expectations

God Surpassed My Hopes

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19 Today I want to share a true miracle I experienced when I was about nine years old. As a child, I hoped in God until God surpassed my hopes! Back then, my Dad and I would go fishing often. In Southern California, if you’ve ever been out deep-sea fishing, you know there’s this space between Catalina Island and the coast where you can’t see land anywhere. As a youngster, your imagination elevates this experience even more.  One afternoon when my Dad and I were fishing, we hadn’t eaten anything all day and we forgot to bring food. All we had was water, and I remember my Dad commenting, “I hope we catch some fish.” He also said, “Let’s pray for food,” as we both felt a need for God’s

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Living for God

“And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’” – Matthew 3:17 Today, I would like to share with you one last essential thing you can do to ensure that this year is the finest ever. So far, we’ve discussed consciously relaxing, ruthlessly eliminating hurry, allowing gaps in our life, setting boundaries, and living to please God rather than people. If there’s one thing I want you to remember this year as you strive to live a life of abundance, it’s that pleasing people leads to shame. You will never be able to meet the expectations of others, no matter how hard you try. Consider the hundreds of people you know or have encountered throughout the course of your life, each with their own unique viewpoints, oddities, expectations, and ideals. Is it even remotely plausible that you would be able

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Free to Be Yourself

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” – Psalm 139:14 Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote Treasure Island among other literary works, once made the statement, “I have been to church today and I’m not depressed.” Unfortunately, this famous quote provides a rather sad insight into how the brilliant author viewed the majority of corporate worship services. In a similar vein, the great Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “I might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen I knew had not looked and acted so much like undertakers.” Sadly, he was not alone in his assessment of Christians. Although we have every reason to live abundantly and vibrantly, too many of us spend too much of our lives trying to conform to someone else’s mold. Rather than embracing the quirky, salty, and unique individuals we are, we

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