Have you ever been in a situation where you really wanted to help someone? Perhaps, you didn’t know quite what to do. Today we discuss nine ways to help someone.
If you’re reading this, you likely have a tender heart and care about helping other people in our broken world. I want to affirm this desire in you. In fact, you remind me of Jesus. So, read on for helpful tips. And keep your heart in this admirable place.
OK! So, nobody builds an altar anymore. Well, not really. Yet, there are ways we automatically build an altar in our lives on which we make sacrifices – for goals and dreams, for relationships, to feel validated – all the while hoping our sacrifice will bring desired results. Incidentally, it helps to consider – your life is an altar.
There’s a very expensive treasure in this world: freedom! Collectively, a huge price has been paid for people to be free. Soldiers have died. Risks have been taken. Permanent physical and emotional losses have been borne. Frankly, you and I have a part to play to stay free.
This is Part 3 in a short series – Be Free!
Welcome to Part 2 of our short series – Be Free! – Check Points To Freedom. Today, we explore helpful check points to freedom. As we begin, here’s a verse about living free.
“It is for freedom Christ has set [you] free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Gal. 5:1)
With this incredible promise/command – good check points can help!
Have you ever seen a little kid who’s just a bit too short on one end? They’re up on tiptoe to see what the “big people” see. Perhaps you’ve been on tiptoe to catch a glance of something. Interestingly, that’s a good way to approach each day – living on tiptoe!
All it takes is putting your foot in the wrong place – and down you go! It could be stairs, slippery ice, wet pavement, carpet that catches your shoe, a highly-polished floor – or even somebody sticking their foot out in front of you (hopefully not on purpose). Incidentally, putting your foot in the wrong place also applies to a balanced life.
Let’s explore some ideas about maintaining a life of balance.
Once-in-awhile, you wonder what really matters in life. Frankly, I believe thinking, speaking, and behavior matters – in every relationship:
Parent-child.
Without being well-thought, well-spoken, and well-behaved, relationships can be compromised – even shallow. Sadly, they can become destructive.
Conversely, when a person thinks carefully, their speaking and behavior becomes meaningful. Additionally, this benefits everyone around them.
Interestingly, thinking, speaking, and behavior matters even globally. Let’s explore.
To engage life fully, you need to be “all-in.” Consider: have you ever looked at a lamp that blinks off and on? First, you suspect a lightbulb. So, you unscrew it and (to test it) screw it into another lamp. It works! Your mind scans possibilities. Could this be poor wiring inside the lamp? Or the cord. As you follow the cord to the wall, suddenly, you see it. The plug is only half plugged-in. To work, you know it needs to be all-in.
If you are reading this at the beginning of your day, you have no idea how today will look. If it’s the end of your day, you might be pleased – or rather disappointed – depending on how things went. So often, life does not meet people’s expectations. Many times, you must make allowances and adjustments. Especially, when things don’t go well.
Happy New Year! May it be a good one for you! Now, to set the tone, here’s a quote from C.S. Lewis – “There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” With this insightful observation, let’s explore 10 points to start this year well.
