Seasons change and so do our schedules. I have observed that the most “Got It All Together” type people seem to find a way to adapt and adjust to the changes in their lives. Yet at the same time, they are able to maintain their personality and identity through it all. Here are some other positive habits they have and we should embrace:

Personal pace. Identify what works best for you as far as your daily schedule that is structured around your priorities. Refrain from comparing your pace with others. Your pace is unique. You also don’t want your pace to be slowed down unnecessarily by spending a lot of valuable time doing things that aren’t really that important or productive. This will help you to maintain your most effective pace.

Adjust as you go. Anticipate some interruptions, which will inevitably happen. Leave some space in your schedule for time to adjust accordingly. Don’t overbook, that sets you up for additional stress and frustration. Everything is not a sprint or an emergency. Patience is required to adjust to a different routine. Sometimes, it just takes some time for it to get more comfortable. Remember… Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not get bent out of shape about trivial things.

Concentrate on the most important things. A lot of time can be consumed on being distracted by issues or tasks that aren’t your primary priority. Keep your focus. I like this statement by J.R. R. Tolkien… “ All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” As a Christian, we should allow the Lord to guide us in discerning how best to live by our priorities. Taking some time to be still and quiet to think and pray about these decisions is most helpful. David Zerfoss sums up this process very well: “Life can become full very fast. If we can first block off some time for what is most important, it can actually free us up to focus on the rest.”

Examine at the end of the day. Celebrate and be thankful for what went well. Think about what could be improved. Rearrange your list of things to do that you were not able to accomplish today into your schedule for tomorrow. This keeps you on track for whatever is most important next.

I hope and pray that you will be living in the grace of a steady pace, just right for you.

We as Christians are often very thankful for God’s love and forgiveness, salvation and His blessings for us in our past. Also, we look forward to the future, spending eternity with Jesus in Heaven some day. We have a tendency though, to forget that God really wants to be a part our our daily lives in the here and now. I am so glad that God doesn’t leave us here alone on earth to figure it out how to live the Christian way of life in just our own strength and wisdom. He doesn’t give us the gift of salvation and say something like “Good luck, See you later, you are on our own until you get to Heaven someday.”

God loves us much more than that. He wants us to experience His presence and joy in our daily lives. Noted inspirational writer Sarah Young has said it best : “ Pursuing a close walk with the Lord is the best way to live in the present.” God is not going to change the world we live in until He changes our individual lives first. That is where it starts with you and me. This is an amazing opportunity for us to live a life of purpose and fulfillment beyond our greatest expectations. When we continue to grow closer in our daily relationship with Him, He takes ordinary people like you and me and continues the process of making us more like Him in our character, attitude and actions. As a result, God begins to use each of us in our own unique way to make a positive difference in helping other people in small and big ways for His glory, not our own. It is not just going out and attempting to do something for the Lord, but more like working in concert with Him to encourage people you encounter as you go through your day.

The question is…what do we need to do, to have that kind of daily relationship with Jesus? First of all, we must realize that God doesn’t move parked cars! We must let go of our stubbornness and selfishness to follow Him daily. Jesus said we are to take up our cross by denying our selfishness and daily follow Him (Luke 9:23). We continue to trust in Him by talking with Him silently in prayer as we go through your day . We thank Him for blessing us with another day. We pray for other people we know and their needs and concerns and we help them when we can, we thank Him for guiding us, giving us the air to breathe, a home, our freedom, family and friends, etc… that He is with us, no matter what we go through right now. This not a “To Do List” but living a lifestyle as we follow Him.

I am still learning and growing in my daily walk with God and that is my prayer for you as well. We can have a great day because God is with us.

There are times when our feelings line up with our faith and that is great. There are also times where feelings don’t connect well to our faith and that is okay too. In the Bible, we are taught to “Live by Faith and not by Sight.” ( 2 Corinthians 5:7) In other words, there will be times when we need to trust God and go on in spite of the circumstances. Our faith and personal relationship with God is not limited to our emotions. D.L. Moody describe it this way… “I thank God my salvation doesn’t rest upon my feelings. I would not give much for a hope that is based upon my treacherous heart. But I tell you that a hope that is based upon Jesus Christ’s word, is a hope worth having.”

