How Does Your Heart Rate?

"Let's check your pulse"... you've probably all heard this statement when going to the Dr., since a visit usually involves a nurse checking your heart rate.  At times, we need heart surgery and some people have even undergone a heart transplant.
Not only is our physical heart rate important, but according to the Bible, our heart is something that is important in our relationship with others and with God. Throughout the Bible we read the word 'heart';  in most cases, this is not a reference of our physical heart, but it refers to our 'inner being' - that part of us that's comprised of our thoughts and attitude. 
There is an Old Testament scripture that says we are to love God with all of our 'heart', soul and mind; Jesus is quoted as referencing this same text in His biographies by the Gospel writers.  When we read this text, it is not simply a suggestion for us to have a quality life-no, it is actually a command.  Our thoughts and attitudes toward God should be pure, with our motives for serving Him also being pure.  When they are not, imagine it being the same as a blocked artery or vein that affects your physical heart.  Doctors have several ways of 'cleaning' our blocked arteries and veins; God has offered us a means of 'cleaning' our thoughts and attitudes toward Him- it's a principle called confession and repentance.
Confess simply means 'to say the same as'.  In 1 John 1:9, we find that confessing our sins to God brings forgiveness and a cleansing.  Someone arrested for a crime is encouraged to 'confess' their part and motive; when doing this, they are admitting they did the 'same thing' they are accused of.  In the same manner, when we sin against God (ie, violate His Word) this verse says we are to say/admit we have done what God has said is wrong and are to be clear, not vague, in saying the wrong. 
To repent generally is defined as 'to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one's life for the better; be penitent.'  Notice it says to 'change';  if we look at repentance before God as a change of direction in thinking or life, this explains the principle of repentance in a biblical sense.  
When we are truly sorry and want to make changes in our life, we have grace - ability and desire - to confess our wrong to God (and others, when necessary) and we are to repent-change our thinking or attitude about the matter/issue.
So I'm sure you're asking...what do these terms have to do with my heart rate??
When our spirit, mind and attitude are blocked by sin, our spiritual heart rate is affected- it doesn't function as it should;  when we confess and repent of our sins, the 'blockage' is removed and our heart rate is normal.
This week, check your spirit's heart rate... is it functioning as it should, or do we need to visit Dr. Jesus?

Attitude- it will make me or break me

Attitude... What comes to mind when you hear that word?  Someone's face that you really think needs to get a new life.. or maybe the fellow employee, family member or church member that always has a negative comment about any given situation.  I'm sure there are many people that we think need a lecture about his/her attitude.
Sometimes I'll tell my kids to 'get an attitude check'. There are times I have to tell myself the same thing.  Life is not all about me!  
I've realized in my personal life that keeping a good attitude determines how I view and face many challenges; it also determines the outcome of my life during that situation. Here's a very true quote:  Our attitude determines our altitude!  That principle will help you realize why some people are overcomers in every area of their life, and why others feel like they are the 'last ones to get help'. 
One thing I've learned in 42 years of living - Life happens when we least expect it! Our job is to avoid this popular entitlement mentality that so many are taking on, and learn to face the reality of life -- sometimes we just don't get our way!
Do you realize your thoughts affect your attitude?  What you are thinking about determines your feelings of a matter.  Basically, change your thoughts - change your attitude!
If you are struggling with negative thoughts about your work, school, parents, spouse, pastor, co-worker, etc, I challenge you to check your attitude...that is where you will find the greatest success in life!!

Are we living in the 'last days' ?

In a recent conversation with my cousin on FB, she asked me a question - Is it possible that we are living in the 'end times'.  In response, I gave her a thesis that would go towards a master's degree. Ok, it really wasn't that long, just seemed like it! 

