Last weekend the most embarrassing thing happened to our local make-it-big hometown football hero. He’s been making the sports highlight reels this week—all for the wrong reasons. The fourth-overall NFL pick made a big-time rookie mistake. Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins was stopped short of a touchdown on an 84-yard catch in the second quarter of a game with the New York Jets. Watkins, a top shelf athlete who grew up and played in Southwest Florida where I live, thought he had a free pass to a touchdown. So he raised his arm in celebration as he neared the end zone, only to be surprised by a tackle at the 5-yard line. Whoops! Embarrassment extraordinaire! (Here’s the video link).
Celebrating before reaching the goal line can cost you. Sammy Watkins’ pursuer, Saalim Haikim, was running hard the entire way, and he was the hero for his team. Watkins started coasting at the end of his phenomenal run and he will be the example coaches will use to teach their players what NOT to do for many years in the future.
My friend, Dr. Henry Oursler of TightRope Communications, did a study of leaders in the Bible. He found the Bible mentions 2,390 people by name. Approximately 1,000 of the named people were men and women we would refer to as leaders. But we only have significant information to get a full picture on 100 of those leaders. Of those 100, only one-third of them finished their lives well. Most of those that didn’t finish well, failed in the last half of their life. How sobering is that?
I personally know of too many of my own peers who have made a Sammy Watkins style blunder—start coasting, pride-fully celebrating their successes, unaware of the danger nearby and they get tripped up at the five-yard line. They too get embarrassed, head down in shame as their failures are paraded before the world to see. We’ve all seen them in the headlines. And the cost is much more than one touchdown in one game of their career. Often, the entire positive legacy of a seasoned second-halfer is erased by a near-the-goal-line catastrophe.
So how do we avoid these kind of costly mistakes? My next blog post will lay it out in more detail. But the key elements are humility, pay attention to your surroundings, run strong to the finish line, know your mission, remain accountable and press on toward the goal of the high calling of God himself (see Philippians 3:12-14).
QUESTION: What additional things should I include in my next blog as a way to avoid being taken-down just short of the goal line? I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below. Thanks!
About six months ago, I read a short article by Bronnie Ware. She summed up her book, “The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying.” Here’s how it started. After leaving an unfulfilling job, Bronnie worked in hospice care. She informally compiled a list of the five most common regrets expressed by the people she cared for. She wrote an article, a blog and then a book.
Triple Falls in Glacier National Park, MT www.GingerichPhotoArt.com
I totally resonate with Bronnie’s discovery. As a pastor for the last 35 years, many have confided in me their regrets near the end of their earthly journeys. In fact, I intentionally ask, “How would you live your life differently if you could do it all over again?” The responses I’ve heard have helped shape and sharpen my own journey.
The list Ms. Ware collected gained huge popularity, and I’m sharing it with you because it’s something all of us should keep in mind. Even though it can be hard to think about, this stuff is really important for your life right here and now!
1. “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.” – So many dreams have gone unfulfilled because too many people live out everyone else’s expectations and suppress or ignore their own. Do you have a clear mission statement? Are you intentionally living out your mission and purpose? If not, what needs to change?
2. “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.” – Ware stated, “This came from every male patient I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship.” It can happen to women too. But reflect for a moment. If you keep the current pace you are on right now, will you have any regrets about how you used your time?
Many Lake in Glacier National Park, MT www.GingerichPhotoArt.com
3. “I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.” – So many people live in mediocre relationships because they never get beyond the 90% level of conversations that are “safe.” Most us have trouble expressing the final 10% which expresses how we really feel. A lot of health issues are a result of bitterness and resentment that folks have carried for years and years. Talk to a friend, your clergy, or a counselor and share the final 10% and also learn how to healthily and regularly go beyond the 90% in your significant relationships.
4. “I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.” – We can easily become so busy doing life that we let our life-giving relationships slip away over the years. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying. Staying connected to long-time friends or developing new friends is important all along life’s timeline. Life happens. Time keeps going. How are you being intentional about nurturing your relational connections?
