It is not what we know, what we wish, what we intend or what we promise, but what we do that matters. Doing is everything!

Most of us could lay out a healthy routine of eating and exercise. We already know what foods to avoid and which ones to include in our diet. We know the value of prayer or reading and reflecting. But knowing is not doing and the gap between physical and spiritual health can only be bridged when we get off our booty and get with it. 

“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” Jesus Conversations Within” ts 4/16/2020

Let it sink in.

My wife asks me all the time if I am listening to her. She knows from experience that I am often not fully there when she is trying to communicate. I also do this to the Spirit of Christ. I sometimes hear but I don’t hear. Give people, and especially God your full attention when listening. We use the expression, “let it sink in,” because like seed on top of the ground, nothing happens until it does. How well do we listen? 

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.” Jesus Conversations Within” ts 4/15/2020

“If things go wrong, don’t go with them.” Roger Babson

It is wise to keep a level head when life throws you a topsy-turvy. It is preemptively smart to give thought on how to remain calm in situations that try to stir your fears. How so? We can start by choosing to think clearly about those truths that promote peace within, and the wisdom for restoring it without. Center yourself on the simple truth that God never wants us to panic, or worry, and realizing this, we are free to ask Him for whatever is needed to live wisely, not unwisely. Worry is, after all, as unhealthy as it is unwise.

 “Be sober-minded…” 1Pet.5.8 Conversations Within” ts 4/17/2020

"If that doesn't light your fire, then your wood's wet." Old saying

The Spirit of God is constantly working in the hearts of people. He lifts us up when we are down, and deflates our pride when we are puffed up. He consoles and comforts, convicts and inspires. Even so, we often pour water on the fire He is trying to light in our soul. The real danger is that every time we say “no” to Him ,we are reinforcing in ourselves the habit of saying “no,” again and again. Every “No,“ makes it easier to say “No,“ the next time. Say “No,“ to ever saying “No,“ to Him again.

“Today, if you will hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts.” Ps95.8

“The eye is the mirror of the soul.” Unknown

I am not very attentive to my outward dress and appearance. My precious wife puts more into what I wear and if my hair is combed properly if combed at all. I confess that this practice spills over into my spiritual dress as well. I read and reflect on God’s word and like a mirror it gives me a true reflection of myself. I see my scruffy soul, agree that it needs attention, but more often than I should, I walk away, and ten minutes later forget what needs changing.

“Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” James 1.23-24 Conversations Within” ts 4/15/2020

"It's quite useless knocking at the door of heaven for earthly comfort; it's not the sort of comfort they supply." C. S. Lewis

The word “ultimately” is often used when we speak of the way God sometimes answers our prayers. We ask Him to heal someone and sometimes they die. Our answer is that He ultimately healed them when they got to Heaven. When this happens we sort of feel short changed because we were expecting God to heal them in the here and now. Of course our Father did not short change us at all. He gave more than we asked, not less. Our problem is that we have trained ourselves to focus on temporal matters and God is training us to focus on eternal ones. 

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Jesus Conversations Within” ts 4/14/2020

Sweet hope...lasting happiness.

Hope is such an important part of our happiness as disciples of Christ. This is not to say that our happiness is bound to some future event, but rather that the joy we know now is promised to be secure and will only continue to deepen. Every day we have reminders that this present world is passing away and that it would be foolish to place our hopes and dreams on this road of passing through when the home of forever awaits.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Rom.15.13 Conversations Within” ts 4/13/2020

”Happy people are beautiful.” Unknown

We sometimes look at certain people and assume that if anybody is happy they must be. It is sad, but this is hardly an assumption that people make about many Christians. I cannot help but think it should be. I mean why wouldn’t people who live with God and have God live in them not be happy? It may have something to do with the fact that we are stuck in our transformation. We are still judgmental when we should be kind, critical when we should be compassionate. We worry when we have every reason in the world to be confident. If God’s goodness isn’t rubbing off on us, we may need to hang out with Him more than we do. 