As I read books- both current and about history - and listen to opinions about what's happening, I see many people have a sense that societies around the globe - not just America - can't continue the current path without consequences. Also, there is a sense of 'something big' happening in the near future. This 'sense' has always been in the mind of people thru history- ie, reference the bible and other historical documents.
By reading the Bible and and taking into consideration what leaders are saying who have experience in the economy, our culture and politics, I understand we are living in a time of turmoil.  Yet people are hungry for truth and honesty- they are tired of greed, debt, etc.
The fact that the earth cannot - on a continual basis - physically withstand the harmful habits of people is referenced in the Bible as well as verified in research by scientists.  I'm talking about the Scriptures in the biblical book of Romans that relate how the earth itself gets 'sick' of the lawlessness of humanity and is waiting to be renewed.
Whether we believe the Bible or not, there is increasing evidence that nations are desperate for peace, societies are messed up and they are looking for someone with answers to their problems. Of course, this has always been the case, but I'm convinced God knew what a mess we'd be in and that evil would increase ( I guess so with approx 7 billion on the planet now !! ).
No He didn't purposefully create catastrophes or cause evil situations to happen just so He could 'save the world'; I'm more and more convinced that He knows the heart of people and what we can do when we are given opportunity, either good or evil. The sad fact is, man's heart is inclined to do wrong instead of right; look at our kid's....they don't have to be taught to do wrong (it comes naturally), they have to be taught to do things correctly!

So, knowing what man is capable of and how we can mess ourselves up so bad, Jesus told his followers details regarding the end of the present age. Pretty cool, since He could 'see' the future... Those 'times' are what many - including me - believe are happening now; but if they are not the specific times, most bible scholars agree that all predictions about events happening before Jesus' promised return have been fulfilled. So the next 'great event' according to the bible is Jesus' return to take Christians to Heaven before a 'great tribulation' happens.
One thing I know -- in one manner, we have to live our life as if we face God the next moment, yet at the same time we live to fulfill our purpose for being put on the planet. We can't just 'set around' waiting for the earth to explode!! People have to know about the One who gives real Peace- Jesus.

10 Commandments of Confrontation

In John Maxwell's book, Developing the Leader Within You, he gives 10 principles to help when we have to confront a person about his/her actions, attitude, etc.  For those of us who run from confrontation, as most people do, he suggests thinking in terms of clarity, instead of confronting; ie, clarify the issue instead of confronting the person.
1.  Do it privately, not publicly.
2.  Do it as soon as possible; that is more natural than waiting a long time.
3.  Speak to one issue at a time.  Don't overload a person with a long list of issues.
4.  Once you've made a point, don't keep repeating it.
5.  Deal only with actions the person can change.  If you ask the person to do something he/she is unable to
     do, frustration builds in your relationship.
6.  Avoid sarcasm. Sarcasm signals that you are angry at people, not at their actions, and may cause them to
     resent you. 
7.  Avoid words like always and never.  They usually detract from accuracy and make people defensive.
8.  Present criticisms as suggestions or questions, if possible.
9.  Don't apologize for the confrontational meeting.  Doing so detracts from it and may indicate you are not
     sure you had the right to say what you did. 
10.  Don't forget the compliments. Use 'the sandwich' approach in these type of conversations...compliment -
      confront - compliment. 

Pregnant with Passion

What if our desire for God and His principles to be working in our life were as strong as our desire for food, or our want for something that really satisfies us? 
Recently I was talking with a friend and found myself saying something that I had never put into words, but had been praying about...passion.  The words 'pregnant with passion' came out of my mouth, and then I realized what I had said;  wow, think about what it means to be pregnant - full of life, giving birth to something that's going to change your world! 
The one challenge you and I have is to not allow this life- this passion of pursuing another Kingdom that's different from our natural world - inside of us to be aborted.  We find in the Word of God that His desires can be ours - if we simply ask Him to place them in us; however, we are the determining factor whether this desire, this passion, is allowed to continue growing - or not.
My challenge is the same as yours....keeping our passion for God, His plan for us and His Word priority in my life.  We have a promise that anyone who 'seeks first God and His Kingdom' will have all our needs taken care of (Matt 6:33). 
As we go through this year, let's pray for and keep a passion for truth and wisdom, for healthy marriages and healthy relationships with our children, co-workers and friends.  
Ask yourself the question I asked myself... am I pregnant with a passion for God?  If so, amazing things are in store for  you! 

Do you get it?

A lack of quality communication in any relationship is a major factor in the shallowness or breakup of it.  Most, if not all, married couples admit to a struggle with communication; sadly, divorced couples reveal communication as one of the greatest challenges. Many employees quit or are asked/forced to resign due to a lack of proper communication from one or more parties. 
So let's ask ourself this question...if someone else were to rate my level of communication with him/her, what would be the result?  Granted, there are several variables involved in communication, some of which are:  ability of the one communicating the message to speak his/her thoughts clearly; an incorrect perception of the thoughts by the listener; a wrong attitude of either the speaker, listener - or both; a means of communication that's less than quality (ie, radio, CD, phone, sloppy writing, incomplete thoughts, etc).  The list can continue, but for sake of time, let's move on.