5. “I wish that I had let myself be happier.” – Many of us fail to realize until near the end that happiness is actually a choice. If not intentional, we will stay stuck in old patterns and habits that are comforting and familiar. And our fear of change can easily keep us from fully enjoying life. We just go along with the flow and never find the happiness, joy and fulfillment that God wants all of us to have. Changes in our emotional, physical, relational or spiritual patterns are a few key places to examine first if you aren’t experiencing regret-free living that is filled with an abundant measure of joy.
Think about it. This is really powerful advice. Take it from the people that have been there, and don’t make the same mistake! And just maybe I can inspire you today to adjust some areas before it turns into a regret. Have a regret-free day!
QUESTION: From your experience, which one of these five should be at the top of the list? What else would you add to the list? Please share it in the comment area below. Thanks!
“Wo Christus ist, geht er allzeit wider den Strom.” That phrase jumped off the plague on the wall as I stood in Martin Luther’s home (now museum) in Wittenberg, Germany. The translation to English was directly below. “Where Christ is, there he always goes against the flow.” Words penned by Martin Luther in 1517.
Martin Luther was an Augustinian monk. A professor at Wittenberg University. A priest for Wittenberg’s City Church. Then, he was gripped by holy discontent. While in the Wittenberg Monastery, Luther was reading through the New Testament book of Romans when he had a decisive religious enlightenment. He realized that people receive salvation through the grace of God, not through good works. Soon, Luther became repulsed by the prevailing flow in the church. Church leaders were selling salvation. The wealthy could bypass confession and purchase grace. You could even redeem the sins of the deceased if you could afford it. Luther chose to go against the flow.
Wartburg Castle, Germany. Dennis visited Wartburg while on sabbatical
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed a letter to his superiors on the door of the Castle Church across town. His “against the flow” letter listed 95 reasons why the sale of “indulgences” should be halted. Luther considered this practice as an abusive and manipulative distortion of scripture, primarily designed to bail the church out of a financial crisis. Tension, debate, excommunication, trials and resistance escalated intensely for the next four years until Luther was banned to the Wartburg Castle for nearly a year. Finally, the direction of flow began to change. Luther’s protest was the catalyst for what we now know as the Protestant Reformation.
As for me, I want to be where Christ is. And where Christ is, there he goes against the flow. How did Christ go against the flow in his time? He always chose relationship over rules. Love over hate. Peace over violence. Acceptance over judgment. Being over doing. Gentleness over harshness. Conviction over compromise. Generosity over greed. And finally, the cross over comfort.
Where are you being asked to go against the flow today? Could it be the trend in our culture toward throw-away marriages? The mentality that if it is hard, it isn’t worth doing. Bail and run. Find another soul mate?
Is going against the flow for you mean to say no to a consumerist, got-to-have-more, go-in-debt mentality that leads to the opposite of financial peace?
Or could going against the flow today cause you to break away from a “live and let live” mindset that keeps you from having firm convictions, morals and ethics that stand tall under intense pressure in your business?
Does going against the flow mean you will resist the pressure to work more but instead invest more time in your spouse and children so you have the best chance for a healthy family that is living on mission?
Maybe going against the flow is as simple as turning off all the email, text and social media notifications so you can give your undivided attention to your family and friends in front of you?
Maybe you just need to determine where Christ is in your situation and circumstance. Where he is, there he goes against the flow. So, will you be swept downstream today or will you go upstream with him? It’s your choice.
QUESTION: What is the one area of your life right now where God is calling you to go against the flow? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section.
Everyone has their favorites. I enjoy doing a “Top Five” of the recent blog posts. Since I was away on a four month sabbatical, I changed the patterns of my blog posts and I didn’t even look at the stats of my blog posts to see if there were any emerging patterns of what was read the most frequently. So here it is in three different time segments:
Last 30 Days (September 2014)
Last 90 Days (July – September 2014)
Sabbatical: Intentional Legacy-Leaving
Sabbatical: Encountering Angels
All Time (Since I started the blog October 2012)
Most Admired Leadership Qualities
So, there you have it. If you haven’t previously read these popular blog posts, now you have all of the links right here on one page. And to be honest, I’m still baffled by the popularity of the Valentine’s Day blog month after month, year after year. It’s repeatedly the hottest search item in my stats on a day to day basis.
