The Books

God keeps the books. When you're doing everything you can, working as hard as you know how, and you feel like it goes unnoticed and unrewarded ... God keeps the books. When you've dug deep, done your homework, followed through, dotted every i, crossed every t, and then you look around and wonder what it was all for ... God keeps the books. When you've held nothing back, going the extra mile, left it all out there... God keeps the books. And yes, when you hoped no one noticed, when you were sure you got away with it, when you're glad nobody was there to see it, when you are sure it will never see the light of day... Remember God keeps the books. There is hope. There is Grace. There is a reckoning. God keeps the books. Remember.

Wind Resistance (5.19.14)

Wind resistance is a big deal in racing. Whether it's bicycles, motorcycles, NASCAR, dragracing or Formula One. Wind resistance is always an issue. In fact it's not about the wind as much as it is the drag, the problem of some parts slowing down or undermining the overall effort. It's the same with you today - you're trying to get somewhere spiritually and emotionally, to make progress, to move forward as best you possibly can. So what in your life is causing drag? What attitudes or behaviors or relationships are holding you back, slowing you down distracting your focus or draining time and energy? In God's Word He talks about running the race with patience, and running to win a crown. The apostle Paul said that he laid aside every weight and hindrance in order to run as best he could. Today you need to choose to be as streamlined as possible spiritually, morally, and ethically. Make sure your every choice and everything in your life is helping you move forward to achieve God's goals for you. Don't undermine God's efforts in you - ditch the drag and get moving better than ever! Phil 3:8-16

Get More Social (5.12.14)

No, not Facebook, not Twitter, Google+, Instagram, not Pinterest, not any of those. I mean real people, real faces, real, real, real. How often do we see people sitting at dinner tables looking at screens instead of people there with them? An image on a screen is not the same as a body in front of you. Its a representation - not the real thing. Its a means to an end, but not the end itself. It has been reported that the average Twitter user has one follower and follows one person only. The illusion is that there are masses of people who read our posts and threads and tweets and adore our pins. Its not that social media is bad, its just that its not a substitute for real face to face connection. Its an additional layer, sure, but an even trade? No, not at all. Social media is easy - you post without having to get that immediate feedback that a real face, an immediate voice, a real human body right there in the room with you gives. You don't have to do the work of reading body language, listening and responding, reacting, correcting misunderstanding, interacting in the moment. Media is slow - you hear it called fast, and the way it disseminates info can be lightning quick, but real genuine understanding is far more immediate - happens best with two people occupying the same physical location and interacting on a very basic level, one that tech tries to mimic, but can never replace. Do yourself a favor today, pick up the devices a little less and see what happens when you go real, old school-social interaction!  Love God and love people today - real people, not just their timelines or avatars.