“How happy your people must be!” 2 Chron.9.7 Conversations Within” ts 4/12/2020

“Doing what you want is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.” Unknown

 Enjoy the fruit of your work, but don’t miss the joy of the work itself. Learn the simple joy of working with your hands, and whatever your hands find to do, give yourself completely to it. Caress whatever you touch with joy. And, when we come to the end of the day, may the night be without care,  except for one thing, to be grateful for yet another fruitful day.   “

Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.” Ecc.9.7 Conversations Within” ts 4/11/2020

“Happiness is a direction, not a place.” Sydney J. Harris

If I am unhappy or in doubt about which direction I should go, It is the counsel of Jesus to always take a step in the direction of love. Happiness is not something to pursue as it is the result of what we pursue. Pursue love and happiness will follow. Happiness is the fruit of living under the delights and direction of divine love. 

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Jesus Conversations Within” ts 4/13/2020 Conversations Within” ts 4/10/2020

“Lookin for love in all the wrong places.” Johnny Lee

Like everyone, I like being happy. And, I sometimes look for it “in all the wrong places.” I think we are all on a learning curve where happiness is concerned. One Christian writer says there is nothing wrong in God’s eyes about seeking our happiness so long as we seek in the right place. He reasonably challenges us to consider if we are trying to find it in places that will never bring it to us in any lasting form.  It is the testimony of many happy people that they have found it in loving God and loving others. Makes sense to me when you consider His promise.

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Ps.37  Conversations Within” ts 4/9/2020 Conversations Within” ts 4/9/2020

“When everything is uncertain, everything important becomes clear.” Unknown

I find myself rebooting my soul anytime I begin to worry, or get stressed, or depressed. Reminding ourselves of what really counts, can restore our peace, and give us the wisdom on how to make peace with what is going on outside us. Use uncertain feelings to drive you to that place of certainty, where the ground is firm under your feet and the path before you is clear. And what counts? 

“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Gal.5.6 Conversations Within” ts 4/8/2020

"What a great day to be “born again.”

Every day can be a renewing experience. I often forget the graces that God has worked in my soul and the ones He promises to continue. Renewal each morning may be something as simple as  reminding ourselves of all it means to be a member of God’s family. See all of life from this majestic perspective. All who are born again in Christ are Sons and Daughters of the King of glory. Renew your heart in every kindness being shown to us as members of His family.

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1.8-9 Conversations Within” ts 4/7/2020

“Nobody's right if everybody's wrong…” For What It's Worth 1967

The Good Book pretty much tells us that everybody's wrong. Lets face it, we all do wrong, think wrong thoughts and say wrong things. We were born this way, and it is important for us to confess this to ourselves. Why? Because being honest with oneself, especially about our shortcomings is the first step toward being delivered from them.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Rom. 3:23-24 Conversations Within” ts 4/5/2020

“Faith is not knowledge of an object, but communion with it.” Nicolás Gómez Dávila

I have never thought of my experience of Jesus as a religious thing. I have many relationships and have always considered Him to be another, a unique one certainly, but a personal, even intimate relationship no less. Now I can neglect that relationship as I can any other relationship but He refuses to let me push Him into some religious corner. We are long past cliche when we talk. 

“I have called you friends."  Jesus Conversations Within” ts 4/4/2020

“The secrets in the butter.” Shadowlands (the movie)

There are certain ingredients that I just can’t get enough of. Butter is one of them. Like butter, there are certain life ingredients we can add to our day that always make it better. Can we really have too much kindness, or humility, or love from family and friends? Add a smile, an encouraging word, or a helping hand to the mix, and life will always taste better. Be like butter.

“Butter and honey shall he eat, when he knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good.” Is.7.15 Conversations Within” ts 4/3/2020

“Connect with your spiritual house.” White Eagle

 Every day I attend to the physical demands of my body. I eat, sleep, bathe. I exercise, stretch, and these days deal with the various pains of aging. It is easy to get lost in the maze of maintaining physical health. But what of the soul? Do we attend to our spiritual life with the same diligence? Take care of the body, yes, of course, but  take care of the soul as well. As one person aptly put it, "Begin to see yourself as a soul with a body rather than a body with a soul."

“For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.” Jesus Conversations Within” ts 4/2/2020

Our confidence is in God’s willingness to answer, not in our willingness to ask.

