“Everything about which we are tempted to complain may be the very instrument whereby the Potter intends to shape His clay into the image of His Son–a headache, an insult, a long line at the check-out, someone’s rudeness or failure to say thank you, misunderstanding, disappointment, interruption. As Amy Carmichael said, ‘See in it a chance to die,’ meaning a chance to leave self behind…” (Elisabeth Elliot)

Or maybe how bout the entirety of 2020 up to this point? It has been one long disappointment for many, with so much delayed or denied. But to the one who knows and trusts Jesus, it could very well be a chance to die to self and find transformation and new hope again.

Instead of complaining, which is the normal human default, learn how to give thanks– even in the most difficult circumstances when the words are hardest to speak– because gratitude is God’s will for you, and because God still works ALL things together for good. Even 2020.

“O God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we hope in thy Word. There we see thee, not on a fearful throne of judgment, but on a throne of grace, waiting to be gracious, and exalted in mercy. There we hear thee saying, not ‘Depart ye cursed,’ but “Look unto me and be ye saved, for I am God and there is none else'” (Not by Me).

Here’s something you didn’t know you needed . . . until now. You’re welcome.

Peanut chose to spend her latest Caturday doing what she loves best — napping.

I know people always talk about cat naps, those short siestas that are supposed to be rejuvenating and invigorating. Peanut has very different ideas about cat naps.

Her idea is to nap as much as possible and to be awake for as little as possible. If cat naps are 15 minutes long, then she people naps. Her naps go on for hours and hours.

I love watching her sleep. She looks so serene and peaceful, like she doesn’t have a care in the world. And truly she doesn’t. Her only concerns are the next meal and the next nap. Oh, to lead the life of a feline.

Naps are good, especially on gloomy rainy Saturdays like today. I think Peanut has taken the nap to the level of an art form. I hope this little gal gets many more years to perfect her art form.

“When you are thinking of the grudge you owe someone, let the Spirit of God bring back to your mind how you have treated God” (Oswald Chambers, in Run Today’s Race from The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers).

I’m still stunned at the loss of Eddie Van Halen. It still doesn’t seem real. I still think that at some point someone will uncover the hoax and Eddie will be alive and well and working on the next Van Halen album.

One beautiful discovery for me was learning that toward the end of his life, Eddie and Sammy Hagar mended fences. They had been on bad terms for years– decades even– but had finally reconciled as friends again.

There’s nothing more beautiful than reconciliation. Nothing else points toward the selfless and unconditional love of God quite like it. It’s the rare happily ever after ending.

Who do you need to reconcile with? Is it a father or mother, brother or sister, son or daughter? Is it a friend or a spouse– even an ex-spouse?

The question isn’t whether or not they deserve forgiveness, but whether you deserve peace. You will never move forward toward wholeness without reconciliation. You will hinder the flow of God’s blessing in your life by denying forgiveness.

Most of all, one day you will wish you could go back and reconcile. As painful as it is to put aside your pride to forgive the one who hurt you, it’s more painful to live with the regret of not being reconciled before it was too late. Once it’s over, you can never go back.

Jesus said that your forgiveness from God depends on how you forgive others.

“For if you forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15, AMP).

As much as it is in your power, seek to forgive and be reconciled.

Today I ran across something a friend of mine posted several years ago. It’s a short prayer that sums up everything I want in my faith-walk: “Lord, make the things that are important to you, important to me.”

I want that to be my prayer. Whatever is important to God, whatever is on His heart and His mind, I want that to be important to me. That and nothing more. Amen.

I’ve been telling just about everyone about the new series called The Chosen. It’s the first ever multi-season series following the lives of Christ and the apostles.

So far, I really love how they’ve fleshed out each of the characters while remaining true to the original Gospel accounts. Plus for once, Jesus doesn’t have blond hair and blue eyes.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I do think some of the best standout portrayals of characters have been of Mary Magdelene and Nicodemus. But to see the Gospel stories come alive is worth seeing.

I usually cringe at the acting in a lot of Christian movies. It’s normally not the best. But this series has some of the highest production values and quality acting that I’ve seen from a faith-based production in a long time (and maybe ever).

Here’s the link if you want to check it out for yourselves.

https://studios.vidangel.com/the-chosen

“Now when they saw the boldness and unfettered eloquence of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and untrained in the schools [common men with no educational advantages], they marveled; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13, Amplified Bible).

That verse jumps out at me every single time I read it. These disciples didn’t have a lifetime of religious training in the Torah like the Pharisees and Sadducees. They didn’t have the formal education or the pedigree, but one thing that they had that stood out like a beacon– they had been with Jesus.

One thing I learned about discipleship is that it was not something to be taken lightly. Once anyone decided to become a disciple of a teacher, that essentially became their livelihood, their occupation, and their whole life. They didn’t have a job beside being a disciple– that was their job.

Disciples spent every moment with their teacher. They ate when he ate, they slept when he slept. They became so acquainted with him that his words became their words, his thoughts became their thoughts, and his life became their life.

The Jewish leaders recognized that Peter, John, and the rest of the disciples had been with Jesus because they spoke His words, thought like Him, acted like Him.

How would it be if people recognized me as having been with Jesus? How would it transform and impact your world around you if the people you met could tell that you had been with Jesus? More so than knowing your political affiliation or your denominational background, people need to see that you have spent time with Jesus. And that only comes from spending time with Jesus.

I can’t think of anything more appropriate for this crazy year that’s been flying by (at least for me). It’s funny because it’s true.

You can’t argue, attack, belittle, berate, or demean anyone into a change of heart. That goes against 90% of social media posts which apparently intend to have people change their ways by showing them just how stupid and ignorant they are.

Even if that worked (which it almost never does), that’s not the way of the Messiah. That’s not how Jesus showed us how to live. Even as He spoke with sometimes brutal honesty to the Jewish religious leaders, His final words were to forgive them even as they were in the very act of murdering Him. That is the kind of loving act that truly brings about a change of heart. That’s what changes lives and ultimately changes the world.