Three of the most freeing words in the English language:

"I FORGIVE _________________."

We have all been hurt, offended, disappointed, wounded, betrayed, let down, burned, or cut-off by someone before...and when it happens, it really can affect us deeply.  We get hurt for a variety of reasons, but whether we are right or wrong doesn't ever lessen the initial dose of pain that comes when the boom is lowered against us.  

The only thing that hurts worse than the initial act of betrayal is the bitterness that increases as we continue to carry that pain with us.  At times, our lack of forgiveness can become an uncontrollable beast that lashes out within us and then through us.  

When I was running Saturday morning, I was thinking about a situation where someone betrayed my friendship and attempted to undermine my reputation.  It happened a while back, but the pain has lingered off and on in my heart and mind for quite some time.  In the course of running, as this person's name came to mind, I uttered a prayer, "Lord, I really want to forgive _________________."

In that exact moment, I felt and heard the Lord speak back to me: "Well, why don't you forgive ___________ right now?"

OUCH!

Forgiveness means to wipe the slate clean, as if the offense never happened.  Forgiveness is a difficult issue for many of us because we'd rather see justice--we want to know that the offending party has had to pay a penalty in order to make things right.  

The bottom line is that we are to forgive others in the same way that Christ forgives us.  No justice, just grace.

Forgiveness begins with our willingness to erase the pain and agony we have felt in order to move forward.  It is a choice that depends solely upon the action of the "forgiver."  

The pain that I was carrying from my lack of forgiveness toward _____________ was much worse than initial wound, and that was not his fault, it was mine.  

As I continued on my run, I prayed a prayer of forgiveness concerning _____________.  I asked God to forgive me of the ill-feelings that I harbored far too long against this person.  I prayed that if those feelings tried to creep in concerning this person again, that the Holy Spirit would remind me that I wiped the slate clean and there was nothing left to forgive.  I also prayed for God's continued blessings upon this person and their family.

I intentionally left the _________________ for the name because I am guessing that you have someone in your life that you need to forgive.  Ask God, "Whose name would I use to fill in the blank?"  

Forgive quickly.  Love extravagantly.  Be free.

Certain songs seem to get instantly embedded in the soundtrack of my head.  "Amazed" on the new CD "It Is Well" by Kutless is most recent addition.  I LOVE THIS SONG!!!

Listen to the song here.

Check out these lyrics:

"Open up my eyes to see 
All of You, Your mysteries 
I hold my breath, You hold my hand 
As heaven melts the heart of man 

How amazed I am 

Your glory fills the sky, a great and holy light 
Shining like a million stars, I'm amazed by who You are 
Lord we lift You high, Oh God be magnified 
You have overwhelmed my heart, I'm amazed by who You are 

The universe is at Your feet and angels bow when You speak 
So high above our greatest song but still You call and we will come 

How amazed I am 

Your glory fills the sky, a great and holy light 
Shining like a million stars, I'm amazed by who you are 
Lord we lift you high, Oh God be magnified 
You have overwhelmed my heart, I'm amazed by who You are

Last night, Alison and I were talking about so many friends and family members we know that are facing serious amounts of pain and suffering in their lives.  Some have suffered the loss of loved ones, are enduring health issues or tremendous family stress, attempting to sell homes in a bad housing market, wanting/needing to transition to new jobs in the most difficult job market our generation has seen.  

It was a little depressing because the list is so long and the needs seem so great.

Today has been a day spent in prayer for so many of my friends and family.  It was hard to focus at work a few different times because my mind kept drifting to family members and dear friends who are suffering.

I wish I had the answers they each seek in this difficult season.  I wish I could make all of the trouble each of them are facing magically disappear.  I wish I knew what to say to make them feel better about themselves and their personal situation.

I refuse to give the standard church answers--"God has a reason for this pain right now."  "It will all work out for God's glory."  "When God closes a door, He opens a window."--Each of those statements may indeed be true, but I'll let others say those things, and just keep my mouth shut.

As I am given the opportunity, I will listen to my friends and family, let them know how grateful I am that God has placed them in my life, ask if there is anything I can do to comfort them right now, and I will agree to pray for them and with them as much as they want.

It may not be much, but maybe it's a good place to start!

Halloween has been special to me for the last 23 years because on that Halloween night 23 years ago, I asked Jesus Christ to come into my life and be my Savior.  My relationship with Jesus is my anchor in this life and I can never escape the wonder of what it is to walk with the Lord.

On a much smaller scale, I did something on this Halloween day that I have never done before--I ran/walked 10 miles as part of my training for my half-marathon that I will run five weeks from today!!!  My knees and ankles are aching a little bit, but it's worth it...I go for 11 miles next Saturday and 12 the week after that!

What are you celebrating today?

I am discovering that moments of chaos are my greatest opportunity for reaching new heights and personal growth.

No, I wouldn't willfully choose to endure moments of chaos; I am much too big of a fan of orderly routines, comfortable checklists, and mundane predictability.

But in those times when I am slapped upside the head by the fact I am in control of NOTHING except my reactions and attitude, I discover more of the man that God desires for me to become.  Those unexpected occasions of mayhem give me a greater opportunity more flexible, adaptable, and less rigid. 

At times I am able to regain control of those curveballs thrown my way and knock them out of the park...and at other times, I hit the deck after getting my clock cleaned by an out of control pitch.  Either way, I encounter a valuable insight.