And by the way, I would love to hear your all time favorite blog post in the comment section below!
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” I love it. I saw this line the other day announcing the launch of a new church in Ohio. It’s so true. Real living starts when we courageously step outside our familiar places of security and comfort. Not easy. Not by nature. Not usually by habit.
Dennis at the edge of the Grand Canyon
Most of us spend a whole lot of energy maintaining our personal comfort zones. We drift toward the routine, familiar and predictable. It happens in our careers and in our marriages. It happens in businesses, government agencies and religious organizations. It happens in our choice of hot beverages each morning at the local coffee shop. The route we take on our drive to work. What we order off the menu for lunch. Most of us glide toward a pattern of unoriginality.
How do you combat those tendencies? How do you embolden a holy discontent inside of you to get yourself to step outside of comfortable? I really would love to know what helps you to live with originality, creativity, freshness and vitality. (Feel free to share it in the comment section below!)
Here’s the top three things that have helped me the most and I hope it may help you too:
Get a God-sized Vision – From the very start of your life, Psalm 139:16 describes God’s master plan for you this way: “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God. How vast is the sum of them, the would outnumber the grains of sand…” (NIV). Think about it! All the stages of your life were known by God before you even lived one day outside your mother’s womb. God has a clear vision for how He has designed and created you. Are you spending any time building a relationship with God and learning to listen to Him so you actually know the vision he has for you? When your life is guided by a God-sized vision, you’ll attempt things that are uncomfortable. The reality is, if you’re not making decisions that require courage, you probably don’t have a compelling vision for your life nor are you trusting in God’s almighty power.
Dennis hang gliding in Switzerland
Write a Mission Statement – When you have a clear, memorable, quotable mission for your life, you will know why you do what you do and what you want to be remembered for. I meet so many people who’ve never taken the time or done the hard work of developing a personal mission statement. I’ve written on this before. My mission statement is simple: “inspiring transformissional living.” I can’t make someone change but I can inspire and influence them toward change. I can’t transform someone but I can motivate them to seek renovation of their heart, attitudes and actions through God’s help. I can inspire others toward being missional and intentional in their living and leadership. I even have a new related mission statement for my hobby: “inspiring transformissional living through the lens.” Before placing a photo on my photography website, I actually ask, “will this photo in some way inspire people toward a God-focused, transformed, intentional and purpose-filled life?” A focused mission statement protects me from the monotony of boring habits and purpose-less routines.
Routinely Try Something New – While I habitually drift toward the security of the routine, I intentionally push myself to try something fresh. I recently started choosing new menu items at a restaurant where I have a lunch meeting each week. I try to drive a new and different route when we go to visit our daughter in northeast Florida. We go to new vacation spots each year. I create new patterns each time I mow the lawn. My wife and I celebrate our birthdays every fifth year by hang gliding, skydiving, parasailing, white-water rafting or some other beyond-the-comfort-zone activity. Linda and I recently attended a Marriage Get-away to spark new patterns in our forty-year relationship. I use different translations and paraphrases of the Bible during my devotional reading to break from the familiar. These are just a few examples of things I consciously do to push myself beyond the routines of my comfort zone.
Dennis skydiving to celebrate his 50th birthday
Without a doubt, I feel most alive when I’m living on the edge, beyond my comfort zone. When I’m living out a God-sized vision that I know will be a total flop if I do it in my own strength, it’s exhilarating. When I am tasting, seeing, hearing, touching and smelling something different, transformation happens inside of me. My life has been so enriched by risk-taking adventures with God. Knowing that I’m living out God’s purposes and calling for my life is the opposite of boring. That’s real life. Just as it was intended. I can’t imagine living life any other way!
So, where do you need to be courageous today? What is one thing you can do today to step outside of your comfort zone so you can really live?
QUESTION: Share your top three comfort-zone busters or the one area you are being challenged to step out of your comfort zone?
