“This too, I see, is from the hand of God, ²⁵ for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment? ²⁶ To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness“ -Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

I was listening to Joyce Meyer the other day, and she said something that hit me deep!

She said,”A few months ago I was in India and spoke at a Crusade in front of a crowd of 250,000 people. It just so happened that the day I spoke, was also my birthday. So the 250,000 people ended up singing happy birthday to me, which was pretty cool. Then two weeks later I was back to normal life, shopping in Target by myself. . . ”

She continued, “You know what was awesome? I’ve grown to the point in my relationship with God, where I had just as much joy shopping by myself at Target, as I did speaking to 250,000 people and having them sing to me.” I don’t know about you, but I want to get there!

We all have to live this thing called life. We all have to grocery shop, take out the trash, and pay the bills. But when we live our lives for God, everything in life suddenly becomes beautiful. You enjoy life at an entirely new level.

Happiness, joy, and experiencing God are all choices. Choose to pursue Him and see Him in everything, and you’ll find yourself enjoying every area of life more than you ever have before!

Thoughts?

Always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. -I Peter 3:15

I heard some un-churched friends the other day talking about some of my friends in my church. They were talking about how everything seems to go so well for Christians, they always seem happy, and always seem to have great relationships. Then one of them asked, “I wonder if it’s all just an act. If they just pretend everything is awesome.”

People that aren’t living for God can very easily get into a mindset that Christians never have any problems and that they’re perfect. Then they look at their own lives and think, “I’ll never measure up, or never be able to live a life like that.” They think they’re too far removed from God for Him to do anything good in their lives.

I thought about that a lot, and the I Peter 3:15 came to mind. As Christians, I recognized that people should be seeing our lives and recognize that they’re different.

So, “Is it all just and act?”Do Christians just fake being happy? Fake having good relationships?

Not at all, but that doesn’t mean the Christian life is perfect and we never go through any tough times or struggles. In fact, we go through the same situations anyone else does in life.

It’s our faith in a faithful God that gets us through anything and gives us a life we never dreamed possible.

You can have the same hope we do. Your life doesn’t have to be an act, doesn’t have to be perfect, and your life definitely doesn’t have to be miserable.

If you’ve been watching Christians and seeing their lives, and all you can do is be judgemental and think it’s all an act, and yet you’re living a miserable life, I’m here to tell you that God can do the same thing in your life that he’s done in mine, my friends, and the people you think are faking it.

I’d encourage you to read my imperfect story and then ask God to show Himself to you in your life. It’ll be the first step to a life of Hope, peace, & joy you’ve  never experienced before. Instead of being judgemental of Christians who seem to be living a life you’d like to live, why not be open and ask God to do what He’s done in their life, in your life. Go for it, and don’t look back, you won’t regret it!

Thoughts?

A while back, a mentor gave me a coffee table book from Life is Good as a gift. In the cover he wrote this note to me:

“Bubs, For your Library! The simplest of life’s lessons are often the most profound!!”

The book is literally filled with a picture on one page, and a short nugget on the page next to it. I go through it often to remind me that life isn’t as complicated as I make it out to be.

Here are some of my favorite lessons from the book:

• Optimism can take you anywhere
• Whatever you are, be a good one
• Youth knows no age
• Everything is a once in a lifetime experience
• Do what you like, like what you do.
• If you don’t go, you don’t see

• The best things in life are free
• The pursuit is the reward
• The World is Your entertainment center
• The little things in life are the big things
• Remember where you came from
• We will never know all the good a simple smile can do

We live in a world that tries to over-complicate everything don’t we? Even in our Christian walks, we over-complicate everything! Jesus came to simplify everything! The simple, yet beyond profound lesson from Jesus:

Love God, Love People

It is so true that the simplest of life’s lessons are the most profound. If we can just live out the simple lessons taught to us, everything we need to make up a rich and fulfilling life would take care of itself.

Let’s all simplify our lives.

Thoughts?