I adopted a mustang from the high desert wilderness in Nevada. Heâs a good boy. He has good strong legs. He likes to run and he is affectionate. I can generally make him do what I want him to do. Weâve had our differences. Weâve both had our spills, but I like him. The problem is this horse doesnât focus. He doesnât really trust me and so he isnât really with me when we are working together. If I put a bridle on him, I can make him do mostly what I want him to do. But his … [Read more...] about Are You an Unwilling Mustang?
Self-Control
Handling Conflict
We all deal with conflict daily, in many forms. Even the church has conflict, internal and external, from time to time. With the Bible as our guide, which biblical examples can teach us about a specific quality that foils conflict? Where does this quality come from? What does it lead to? Letâs consider Gideonâs example to identify this quality. Chosen by God as a judge of Israel he was assigned to defeat a threat from neighboring Midian (Judges 6:1-8:21). He assembled an army of 32,000, but … [Read more...] about Handling Conflict
Overcoming Anxiety
Frustration is almost always the result of our will not happening. And for us humans, it's universally about our wanting to impose our will into a situation. It's about needing to control things or people. The concept of control is not only the root of our frustrations but also the root of our fears and our anxieties in life, which can be detrimental not only to our lives but also to the lives of all those that we love and those we interact with. The cause of fear and anxiety is often a … [Read more...] about Overcoming Anxiety
Conquering Frustration
An author named Jackson Brown wrote, âYou can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these four things: a rainy holiday, lost luggage, a busy store, and tangled Christmas lights. I would definitely add traffic to this list of annoyances. But you probably get that feeling, almost like nails across the chalkboard whenever this list of annoyances is mentioned. Have you ever been frustrated? Of course we all have. Our frustrations are usually caused by small annoyances that eat away at us. … [Read more...] about Conquering Frustration
Time and Chance Happens to All
Solomon addresses an issue that causes a great deal of perplexity to people because heâs made this statement that the righteous and wise and their works are in the hand of God (Ecclesiastes 9:1). At first that sounds like a great place to be. Then he says: âAll things come alike to all: One event happens to the righteous and the wicked; To the good, the clean, and the unclean; To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; He who takes an oath as he who … [Read more...] about Time and Chance Happens to All
Anxiety and Broken Relationships
As we delve more into Godâs law and its ultimate purpose of restoring broken relationships, first with the Father and secondly man to man, we begin to see that all healthy relationships are based on love that begins with the Father (I John 4:16-19). Godly love (agape) is an outgoing concern away from self. The more we are motivated by a Godly love â God actively working through us â the less we are concerned about ourselves. When Godly love is absent then the void is filled with its … [Read more...] about Anxiety and Broken Relationships
Marriage, a Safe Haven
God instituted marriage and the family for procreation to teach us about how He lives. He wants mankind to know what motivates Him, what His purpose is for mankind, and how His nature and character developed in human beings would give families peaceful relationships. If mankind functioned in marriage the way God intended, this world would be a vastly different place. The dysfunctional families that are increasingly the norm would seldom exist. However today we see the removal of any … [Read more...] about Marriage, a Safe Haven