Touring Germany during our recent sabbatical gave my wife Linda and I some conversation opportunity about an important life principal. Exterior reflects interior. What is on the inside always migrates toward the outside.
The West German city of Augsburg
It was remarkable to note the difference between the areas of what used to be a divided Germany between 1945 and 1990. West and East. Capitalist and Communist. Colorful and Muted. Progressive architecture and straight plain buildings. Industrial and Agrarian. Individualism and communalism. Much ambition and little ambition. Planned growth and laissez-faire. Religious and agnostic/atheist.
Of course, there are exceptions. I must be careful not to stereotype or pigeon-hole. I’m just speaking of first impressions from spending three weeks traveling, visiting cities and villages, connecting with some locals through our German friends in both the east and west, on both sides of the previous border. The difference was noticeable.
The former East German town of Abendessen
I started thinking about a principle that Jesus taught. Exterior reflects interior. The condition of our heart is mirrored in our behavior. Attitude eventually drifts into action. (See Mark 7: 21 as an example). Jesus reminded us that we shouldn’t be surprised when our inner world leaks out for everyone to see.
I’m sure you too have thought about this truth. I’ve certainly seen it in myself and others. How we take care of our outward appearance tends to echo what is going on inside. Healthy self-esteem leads to a different way of living than an unhealthy view of self. Philosophies and mentalities affect our actions and behaviors. [Tweet “Our internal values shape our external deeds.”]
Colorfully restored historical Wittenberg
While in Germany, it was interesting to observe that some cities that used to be on the East side of the wall have been an exception—they are clean, modern, progressive, brightly painted, ambitious and planning for the future. Wittenberg is such a place. The town of Wittenberg is both looking forward and backward.
Capitalizing on their historical roots as the predominant place of Martin Luther’s reformation efforts, Wittenberg is investing in the future. They have big plans for 2017—celebrating 500 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis on the door of Castle Church. The church is under major restoration and renovation. The historic streets have been renewed. Signs of life and health are obvious everywhere you turn in Wittenberg. It seems they have an internal focus and mission to highlight and honor the life and work of Martin Luther. True to the principle. The external reflects the internal.
Downtown Wittenberg, Germany
Are you living with purpose and intentionality? Do you have a clear sense of how your 3 critical “C’s” (core, capacity and context) intersect? Do you understand how your past shapes your future? Are you daily living and operating out of your “sweet spot”? It makes a difference. Your inner world will always seep toward your outer world. [Tweet “Who you are inside today is who you will become on the outside tomorrow.”] Your exterior will mirror your interior. Have a blessed day!
QUESTION: How have you seen this described principle at work in your life or in others around you?
For additional photos, go to Gingerich PhotoArt and click on the “Sabbatical PhotoJournal” heading.
During the recent sabbatical that my wife and I enjoyed, we spent nearly three weeks in Germany. I was struck by the contrast of two well-remembered leaders in German history—a night and day juxtaposition. The significant dates are October 31, 1517 and January 30, 1933.
Martin Luther’s office in Wartburg Castle.
Martin Luther, priest, pastor, professor and theologian in Wittenberg, Germany started a reformation. With hammer strokes that echoed throughout all of Europe, Luther nailed a letter with his ninety-five theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg one October morning. He took a stand. Luther was no longer going to promote the sale of Indulgences to deceive people into buying salvation.
Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor in 1933. Thus began a 12-year reign of the Nazis, which ended with Europe in ruins and the loss of millions of lives. Hitler started a revolution of another kind—the Third Reich. He took a stand. Started World War II. Orchestrated the Holocaust. Six million Jews died.
Linda reflecting on the atrocities at Buchenwald
Both are remembered in Germany. One with pride. One with shame. We saw the evidences of both. Our long-time German friends took us to Wittenberg, Weimar and Wartburg where Luther lived, debated, wrote, taught and inspired all of Europe and eventually the world-encompassing Protestant Reformation. We visited the Buchenwald Concentration Camp Memorial near Weimar where more than 250,000 people from 50 nations were imprisoned. We saw the mass graves where tens of thousands were buried during Hitler’s reign of terror. Pride and shame — both evident in the voices of our hosts and on the faces of the people in those respective communities.
