“Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten,” Lilo and Stitch

Imagine a family of friends who play together and pray together. Who celebrate life. Who share each other’s joys and sorrows. Who support one another and share life together. Friends who frequent each others homes to eat together. A community who gathers with joy to stimulate each other to love and goodness in order to make the world a better place, and to be loyal to the highest vision that God has designed for each of us. Is this not true of church in its purest form?

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Rom.15.7 Conversations Within” ts 9/22/2018

A different life rests in our power to choose one way of thinking over another.

We all think things we should not think just as we all do things we should not do. As we think so we are.  If I want to stop a certain bad behavior I need to stop it at the starting line of my thoughts. We all think a thousand different thoughts every day. Think about what you think about. If it is unproductive, choose a different thought--a productive one. 

“As a man thinks in his heart, so he is.” Prov.23.7 Conversations Within” ts 9/21/2018

“What God desires is here [points to head] and here [points to heart] and what you decide to do every day, you will be a good man - or not.” Hospitaller (Kingdom of Heaven)

Make no mistake about it. We act out what occupies our head and heart. This is why the battle for positive transformation is fought on the battlefield of our thoughts and affections. Cast down every unproductive thought. Someone speaking about our thought life said,, “You cannot keep a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep it from building a nest in your hair.” 

“Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2Cor.10.5 Conversations Within” ts 9/20/2018

Here is the single most important skill we must learn in life. Discover what God requires of us each moment, then ask His help doing it.

I am so grateful for the inner encouragements I receive from God each day. He offers both counsel and correction at the crossroads of my every thought and action. More and more I feel His gentle hand on my shoulder before I speak. I appreciate the stoke He communicates on loving and living. But more than just telling me what to do, I love that He comes alongside me with the simple assurance, “Just tell me what you need and it’s yours.” 

“ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Jesus Conversations Within” ts 9/19/2018

“Everyday is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” Meme

Open the present of the present. Be right here, right now. Don’t live just for the moment, but wholeheartedly live in the moment. Embrace it. Be grateful for it. Who is more present than God. He invites us to join Him in the joys of each day--to taste and see His absolute goodness. Lay hold of all that your Father is for you in this moment. Know peaceful oneness with Him, and discover that His life is your very great reward. 

“I AM has sent me to you.” Ex.3.14 Conversations Within” ts 9/18/2018

Live on the positive side.

I think the life that Christ invites us to share is not expressed only in negatives that we avoid as it is in positives that we live each day. If we spend our energies pursuing love, we will have no energy left to waste on hate, or strife. If we rise each day to show kindness, our days will be so rich showing it that judgmental and critical attitudes will not impoverish our life. Follow Christ on the positive side of living and all the negatives will dwindle.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love...against such there is no law.” Gal.5 Conversations Within” ts 9/15/2018

“When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.” Wayne Dyer

Self appointed judges are just that; they have elevated themselves to a position which has no value to anyone. Avoid the temptation to comment or criticize others by refusing to even entertain judgmental thoughts about them. Do not even judge these self-appointed judges. That is like being prejudiced against the prejudice. Purge yourself of all that criticizes.

“Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls.” Rom.14.4 Conversations Within” ts 9/14/2018

“I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know that I'm not dumb... I also know that I'm not blond.” Dolly Parton

There is great value in being able to overlook an offense. To show patience in the face of provocation is a mark of spiritual maturity. How gracious is a gentle and humble heart. Be the kind of person who is able to choose kindness over retaliation and forgiveness over returned hostility.

 “A person's wisdom yields patience; it is to one's glory to overlook an offense.” Prov.19.11 Conversations Within” ts 9/13/2018

Is there anything better than loving and being loved?

Keep the focus of life simple. Just love, and always love the person in front of you. If we cannot make a difference that will be felt around the world, we can certainly make a difference that will be felt by the person next to us.

 “Live a life of love.” Eph.5.2 Conversations Within” ts 9/12/2018

“When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.” C.S. Lewis

There is the love of action, and the love of affection. We should not confuse the two. I may not feel particularly affectionate toward someone, but I can still treat them well. This does not mean that we should underestimate the power of emotional love. We often develop strong feelings for the people into which we invest time and energy. The love of affection can strengthen the love of action and motivate us in powerful ways. But  ultimately, it is our actions of love  that communicate our feelings of love.

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Jesus Conversations Within” ts 9/11/2018

Christian love is gracious action, pure and simple.

Love forgives even when the other party has not asked for it. Love gives to someone who very likely is taking from us. Love overlooks offenses and focuses instead on doing things which serve. If our feelings are hurt, love can help us get over our feelings, bite our tongue, and think of the other person first. Love always moves us to seek what is good, even in the face of another’s anger, even in the face of our own. 

“Love is patient and is kind.” 1Cor.13 Conversations Within” ts 9/11/2018

“If you're not making someone else's life better, then you're wasting your time.” Will Smith

If it has nothing to do with love, even if it is just loving yourself, then it is probably not worth while. Of course it is not really possible to truly love yourself and not love those in your life. Once we understand that love is so much more than a feeling, we are able to live a worthwhile life. Christ defined love as actively seeking the highest good in every thought, attitude and action. 

“The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself through love.” Gal.5 Conversations Within” ts 9/10/2018

“All you need is love... Love is all you need.”

We have a saying that the “proof is in the pudding.” Love, not fuzzy feelings, but the love of beneficial action toward others, is proof enough for me to follow Christ. The power of love, and the goodness it brings, is undeniable in my mind. I believe in love because I believe in God. I believe in God because I believe in love. When in doubt, always take a step in the direct of love.

