Walking With Jesus- Hope

These three things remain faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love.

If everything else fades away, and it will(except for faith and love: see above), hope never does.

Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things(I heard that in a movie)

Faith is us putting our trust in God as we walk through life.  Hope is knowing no matter what happens, God will not let us down.

Don't put your hope in a certain outcome, because that will let you down.  Put your hope in God and trust him with every outcome.  

It is going to be ok, come what may.

I have not mastered hope, but I hope to get better at hope.

"There are seldom, if ever, any hopeless situations, but sometimes I lose hope in the face of some situations."

I read a story about a town that was going to be destroyed because the state was going to dam up the river.  All the citizens had several years to prepare and move. But before even the first resident ever moved from the town, the town started to fall apart. There was no future for the town, so the town began to fall apart.  A lack of hope will destroy a town.  A lack of hope will destroy a life.

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."  MLK Jr. 

I was trying to think of seven ways to remain hopeful, but I couldn't and I was not that motivated.

Just remember, the future is so bright I got to wear shades.

Ok this is the weirdest blog I have ever done.  I hope it made you a little bit more hopeful, or at least made you laugh.

I have an idea,  what are ways you remain hopeful?  Let me know.





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Walking With Jesus-Boundaries

This has been the hardest lesson I have had to learn over the past year,  boundaries.  

Imagine if you will every conversation that you have there is an invisible fence between you and the other person.  This is a good thing, they can see you you can see them.  It is not a fence of isolation it is a fence to keep you in your space and your friend in there space.  This fence should be there with every relationship you have.  From your closest relationships of spouse, children, parents, siblings, to secondary relationships, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.  I must stay on my side of the way.

This even works with our relationship with God.  I can't cross over into being God.  

Staying on my side of the line in my relationships is hard.  I always think from the other person's point of view.

Because of this I feel responsible for:
-Other people's happiness
-Behaviors
-Schedules
-Problems
-Sins
-Relationships
-Etc

Praise God I have gotten better at this (I think)

I love those close to me but I am not responsible for their happiness nor are they responsible for mine.  That does not mean I do not love and support them, it does mean I know what my responsibilities are and what their responsibilities are.

I highly recommend Henry Townsends book, Boundaries, if you struggle with always thinking other people's thoughts, directing other people's actions, or feeling other people's emotions.  Those things are not healthy for you and me.  They are stressing us out.  Plus we are not helping the person whose boundary we crossed.

Plus you need to control your own boundaries.  Your mother, sister, friend, in laws, church member, coworker, and even spouse should not be controlling your life by crossing your boundaries.  God himself will not cross your boundaries.  He does not work that way.  (Dr. Cloud's book discusses this in detail.)

What are your boundaries?  How have you let people cross them?  Whose boundaries have you crossed?


God bless you


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Walking With Jesus-I do not have to justify or explain my preferences

1. If you like it and it is not sinning against God, you do not have to justify it.
-I like Johnny Cash and superheroes.

2. If you like it and it is not making you hate your neighbor, you do not have to justify it.
-I like not liking politics.  I like not liking hunting(although I do like deer meat).

3. If you like it and it is not against the law, you do not have to justify it.
-I like standup comics

4. If you like it and you are not causing someone of weaker faith to stumble, you do not have to justify it.
-I like not liking Contemporary Christian Music

5.  If you like it and it makes you sin, hate your neighbor, break the law, causes a weaker faith person to stumble, you can't justify it.  The only one who can justify you is Jesus.  From there you rethink the things that you like and find new things that you like.
-I like living at peace with everyone, as far as it depends on me

-I am not saying to be rude and tell others to mind their own business and stay out of mine.  But for years I felt like I had to justify the things I liked and it made me argue with those who liked things that I did not like.  Well I stopped that(I think) about a year ago.  Now I like the things I like and you can like what you choose(even if you do like the wrong things).  I do not feel the urge to make people like what I like anymore.  I also do not feel like have to explain myself to those who are not on the same page as my likes.  I even had the courage last week to talk to a new friend the other day about some things I like and do not like, I would never had done that a year ago.  

So like on.  

What do you like?  Explain yourself.



Can you do me a Favor? If these ideas helped you, you enjoyed them, they made you think, or they made you laugh, would you:

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