Mark Affleck

SHOULD is Definitely NOT the same as MUST

We should pay attention to God, right? A quick take on that line is “of course.” But that is a superficial response because the word SHOULD often stands in for the word God would use–MUST.    We must pay attention to God.    And the best way to do that–I think the ONLY way—is to immediately turn to God when a challenge surfaces. For me, that means asking God to SPEAK...

I “Tried Hard” And Ended Up In A Blind Alley

A new dawn is stretching out in front of our mind’s cinema and most of us are “trying hard” and chasing something right now. It might be a long To-Do list. It might be success and material possessions. Or it might be God. But trying hard, “no matter what,” can be a blind alley with no exists. It can put our personal balance, family, and even our health at risk. Even worse, it can compound the obstacles...

I’m Waiting For God’s “Big Bang” Reveal Of My Life’s Plan

If everything is predetermined and imposed, then all we would need to do is show up. Right? The concept of accounting for all of the challenges in life is antithetical to the idea of trusting God for everything. The negativity consumes us when we seek a predictable pathway with everything fully revealed like a big bang in the sky.    The unknown is actually a major part of our walk with...

I Will Make Them Pay For This, I Promise

I have forgiven them, I promise! OK, fair enough…but then why are you still fighting the battle to be “right” or “make them pay” or to “get justice” as if they were sitting in a chair staring at you from across the room.    As I rev today’s early morning motor, a warm burst of air is taking the chill off my space and set the soundtrack on low with its steady and soothing hum. It’s a perfect...

I Spoke 15,087 Words Yesterday And Three Of Them Hurt Someone

We speak about 15,000 words every day and will always fall short of God’s standards along the way! It is inevitable that we will slip somewhere in the normal conversational flow of life. Rarely intentional, the offenders just tumble out of our mouth without even a thought of being wrong or hurtful. It’s a fact that we must own—our words have the potential to deeply injure others. OUR DUAL RESPONSIBILITY...

Whatever Happens In The Future Was Meant To Be

It’s easy to let the FUTURE be something that we simply “wait for” and “let happen.” God says DON’T DO IT!    This affects life in general and specifically our walk with Christ. It also comes into our work and career. However, it is not about us doing God’s work and architecting the future on our own. That’s playing boss and it’s wrong.    Our future is in God’s hands, of course. ...

I Never Thought My Intense Pain Would Be “OK”

Easier said than done, right? Of course! But we can get to this glorious place and experience its bountiful blessings if we trust God’s promises. If we believe that God is in full–not partial–control.  If we release the hurt and allow the healing.    It’s all about EXPECTATIONS.    More specifically…it’s a matter of pushing aside our UNMET EXPECTATIONS and stop...

My Car Is New--It Doesn't Need Service!

God wants us to pray for protection as we pull out of the garage each day with him as the driver. He wants us to pray in advance  for protection on every part of our life–health, family, church and business relationships, finances, our future, our hope—all of it. But praying for this protection once a week at church or even once a day as we start our journey is not enough! He wants us to...

Take A Look At Me…I’m Faultless!

To stand out for Christ in a world swimming in excuses, we need to take ownership for our wrong-doings. We need to accept blame for our mistakes. And then we need to let God use our shortcomings for good. Our culture may expect Christians to be faultless, but we do not need to live without fault in order to have an impact for Christ. Because we cannot, of course, live without fault. But when we repent...

I Fell Prey To The Fear Monster, Again.

God says fear is unacceptable, yet we still fall prey to this powerful foe! Fear is a natural, human reaction to our surroundings and the machinations of living. It is not possible to completely remove it from our life. But we can stop thinking we can control things by being fearful. Yet our culture has taught us that fear is part of the package we get in life. We are told to endure the constant pressure...
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