It is important where faith is concerned, that our walk matches our talk, but it can be just as important that our talk matches our walk, especially where prayer is concerned. What I mean is that when we ask God for daily bread we should not complain about what He sets on the table. We should also not say things that contradict our prayers. What good is it to ask God to heal someone and then later that day say that they will probably not get better.

“Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” Jesus Conversations Within” ts 4/1/2020

“Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.” Henry David Thoreau

Just because you agree with someone, let’s say Jesus as an example, doesn’t mean that your actions support His cause, or that the blessings of His word will come your way. Giving assent to His teachings may be a part of faith, but without taking the step that He asks of us, our faith is empty. 

"Faith without works is dead." James 2.14 Conversations Within” ts 3/30/2020

"Fear is healthy, panic is dangerous." Frosty (Chasing Mavericks)

Fear has value when we learn a healthy respect for responding to potentially dangerous things. Panic on the other hand is fear out of control, and often makes a dangerous situation more dangerous and sometimes deadly. God’s wisdom encourages us to adopt a healthy fear toward many things, even Himself. We can substitute the word respect here. much the same as having a healthy fear of heights. Panic is never encouraged, and speaking the truth to your heart can quell it. Here is a truth we can preach to ourselves. 

“I will fear no evil, because You are with me.” Ps.23 Conversations Within” ts 3/29/2020

Do not focus on matters that matter little, but rather attend to matters that matter most.

It is interesting how a pandemic can alter our decisions. We may not desire trial, but God certainly uses them to help us focus on matters that really matter. There is a story of a wealthy person who went back to her state room on the Titanic to get something before she boarded a lifeboat. What was so important? She returned with two oranges. Everyday we make choices. Did I give myself to matters that truly matter? We all can choose to do so this day. 

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness…” Jesus Conversations Within” ts 3/28/2020

”If God thinks this state of war in the universe is a price worth paying for free will -that is, for making a real world in which creatures can do real good or harm...then we may take it it is worth paying.” C. S. Lewis

One of the greatest gifts that God grants us, is the power to choose. Real love can only grow in the soil of our freedom to decide. God’s grace grants us the power to discover, then value life with Him when we choose to do so under the direction of His love for us. Do not waste this precious gift, use it and assign worth only to what has lasting worth and value. This is what it means to love God, and to glorify Him. 

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Jesus

“...when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward." The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” C. S. Lewis

The other day my sweet granddaughter was excitedly picking wildflowers as we walked in the woods. She reached down and immediately withdrew her hand and started crying because she picked a flower that had tiny thorns growing on the stem. She is learing that our fallen world is a mix of beauty and danger.  We marvel at the beauty of a snow covered wilderness, and then realize that one can easily die playing in it. The good news is that we are promised by God that it will not always be this way. The healing has begun.

“We...groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.” Rom.8

“In Science we have been reading only the notes to a poem; in Christianity we find the poem itself.” C.S. Lewis

Seeing the world through the eyes of faith is humbling, magical, and reassuring in ways that thrill my soul. Our perfect position in the solar system and universe; that just the right balance of oxygen and nitrogen to sustain life; the many systems that keep our perfect habitat in place; are all enlightened by the eyes of faith. The personal touch of the Creator God is so much more reassuring than any impersonal bit of luck we may have had over the course of time and chance.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Ps.139 Conversations Within” ts 3/25/2020

“Reason is our soul's left hand, Faith her right.” John Donne

Faith and reason are not necessarily at odds with each other, unless one’s reason is clouded, or one’s faith is misdirected, or both. Faith does not deny reality, or true summaries of it. Friction exists when our faith fails to understand the world correctly, or our reasoning forgets that there are realities outside of this world that bear influence on it. There are enough examples in history to make this a reasonable assumption. 

“Where is your faith?" Jesus ESV Conversations Within” ts 3/24/2020

                                                             Photo Credit Eddie Pitts

”Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation.” Elton Trueblood

At the very least, we walk by faith every time we acknowledge the presence of God in and around us. Prayer, any prayer, says that we believe that He is, and that there is value speaking with Him and seeking His wisdom. It follows that the more earnest we are in doing so, the greater our reward. 

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Heb.11.6 Conversations Within” ts 3/23/2020