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Category: Thought Of The Week

January 13, 2025

January 13, 2025

Most of us have visions for our lives that we turn into goals with plans to help guide us in the right direction. Unfortunately, many of us miss God’s accompanying directive to seek His help and His leading as we move, step by step, toward that goal. 

 

When we seek God’s leading, one or more of our steps may seem to conflict with our own thinking. But, as we step out in faith, and put our trust in the Lord, He will guide us in the right direction and get us to the right place.

 

One of my jobs as a coach is to help my clients to see and remove any obstacle that may be blocking God’s better plan and to substitute any step toward the goal that leads to what God sees as the most desirable. 

January 6, 2025

January 6, 2025

Transformation in each of our lives is a priority with God!

 

In order for God to be able to view us the way He wants – as “chosen and precious”, our transformation is necessary (1 Peter 2:4).

 

The path to our transformation is through our individual belief in Christ and the acceptance of His love for us in His sacrifice on the cross. This transformation requires the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).

 

Coaching promotes this transformation and renewal process.

 

Are you seeking the renewal of your mind through the absorption of God’s Word.

 

Have you thought about your own transformation and how that might contribute to God’s desire to transform the world?

December 30, 2024

December 30, 2024

Happy New Year!

 

Does that greeting lead to any thoughts about possible changes for the better in your life next year?

 

In other parts of the world people do some odd things on New Year’s Eve to try to ensure changes in the coming year. In Russia, there’s a tradition of writing wishes on a piece of paper, burning it, and then drinking the ashes in a glass of champagne! In Turkey, people sprinkle salt on their doorstep at midnight to assure peace and prosperity in the new year.

 

My personal hope for the new year is that there will be a widespread recognition of the truth found in God’s Word that, as individuals, we all fall short in God’s sight. This one critical insight is what allows us to understand and accept Jesus’ offer to put our hopes and desire for the change that God is looking for in His hands. If you haven’t done that yet, that’s the one life changing event that I hope you will experience in the new year!

 

My coaching goal is to help my clients to find this new beginning and to help them travel a new road that leads to becoming the people that God made them to be, new people in partnership with the Holy Spirit! It’s the same goal that is beautifully stated by Frances Brook in 1896 when he wrote the hymn, “My goal is God Himself, not joy, nor peace, nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.”

 

As Charles Stanley observes, “His commitment to you is lasting…His friendship never changes.”

 

Does the transformation that God is looking for, and offers to each of us, sound like a worthwhile goal for the new year?

December 23, 2024

December 23, 2024

Why did Jesus come? Despite our rejection of God in the Garden of Eden, His love for us and desire for restoring a personal relationship led Him to provide a plan for our redemption and reconciliation.

 

Christmas Day marks the introduction of God’s plan to come to earth in human form to demonstrate that, even though we did nothing to deserve it, His love for us is so strong that He was willing to sacrifice His only true Son to restore a personal relationship with Him for any of us who are willing to accept His offer.  Jesus was, and is, Immanuel, “God with us”!

 

No matter how lonely you may feel, you are never alone if you have accepted God’s offer and have personally accepted Jesus to fulfill that restoration with God. If you have, you can be assured of His continual presence with you. (John 10:28). 

 

Immanuel is the God of Hope. If you are feeling lonely, invite Him in and ask Him to fill you with the joy and peace that only He can provide.

 

Have you accepted Immanuel, God’s Christmas gift of love?

December 16, 2024

December 16, 2024

It’s time to start taking in the joy of the Christmas season – the joy of welcoming Jesus as our Savior!

 

Good news is a rare commodity these days! All the more reason to savor the fact of His birth, astoundingly good news of His coming in an attempt to rescue us from spiritual death, our separation from God, and to offer us a free gift of abundant life with Him here on earth and, even more importantly, with Him in eternity.

 

What a gift! An opportunity to enjoy an intimate and eternal relationship with the Creator of the world! But, as with any gift, it doesn’t become ours unless and until we accept it. Scripture tells us that acceptance of God’s gift requires that we are willing to confess to having sinful tendencies and are willing to turn it all over to Jesus and trust Him for a complete makeover. Amazingly, in return, He promises an immediate, as well as eternal, intimate and joyful relationship and walk with Him! (Acts 2:28)

 

What a perfect time, despite the hardships and sorrow that exist in our world, to celebrate our access to joy right here and now!

 

Could there be a greater gift than this?

