Pathway of Purpose

The Advent season is upon us. This is a time that is used to tell of the events leading up to the birth of Jesus. As you read the short blogs leading up to the "Christmas Celebration", I pray you will find a new sense of love, joy, hope, and peace.  As we kick off this Christmas season, I want to take a look at the word Hope. Hope, by definition, is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen, but the hope we speak of is the prophecy of the coming Messiah. The Messiah is the subject of several Old Testament prophecies. Only one of those is the familiar scripture we find in Isaiah 9:6.  Isaiah 9:6  "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." The passage exemplifies Israel's desire for a leader to bring out the best in us through his goodness. Of course, Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus Chr...

When was the last time someone said “Thank You” to you? When was the last time you thanked someone? The month of November is all about giving thanks. It is the month we share all the things we are thankful for. What are you thankful for? Family, friends, spouse, kids, life, the ability to drive, or even your sight. Whatever it is you are thankful for, I would like to have you slow down just a bit to take a moment to look at the scripture from Psalm 119:62, “I rise at midnight to thank you for your just regulations.”  Do you wake up in the middle of the night overwhelmed with thanks? You rarely hear someone say, “my sleep was interrupted last night by my thoughts overwhelmed with thanks and appreciation toward God.” However, this is precisely what the psalmist was saying. Let me pause and say that we have many things to thank God about. Here are six things for which we can all be thankful no matter what time of day.  1.       Thank God for America Thoug...

  Have you stopped long enough to think about the benefits of being a generous giver, even to the point of giving above what you currently give in your time, talents, and treasure?  In his epistle to the church of Philippi, Paul wrote from a cold, dark, damp prison cell to express his appreciation for the church's fellowship and partnership with him in the mission. Here is the thing. Though the church wanted to help their leader and meet his needs, that is not what Paul sought. In his letter, he wrote, “I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness” (Philippians 4:17). Paul was not concerned about the gift the church had sent to him as much as the development in the Philippians and their spiritual ability to give.  We need to remember two things: The greatest need is not the church's need for our gifts, but the greatest need is that we would all be givers.  Here are five reasons to give this season and seaso...

Do you feel like you are sinking and in over your head not sure what to do next? Maybe you are stuck in a rut and feeling like Bill Murray from the 1993 film, Groundhog Day. If so, it may be time for a reset. Reset. What is it and how does it work? The meaning of reset is to set again as in to reset an alarm clock or a broken bone. Reset can even mean to fix in a new or different way, like priorities. However, what does reset mean for you? Reset for me, is to stop the things that I regularly do daily and do something else. What is it that you do to RESET your batteries to avoid burnout? This question is one that we all need to ask ourselves from time to time, or even giving people permission to speak into our lives when they notice the need for a reset. Here are five things to help you RESET. 1.         Recognize the signs Have you felt less motivated, and nothing matters? Is your attitude towards others including family members been a little short lat...