The responsibility of communication is not solely the communicator or the listener's; the communicator - the one speaking - has the responsibility to convey his/her thoughts in a way the listener(s) understands.  The receiver (listener or recipient of the message) has to be focused on what is being said.  I personally think the responsibility is moreso on the part of the one communicating; however, I understand from raising children and working with a lot of people that even when the communicator has done his/her best, the receiver is at fault for not focusing or paying attention and trying to understand what is being said. 
You might ask... what does this have to do w/ me as a normal person, or as a Christian?  God is the originator of communication.  He made the first attempts to speak with humanity (ref. Adam and Eve in Eden), and He made the decision to come in the form of Jesus, as a human, to communicate to people who He is and His purpose for them.
Looking at the character of God and His attempts to communicate w/ people, we see the means of doing everything we can to let the other person know what we are saying.  What if God had just given Moses the 10 Commandments and never spoke w/ humanity after that?   What if He only spoke through the prophets without sending Jesus to explain the heart of Father God?  
What if you are not really paying attention to what you are reading at this point :) Am I communicating my thoughts so you can understand? Just checking. 
Ok, let's continue....
My point in confronting me and you about this is....Do we really take time to communicate to our spouse, children, co-workers, family members, employees, employer, etc, or do we just assume that since we know what we're saying , then everyone else should?  You and I become very frustrated when our words are misconstrued, falsely interpreted, or taken in a wrong manner; this can lead to false accusations and other major issues with people.
One of the big challenges of any business is to communicate the heart and vision of the leaders to everyone, to the 'lowest on the list' so he/she can understand.  Do you realize that God has taken time, out of eternity, to make sure you and I, mere humans, understand His heart and love for us! He has done that by sending Jesus, giving us His written word, speaking to us through other people, and even by declaring His awesomeness by the stars, galaxies, and the details of the human body.
Here's our challenge:  never assume people understand what you are saying, and always be willing to over-communicate to insure your heart, vision, thoughts, etc, are clearly understood.  God did that for us by sending Jesus to 'seek and save those who are lost' - the least, which includes you and me.  Since He is our example, and we all know He has trouble communicating His heart to us (look at our actions),  let's make a point to be better communicators, to make sure we are doing all we can to clearly let others know what we are telling them...so they don't have to guess what's in our brain!
Spending time in someone's presence gives us opportunity to understand his/her heart;  let's not forget to allow the Greatest Communicator to speak to us by taking time in our busy schedule to pray - and then we make a point to listen and obey. 

What about me?

 A few days ago, I was reading a part of Stephen Covey's book, Principle-Centered Leadership.  He describes the story of a young man who visited his doctor because of feelings of boredom and restlessness.  After speaking with the Doctor and following some of his suggestions for 'recovery', this young man realized the dominant, overwhelming trend in his life was....selfishness.  He never identified with a purpose bigger than himself, but was always asking "What about me, What's in it for me?"
Boredom....have you caught yourself in this trap?  Or maybe you find your mind wondering about things you know are not good for you mentally, or for your spirit.  Or do you find yourself doing things that you once thought "I could never do that because it's wrong", etc?  Theses are symptoms of living only for ourself, instead of living for the purpose of serving others or another purpose outside of our 'normal' life. 
When Jesus came to earth, He didn't show up on a whim, or live like some of us - just going with the flow, no specific direction. He consistently lived His life with a purpose, to find those that were not in a relationship with His Father and tell them about Him. 
What about you?  Are you living for a purpose greater than yourself?   Are you willing to put down your self-centered lifestyle and live for something that is beyond your personal wants or desires?  I'm not saying that you have to live the lifestyle of Jesus and be a preacher/teacher/healer like He was; but when you wake up everyday, do your feet touch the floor with an excitement or expectation of something good....or do you wake up and think "Oh Lord, it's another day" ?
I challenge you to take a few minutes, hours or days - if necessary - to think about your motives for living day to day, minute by minute.  You can find hope, healing and joy by living life with a purpose other than yourself!