This was a great morning. I took my daughter out for her birthday breakfast. I do this every year with each of my children. This year, due to the fact that I’ll be in Israel, my daughter and I went out few days early.
After having a wonderful time, she asked, “Dad, do you have time to cuddle?” What father could resist? This one surely couldn’t. So after arriving home, we got a blanket and snuggled up on the living room sofa. I then asked, “Is there anything you want to talk about or do you just want to cuddle?” Cuddling was enough.
Silence – both outside and inside – can make one uncomfortable driving them to their drug of choice – doing something. Some are afraid of silence as they might have to deal with something inside that doing allows them to avoid. Some are afraid of silence because their significance comes from accomplishments, even if it’s conquering a simple to-do list.
Yet a secure child of God is comfortable in their own skin; and thus can live with silence. Their significance comes from being with Jesus, not doing something for Jesus. They can live with silence because they actually trust their God to only bring up “stuff” He knows they are ready to see.
Can we be still? A secure child of God can. Doing does not equal significance. Being a secure child of God does. Can we be still? A secure child of God can. Doing something to hide our defects or hurts is unnecessary as we know our Father already sees everything and loves us anyway.
You can hang out (masculine term for cuddle) with your Father. Start today by calming your mind by focusing on a single truth about Jesus. Let Him take it from there. And remember, sometimes it doesn’t require talking at all.
This goes to the heart of the Psalmist’s statement, “Be still and know that I am God.” Yes my friend, silence can be golden.
“S”et Free Nowww

So much of what we do is driven by what others thought us, think of us or will think about us. There is one problem with this thinking, however. It’s deadly! We give control of our lives to others if we let what they think about us dictate what we do.
“Will they still like, let alone love me, if I do it?” Maybe, maybe not. “Will they hate me for what I am about to do?” Maybe, maybe not. But who cares! You can’t control what others say about you, let alone what they think about you. A friend once said, “What other people think of you is none of your business.” It’s totally true!
We only have control over one thing – our choices, not others’ thoughts. Because of what Jesus gave us at salvation, we can make the right choices regardless of how others react to them. We can listen to and follow Jesus, which only makes us feel great when we do what He tells us to do.
As a believer in Jesus you are a secure child of God. Let what He thinks about you drive your choices. And remember, He may be disappointed in what you do at times, but He will always love and stand by you no matter what others may think of you.
“S”et Free Nowww

Ever notice the amount of stuff (junk?) you collect or store in your garage or storage unit? In fact, I’ll bet there are items you’ve even forgotten about hidden away on some back shelf behind another item you might not have used in quite a while.
It’s these forgotten items stored away in your brain that can wreck havoc in your life. Ever find yourself doing something that you can’t remember why you did it; and in fact, didn’t even want to do it when you did it, but you did it anyway? It’s because you’ve got forgotten the lies stored away on some back shelf behind another forgotten item.
Don’t focus on your behavior. Remember only the truth, not hard work, will set you free. Allow the Spirit to uncover the lie behind your drug of choice, sinful behavior, so He can help you exchange it with the specific truths He gives you. For this to happen, the Spirit must shine His light on your storage device so you can discover what those hidden lies are so you can get rid of them and store the truth instead.
Want to become like Jesus? Then be willing to ask yourself, “So what am I storing?”
Se“T” Free Nowww

Prayer is, “about connecting to the awesome, fearsome, loving, ultimately ineffable Creator of the universe. Prayer is the periodic hopscotch to…the ultimate union. Prayer prefigures the conclusion of life and animates the path of life,” writes one rabbinical writer.
Prayer takes us beyond the realm of our challenges and drugs of choice, to the only One who can make us more like Jesus through them – the Source of Life and the Source of Power behind that Life – God Himself.
It takes us from feeling like we are alone (though in reality we are not) to the all Oneness of God. Are you not a secure child of God, made this way by faith in Jesus? Therefore, your God wants to hear from you not only today, but throughout your today. And your conversations with Him today only prepare you for when you leave this planet tomorrow.
“S”et Free Nowww

As kids we used to play Four Square during recess. It’s a game where there is one person within each of four squares. As the ball is hit into any square the person in that square must hit it into another square. There are two options if they fail to do so. One, they leave the game and go to the end of the line of people waiting to get into a square. Or two, they can call, “Do over!” and stay in the game. However, you only get one “do over” per recess. It’s a second chance to stay in the game.
This illustrates the “N” principle – never give up on yourself as Jesus won’t – in our struggle to overcome our drugs of choice. Jesus gives us a “do over” if we fall. Keep in mind that just like in Four Square, you failed in front of all those playing the game. It was embarrassing; and yet, you’re still in the game with a chance to redeem yourself. And just like in the game, you can be victorious next time over your drug of choice.
As one author put it, “We are never finished with our work in this world. There is always more untapped potential. No matter how successful (my note: or unsuccessful in some cases) and busy we are, there is room for “Act Two.” … There is always more we can to do. And remember: it’s not your burden; it’s your pleasure!”
Failure or success doesn’t define you; being a secure child of God does. Jesus gave us Himself, which gives us our unlimited potential to be victorious like Him. There is always another Act to our life’s play. We don’t have to like, be comfortable with or even want failure, but it is our reality this side of heaven. And though Act One might have stunk, Act Two can be sweet.
This process is not a burden, but a pleasure because it gives you another chance to taste the sweetness of victory. Jesus’ “do overs” give you the opportunity to taste that sweetness.
Set Free “N”owww