 “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God lives in them.” 1John 4.15

“You have the power to say, ‘This is NOT how my story will end.’” Unknown

The path up often begins by going down, and choosing loss often results in great gain. Wishing our life to be different will not make it happen. God’s grace can, and the way to get His grace is to humble ourselves before Him. Just as pride precedes a fall, surrender to God’s will precedes victory over all that oppresses. 

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4.10 Conversations Within” ts 9/7/2018

“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.” James Joyce

In life, as in golf, there is nothing so important as a good recovery shot, except perhaps an attitude to always attempt one. It is hard to improve on these lines from a movie I have come to love. “You'll come to see that a man learns nothing from winning. The act of losing, however, can elicit great wisdom. Not least of which is, how much more enjoyable it is to win. It's inevitable to lose now and again. The trick is not to make a habit of it.” A Good Year

“For the righteous falls seven times and rises again.” Proverbs 24:16 Conversations Within” ts 9/6/2018

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust

I think one of the best ways to learn is not being told, but when we are guided into it by simple discovery. Discovery comes from personal involvement. Some things must be experienced before we can really know them. God’s word is one of them. We can read the Scriptures and know about them or we can live them and really experience God in them. 

“I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure.” Ps.119.162 Conversations Within” ts 9/5/2018

“Hold the vision. Trust the process.” Unknown

Cooperate with God’s Providences rather than complain about them. We express our faith in God’s wisdom when we refuse to complain about what He allows to come our way each day. God knows what He is doing. Trust not only the end results of His grace, but the process that leads there. It is God and His wisdom that decided to weave hardship into the fabric of transformation. 

“As for God, his way is perfect.” Ps.18.30 Conversations Within” ts 9/4/2018

“It's a slow process but quitting won't speed it up.” Unknown

Character is not a hundred yard dash but an endurance race. To be serious about it a long haul attitude is a must. Run. Keep running. Adopt a consistent, not a frantic pace. Be deliberate about your attitude and perseverance will see you to the finish line. Perhaps this sweet transformation will happen--a quote I have come to love. “Winners forget they’re in a race, they just love to run.” With Honors (The Movie) 

“Run in such a way that you may win.” 1Cor.9.24 Conversations Within” ts 9/3/2018

“Transformation is a process...It is a journey of discovery--there are moments on mountaintops and moments in deep valleys of despair.” Rick Warren

Sometimes it is not just your next move but your overall maturity that God has in mind. This is one of the reasons He does not always spell out our next step, but rather gives us some simple guidelines we can use to discover what they should be. Learning how to learn--to discover may be more important at certain stages in our life than the destination we have in mind. 

“The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Prov.16.9 Conversations Within” ts 9/1/2018

May God redeem the ground on which you walk.

We all talk. We all walk. We know the axiom that our walk should match our talk. It doesn't. This is one reason we need Jesus. He made it possible so God can be just and merciful at the same time and will not only forgive our mess ups, but He can establish our steps in goodness. We may have lost out at the gambling tables of life. But God is able to buy it all back and turn loss into gain. May the kindness of God lead us to prosper as we walk before Him in the sweetness of grace and goodness.

"Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you." God to Abraham Gen.13.17  Conversations Within” ts 8/31/2018

“When God looks your way, may He smile.” Blessing

There are two ways to consider the blessing given above. One expresses the hope that God will smile at us because of the way we live our lives. The other embraces the hope that we live our lives the way we do because God is smiling on us. Both are intertwined. I want God to smile on me, and I want to bring a smile to God’s face. In both cases, to have His smile is to have life, health and peace. Walk under the sunshine of God’s smile.

“How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance.” Ps.89.15 Conversations Within” ts 8/30/2018

“Walk the spiritual path; say little; love much; give all; judge no man; aspire to all that is pure and good, and keep on keeping on.” Unknown

Walking is a great metaphor for living life. Keep moving forward, focus on one step at a time, put one foot in front of the other, enjoy every step, and keep walking till you reach your destination. Wear the cologne of Christ as you walk, and spread the aroma of His love in the air. Bless and be blessed, bring benefit to others in all you do. Leave a positive difference in the wake of your journey. Leave people and places better than you find them. 

“and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Eph.5:2 Conversations Within” ts 8/29/2018

“It is not talking but walking that will bring us to Heaven.” Matthew Henry

Walking is a spiritual activity as much as physical one. We physically walk with legs; we spiritually walk by faith. And, it is important to realize that faith is action. Faith is always expressed in the steps of obedience. Often the steps that Father asks us to take are outside our present experience simply because He is leading us to new places. He is leading us to new places because He is making us a new person. 

“for we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2Cor.5:7 Conversations Within” ts 8/28/2018

“I’m walking on sunshine.” Katrina and the Waves.

Some days it is easy to walk. I am speaking not only about physical walking but soul walking as well. It is easy to walk when all is well and we feel that sunshine pep in our step. Thank God for such days. It is when we are not “feeling it” that we should walk anyway. Doing so teaches us to push through our feelings and keep doing something we know will yield physical and spiritual health. Someone said, “Bring your own sunshine.” Walk to the rhythm of music when you hear it and when you don't make your own. 

“How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance.” Ps. 89.15 Conversations Within” ts 8/27/2018

“Solvitur Ambulando---It is solved by walking.” Augustine

There are so many health benefits to the simple act of taking a walk. What is good for the body, can also be good for the soul. Walking gets the blood flowing, and gives us time to actively reflect. My best prayers are usually said while walking. Walking is an act of soul as much as with the body. A good walk can help solve a host of things. We are after all told to “Keep in step with the Spirit.”  Conversations Within” ts 8/26/2018