<![CDATA[Friendship Ministries - Weekly Perspective]]>Wed, 23 May 2012 01:37:47 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[The Lord is my Shepherd]]>Mon, 21 May 2012 12:05:30 -0500http://www.friendshipministries.com/1/post/2012/05/the-lord-is-my-shepherd.htmlThe Lord is my Shepherd. ~Psalm 23
    And because He is, I can have:

Rest from endless wants. 
      Because I shall not want. (v.1)

Rest from weariness. 
      Because he makes me to lie down. (v.2)
Rest from hopelessness. 
      Because he restores my soul.(v.3)

Rest from guilt. 
      Because he leads me in the paths of
         righteousness.(v.3)

Rest from arrogance. 
      Because of his name's sake.(v.3)

Rest from the valley of death. 
      Because he walks me through it.(v.4)

Rest from the shadow of grief. 
      Because he guides me.(v.4)

Rest from fear. 
      Because his presence comforts me.(v.4)

Rest from loneliness. 
      Because he is with me.(v.4)

Rest from shame. 
      Because he has prepared a place for me
            in the presence of my enemies.(v.5)

Rest from my disappointments. 
      Because he anoints me.(v.5)

Rest from envy. 
      Because my cup overflows.(v.5)

Rest from doubt. 
      Because he follows me.(v.6)

And eternal life...
      because through faith in Jesus Christ,
            I will live in the Lord's house
                forever...(v.6)

Learning Together to Find Rest in Him...
]]><![CDATA[Twists and turns]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 16:19:23 -0500http://www.friendshipministries.com/1/post/2012/05/twists-and-turns.htmlPhilippians 4:13.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends,
red lights called Enemies, caution lights called Family.

You will have flats called Jobs. But, if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called Perseverance, insurance called Faith, and a driver called Jesus, you will make it to a place called Success.

With God on our side like this, how can we lose?  Romans 8:31 (MSG)

Learning Together to Let Jesus be the Driver of Our Lives...
]]><![CDATA[Pacing takes patience!]]>Mon, 07 May 2012 11:15:41 -0500http://www.friendshipministries.com/1/post/2012/05/pacing-takes-patience.htmlYesterday, 40,000 people participated in the 33rd annual Broad Street Run in Philadelphia.  The winner was a 29-year old Kenyan man who was participating in his first race on U.S. soil.  His time?  47 minutes and 5 seconds.  Ten miles in under an hour.  He made it look easy.

In truth though, long distance running is anything but easy.  Any marathon runner will tell you that it is not only physically challenging, but mentally as well. 
When you have all your energy up front, part of you wants to run as fast as you can but you can't.  It's also tempting to be energized and speed every time you see the next mile marker, but you can't.  You can't start off too fast.  Nor can you run as if each mile marker is the last.  You have to pace yourself. You have to be patient.

We often live our lives this way.  Running as if everything is the finish line.  We can treat every task as dire...more like a 'finish line' than what it really is...just another 'lap' in the race.  We can run by others racing through life. We can miss out on enjoying the moment as we constantly look for the next pursuit.

High energy is a great strength that can also be an 'Achilles Heel'.  We often miss what God is doing now by trying to look for what we need or want Him to do next.  We miss out on today's blessings while we run towards tomorrow's.

Take time to focus on how God has blessed you today; instead of looking for tomorrow's blessings.
 
       My cup overflows with blessings.  ~Psalm 23:5c (NLT)

Take time to focus on God and allow Him to prioritize what's important.

     Be still and know that I am God.  
                                   ~Psalm 46:10 (AMP)

Let's keep in mind the 'eternal finish line'.  Let's take time today (and hopefully each day) to be present in the present! 

     Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.
                                         ~Psalm 90:12 (CEV)

     Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
           so that we may grow in wisdom. 
                                         ~Psalm 90:12 (NLT)


Learning Together to Pace Ourselves...
]]><![CDATA[Irritated Much?]]>Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:52:09 -0500http://www.friendshipministries.com/1/post/2012/04/irritated-much.htmlHave you ever finally spotted a parking space in a crowded parking lot, turned on your turn signal to signify your intent to park there - only to have someone else pull into it?

Does it bug you when someone tailgates you?

Have you ever fit an appointment into your busy schedule - only to have the person not show up?

Don't you hate it when someone cuts you off when you're driving?

Do you live in a house where everyone disagrees on which way to hang the toilet paper and where to squeeze the toothpaste tube?

There are thousands of occurrences daily that can easily irritate and frustrate us!
And did you ever notice that once you get irritated at one thing, that irritated feeling seems to grow.  All the other things that then happen subsequent to the initial irritant have a greater potential for frustrating us!

Sheep have many potential irritants too.  Mosquitoes...gnats...flies....especially nose flies.  Nose flies actually nest in the nose of the sheep so they can lay eggs that will hatch a colony of larvae that burrow deep in a sheep's flesh and cause severe inflammation.  When sheep have nose flies they become (understandably) agitated; they stamp their feet erratically and even bang their heads against rocks to try to get rid of them.

