As we approach the holiday celebrations of Thanksgiving and Christmas, I thought it would be healthy to remind myself and others about just how important it is to cultivate a thankful heart.  I can certainly get wrapped up in the spiritual war that is going on in our country. I constantly need to be reminded of the words of the apostle Paul when he states clearly that we don’t just wrestle with natural things, like politics and general nastiness, but we wrestle with all the evil and wickedness of a Satanic agenda. That agenda is eradicating the peace of God and promoting hatred and distrust.  That can not happen.  A spirit of thankfulness is what will miraculously bring forth growth and victory!

In the first article on this subject I explained that often we focus too much on our problems and brokenness and thus fail to encourage our walk with focusing on the goodness of God. Let me explain up front that I do not believe you can ignore our many problems or deny them, but if the problem is taking up most of your perception in life you are bound to continue in them and develop greater damage to your soul. As a counselor and pastor I would try to help people see their main problem and then help them focus on God’s ability to resolve and overcome these problems. By helping people see God’s proven faithfulness in other’s lives, we gain hope and confidence for ourselves. If you have not read part one on this same subject please read before continuing with this article.

In my last two articles I talked about the “Battle in our Soul” and how we all must struggle to keep a healthy soul.  The Soul does not take care of itself, it is something that directs us towards a healthy life or a sick and broken one. I would like to start this article on exposing what I consider one of the prime hinderances of the modern church and believers everywhere. Most of today’s preaching revolves around our personal need and brokenness and although this condition is often true, the fact that more often than not we are in a broken and needy condition is due in large part on our focus on the problem rather than the solution. So much hinders our ability to see the way out of this dilemma and if all we do is focus on the problem we never or rarely gain enough hope to expect a change in our condition. If you keep telling a child that he or she is stupid that will not motivate them to expect something different and our words become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In the first article on “Battling for a Healthy Soul” I talked about how “New Year Resolutions” are often hard to keep and thus we often fail to even try to make them.  Admitting our weaknesses is often the first step in real meaningful change, yet that very confession is often so hard to make. I discussed Psalms 103, a favorite psalms of mine when starting the New Year because it motivates me to start challenging my “Soul“.  This way I remember the goodness of God rather than the failure I might have had the previous year. If you haven’t read part one of this topic please do so before continuing.

In the first Article on “Smelling Like Jesus” I talked about how “Fragrances” warms the heart of those who experience them, like walking into a store that has candles burning. That simple thing of a fragrance or a candle can and often does create an “Attitude Adjustment” in us. If people are grumpy from shopping or just the business of life during Christmas the stores that utilize fragrance have an advantage with their customers. I spoke about how Satan is very active during the Christmas season to get people so stressed out that they won’t see Jesus and the redemption story. In fact, Satan’s objective is to “Short Circuit” the spirit of Christmas and the hope God intends for humanity. The Holy Spirit wants to use the body of Christ to shine the light of Christ and the hope that the good news brings. If you haven’t read the first article please do so to get the full background before reading this portion.

I have found that there is no better time to talk about the love of God and the birth of Christ than during the month of December. The real truth is that the radio and TV are doing a lot of the work for us and the Holy Spirit is speaking to the human heart no matter how broken the person may be. We so often are reluctant to share the story of the gospel because we look at the outside of people and think they don’t need our help when, in fact, they are crying out on the inside.

I had intended to only write a three-part article on the meaning and application of sacrifice, but decided to add one more before moving on to another subject. This then, is the fourth and final part of this series on sacrifice so if you haven’t read the first three please do so before reading this one.

With all the violent protest happening regarding the Supreme Court justice and various candidates running for office, it’s easy to feel like you just want to keep your head down and your mouth quiet lest someone notice you and take out their frustration or hatred on you.  But is that the right thing to do just because others are vocal and acting like fools?  What if this is the perfect time to be vocal about what you believe in and do it with respect?

Being honest, Father’s Day is somewhat lacking in comparison to Mother’s Day both in focus and expense. When I worked in restaurants in my early days of employment Mother’s Day was the biggest day of the year. Families would reserve spots in restaurants far in advance or they wouldn’t get a table. Father’s Day, on the other hand, was pretty much the same as any other day. If you look at stores that have things for Mother’s Day, they stock up early and do huge promotions whereas Father’s Day ….not so much.