"Here's the bottom line. The Christian life, the church, our faith are not about us, they're about Him - His plan, His kingdom, His glory."

Three powerful words can take a relationship to an entire different level. Some might think the words are I love you. When spoken in truth I love you are very powerful words. The words I want to share are Please Forgive Me. It is not an easy phrase to speak, but asking forgiveness is the first step to healing a broken relationship.

When we ask forgiveness, we must struggle with personal pride, and the desire to be right. The core question becomes, is your relationship more important than your self-pride? I challenge you to grow your relationship deeper. The path to a better relationship starts with I am sorry.

Do statements from your youth dictate your life today? Some of these statements can be beneficial and productive in daily life. They form lifelong values that are a benefit to both yourself and to those around you. Other statements have been spoken into your life and they are not truth. “No one will ever love you.” “You will never succeed in life.” Statements that hide in the fiber of our memories, and continue to have influence based on untruth.

Take time to think about these voices from your past. They may have come from a teacher, family member or even a parent. Do not allow past negative comments to influence your tomorrow. Start each day with new hope and a knowledge that the Creator of heaven and earth loves you.  

Once upon a time cameras required a roll of film. People then took the film to a place where it was developed into a visible form. Today, we take a photo with our phone, and are immediately able to post, and share it with others. True that the new way is faster, but is faster always better.

In your youth, did you have dreams of what life would be like? Did your dreams become reality? Are your dreams still in the process of being developed? How will you know when they are complete? Reality is that a dream will look different when you are in the middle of living it out. One day you might look back and realize you have been living in the middle of your dream for years. Be patient and know that dreams take time, and their development may require times of darkness and unknown.

The storm was strong and the thunder loud. It was not long before the dog was shivering with fear. Only one place he wanted to be, and that was with me. In short, order he snuggled in. His shaking was still there but not as bad. Regardless of the storm that continued, he was soon sound asleep.

Where do you run when the storms of life grow beyond your level of control? We all have storms. Some storms we contributed to creating. Other storms are there because of others that are in our life. The source of the storm does not matter to the Creator. Even when your storm is raging and your fear is great, the Shepherd is waiting to comfort and bring peace.

One of my great joys is to listen to an orchestra or choir as they perform. When you listen closely, you are able to hear each unique instrument or voice. Individually, the parts may not sound correct or melodious, but combined they produce an intricate yet glorious sound. The combined harmony can move a heart and heal a wounded soul.

What is your favorite form of music? Do you prefer the harmony of multiple parts, or unison, where there is only one voice or instrument? What part do you play in the harmony of life? The soloist can enjoy the spotlight, but the beauty is being part of something larger than we can do on our own. When we combine our gifts with others that is where the true harmony is found.

Most have seen the movie Groundhog Day, or a move with the same theme. It is where a person relives a day repeatedly with the goal of improving a day’s outcome. How many times would you be required to repeat the day before you learned the life’s lesson? Each of us planned or not has a daily routine, which is why we can relate to the story. So what would you change? What needs changed?

Is my schedule and calendar more important than people are? That is a hard question. If they are, then take time to listen to their stories. Hearing about their journey will change your worldview. Each of us has a journey to share, with both good and difficult days. Make sure to share both. It is also important to spend time with your Creator. He knows our story and still loves us.

This is that time of the year we once again resolve to make a permanent change in our life. These resets may focus on different areas like health, family, career and even spiritual. We also have many names for these decisions depending on what life change we are dealing with. Some examples are, redo, mulligan, do over, reset, and diet, just to name a few. Yes, it is the time of year for resolutions.

The great thing is that it really does not matter what you choose to change, or what you call your effort. What really matters is that you have the opportunity for a new start. Now, what are your going to do with this occasion? Just a note that life changes are not easy, but they are rewarding.