The cure for this problem - as well as the prevention - is for the shepherd to apply oil all over the sheep's nose and head.  The nose flies (as well as the other flies, mosquitoes and gnats) don't like the odor of the oil; nor do they like to land on it.  Once the oil is applied, the sheep immediately calm down.

Like the sheep with the nose flies, if we entertain our irritations - allow them to nest - they will grow and spread.  Fortunately we have a Shepherd who loves us enough to not want that to happen.

"You anoint my head with oil."  ~Psalm 23:5b

"Come to me...and I will give you rest." 
                                           ~Matthew 11:28

Bring your irritations. 
     Bring your frustrations. 
          Bring your hurts. 
               Bring your confusion.

Allow yourself to receive His care.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."  ~1 Peter 5:6-7

Learning Together to Trust our Shepherd...
]]><![CDATA[Listen]]>Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:41:39 -0500http://www.friendshipministries.com/1/post/2012/04/listen.html"Come, my children, listen to me." 
                                           ~Psalm 34:11a

"The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them."                                 ~Psalm 34:17

"You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them and you listen to their cry."                                    ~Psalm 10:17

God uses many, many verses in scripture to reassure us that he is listening.  He also uses many, many verses to beseech us to listen to him.  Somehow He knows that this whole listening thing is a struggle for us.
We struggle to listen to God.  We struggle to listen to our spouse.  We struggle to listen to our children, our friends, etc.  We have so much information coming at us that is even challenging to know who and what to listen to! Have you ever really thought about how hard you have to work to really listen to someone? 

*  Listening means you're not thinking about
   what you're going to say when the speaker
   stops talking.
*  Listening means you're completely accepting
   of what is being said, without judging what is
   being said or how it is being said.
*  Listening means being able to repeat what's
    been said and express an emotional as well
    as intellectual understanding of the person's
    words.
           ~H. Norman Wright,
             Bringing out the Best in Your Wife

This is hard work and it seems to become harder, the more that we know the person speaking or think we understand what they are trying to say! This means that those closest to us get the shortest end of the stick!

Inside we tend to be bursting with what it is that we want to say in return!  We want to advise, tell our similar story, defend ourselves, etc etc....our own thoughts get in the way...almost bubbling out of us sometimes.

On the flip side, most of want to be listened to.  We want to be heard and understood.  We want this so much, that our words often gush forth....creating a communication dilemma - a sort of listening shortfall.

As we move into this week, let's take time to listen to God and to those that He has put in our lives.

This Friday night, we have an opportunity to learn insights and actions that will help with this listening shortfall in our marriages.

Please join Virginia and I at the Chester Valley Golf Club in Malvern 7:30pm Friday evening, for this exciting marriage seminar:  3 Winning Strategies for Marriage.

We are excited about the new material and looking forward to seeing you there!

"My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry."
                                                   ~James 1:19

Learning to Listen Together,
]]><![CDATA[A Praise Perspective]]>Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:11:22 -0500http://www.friendshipministries.com/1/post/2012/04/a-praise-perspective.html"Let us always offer to God our sacrifice of praise."  ~Hebrews 13:15

"I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the LORD’s greatness; let us exalt his name together."  ~Psalm 34:1-3 (NLT)

You are a great God.
...Your character is holy.
Your truth is absolute.
Your strength is unending.
Your discipline is fair...
Your provisions are abundant for our needs.
Your ligt is adequate for our path.
Your grace is sufficient for our sins...
You are never early, never late...
You sent your Son in the fullness of time and will return at the consummation of time.
Your plan is perfect.
Bewildering.  Puzzling.  Troubling.
But Perfect.
                            ~Max Lucado

When God is exalted over our life it lifts our head up to see the Lord and His Way. It actually encourages us as we give honor to God.
God is confident is Who He is and of His Power. Praise does not change God’s perspective of Himself; it changes our perspective of God.

Let's begin this week by grounding it in praise for the One who truly deserves it.

"I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness." 
                                   ~Psalm 145:1-3 (NLT)
 
Praising Him Together...
]]><![CDATA[Practicing the presence of problems?]]>Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:38:11 -0500http://www.friendshipministries.com/1/post/2012/04/practicing-the-presence-of-problems.htmlEach day - for that matter, each moment of every day, we can choose to practice the Presence of God or to practice the presence of problems.

Practicing the problems:

     Thinking and dwelling on the big-ness of the
     problems rather than the big-ness of your
     God.

     Thinking and dwelling on the worst-case
      scenarios rather than what God might be
      doing in the midst of the problem.

     Thinking and dwelling on frantically trying to
      find immediate solutions rather than a God
      who delights in solving the unsolvable
      dilemma.
Practicing the Presence of God:     

Remembering and focus on the fact that since Jesus has invested His very life in you, you can be assured that He will take care of you.

  "“For God so loved the world that he gave his
   one and only Son,that whoever believes in him
   shall not perish but have eternal life." 
                                                   ~John 3:16

Remembering and focusing on the fact that
nothing can come between God's children and His love.

