If we wait until we feel

like doing something we may not get much done.  I believe my feelings can sometimes not be trusted.  I am not sure where those feelings arise, but I have a few ideas.  What matters most is that I learn to ignore certain feelings.

I once heard our past pastor, John Hampton, say something like this: "If you act the way you want to feel eventually you will feel the way you want to act."  For about 5 years, I never felt like running.  Many said all I had to do was run for 5 months and it would become a habit.  Well, it wasn't until after 5 years that I actually began missing running when I didn't do it.

Had I listened to my feelings, I would never have become a runner.  Now, if I don't run, I feel like I haven't taken a shower, brushed my teeth, eaten breakfast, etc.  In other words, I feel like something is missing.

Acting confident even when

we don't feel confident may sometimes be necessary.  Our feelings can sometimes lie to us.  Confidence based upon knowledge and not feelings should provide a much more consistent basis for living.

If progress is always preceded by change

then hopefully I will get better at corn hole.  I didn't want to do it, but I changed my throwing style.  Instead of throwing the bag horizontally, I changed to vertical.  This was tough.  I wanted to do it my way.  However, my way was just not working as well as the vertical throwing style my friends at work use.

Renewing our mind means

to take off the old and put on the new.  Renewing our mind means to remove our perspective and see His perspective.  It means to see as He sees.  I love getting a fresh perspective.  A new point of view makes it a lot easier to change.  New perspectives create motivation.  Seeing things the way they truly are often times creates energy.  That's why this blog is called Chariots of Fire.  It's about God opening our eyes to help us see where He is, what He is doing and working in our mission.

2 Kings 6:17 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

An irresistible urge to act

One of my cousins emailed me today and stated she had been praying for clarity and direction.  Her email reminded me of a prayer we had recently for clarity, courage and an irresistible urge to act.  Thank God for answering that prayer!

By faith

I read Hebrews 11 last night and was reminded how much God loves faith.   The sixth verse of the first chapter states " ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

I have heard Andy Stanley ask the following question: "What would someone, who is you, do, if they were 100% confident God was with them?"   Faith is such a wonderful gift.  I think it takes practice to live by faith if we haven't always done so.

Without discomfort we can't

get stronger.  The only way to build strength is to make ourselves uncomfortable.  Before a mission trip to Haiti (when I was in college), our campus pastor told me, "we have to be uncomfortable with our comfortableness."  That quote has stuck with me for quite some time.

As a Physical Therapist, I recognize the need for people to welcome feeling uncomfortable (pain, fatigue, burning, discomfort, dizzy) in order to make progress.  Trials (events that make us uncomfortable) are opportunities to get stronger.