There have been times in my life that for whatever reason, I did not feel close to God. It was not that I was doing anything wrong, I just felt numb. I can remembering praying to the Lord, and telling Him, I was going to trust Him, worship Him, and follow Him, even if I did not feel like it. That was a big turning point for me, liberating me from being so dependent upon my changing circumstances or moods. Dr. Eugene Peterson states that: “My feelings are important for many things. They are essential and valuable. But they tell me next to nothing about God or my relationship to God.My security comes from who God is, not from how I feel. Discipleship is a decision to live by what I know about God, not what I feel about Him or my neighbors.”

When you look through the Bible you find a tremendous parade of people who did just that: Abraham, Noah, Joseph, Moses,Elijah, Ruth, and the list goes on and on. These are examples for us to follow as they did, by faith more than feelings. So, the next time you are dealing with going by what you know is right or just your feelings, go with your faith in God. He knows what is best for us. When you and I have difficulty with a car or an appliance, the manufacturer provides an owner’s manual. Oftentimes, we can find the answer to what has gone wrong with those things. God not only created us, but He also wrote His Manual for us … the Bible. Samuel Rutherford said “Believe God’s Word more than you believe your own feelings and experiences. Your Rock is Christ, and it is not the Rock which ebbs and flow, but the sea.”

It is refreshing to get out of the rut of your usual routine and occasionally do something completely different. I have always enjoyed guitar music. I am not really good at playing the guitar. You may have heard the saying about playing the guitar as “Pick and Grin”…Well, I grin more than I pick the guitar but I admire those who do pick and play the guitar and are really good at it. My good friend Ray Johnson encouraged me to attend the “Chet Atkins Appreciation Society” Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. My cousin, Pat Corn performs and teaches workshops at this annual event. I have attended it several times through the years. Chet Atkins was a famous guitar musician, music producer. He had a passion for developing musical talent and teaching people how to play the guitar. The convention is sorta like the World Series of Guitars which is attended by musicians of all skill levels, age groups and they come from all over the world. I have met guitarist from South East Asia, Europe, Australia, etc.

Here are some important life lessons I have observed being around these great guitar musicians…

YOU HAVE TO FREQUENTLY ADAPT AND ADJUST TO KEEP YOUR LIFE IN TUNE. There is no worse sound than when a musical instrument is out of tune. Even at concerts, you will see entertainers take time to tune their guitar in between songs. That is true with your life, especially when your life gets out of tune with your soul, stop and adjust your schedule or attitude, etc…to stay in tune to be the best version of you that God wants you to be each day.

GOOD HABITS ARE DEVELOPED BY PRACTICE. These musicians practice playing their guitar a lot. You will not get better at something if you give up too quickly. In life, good habits are just as difficult to break as bad habits. Bad habits are overcome by developing good habits. Choose good habits.

WE CAN BE MOTIVATED TO IMPROVE BY

LEARNING FROM OTHERS. Dr. Vance Havner said that he had a friend who was determined to be original or nothing, he ended up being both! The truth is that the most original and creative people all have mentors that played a role and impacted their lives.

FRET NOT… There is something calming and refreshing about listening to beautiful acoustic guitar music. It is very relaxing when you hear it. I know I have found just playing my guitar at home unwinds the tension of a stressful day. It is good to stop and take a few minutes to be grateful for a peaceful break from a hectic day. Even that doesn’t compare with the peace we can find in our relationship with God. It transcends any situation and circumstance. Jesus said “ I am leaving you a gift, of peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” That is really the reason I can grin and bear it no matter what happens each day. If you happen to get out of sync… be sure to take time to get back in tune.

Life is like hiking… you usually have a desired destination in mind, but you can only get there one step at a time. It is just as important to enjoy the journey. That is true in life too. Max Lucado describes it this way: “Since I know God’s provision is timely, I can enjoy the present. The key is to meet today’s problems with today’s strength. Don’t start tackling tomorrow’s problems until tomorrow…

You don’t have tomorrow’s strength yet. You simply have enough for today.”