   "Neither death nor life, neither angels nor
   demons, neither the present nor the future,
   nor any powers, neither height nor depth,
   nor anything else in all creation, will be able
   to separate us from the love of God that is in
   Christ Jesus our Lord."
                                           ~Romans 8:38b-39

Remembering and focusing on the fact that
Jesus, Himself, sits on the right hand side of
God interceding on our behalf.

   "Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who
    was raised to life-- is at the right hand of God
   and is also interceding for us."
                                                   ~Romans 8:34

Which will you choose today?

"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life."  ~Psalm 23:6a


"The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”" ~Exodus 33:14
 
Choosing to Focus on His Presence Rather than the Problems...
]]><![CDATA[Thou art with me]]>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:58:13 -0500http://www.friendshipministries.com/1/post/2012/04/thou-art-with-me.html   "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me."  ~Psalm 23:4 (KJV)

      "Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side."  ~Psalm 23:4 (MSG)

One author writes about one of the most moving passages in English literature that comes towards the end of Charles Dickens's Tale of Two Cities, a story of the French revolution. Each day, a grim procession of prisoners made its way on the streets of Paris to the guillotine. One prisoner, Sidney Carton, a brave man who had once lost his soul but had now found it again, was now giving his life for his friend.
Beside him there was a young girl. They had met before in the prison, and the girl had noticed the man's gentleness and courage. She said to him, "If I may ride with you, will you let me hold your hand? I am not afraid, but I am little and weak, and it will give me more courage."

So they rode together, her hand in his; and when they reached the place of execution, there was no fear in her eyes. She looked up into the quiet composed face of her companion, and said, "I think you were sent to me by heaven."

In all the dark valleys of life, God our Father, the God of all comfort, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, is at our side.
 
    "He went without comfort so you might have
       it. He postponed joy so you might share in
       it. He willingly chose isolation so you might
       never be alone in your hurt and sorrow." 
                                       ~Joni Eareckson Tada

    "Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
       I will not be afraid, for you are close beside
       me."                           ~Psalm 23:4a (NLT)

    "And be sure of this: I am with you always,
      even to the end of the age.” 
                                 ~Matthew 28:20b (NLT)
    
By His Side...
]]><![CDATA[He leadeth me...]]>Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:11:31 -0500http://www.friendshipministries.com/1/post/2012/03/he-leadeth-me.html"He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for
    his name's sake"               ~Psalm 23:3b (KJV)

 "He guides the humble in what is right and
     teaches them his way."      ~Psalm 25:2 (NIV)

Author Ken Sande tells a story about observing a visually impaired man who resisted the repeated warnings of his loyal and protective guide dog:

One day during my morning run I noticed a blind man walking on the other side of the street with his seeing-eye dog, a beautiful golden retriever. As I was about to pass them, I noticed a car blocking a driveway a few paces ahead of them. At that moment the dog paused and gently pressed his shoulder against the man's leg, signaling him to turn aside so they could get around the car.
I'm sure he normally followed the dog's lead, but that day he didn't seem to trust him. He had probably walked this route many times before and knew this was not the normal place to make a turn. Whatever the cause, he wouldn't move to the side and instead gave the dog the signal to move ahead. Her faithful companion again pressed his shoulder against his leg, trying to guide the man on a safe path. He angrily ordered the dog to go forward. When he again declined, the man's temper flared.

I was about to speak up … when the dog once more put his shoulder gently against her leg. Sure enough, he kicked him …. And then he impulsively stepped forward—and bumped square into a car. Reaching out to feel the shape in front of him, he immediately realized what had happened. Dropping to his knees, he threw his arms around the dog, and spoke sobbing words into his ear.

 
  "You are true to your name, and you lead me
       along the right paths."  ~Psalm 23:3b (CEV)

  "He leads me on paths that are right for the
      good of his name."        ~Psalm 23:3b (NCV)

  "He guides me along right paths, bringing
      honor to his name."      ~Psalm 23:3b (NLT)

Learning Together to Follow His Leading...
]]><![CDATA[True North]]>Mon, 12 Mar 2012 22:49:47 -0500http://www.friendshipministries.com/1/post/2012/03/true-north.htmlOne author tells the story about his brother who bought a new car that was loaded with high-tech options. The first time he drove the car in the rain, he turned a knob he thought would start the windshield wipers. Instead a message flashed across the dash: "Drive car in 360 degrees."
He had no idea what that meant, and so when he got home he read the car manual.

He learned that while trying to turn on the windshield wipers he had inadvertently turned off the internal compass, and the car had lost its sense of direction. To correct the problem, the car had to be driven in a full circle, pointed north, and then the compass had to be reset.

Each time we take time to be with the Lord, pray, or worship, we are resetting our internal compass. We establish "true north" in our soul, remembering who God is and what his truth proclaims.

   He restores my soul.      ~Psalm 23:3a (NIV)

   He renews my strength. ~Psalm 23:3a (NLT)

   He lets me catch my breath. 
                                       ~Psalm 23:3a (MSG)

   He refreshes and restores my life (my self).
                                       ~Psalm 23:3a (AMP)

Learning to Head True North Together...
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