We stood at the city square in Wittenberg and saw the statue of Martin Luther. We walked through his home that is now a museum. We visited his grave inside the Castle Church. He left an incredible legacy. There was much evidence of pride and preparation as the 500th anniversary is nearing.
Replica of Luther’s 95 Theses on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg.
Our German hosts reluctantly took us to one of the symbols of Adolf Hitler’s influence—Buchenwald. There was no pride. Only shame. And there was no grave to visit. Hitler and his wife committed suicide in Berlin on April 30, 1945, the day after their wedding. Their bodies were carried outside and burned in shame.
Legacy. Influence. Pride. Shame. What will I leave behind? What will you leave behind? Not much has changed since the 16th or the 20th centuries. Every individual still leaves a legacy. Everyone has some level of influence. Everyone leaves behind either pride or shame in those who remember you.
I read the blog of a friend the other day who described the endless shame she has lived with for many years into her adulthood because of abuse from her grandfather when she was young. Last week I attended a funeral where every grandchild got up and spoke with deep pride and meaning of the positive influence of their 92 year-old grandmother. Everyone is remembered for something. Shame, pride or something in between.
Martin Luther’s grave marker in Castle Church
What do you want to be remembered for? Your character today will define your legacy tomorrow. Your actions now will establish what you will be remembered for later. We must not forget. Today’s choices affect tomorrow’s world.
QUESTION: What helps you stay focused on leaving a positive legacy? We’d all love to hear more in the comment section below. Thanks!
To see the photojournal of our six weeks in Europe… Click Here
For images from our ten week road trip across North America… Click Here
“Daddy, why are you so afraid?” Those were the words of six-year old Adam as he held his daddy’s hand, walking along the south rim trail of Grand Canyon. My wife Linda and I just smiled. We were walking behind this young family with a baby in a stroller and a first grader. No handrail. No fence. No barrier between the trail and a 4,600 foot drop to the Colorado River below.
Young Adam didn’t understand why his mom was telling him to hang on tightly to daddy’s hand. He didn’t comprehend why he couldn’t just run out ahead of the rest of the family. He sensed dad and mom’s careful navigation along the trail. He heard their warnings. He saw that dad was walking on the side of the trail that was farthest from the edge. He thought dad was scared and afraid.
I’ve thought about that little life lesson quite a few times since June 21 when we were in Arizona while on our sabbatical. Maybe it has been the same for you. There have been times in my life when I thought my Father God was just being too cautious. Afraid. Why did He put these boundaries and restrictions around my life, my attitudes and my actions? What was He afraid of? What’s the big deal if I go ahead and do this or that? Isn’t God just being over-protective and too cautious?
Of course I know the answer now–just like Adam finally figured it out. By the time we reached the end of the south rim trail, Adam caught on. We smiled when we heard him verbalizing how safe he felt hanging on to his daddy’s hand. Linda and I just looked at each other and grinned when Adam started telling his father how happy he was to have his daddy to keep him from falling over the edge into the abyss.
It began with Adam thinking his dad was just a coward. It ended with Adam being filled with gratitude that his father was wise, strong and protective. I love the Psalms in the Bible. Psalm 91 starts out with these reassuring words:
“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust him.” (v. 1-2).
The rest of Psalm 91 gives a bunch more descriptions and details as to how God wants to protect us from walking off a cliff. It describes God’s father heart for us as His children.
God only installs handrails and fences (commandments and “do nots” in the Scripture) to protect us. Not to stifle us. Not to hurt us. Not to hold us back. Not to make life miserable. But to ultimately give us life. To help us live life to the fullest. And, to protect us from destroying ourselves through bad choices and decisions.
Today, don’t forget whose hand you can hold on to and who you can turn to for help. Psalm 121 gives us this promise:
I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, He who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord Himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.
Have a safe day! You are in good hands!