We are so obsessed in today’s culture with instant service and gratification. When you combine that with our other obsession for planning and goal setting and then you encounter some situations where none of that doesn’t apply or work…you end up with anxiety and worry…There are some things you and I just have to wait on that are beyond our control…but the good news is there is no situation that is beyond God’s control.

In the meantime, we can still enjoy today. Our focus should be on The Lord, His goodness and grace more than worrying about the uncertainties in the future. Jesus teaches us: ” Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” ( Matthew 6:34 The Message). We all want security and should do our best to secure that but at the same time our most important security should be in The Lord. May you and I trust Him while we are waiting to see how He works things out for our ultimate good and His glory!

In parts of the South, “It don’t matter” is a popular phrase expressing the idea of “I don’t care, you decide”. You hear it quite often when people are discussing where to go out to eat, where to stop or where to go on a trip or what to wear. There is actually a restaurant in L.A. ( Lower Alabama) named “It Don’t Matter.” What a great idea for the name of a restaurant. I can imagine that this has prompted some interesting conversations like “Where do you want to go for lunch? … It don’t matter. No really, Where you want to eat?… It Don’t Matter! ”

The truth is there are a lot things that really don’t matter, it is not a right or a wrong, it’s just a matter of your personal preference. On the other hand, There are some decisions that it really does matter what you decide. Choices like where you live or what job or career you choose are very important. Big choices like these also can have far reaching consequences about your life way into the future.

Unfortunately, in our cynical culture today, we stress out about even little things and situations that really do not matter. We are conditioned to have unrealistic expectations about others and ourselves as well. Things like anger and rage show up in places like the check out line at the grocery store or at the drive thru. Instead of being thankful that we can buy food, we get upset that someone gets ahead us in line or Is too slow. We should not be so picky about unimportant things and lose our cool. There are times when I have been tempted to lose my cool but usually I am so slow, that by the time I get upset, it is already over with. We do not need to freak out about things that are small in comparison to bigger issues. Life does not have to be perfect to be good.

It is good for us to take it easy sometimes and learn to enjoy being human in an imperfect world, and even laugh at ourselves.

One time I asked a friend to help me set up some tables and chairs for a meeting at church. I said to brother Mike “ You can help me do this, it is simple, just a matter of mind over matter.” He replied,”Yes , I will help you Jerry Bear, in spite of the fact that with your mind… it doesn’t really matter.” Hmmm… There is some food for thought. I still laugh when I think about that because… it don’t matter.

Life is often like a merry-go-round with ups and downs, which is okay for awhile. It can become exhausting and difficult to cope when it is going on day after day for an extended period of time. Here are some encouraging things to think about when dealing multiple issues and concerns instead of worrying about them…

“Give your burdens to The Lord, and He will take care of you.” – Psalm 55:22 (NLT)

“Don’t measure the size of the mountain; talk to the One who can move it. Instead of carrying the world on your shoulders, talk to the One who holds the universe on His, Hope is a look away.” – Max Lucado

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” – Psalm 68:19

I have known for years that “we need to give our burdens to the Lord”, but I have also learned to make it a regular habit, doing it sometimes several times during the day. We are not designed to carry heavy burdens of worries and concerns over a long periods of time. That isn’t healthy for us…it wears us down emotionally and spiritually and can eventually have a negative effect on us physically. It robs us of our joy and puts us in a depressing mood. It can debilitate us and prevent us from doing the things we need and want to do because we don’t feel like doing it.

Here are some suggestions that have worked for me:

1. Realize God is bigger than any problem we face in life. Sometimes we think we shouldn’t trouble God with our troubles. The opposite is actually true. He wants us to look to Him for guidance, peace,and strength. We are only hurting ourselves by not turning to Him in times of need.

2. Release your burden to God in prayer. You can do this by talking to God praying by yourself, or have a trusted friend, family member, or pastor, to pray with you. There is such a relief when we get it out and deal with something that is worrying us. Check out the Psalms in the Bible, in particular these Psalms: 34, 37, 40, 121. Stop and reflect on what these and other Scriptures teach us about God’s love and care for us.

3. Do what you can realistically about the problem. Sometimes, lack of true information drives our fears and make our perception of a problem much bigger than it actually is in reality. Get some good information and advice. This helps us in finding out what to do next, one step at a time.

