Any Given Day lives on...Jesus is the Man!

I have decided that instead of wasting my time writing about relationships with men, I will spend my time writing about my relationship with THE MAN.  Jesus, the human representation of the Almighty Himself!

I imagine Him with a twinkle in his eye, a sly sense of humor, a self-depreciating style, and a sense of quietness about Him.  He was wise, yet never made others feel ignorant.  Ok, maybe some of those guys that needed a smack upside the head...

He was gentle and kind, yet fiercely protective of his flock.  He respected and admired women, and oh how hard that must have been to fight those biological urges...dang!

My guess is he was pretty hot.  Women threw themselves at him, without a doubt.  Oh to have that self control...we can only pray for it, right?

It's what I am praying for most these days...  patience, kindness, and self control...my toughest fruits.

I need to keep my eyes where they belong...on Him.  I need to be faithful that He will deliver the promised goods, at the appointed time, when I will understand and appreciate the gift.  Like a rose cut at just the right time, it will blossom into the most amazing flower...

Prayer for right now:

Hey Lord, could you give me a little patience and self control, please?  I having a tough time of it right now and it sure is easy to lose my faith these days.  Even in the darkest places of my brain, I know you are there, waiting for me to "get it."  Please help me "get it" and move on, and be who it is you want me to shine as.  With your favor I ask for some kind of sign that I am headed in the right direction and that things won't be quite so tough forever...thank you, as always, from the bottom of my heart, for your version of the perfect man.  Amen.

Any Given Day: 26

Relationships.

The first 4 commandments discuss what is expected in our relationship with God. The next 6 talk about our relationships with each other. They are simple, straightforward rules for living that we just can't seem to keep straight. Honor God, Honor each other. Period. Nothing else really matters.

Many assume that they need to die in order to "meet their maker". The bible clearly tells us, however, how important our relationship with God is right here and now! He is waiting expectantly for you to turn to him and relinquish control. He knows what is best, He knows what is in your heart, and He sees everything. You can't hide and you don't have to. He loves you and wants to be a part of your daily life.

How? By simply asking with humility and in some cases, complete brokenness. By honoring His Son, and accepting and confessing your sin, you immediately change not only your relationship with your maker, but your relationships with people as well. When you allow the Holy Spirit to work in you, family, friends, coworkers, and even perfect strangers will respond differently to you, and you to them. Defenses come down, humility reigns, and the right people become drawn to you.

Relationships with God, and people, take time, energy, and effort. The end result is a life worth living, however. Moses brought down the rules, and although we may not live them to perfection, God still loves us. When we accept Jesus, He resides in us. Everyone benefits and we all have something to gain: a new life, a new perspective, a second chance, and a best friend who will never let us down. A prayer for those who have lost sight of their relationships:

Lord, you are my closest companion. Teach me to rely on you for everything, and turn to you for the important decisions I face. Heal my life, my relationships, my mistakes, and turn my failures into the learning experience you intended them to be. I trust you, God, to show me the way. AMEN

Exodus 20:1-17

Any Given Day: 24

True Love

The word love gets thrown around a lot. We love to sleep in, we love a new song, we love the neighbors' new car, we love football, food, and fun! When it comes to loving others, it gets tricky.

Love is an action verb. Many people feel it is an abstract feeling of warm fuzzies, however that may be the end result, but it is not love itself. Love is not something you say, it is something you do! You show love, you make love, you provide love. Talking about it is icing on the cake.

A person who says they love someone, but turns around and says and does hurtful things, isn't loving anyone, particularly themselves. God is very clear on what love is and is not. Jesus loved us enough to die for us. Men and women in the military love their country enough to put their lives on the line. We give money to those who have less because we love people.

Sacrifice without compromising ourselves is Love.

Giving without thought of reward is Love.

Everything else is like at best, and manipulation at worst.

God, help me to show love today. Help me to see who truly loves me, and who just needs to have the upper hand. Keep me focused on goodness and light, and sharing it with those that I care about. Thank You for loving me so much that You sent Your Son to die. AMEN

1 Corinthians 4:7

Any Given Day: 17

ADDICTION

Experts define addiction in any number of ways, usually with a bullet list of things to look for. God has an easier definition:

When we feel the compulsion to put anything in front of Him.

When our relationships with God and people are affected in a negative way by something we think we can control, but we can't.

When we need more and more of something in order to feel good, but it is ruining our health, finances, relationships, our reputation, and we feel worse than ever. We think only a fix will fix it.

Anyone can be addicted to anything. The reward center in the brain is a powerful thing. Some addictions are more physically damaging than others, but the key is to look at our relationships to determine if there is a problem. If there are a lot of people telling us the same thing, perhaps we should listen. They are saying it because they care, not because they want you to feel bad.

There are a million ways to get help. It is all in the asking. Admitting that we are powerless is the first step and bowing down broken in front of God can work wonders! A prayer for those of you who are battling the demons of addiction:

Lord, you are almighty and powerful. My addiction is stronger than me, but it is not stronger than You. Help me to see what everyone else sees so clearly in my life. There is something that is controlling me, I am not controlling it. Provide me with the courage and the strength to seek help and follow through. God, You deserve better from me, my family and those close to me deserve my full attention. I deserve a chance to find happiness in Your Son, rather than in my own addiction of choice. I pray for others who are struggling as well. Thank you, Lord, for loving me through all of this! AMEN

John 1:1-5

Any Given Day: 12

Anger

There is a full spectrum of this emotion. We get angry in the car when someone turns in front of us or takes "our" parking spot. We get angry at the news on TV of the needless death and destruction that is happening in our world. We get angry at our family and friends for not meeting our needs, and we get angry at God because life is so unfair.

God Himself gets angry. He created the emotion. However, His is a righteous anger where ours is a selfish one. Our sense of entitlement and our opinions about what is right and wrong can overrule our conscious thought, and we react in a variety of unhealthy ways. Lashing out and withdrawing emotionally are the usual responses when anger flairs up. Most of the time, what sets us off is not what we are really mad about. It requires quite a bit of introspection to get to the bottom of what is making us so angry. (It isn't the driver in the other car)

Managing anger requires patience and practice. The refinement of the skill takes a lifetime to master. Recognizing when you are angry is the first step. Slowing down and stopping what comes next takes strength and planning. Exercise, prayer, breath control, meditation, and effective communication will all help. If you are angry today, pray the following:

Gracious God, I am angry today! My inner seething hurts as much as physical pain. Please show me the root cause of my anger. Give me the skill set to manage my anger so that it doesn't effect my relationship with others. I am tempted to lash out and say and do hurtful things! Stop me, Lord from doing and saying things I can't take back later. Please, God, show me the way to peace of heart today! With your Son at the center of my decisions, I trust you with my emotional self. May gentleness and kindness prevail. AMEN

Ephesians 4:26,27,31,32