December 9, 2024

December 9, 2024

Advent, meaning ‘Coming’ in Latin, is the word most churches use to describe our focus on Jesus coming into the world as a baby. Advent is a time to concentrate on what Christmas is really about!

 

After telling His disciples that He would send them the Holy Spirit, He said to them, “Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give to you, not as the world gives . . .”

 

Today, the prospect of peace, both in our country and our world seems more distant every day. Our world appears out of control. We wonder if we can ever find peace and whether that peace will be lasting.

 

There was also a great deal of unrest in the world at the time of Jesus’ birth. As it happened, Christ’s coming brought conflict rather than peace, ending with His death. But, as He promised, following His resurrection, He will provide the gift of personal peace to all who are willing to surrender their pride and put their trust and faith in Him, the Prince of Peace.

 

Our acceptance of Jesus, a personal gift of Himself, includes His abiding presence along with the gift of His peace! He is with us continually, even in the midst of the storms. His peace is a lasting peace.

 

Have you accepted Jesus and the peace of His presence? 

December 2, 2024

December 2, 2024

In the first week of Advent, we are called to prepare our hearts with Hope.

 

When we suffer great losses and are weighed down with grief and sorrow, how can our hearts be filled with hope?

 

The true anchor for our souls is Jesus. There is peace in His presence!

 

When we belong to Jesus, we can lean on Him. Being aware of Jesus’ presence with us keeps us from becoming discouraged or giving up. So, when we sense discouragement, we need to stop and consider our focus. Are we focusing on our problems or discouragement? If so, we need to consciously direct our attention to our all powerful Savior, Jesus Christ!

 

Putting our focus and faith on Jesus assures us that our hope is truly anchored (1 John 5:4). As we put our trust in Him, we can confidently expect that He will fulfill His promises to us of a “hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). 

 

The real truth is that as we walk through life with Him, He is always available to impart His power to us moment by moment. He is our Rock on which we can keep standing, our “anchor to windward”.

 

During this first week of Advent, we need to ask ourselves what we are putting our hope in. We need to thank the God of Hope for sending Jesus to us on that first Christmas, and if we have accepted His gift of salvation, the question we need to ask is, will we keep our focus on Him and allow Him to fill us with His joy and peace? If we can, we’ll experience an overflow of confidence and a genuine hope provided by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13)!

November 25, 2024

November 25, 2024

Check out this verse! It says we should give thanks, regardless of our circumstances!

 

What a perfect verse to concentrate on during Thanksgiving week!

 

How about Luke 4:18 where we learn that Jesus came to set the captives free?

 

I was a captive, but He has set me free. Good news that I can now share with you and others!

 

My desire is to help others find hope and healing through God’s amazing love, through understanding God’s purpose in our suffering and the joy of being able to praise Him regardless of your circumstances.

 

I can’t help the commitment to continually tell my story, to give God the glory and share my own hope with other “captives”.

 

Being set free includes being free from all shame, guilt and condemnation.

 

An added benefit is finding that we can trust Him to be with us in every circumstance when we put our faith in Him.

 

This Thanksgiving, I am most thankful for the unlimited benefits of God’s grace. 

 

Have you experienced His grace?

November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024

Would you ever have thought that Monday mornings are a good time to rejoice?

 

God’s Word tells us that all day and every day are good times to rejoice!

 

This may be one of the shortest verses in the Bible, but it’s a powerful message!

 

The key is that we have to choose to rejoice! Not always easy, especially when you are feeling down.

 

We need to remind ourselves about reasons that we have for rejoicing!

 

In addition to the Lord’s daily provision for our needs, relationships are one of the top reasons for rejoicing.

 

Our relationship with the Lord, and our relationships with each other, can provide great sources for joy.

 

How about a post-it note, or some other reminder, that God wants to hear you rejoicing about something every day?

November 11, 2024

November 11, 2024

As I reflect on the men and women who have served our country on this Veteran’s Day, I think of them as heroes. Someone who is willing to sacrifice his or her life for a greater cause and for their fellow men fits my definition of a hero.

 

For me, Jesus is the ultimate example of a hero. As a living person, He willingly gave up His life so that those of us willing to accept His sacrifice as a personal gift can experience salvation and enjoy eternal life with Him.

 

My mission as a coach is to follow Jesus’ example by serving those who are hurting. While I will not be called on to give up my life, I feel called to a lesser sacrifice when I am able to put the needs of others ahead of my own. Putting the needs of others ahead of our own always brings fulfillment, along with the assurance that God will continue to meet our own needs.

 

Are you open to the Lord’s calling you to serve others?