life beyond the well…

Tag Archives: Faith


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The Danger in Disconnection

The other night, I was fixing dinner and I heard the timer “ding” on our George Foreman grill.  Excited that the grill had “preheated”, I went and placed the salmon burgers on the grill, but I was a little concerned that nothing seemed to be happening.  Under closer inspection, I discovered that the power cord was disconnected from the outlet.

While I chuckled at my dinner mistake, I later began to reflect on the danger in disconnection.  You see, there have been times in my life, where I’ve been disconnected from my power source.  I’ve been far from God, not really close to people who were trying to live a way that pleased God, and I was just doing my own thing.  Go to work. Do school work. Hang out with friends. Repeat.

But there was a point that I realized that something wasn’t right.  While I was going through the motions, I didn’t feel any real sense of purpose.  To go back to my cooking scenario, I was on the grill, but nothing was happening.  I wasn’t being prepared for the point of completion.

As believers, our ultimate source of power is God.  He is our strength and our hope.  And when we get disconnected from Him and His people, we began to lose a sense of who we are and what our real purpose is in life. We begin to handle things in our own strength, instead of trusting and depending on Him.  And then, when we don’t get the results we desire because WE didn’t do things the right way- we blame God.

I can’t blame the power source because the grill was disconnected.  It was my responsibility to make sure the grill was connected so that the food could be cooked–to completion.  In the same way, it is our responsibility to ensure that we remain connected to God so that He can work in us to completion.

I encourage you to do what it takes to stay connected.  Dedicate time in your schedule to reading the word, to spending time with Him in prayer and worship.  Don’t let the things of this world distract you to a point of disconnection.

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!

 


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The Path of Resistance

Working with students (and their families) is something that brings me great joy.  There’s nothing like working alongside people to help them reach their goals, or to put them on the path to reaching their goals.  In some ways, I like to think that part of my responsibility with my work is to create opportunity–to help them navigate paths and open doors that lead to many opportunities.

What I find challenging in this work is that more and more, I’m faced with students (and parents) who believe that opportunities come without resistance.  That things should be easy and without challenge–and that if there IS any sign of opposition then the opportunity must not be for them.

That frustrates me.  And it makes me sad.

The idea that things must always be easy and without challenge is a lie that is fed to us to keep us from reaching our full potential. The second that things get difficult, we’re ready to quit- and when we quit, we lose the opportunity to become more than we are in that moment.

I’ve heard Pastor Steven Furtick say it like this: “What has not been tested cannot be trusted.”  I’ve heard Preacherman say it like this: “There is no victory without opposition.”

In my own life, I’ve found that resistance is a sign that I’m on the right track.  It’s a sign that I’m pushing for a higher level, an increased capacity. And the result is that, I get stronger. I get better. My faith increases and deepens. But that doesn’t make it easy.  When you start working out and you exercise and strengthen your muscles, you feel a pain and tension.  But if you (when you) keep going, the pain and tension goes away, leaving you stronger and equipped to handle more.

Lord, help us to embrace resistance, knowing that as You call us, You equip us. Help us to trust Romans 8:28- that in ALL things You work for the good of those who love You and are called according to your purpose. -Amen

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!