Managing Your Memories

A few years ago I took my wife to the house that I lived in until I was five years old. It was out in the country and I had not been there for nearly 30 years.

In my mind the house was a mansion. I remember the stairs being 100 feet tall, the front columns being as tall as trees, and the kitchen being so big you could feed an entire army inside it.

When we pulled up in the driveway I was shocked. It was no where near as big as I rememberd it to be. It was a beautiful home, but much smaller than my memory. It was a mansion in my mind.

Our mind has a pesky way of making the past a lot bigger than it actually was.

On the road to the promised land the people of Israel faced some difficulties. When things got hard, they began to misremember the past.

The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”
Exodus 16:3

They remembered the food that they ate but conveniently forgot one small detail… they were slaves!

The journey has a way of doing that from time to time. We live in the past in one of two ways:

Nostalgia – The good old days were so good, there is not hope that my future will ever be as bright as it once was.

Regret – I am ashamed of the mistakes I made. My failures are so big that even God holds them against me. They are keeping me from moving forward.

Both of these are making too much of the past.

Let’s choose today to stop letting the past be such a mansion in our minds and keep looking forward!

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now…”
-Matthew 6:34 (The Message)

If you still have a pulse, you have a purpose! God is not finished with you yet, embrace all that God has for you today!

Some questions for reflection:
– Am I allowing yesterday to steal the joy of today?
– What is God doing in my life right now?
– What has God put in front of me today to make a difference?

Have a God day!

-Brandon

More Valuable Broken

In our house full of boys things break daily. Can I get a witness from the parents out there?! The other day while throwing away a cup that had been dropped I was reminded of a Japanese style of art that I heard of a few years ago.

It is called Kintsugi. A Kingsugi artist doesn’t throw away broken vessels, they restore them. They put broken things back together again. Artists pick up every piece and reform what was broken by putting precious metal – liquid gold – into the cracks. The word Kintsugi means, “Golden repair.” Every repaired piece is unique. The golden scars of the broken vessel are beautiful. When these broken vessels have been repaired the skilled hand of a Kintsugi artist, they become much more valuable than they ever were before.

What a picture of our God and what he does in our lives. There has never been a restorer like Jesus. We look at our past and we feel shame over our scars. However, it is our scars that display the work of our artisan God! He puts lives back together. I am so thankful he does now throw us away. He uses his grace and goodness to put our lives back together again.

Are you broken today? Let Him put you back together.

Do you know someone who is broken right now? Don’t throw them away.

Have you been restored by the hand of God? Share the scars.

Have a great day!

-Brandon

Walls Still Fall

Recently a friend gave me a very special gift: A piece of the Berlin Wall. He said it is one of his favorite possessions because he was there after it fell and picked up a piece. He said the Lord led him to give it to me as a reminder that walls still fall and that we were called to tear down walls! He said, “Next time the Devil tells you the wall you are facing is too big, or has been there too long, here is a piece of a 27 mile wall.” I don’t know what wall you have in front of you. I don’t know what looks impossible to you. I don’t know what Satan has lied to you about and said, “It will never come down.” Let me encourage today. Walls still fall. So keep trusting, keep believing, keep praying, keep marching forward, keep being faithful, walls still fall in Jesus Name! Have a great day!

We’re surrounded. No, We’re Surrounded!

The situation looked impossible. Elisha was surrounded. The army of Aram had come to Dothan to kill him and his servant.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
2 Kings 6:15 NIV

I can identify with the perspective Elisha’s servant. It feels like these days circumstances have us surrounded. The future is uncertain and we are outnumbered.

This is what it looks like.

But Elisha had a different perspective:

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
2 Kings 6:26-17

Elisha didn’t dismiss the reality of the army that had him surrounded. However, he focused his sights on a higher truth. Elisha was telling his servant, “Don’t worry. It’s not what it looks like.”

I know it looks like were surrounded. But the truth is that the enemy army is surrounded by the army of the living God! This is the higher reality!

It may look like we’re surrounded by circumstances around us. It may look like you have no hope. The future may look uncertain. But I want to remind you today, if you’re in Christ, it’s not what it looks like! God is going to use this season for good. He is going to turn this trial into your greatest testimony. He is going to turn this mess into a miracle! He is in control and you can have peace!

You are surrounded by God’s favor! You are surrounded with hope. You are surrounded by victory. You are surrounded with healing. You are surrounded with protection. You are surrounded by grace!

Let’s choose to focus on the higher reality today! Instead of complaining about the army that has us surrounded, let’s see God higher than what we face. Let’s share it. Let’s sing it. Let’s read about it! There is hope! The enemy is surrounded. We win!

“Lord, Open our eyes so that we can see you higher than ours problems.
Help us to see you higher than the pandemic. Help us to see you higher than the division. Help us see that you are in full control of the world and of our lives and we can trust you.”

Have a great day!
-Brandon

Sticks And Stones

You talk more to you than anyone else. What you say to you affects your life more than what anyone else says to you. What are you saying to you? Does it agree what what God says about you? God Says: I am loved (John 3:16) I am His (1 John 3:1) I am not alone (Matthew 28:20) I am a masterpiece in Christ (Ephesians 2:10) I am not defined by my past (Isaiah 43:18-19) I have a purpose (Jeremiah 29:11) I have the favor of God on my life (Psalm 30:5) God planned my life (Psalm 139:16) I am blessed (Deuteronomy 28:3) #YoureGoingToMakeIt #SpeakLife

3 Lenses for Life

20/20 vision…I have never had it. That is why I wear glasses. 🤣

This is a trait I passed down to my oldest son. He has had glasses for the past couple months now and he keeps losing them. My wife and I can’t understand it. He has a significant prescription, he can surely notice when they are off, but he still forgets where he took them off all the time. While frustrated earlier this week that he lost them once again, I asked, “How is this possible! I wear glasses everyday and I know when mine are lost. Why do you keep losing yours?” He said, “Well Dad you have been wearing them for a lot longer than me.” 🤓

Yes, I may not forget my physical lenses very often. However, many days I leave the house without my spiritual lenses.

Here are some spiritual spectacles to look through today:

Lens of God’s favor – As a believer, you have the favor of God on your life. You can expect the favor of God today and forever.

Lens of God’s faithfulness – You serve a faithful God. He is faithful in every season and that includes today. Look back over your life and remember that God has never let you down, and he is not about to start today. He is faithful.

Lens of God’s friendship – The God of the universe calls you friend (John 15). What would happen if you lived this entire day seeing the reality that God wants to have a relationship with you today. Let today be a day of constant communication with your creator!

There are so many more, but let these be a start.

Have a great day and don’t forget your glasses! 🙂

–Brandon

4 Truths About the Story of Your Life

4 Truths about the story of your life:

– A chapter is just a chapter, it’s not the whole story.
– With God, the bad chapters can become the best parts of the story.
– Be careful not to name a chapter while you’re in the middle of a chapter.
– Keep turning the page and trusting the author!

Thank you Pastor Mitch Rose for sharing this thought in a message years ago. I’ve never forgotten it. #YoureGoingToMakeIt

-Brandon