you are a believer, this has indeed already happened to you.

11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Yep, you are a spiritual First rounder draft pick.  You have a huge contract, with an incredible reward.  And your side of the contract – praise his glory!

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Daily Post

Worthy of the Effort

Last night the Mountaineer basketball team lost a game that they should have won.  What’s worse is they lost it really because of a lack of effort or concern.  It’s long been established that the coaches at West Virginia continue to tell the players that they play for the entire state – a state that holds the reputation of being a blue collar, hard working, coal mining state.

After the game last night, their coach Bob Huggins reportedly said that the effort the team displayed was very disrespectful to West Virginians.

“I’m sure there are a lot of days they don’t want to go down in that mine, but they do.”

Hmm. That’s pretty interesting.  He was essentially saying “They go work, they do incredible hard dirty work so that you can play basketball.  How are you going to respond to that?”

I guess we could even think about it that this way: Those miners are going to work today, to harvest coal, that will be turned in electricity, that you will consume – what are you going to do with that power?  Will it be worthy of their trip?

Even more so, we can think about some one else who did the work for us, so that we didn’t have to do a thing. The book of Romans address this in several verses spread over a few chapters.

5:6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

5:11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

6:8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him

6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

 

In light of that work, what effort are you giving today to  live?

 

 

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Daily Post

Straight Day

Here in America where we use the middle endian date format, today is a straight.  Well, a small straight, 8-9-10.  Just to go with that fun calendar theme, that doesn’t happen very often, I decided to just gamble a little with my verse of the day. So I headed over to the 8th book of the New Testament, the 9th chapter and the 10 verse to see what I would fine.  ( I know pretty risky right!)
And look what I found there:

10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness 2 Corinthians 9:10 (New International Version)

The message looked pretty interested, so it was probably worth stepping back for some context:

8-11God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,

He throws caution to the winds,
giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
His right-living, right-giving ways
never run out, never wear out.
This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God. (2 Corinthians 9:10, The Message)

Wow, God is promising that he will give to you in abundance grace and mercy, that you will ready to serve and give to others.  It’s a great promise, and provides a great deal of strength to tackle anything that is in front of you.

Take the gamble today, and give away what you have been given.  Watch how it will grow!

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Daily Post

No Blue Lines on My Calendar

Every day is a special day.  Another chance, another opportunity.

I have mentioned several times that I spend most of my days on the telephone and in conference calls. I have been very stressed about some other tasks that I have been asked to complete that I have been kept away from because of these calls.  The stress from that has just been ridiculous, and so I have often been praying for ways to handle it.

Well, I think today is a gift and an answer.  We like to point out the big things God does for us- the healings, new jobs etc- but today I want to emphasis a small little thing.  Its a day on the calendar without any meetings! 

I think this is an answer to prayer – a gift, a simple gift, a special day.

Today, I will do my best to use the day given to me to reduce the stress that was creeping into other areas, other more important areas, of my life.  You probably have been given some simple gifts today as well.  Take the opportunity to use those – take advantage of them, treat them well! and give Glory where it is due.

Psalm 103:1-5 (New International Version)

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.