I don't think I will ever crave or desire more chaos, but I am finding that I am more appreciative for how those tumultuous moments are shaping and changing me.  

Crazy unpredictability makes for a much more entertaining ride than the road paved with nothing but harmony and peace.

Embrace the chaos when it crosses your path next time!

If you are a follower of Christ, make no mistake in recognizing this reality: YOU ARE IN A WAR!!!

YOUR ENEMY IS SATAN--He will do everything in his power to make you think that others are the enemy.  Your enemy is not the church down the road, the co-worker in the next cubicle, or the angry customer you can never seem to please.  As a master of distraction and deception, Satan will do everything in his power to make you waste your time on fighting anyone other than him.

THE BATTLE IS OVER ETERNAL SOULS--Hell is a real place.  Satan's primary objective is to kill, steal and destroy.  He will stop at nothing to keep the unsaved on a trail that will ultimately lead people on a one-way trip to eternal damnation.  Stop fighting inconsequential battles (which worship style is best, small groups vs. Sunday School, emergent vs. traditional, angry Calvinists vs. the rest of the world) and focus on sharing the light and love of Jesus Christ so that WE CAN WIN THE WAR!

I have always loved the first four Rocky movies (in fact, I wish there were only four because 5 and 6 were not very good at all), but the first one will always be my favorite.  After the longshot Italian Stallion has taken world champ Apollo Creed all the way to the limit, the final bell of the final round finally rings.  After pummeling and being pummeled for fifteen rounds, you hear the champ say to Rocky, "Not gonna be a re-match," to which Rocky replies, "Don't worry--don't want one!"

It astounds me how much emphasis our world places on winning.

I wonder if many of us have forgotten that honor, character, and endurance are built more through FINISHING rather than through WINNING? 

Why did Rocky not want a re-match at that moment?  Because he knew he had given every ounce of himself to fight the fight right in front of him.  Regardless of what the scorecard would say, Rocky Balboa knew he had just fought the best fight of his life to date...even if the scorecard said he was on the losing end.

My daughter Maddie is experiencing the world of competitive sports.  She is playing in a local church soccer league.  I am proud of her effort as she is improving every time they practice and play.  I am seeing her get better at passing the ball, being assertive, and running as hard as she can!  Should all of that be discounted by the fact that her team hasn't yet won a game???

Sometimes we win because we WORK HARD and we FINISH WELL!

Many of Paul's writings in the New Testament deal with sports themes.  Winning and losing are mentioned in a few places, but not nearly as much as the principles of competing by the rules, endurance and finishing well.  In fact, in 2 Timothy, Paul's final letter written prior to his martyrdom, he shares these words:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."--2 Timothy 4:7

May we find value in the fact that we gave our absolute best effort and had nothing left to give rather than hoping that we just had one more point than our opponent at the end of regulation.

Whatever fight you are fighting today, give it your best, keep on punching, and above all, FINISH WELL!

Determination...

...Seems to be a "lost" word in our culture today.  I think many of us have forgotten that doing something noteworthy often requires hundreds of hours of unsung preparation.  It's hard, it's tiring, it's mundane...

but at the end, it's worth it!

How do you build a spirit of determination in your life?

For me, the formula has been this simple: Push yourself as far as you can go AFTER you have nothing left.

Exhaust all your reserves to continue to build your resolve.  You must push through "I can't go any further" so you can experience the truly exhilarating feeling of "I never thought I could!"

You develop a heart of determination with every step you are willing take AFTER the fuel gauge reads empty.

How far will you push yourself today?

I wish that adults could learn to pray as authentically as kids.  Watch this video from Granger Community Church and see what I mean:

Have you discovered that we live in a success-driven culture?

You've heard this statement, or one similar to it: "If you are not winning, you must be doing something wrong!"

Which leads me to ask the obvious question: "How do I know if I am a winner or loser in life?"

In some areas of life, it's really easy to measure success.  In sports, we most often measure success by who has scored the most points at the end of the game.  In business, the successful people and companies are those with the highest margin of profit...

...But, how does a child of God measure whether his life has been one of success or failure?

It's a question that makes many of us uncomfortable, but it's one we really ought to ask (so I'll ask it one more time:

How can a follower of Christ "know" that he or she is living "successfully" according to God's measurements???

I used to think this was a complicated answer.  When I started attending church years ago, I remember seeing offering envelopes in our pews and at Sunday School.  There were several different boxes to check (Did you read your Bible?  Did you pray?  Did you share your testimony?  Can you increase your offering by 25%?).  This was my first introduction to the "Successful Christian Scorecard."  However many boxes you could fill would determine how "good" a Christian you had been this week.  If you had blown it, oh well, better luck NEXT week!

As I am getting older, I am discovering that the answer of successful Christian living has very little to do with that kind of scorecard and that the answer is actually pretty simple.

Successful Christian living can be measured in two areas:  Abiding and Obedience.  Abiding is simply having my heart anchored to the very heart of God (Loving HIM)--I must commune with Him, walk with Him, worship Him.  Obedience is simply living in cadence with God's heartbeat (Living for OTHERS)--I must live out the unchanging principles of Christ's Kingdom in my "normal" everyday life.

Both abiding and obedience are rooted in your heart.  Only YOU can truly know if you are seeking the HEART of God and following the WAYS of God.

How successful do you consider your life as a Christ follower?