You might remember it (if you are middle aged or older)—the Schlitz beer commercial in the 70’s that popularized the “Go for the Gusto” phrase. That tag line has since been shaped into multiple meanings, some more cultured than others. The word gusto has spawned additional advertisements, countless restaurant names, business slogans and more.
Dennis Skydiving to Celebrate 50th Birthday
Actually, you have to be really old to know the beginning of this concept. Even ancient. The concept of living with gusto goes all the way back to 950 BC. It’s the period of King Solomon of Hebrew fame. He wrote these words in Ecclesiastes 9:7-10 translated through The Message paraphrase:
Seize life! Eat bread with gusto, drink wine with a robust heart. Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure! Dress festively every morning. Don’t skimp on colors and scarves. Relish life with the spouse you love each and every day of your precarious life. Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange for the hard work of staying alive. Make the most of each one! Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily! This is your last and only chance at it. For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed.
Dennis hang gliding over Interlaken, Switzerland
You have God-given permission to live with gusto. Make each day count. Smile. Laugh. Celebrate. Go hang gliding. Take a risk. Every day is a gift. Life won’t last forever. Opportunities can be short-lived. You only go around once.
I love to live with zest. For me it means trying a different and unfamiliar food item on the menu in a foreign country. Or to jump out of a perfectly good airplane at 13,500 feet. Hang glide with a view of the Swiss Alps. Ride in my friend Wolfgang’s car on the German Autobahn at 300 kph (186.4 mph). Or try the latest Busch Gardens roller coaster with my son.
Does that mean I live without purpose, intentionality or focus? Live with reckless behavior? Not counting the cost? Disregard for others? No. Not at all. We must remember that all truths are to be tempered and aligned with other truths that God gives us.
God prompts us to live with purpose. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” He also coaches us in Romans 12:11, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Colossians 3:23 instructs us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. ”
Dennis is ready to ride…fast…very fast!
My encouragement for you is to color outside the lines today. Live with intentional vigor in even a small way. Realize that life is short. Eat dessert first. God takes pleasure in your pleasure. Enjoy!
QUESTION: Share one thing you plan to do today to break out of your routine. Can’t wait to hear!
We had many of them over the last four months of our sabbatical. Sitting. Hiking. Reading. Relaxing. Recharging. Resting. Beside a stream or river. The song was melodious, glorious and soothing.
Sitting next to the McKenzie River, OR
Three places stand out. The McKenzie River in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. The Little Pigeon River in Tennessee. And the snow-fed summer streams of Logan Pass in Glacier National Park in Montana. Recharging stations. Life-giving. Healing. Awe-inspiring.
During three days of solitude at St. Benedict’s Catholic Retreat Center on the glacier-fed McKenzie, my wife Linda, said it best: “Without the rocks in the river, there would be no song.” Rocks create the melody. Rivers and streams without boulders are silent. They have no song to sing. Rocks create the tune. It becomes a rock concert. A boulder symphony.
Near Logan Pass in Glacier National Park, MT
Think about your life. You experience the greatest level of gratitude in the moments right after you realize how tragic a different outcome might have been. You revel in God’s amazing grace the most when your eyes are opened to how wretched your motives or actions really are. You feel the greatest exhilaration when you’ve just climbed over a huge obstacle that has been standing in your way. The joy of that first cry of a newborn comes only after a difficult and painful labor. Without the rocks, there would be no concert. No symphony. No melody.
I’m like you. I rarely enjoy the obstacles that I encounter during the journey. At the moment, I usually consider them to be more noise than music. It is often after-the-fact that I realize the lovely melody that has been created in my life because of a difficulty, an obstacle, a hardship, a tragedy, or a challenge.
Middle Fork Little Pigeon River, TN
Here’s a great reminder for me from the Bible, “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you” (James 1:2-5 NLT).
Obstacles in the riverbed of my life are an opportunity for joyful music. Any day and every day, I will choose music over noise. How about you?
QUESTION: What “rocks” in your life right now have the potential for creating a beautiful song? I’d love to have you share in the comment section below.
For more photos of the beauty captured during our sabbatical, go to www.GingerichPhotoArt.com
