Do you ever find that it’s difficult to be consistently grateful? I do. It’s easy to be thankful around Thanksgiving. Many people even take the month of November and list something they are grateful for each day on Facebook. I love it!
But as soon as the Thanksgiving feast is finished something strange begins to happen.
Have you ever noticed we tend to say “now” and “later” to the wrong things?
We make tons of decisions every day. Part of that decision making process is deciding whether to do something about it “now” or “later.”
Are you stressed out? I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that you are.
Most of us think the answer to our stress is more of something. If we had more money, more clients, more sales, more house, more influence, more friends, more vacation, more help…we would have less stress.
Has it been a stressful year for you? This has been one of the strangest and most stressful years for me personally. Even more stressful than the year I started Northstar.
Anytime you go through something stressful you ask a lot of questions you wouldn’t normally think to ask.
Have you heard the axiom, “If God is in it, it will be easy” OR “If it’s God’s will, it will be smooth.” Maybe you’ve even said it to a friend.
It’s common advice that gets offered in Christian circles when someone is questioning a particular path or choice in life.
I’m sure you’ve heard of Fair Weather Fans. The fans who jump on the band wagon and cheer for the team that’s on fire this season.
If you are a diehard you probably loathe these flavor of the month fans. Where were all of these people last year when you didn’t even make the playoffs? It’s easy to get a little resentful as they express their undying love for your team now that things are different.
I’m sure you have some expectations of your church and pastor. If they don’t meet those expectations you’ll probably be looking for a new church.
I’ve always found that reality interesting because very few people leave a church because of weird theology or some flagrant sin on the part of the leadership.
What do you expect from your pastor? Before I give you my list it would be helpful for you to write down your own list before you read on.
Most lists people come up with usually revolve around roles instead of character traits. The lists often focus on what they want a pastor to do instead of what they want a pastor to be.
You’ve finally made a good friend. You’ve put the time, effort, and energy into being a friend and you were rewarded with a deep friendship. Then out of the blue they sit you down and tell you they’re moving.
What do you say? What you say will determine whether you keep your friend or whether you’ll drift apart after the move.
Have you ever been on the receiving end of grace? When you are it feels like a warm fire on a cold winter’s day.
If you have ever needed it and not received it you know it feels like someone turning their back on you while you’re drowning.
