Focus on Reconciliation

When in conflict, concentrate more on reconciliation than resolution.

There’s a big difference: Reconciliation means to re-establish the relationship, but resolution means to resolve every issue by coming to agreement on everything. 

That's simply not going to happen. It does not matter if both of you love the Lord or in love with each other; there are some things you'll never agree on, because God has wired each of us differently.

But you can disagree without being disagreeable — that's called wisdom.

The Bible says in James 3, “Wisdom is peace loving and courteous. It allows discussion and it is willing to yield to others.” 

The Bible also says it's wise to compromise. You can have unity without uniformity. You can walk hand-in-hand without seeing eye-to-eye. You can have reconciliation without resolution of every issue.

When we focus on the relationship, the issues often become insignificant.

This is my challenge to you: In a world filled with conflict, war, prejudice, violence, partisanship, and broken relationships, commit to becoming an agent of reconciliation.

It is no accident that the first letter of P.E.A.C.E represents God’s goal for us to be peacemakers.

It’s always more rewarding to resolve the conflict than to dissolve the relationship.

-R. Warren

The Cookie Thief

A woman was waiting at the airport before her flight. She bought a book, a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see, that the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be - grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between, which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

So she munched the cookies and watched the clock, as the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock. She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I would blacken his eye.”

With each cookie she took, he took one too, when only one was left, she wondered what he would do. With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, as he ate the other, she snatched it from him and thought… oooh, brother.

This guy has some nerve and rude, why he didn’t even show any gratitude!

She had never known when she had been so galled, and sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate, refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat, then she sought her book, which was almost complete.

As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise, there was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.

If mine are here, she moaned in despair, the others were his, and he tried to share. Too late to apologize, she realized with grief, that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

-V. Cox

 

Toxic Inside

A study concluded that plainer cigarette packages would make smoking less appealing.

In response, they introduced a legislation that require tobacco companies to replace color, logos, and promotional text on cigarette packages with health warnings and images of diseased lungs.

In effect, the Marlboro Man would give way to the Grim Reaper in an effort to reduce the number of deaths caused by smoking. But cigarette packaging isn’t the only thing that may be tempting on the outside with a toxic product inside.

The Old Testament book of Proverbs urges us to carefully consider the long-term results of all our choices.

The recurring phrase “in the end” (Prov. 5:4; 25:8; 29:21) is a warning to look and ask if what we’re attracted to will ultimately lead to joy or sorrow, honor or disgrace, life or death.

The key to avoiding the tragic results of foolish choices is embracing God’s wisdom as our guide through life.

Wisdom is understanding what’s really important.

-ODB

A New Heart

God spoke the world into existence, and he spoke you into your mother’s womb. Even now, he can speak into the chaos of your life to bring it shape and form (Psalm 51:10).

God speaks into the void and the darkness of your life, creating for you a new beginning, hope and energy.

God can take a heart that is broken, impure, or failed and turn it into a heart that is whole, pure, and purposeful.

All you can do is submit to his sovereignty, humble yourself before him, and ask for help.

Pray, Father, make a fresh start in me. Speak into my heart and into my circumstances.

Renew in us a steadfast spirit, no longer chaotic or controlled by events, circumstances, or feelings.

-DH

Charo Singing Price Tag

So my brother's iPhone has this karaoke thingy so I thought I try :-)

Me singing "Price Tag".

 http://karaokeanywhere.api.joltsoft.net/public/view_performance/c45ae64fa263499a6f605b9ee351c7d2

10 Ways to Love

1. Listen without interrupting. (Proverbs 18)

2. Speak without accusing. (James 1:19)

3. Give without sparing. (Proverbs 21:26)

4. Pray without ceasing. (Colossians 1:9)

5. Answer without arguing. (Proverbs 17:1)

6. Share without pretending. (Ephesians 4:15)

7. Enjoy without complaint. (Philippians 2:14)

8. Trust without wavering. (Corinthians 13:7)

9. Forgive without punishing. (Colossians 3:13)

10. Promise without forgetting. (Proverbs 13.12)

Circle of Friends

Many high school students with autism or Down syndrome feel excluded and ignored. They often eat alone in a crowded cafeteria because other students don’t know how to relate to them or simply don’t care.

 

To address this need, speech therapist Barbara Palilis began “Circle of Friends” - a program that pairs students with disabilities with nondisabled peers for lunch dates and social activities.

 

Through this outreach, they continue to be enriched and changed through the gift of acceptance, friendship, and understanding.

 

Being included is at the heart of the gospel of Christ. “God, who is rich in mercy, . . . even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together.

Through faith, we “who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ”  Eph 2:13

Our privileged place as members of the “household of God” (v.19) should give us eyes to see and hearts to care for those around us who are ignored and alone.

If each of us would reach out in caring friendship to one person today, what a difference it would make for us all. 

Reach out in friendship and encourage the lonely; energize the weary.

- ODB

Confession Leads to Transformation

God allows a crisis to get our attention, and then he uses it to develop our character.

One thing that signals we’re changing is when we confess that we are  the problem.
We stop blaming other people, and we admit, “I am the problem with my life.”

Until you understand this, there can be no major change in your life.  
This is the breakthrough God knows we need.

Here’s the insight into this: We will never be able to change until we openly and honestly  and authentically admit our sin, our weakness, our fault, our frailty, our  character defects, confessing this to ourselves, to God, and to other people.

Talk About It

What do you think  you need to admit about yourself?

To  whom do you need to admit a sin or weakness?

-SD

Winning and Losing

The Masters Tournament is one of the most prestigious in professional golf. In 2009, Kenny Perry placed second after leading during the final round.

Writing in The New York Times, Bill Pennington described Perry as “disappointed but not despondent” after the loss.

“I’ll look back on it occasionally and wonder what I might have done differently, but I won’t dwell on it,” Perry said. I won’t let it dog me. There are many other things in life that matter more . . . . I’ll go home tonight with my family and we’ll have fun.”

The ability to look beyond our disappointments is essential. Our focus determines how we face the victories and defeats in life.

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:1-2).

This way of thinking looks to Christ, rather than our achievements, for significance and validation. We seek Him, not success.

When we strive for excellence and give our best effort, losing hurts, but it doesn’t have to harm us. The key is where we set our minds and hearts.

Lord, thank You that You are the one who measures how we’ve done in life and determines
whether we’ve been successful. Help us to keep that focus even in disappointments.

When Christ is the center of your focus, everything else comes into proper perspective.

-ODB

Faulty Thinking

Four people, a pilot, a professor, a pastor, and a hiker were flying in a small plane when the engines died. The pilot said, “There are only three parachutes. Since this is my plane, I’m taking one of them.” He put it on and jumped out.

The professor said, “I’m brilliant and the world needs me, so I’m taking a parachute,” and he jumped out.

Then the pastor told the hiker, “I don’t want to be selfish, so you take the last parachute.” The hiker replied, “There are still two left, so we can each have one. The professor jumped out with my backpack instead of the parachute!”

Though the professor thought he would land safely, his assurance was based on faulty thinking.

Some people have an assurance of salvation based on faulty thinking. They believe that church attendance, baptism, or just being good will gain them approval from God.  But our thinking is faulty if it isn’t based on what God says in His Word.

God says that “all have sinned” and that we are His enemies. But through the death and resurrection of His Son, we can be made right with God (Rom. 3:23; 5:8-10).

By faith in what Christ has done, we can have peace with God and the assurance of eternal life in heaven.

If we could earn our salvation, Christ would not have died to provide it.