Mark Affleck

MONDAY

My Weekend’s Painful Memory And 5-Step Recovery

An excruciatingly painful memory invaded my mind this past weekend and sent deeply emotional jabs ricocheting through my consciousness. It felt like my life’s plane had been hijacked to a deserted and dark location. It was a triggering experience that dropped me to my knees in prayer. AND GOD ANSWERED. After my prayers produced some calming relief, I began to think what a Christian—me, you, all believers—should...
MONDAY

I Spent the Weekend Fixated on FIGHTING

I spent this past weekend thinking about FIGHTING, a lot. No, not the kind of fighting that probably jumped into your mind. I’m referring to fighting the GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH. The back story here starts with how some verses in the Bible have special meaning in the life of a believer and how some have EXTRA SIGNIFICANCE. One such verse for me is Paul’s piercingly powerful statement in 2 Timothy: “I...
MONDAY

The Canary Died and I Did NOT See It Coming

This yawning morning in late February has me palpably aware that two months of this ‘new’ year will soon be scooting off the stage. That reality creates a confrontation for me with TIME that produces these two thoughts: 1) I NEVER want to obsess over the inexorable passage of time in this life; but 2) I DO want to continually reflect on my life’s purpose and maximize the time I devote to doing the...
MONDAY

Has it Ever Felt Like God Was a Million Miles Away?

All Christians–at one time or another, to one degree or another—are pecked by a pain I call FAITH FATIGUE. That’s been the case for me over the past few weeks. It has not stilled my faith, but it has prompted me to ask God for delivery from the funk. THE ANTIDOTE? Spiritual Discipline. I know…that sounds like bondage, not freedom. But the way out of faith fatigue is sticking to our...
MON

Are You a 9-Tool Christian?

I’ve always been fascinated by “5-Tool Players” in major league baseball. These are the superstars who exhibit the sport’s most important tools–Speed, Throwing, Fielding, Hit for Average, and Hit for Power. Think Willie Mays and Shohei Ohtani. In professional hockey the five tools are Skating, Shooting, Playmaking, Scoring and Defense. Think Wayne Gretzky. Basketball uses Scoring, Rebounding,...
MON

What’s Your BEHIND/AHEAD Status?

It’s imperative for all believers to periodically look BEHIND and AHEAD for perspective on the past and hope for the future. I do this several times a year to elevate the precious nature of every day and minimize my time gazing in the rear-view mirror and its string of unmet expectations, dashed dreams, and spoiled plans. This keeps me in touch with the turning pages of my life’s book and the inexorable...
MON

Why am I in a Frustrating JOY SLUMP?

I decided this morning to write about the JOY SLUMP I’ve been in for the past couple of months. There have been “pockets” of joy during this time, but they seem fleeting and somehow less than complete. Yes, this challenge has happened in the exact same period my two-year-old grandson Briar has been fighting cancer. But that is, at least in part, the point. No matter the circumstances, I have to accept...
MON

You Cannot Fake Showing Up

Preparing for the late-July launch of my new book on AMAZON has brought many reader comments to my attention. The most common goes something like this: “I want to activate my faith, but I keep putting it off.”  There was one that even wrote: “It’s on my bucket list.” These comments remind me of a FACTORY PRODUCTION LINE that has boxes stacking up on an overwhelmed conveyer belt. The congestion eventually...
WED

Is God a Mind Reader

YES! God is the master mind reader. But it goes so much deeper than that. He reads our hearts and our soul, too. And he knows our thoughts and feelings and choices BEFORE they result in our actions. Why is this so important for believers? Because our thoughts are the raw ingredients that make up our words. And our words define us. They build or break relationships. They power or pulverize our efforts...
TUE

Are YOU Living with FAITH INTERMITTENCE?

An interesting question from our global online tribe came in over the Memorial Day weekend: “Mark: My faith is strong one day and then weak for many days after that. It’s more weak than strong. Why is that?” That comment reveals a torturous challenge and shines a bright light on this reality: Many Christians around the world are living with FAITH INTERMITTENCE where God’s light seems to flicker...
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