4. When doubts and fears return, erase them quickly by again releasing them to God in prayer. As you do this, thank God for His power and presence. Pray for others, don’t review your worries over and over again. Instead stay focused on what you can do today… as you deal with ups and downs that come your way.

Have you ever got too close to a cactus or rose bush? It can be hurtful if you are not careful. Sometimes trying to help a friend or someone else can get sticky too. Especially, if they are feeling overwhelmed. It is important to stay calm. Resist the temptation to rush into trying to solve their situation without getting the facts. Take time to listen before you respond.

Keep in mind, that you do not have all the pieces to the puzzle in someone else’s life or the difficult situation they are facing. The truth is, we don’t even have the perfect capacity to be the answer to every problem we face ourselves; so how can we realistically expect to be and do that for someone else?

Your role should be to do what they can’t do, if you can…but you should not do for them what they can do for themselves. Avoid the trap of Enmeshment, where you become so emotionally attached and involved in their issues to the point that is unhealthy. That is when you find yourself constantly basing your happiness and well being to how they are doing. If they are up, you are up. If they are down, you are down. It can get to the point that you can’t enjoy anything or function very well yourself…because of their difficulties. There is also an inherent danger in these co-dependent type of relationships. That is when you become an enabler for their continued problems and in the long term you end up hurting yourself by trying to help them.

Be a catalyst and connector to help them identify some good options for their particular need. Maybe, suggest connecting them to someone you that you know has been through something similar or someone who has more expertise in these issues they are dealing with in their life. This helps them to take responsibility for their actions and reactions in learning how to cope in a positive way. We also need and seek God’s help in helping others. After all… God who created them, knows all about them. God loves them and He should be involved in our process of helping them. Pray for His wisdom in your conversations with this person. Pray specifically for discernment in what to say or not to say to them. Pray consistently for guidance in what to do and not to do in trying to help them. Also, pray for grace as you attempt to help them. This will help you as you help them… without harming yourself.

When I get to take a walk in the mountains, I like to take my time and look at things. Some of my favorite photos are in places where people often walk by, but don’t see because they are in a hurry to see how far they can go on a hike.

Likewise, we can also miss some great moments in our daily lives by always being in a hurry to get things done. It’s all about our pace. Take a little time to live in the moments of your day to enjoy it and do more than just endure it.

I am so glad that God does not leave us by ourselves to face things just in our strength and insight. He is always there if we will trust in Him. He is our guide right by our side each step of the way. He helps us grow in our relationship with Him, teaching us new things about His character, love, and faithfulness as we grow from our new experiences each day.

Do you miss your mom on Mother’s Day? I miss my mom. She passed away several years ago. This is one my favorite photos of my Mom and Dad as newlyweds. My brother and I were fortunate to be her children. I usually gave her flowers on Mother’s Day, some years I planted an azalea bush at her home. She always loved them and appreciated them. Although I cannot give my mom flowers on Mother’s Day anymore, I can continue to do other things to honor her. I like to take time to reflect on her life and legacy.

My mom was such an encouraging person, she had a way of cheering others up and making them feel better about their situation. She smiled and laughed a lot, mainly at herself (for those who know me, that probably sounds familiar).

I do not have enough words to adequately describe her positive impact on my life. As the years have gone by, I have rediscovered layers of her influence in my life in big ways and small ways that have been interwoven into my soul and my attitude towards life.

I have also discovered some other ways to honor our moms who are no longer with us…Here are a few to consider:

-Honor her life by living your life each day the best you can each day.

-Be grateful for the good times, those pleasant memories are a gold mine to remember her and share with other family members and close friends.

-Learn to endure the tough times with faith, hope and love.

– Do not take good relationships for granted. Stay connected to those who believe in you and bring out the best in you.

-Treat others with kindness and grace.

-Think of special and specific things about her that will encourage you in the days ahead. Maybe make a list of these for you and your family.

It is healthy for us to focus on what we still have in our memories and life lessons from our mom rather than just dwelling on the fact that they aren’t physically with us now.

This will help us to continue to appreciate and honor our moms in a special way and to keep their love strong in our hearts on a regular basis… and not just one day each year.