Prosperity

Most of us want to experience "prosperity."

When you hear the word prosperity, what word pictures or feelings do you imagine?

Pictures of success, peace, well-being translating into positive feelings.

Well, you may not have warm, fuzzy feelings right now, but I have good news for you!

Did you know that our Creator has plans to prosper us and not to harm us? He has plans to give us hope and a future. That's what His Living Word tells us in Jeremiah 29:11!

The Hebrew word for prosperity means completeness and wholeness.

Our Lord wants to heal us and make us whole in every area of our lives!

How do we experience healing and wholeness? Ask Him and thank Him for making us whole!

Better yet, why don't we ask Him and thank Him now?

Lord, we ask You and thank You for healing us and making us whole today! Heal our emotional and physical pain. Touch us with Your Healing Hands. Transform our hurt into healing, our pain into peace and our problems into possibilities. We thank You for giving us Your wholeness!

My friend, receive Him and His peace and His prosperity today! Receive His blessings! Let His presence, His Provision and His Protection be yours today!

My Story and Your Story

Every one has a story.

Your life is your story.

We all have experienced disappointments and discouragements as well as encouraging times.

How we deal with our pain is extremely important. We can transform pain into paralysis or peace.

Do you turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones?

Emotional and physical pain indicate something is wrong. We need to nestle, not wrestle!

I had a complete breakdown about 23 years ago. I became like a vegetable. I couldn't really do anything. I felt like I was going to die for about a year.

That was the best thing that ever happened to me. My life came crashing down into a pile of rubble. Only our Creator could put me back together. He used my wife and my mentor as instruments in His hands. His healing love and power began restoring my life.

He made me a new person and now I have a story of hope and encouragement!

Will you let Him heal your disappointment and discouragement and make you a whole new person?

He loves you very deeply. He accepts you completely. He values you very highly.

Extra Movement

I recently started exercising on an elliptical machine we have in our back room at home. What a difference I have felt in my life!

I started out at pedaling for 15 minutes, then worked up to 20 the next day. The third day I made it to 25 minutes. On this, my eighth day, I just burned 404 calories in 34 minutes!

Now, I want you to know that I'm not an exercise fanatic, but I have noticed a deep healing in my mind, emotions, body and relationships through extra movement. I feel more hopeful and encouraged!

If you need hope and encouragement, why not try something different?

Start out by taking a walk around the block or go up and down some stairs. Start out slowly and then increase it a minute a day with a goal of working up to 30 or 35 minutes each day.

I heard a medical doctor once say that if you walk 20 minutes a day, you will lose a half a pound a week.

When you move, think about the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse!

Extra movement has worked for me! I encourage you to try it. Little victories add up!

Being

I can't do it on my own. Every "do it yourself kit" I have ever tried left me frustrated, disappointed and discouraged. You can't do it on your own. Our American culture has been influenced by the Greek and Roman cultures. Those cultures function out of fear, individualism and control. Nearly all of our American churches have been influenced by our culture. It's all about performance. We measure success by how rich we are, how strong we are and how smart we are.

Survival of the fittest works in the animal kingdom, but we are not animals. We are created in the image of the One who created us. We have created an individualistic, external, thing-a-fied culture in America. We are designed to live from a state of being with an internal, interpersonal community with Who before the what. You are a person. You were created for community. You can't hug a TV.

One of the main reasons I have created this blog is restore people into the image of the One who created them. We are created for community with the Safe One and safe people who will give you hope and encouragement. That means you or anyone who reads this post. Are you disappointed? Are you discouraged? Have your expectations not been fulfilled? Are your circumstances painful?

I have good news for you! You are deeply loved. You are completely accepted. You are highly valued. If you are tired of measuring up and unable to reach the bar that gets higher and higher, listen to the Voice of the Person who will fill you with Hope and Encouragement. He is your Hope. He is your Encourager.

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message)

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." (Philippians 4:6-7, The Message)

Abba, I ask that you heal and bless my friend through Christ our Healer this day. Let Him Lift You and Encourage you today!

A New Day

This is a new day. I am thinking about how to start this blog. I already have two posts. This is the third day I have written a post.

Why did I create a blog? There are several reasons. First, I want to infuse hope into you, everyone and anyone. Second, I have a deep desire to encourage you and anyone who needs to be encouraged. Third, I enjoy meaningful conversations and relationships. Why? Because I have real hope. I have been encouraged. I want to help you become all you were created to be. The list could go on and on.

I want you to meet Abba. The word is aramaic for precious father. I was first introduced to Him in a college student conference in Vancouver, BC in January of 1972. I experienced a life changing transformation. Darkness turned to light. Confusion changed to peace. The light bulb of understanding lit up inside me. For the first time in my life I realized who I was and what I was designed to do. I knew deep in my heart that I was one of His sons. I knew I wanted to spend my life mending broken people.

I think that the only way you can truly know who you are and why you were created is to experience a living relationship with the One who created you. His name is Abba. Christ is His Son. Why not meet Him right now?

Abba, I ask You to reveal Yourself to my friend right now. Friend, ask Him to open your eyes. Our Abba reveals Himself through the person of Christ. Say out loud, I want to know You, Abba. You are my Creator. I ask Your Son Christ to come into my life. I belong to You.

Friend, if you just experienced meeting your Creator, I rejoice with you. You are now a new memeber of the family of our Father. You have millions of new brothers and sisters in Christ.

I want to encourage you to stay tuned to my new post every day to grow in your relationship with Abba.

I want you to know that you are deeply loved, completely accepted and highly valued. You belong to Abba. You are precious and priceless.

Let me pray with you. Abba, I ask that you give my friend your peace today. Let them know that You will take care of them. They belong to you. Lead them to safe relationships where they can have their trust injuries repaired. A place where they can forgive their earthly fathers and establish safe boundaries. Help them reattach and reconnect with the parts of them that have gone into hiding because they have been injured. Help them understand that Christ took their pain of abandonment with His when He was crucified on the cross and rose from the dead. Help them to experience your deep healing and take risks to be healing agents to others.