Practice Patience.

This week I prepared to play at the Dan Fogelberg Celebration concert. As the week went on I worked on the songs I was assigned to play and become more confident and accurate with the lyrics and music.  The night of the show came and I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I was going to be. I played the songs, with mess ups but very minimal, and completed my set with a smile on my face.

But I HAD TO PRACTICE, I couldn’t have gotten through it without knowing the chords and songs.

While practicing, I had to keep listening to the song and telling myself, “this is what the song should and will sound like when I am done.”  and gradually the song came together.

I had to be patient. 

In life I keep a reminder of practicing patience when I feel like I am about to loose my mind in the stresses of the world.

I first turn to Romans 8:28  “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Knowing that know matter what I am going through, good will come out of it.   It may not come as quickly as I had hoped or I may not ever see the results in my lifetime, but it will be good.

To reassure myself, I turn to James 5:7 “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.”

The farmer knows the seed was planted, knows that it will grow, and waits until the right to harvest. It isn’t up to the farmer when to harvest, the seed has to grow.

So whatever is on your heart this week, please remember to take a patient approach to it, and keep in mind that good can and will come out of your situation as long as you believe in the Lord and allow him to work.

God Bless

-Adam

Better Being.

I started a new weight program this week. Whenever someone asks me to work out I say, “wait.”  -- A little joke to start the morning.

Last Saturday I mentioned that I would work on Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness, and Patience throughout the next week.

All of these things are qualities that I see in a lot of people around me and wanted to instill them in my life more than they have been.

But how can I get there? I treated it like training for a long-distance run.

This week I also got back into running after few weeks off.  Let me tell you, trying to get back to your fastest, longest time is not easy.

But I had a plan to Walk-Run-Walk, then Run- Walk-Run-Walk then a few days into that I could change it up to Run-walk-Run. And next week I will push it to a little further.

So with my spiritual challenge of being better I found a plan and that I start to follow as well.

I call it the Quick-Slow-Slow Plan.

I can be quick, slow, slow and achieve my goal.

I found this guidance in James 1:19. “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

Quick to listen

Slow to speak

Slow to anger

If I listen first I can hear what the other person is trying to say and give them a chance to speak fully. (This can reflect Compassion, Kindness and Humility)

By being slow to speak I can give myself time to really think about my response towards others and not be quick to say hurtful or unkind remarks. (Kindness and gentleness)

And by being slow to anger will allow other emotions to take over before I get to the “anger” one.  Other emotions are usually better than anger anyway (this helps me put into practice Patience, Gentleness and really all of the qualities I am trying to reflect.)

Ok, so let’s do it. We can be "Better Being Quick, Slow, Slow!"

If nothing else it’s a start.

Thanks for taking the time to read with me today!

Quick, Slow, Slow,

-adam

Being Better.

When I get the chance to reflect on my day, I like to think about my attitude towards others. Was I short? Easily annoyed? Did I give them my attention and respect while they were talking to me? Etc.

Although, I’d like to think that I am awesome at life. Catch me in a mood and I can really disappoint.

We all have those days, weeks, and months or years where we just don’t feel like “playing well with others.”

I am conscious of the times I am not the Best Me and really try to make those times happen less and less.

There are many examples on how to "live" in the Bible, but this week I landed in the Book of Colossians where I found Paul providing a little insight to this in chapter 3:12-18

“Clothe yourself in: Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness, and Patience.”

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

I would like to challenge everyone today. I am going to start everyday off with reading these verses.  Reminding myself of these instructions given for followers of Christ, and next week I will report back on my feelings, attitude and responses.

-with love, adam 

Hey Stud!

This week my wife and I embarked on a home project that had me kind of…apprehensive.

We’ve always talked about hanging our TV on the wall and putting a fireplace underneath. I didn’t mind installing the fireplace, but the thought of hanging this large, heavy, and expensive TV on the wall made me extremely nervous. What if the bracket didn’t hold It up? Not only could this destroy our TV and wall, but it could seriously injure someone if we were under it when it decided to fall. 

My wife kept on assuring me, “We are bolting it to the studs, it will not fall.” I couldn’t get over it. The first night it was up I just knew I would be awoken with a crash and smash.

The next morning… It was still hanging. And currently I still have a TV and a wall and no trips to the ER.  Phew.

As time goes by I am sure my guard will lower with each day my TV consistently stays in place. 

In our life we need studs to firmly place our trust in. When we are hanging on to our sanity or hope, whom can we bolt on to?

Hebrews 6:19-20 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus is our Anchor, our rock.

 Matthew 7:24–27 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand…

When you feel like you can’t hang on or if you are going to fall, bolt on to the ultimate Stud, Jesus Christ.

Love, Adam

It's All Good...

“Consider it pure Joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds…” James 1:2

Man, I love this book!  The book of James, in the New Testament, has always been one of my favorite books of the Bible. (James did not believe in Jesus at first, and even challenged him…{Jesus can handle your questioning} Later, he (James) becomes a prominent leader in the Jerusalem Church.

James writes about people in the face of their difficulties. Sound familiar? We ALL face difficulties. Some of us face difficulties as soon as our feet hit the floor in the morning. (Your pain and tribulations are known.)

James starts this book with the greatest of direction: “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds… because the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”

A friend of mine posted on line this week, that they were let go from their job. As he and another employee finished out the work day, my friend remained calm and unshaken.  His co-worker didn’t take the news as good and asked, “ How can you be so calm about this?”   “When there is nowhere else to turn, I turn to Jesus,” my friend replied.

How cool is that?  I would like to “think” I could remain that clear headed in very hard situations.

When we are going through trials, the loss of a job, sickness or even a loss of someone we love, we must turn to God. He will help us Persevere.

“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be MATURE and COMPLETE, not LACKING anything.” James 1:4

Our experiences can help someone else. During some of the most difficult times in my life, I become the closest to God.  We talked more than ever; I studied the Bible harder then ever prayed, prayed, prayed.  God got me through these problems and drew me closer to Him in the process.

Its easy to think that all hope is lost… remember the low points will make us “Mature and complete, not lacking anything”

Oh, the next day my friend’s company called him back and asked him to come back J.

with joy, 

-Adam