Relationships: Learning What You're 100% Responsible For!

Relationships can be tough. This is especially true when conflict exists. 

On the other hand, it can also be fantastic when thing are working the way they should be! 

This is true in any relationship in general whether a personal relationship with family or friends, in a business setting or in a mentoring, discipleship or counseling relationship. 

Speaking from experience in all of these before mentioned relationships, it can be great or it can be very very draining if you are the only one doing all of the work.

We invest in people and people are worth pouring into as long as they actually do their part too! 

Sometimes it does take more time but there's always a need to keep a healthy balance.

It can also be confusing sometimes because on one hand we shouldn't easily give up on people but in wisdom, we cannot have a "Jesus Complex" thinking we can "save" everyone because that's His job not ours. 

Our job is to be willing vessels and He'll give you the means and wisdom to do your part as long as it makes sense and to the point where it's not detrimental to you.

So, you may be asking, what is my part then? 

I'm so glad you asked! Please allow me to help briefly answer this and fill in the gaps for us as follows! :-) 

The Fruit of The Spirit - Get Ready To Grow!

Read: Galatians 5:22-23

If you follow God and take Him at His Word, You will see that He always provides a better way. 

He always has something better in store. This doesn’t mean it’s always going to be easy but it does mean it will be better for you. 

In the case of the Fruit of the Spirit these are examples of the good fruits He wants us to bear and He equips us to bear in place of the bad fruit He speaks about Galatians. 

Let me ask you, have you smelled bad fruit? It’s not a pleasant smell is it? Well, much like bearing bad fruit I want you to remember the stench of the bad or rotten fruit you’ve smelled before? 

Depending on type of fruit, it may smell sickly sweet when it starts to go bad but if you ate it…it wouldn’t be pleasant. Or, worse yet, have you taken a bite of an apple or other fruit that looks good but when you take that bite…you find it’s not so good? 

Again, not so pleasant. 

Conversely, think of your favorite type of fruit (like a peach or maybe a mango, etc.,) for a moment that you enjoy and you take a bite and it tastes amazing! 

Now consider the contrast between the good and bad fruit we bear.  One is pleasing to God and can be pleasing to others and ourselves because we’re operating God’s way while the other isn't pleasant to anyone as we're not operating God's way. 

You Are Worthy! Part 2

Dear Friend,

I decide to post a second version with links to alternative placed to listen to the 1 minute audio. 

Also, for the hearing impaired, I'm posting the words below that are basically a transcript of the audio message with hopes you are encouraged by what is communicated! 

Know your worth! You are worthy and worth it! 

Please listen to this brief audio message. (1 minute in length)

Here: https://soundcloud.com/user-335546274/you-are-worthy 

or

Here: https://youtu.be/c8DXl3-78TQ

You Are Worthy!...

Let me tell you something that I suspect you haven't been told lately or maybe not at all. 

 

So, maybe you don't know it or believe it right now but you're highly valuable, very capable, of great worth and an awesome person! 

No matter who tries to hold you back from what you're supposed to be doing, no matter who tries to put you down, no matter your current circumstances, no matter the lies you start to believe about yourself, or others tell you about yourself (co-workers, friends, family, kids, neighbors, etc) or you tell yourself...you have to know your worth! 

Don't believe the lies or settle for other people's limited opinion of you! 

Know your worth for who you are and for all you are and all you are growing to become! This life is a journey and we're all a work in progress so remember these things in the good and bad times because you are worth it friend! 

You are worth it and worthy!

If you are encouraged by this message, Please share this with others! Encourage and help build them up! 

In Christ Alone,

rlk

You Are Worthy!

Know your worth! 


You are worthy and worth it! 

Please listen to this brief audio message (1 minute long) as follows:

You are worthy my friend!

In Christ Alone,

rlk

P.S. If you're viewing this post via e-Mail, you'll have to visit the post via ashepherdsheart.org in order to hear the message inserted in the post. 

This Is Not The End!

To say that life is hard sometimes is truly an understatement and I think you'd agree!?

We go through so many things and we feel broken sometimes because of a multitude of things such as: 

Relationship issues including break ups with friendship or someone you're dating. Or, if you're married or been married, somehting worse...divorce. 

-Financial issues. Slander. 

-Misunderstandings and miscommunications. 

-Emotional and mental issues. 

-Issues of self-doubt, self-worth and self-esteem.

-Health issues. Job losses and much more!

Life is hard and honestly...we forget that we were never promised that life will be easy or trouble free. (See John 16:33) If you've bought into the idea of a trouble free life then you're obviously in for a rude awakening anytime something goes wrong. 

A Prayer for A New School Season

Heavenly Father,

Whether it's the first day of a new school year, coming back to school after a holiday break or starting school again after many years, there always seems to be mixed emotions that we process.  

Whether public school, online school, home education or private school, life is busy when school is in! 

There's a flurry of activity leading up to starting again including planning, supply purchasing, clothes shopping and more. 

There's anticipation of the new season and sometimes anxiety of the unknown or the "what ifs" 

It's Time for a U-Turn

You may have been heading the wrong direction for a while and you know you have. 

Maybe you're feeling a bit paralyzed or trapped where you are? 

Maybe the you've been focusing on or been a part of the...

Wrong major in college...

Wrong career...

Wrong relationships...

Wrong financial decisions...

Or, Wrong direction in other areas...

Let me tell you something you need to hear: It's not too late this side of heaven to make the changes you know you need to make!

God is a God of second chances and each day He gives you a chance to begin again! 

Change the direction of your life now...with God's help and the help of other people He places in your life.

It's time for a U-Turn, a Do-over, whatever you want to to call it...it is in order...the time is now! Don't spend another second heading the wrong direction! 

Get back on the road...the path you know you need to be on...You can do it! 

Especially with the wisdom and help from the Lord...You've got this! 

Start heading the right direction right now because you are worth it!!

It's time for a U-Turn my friend...what are you waiting for?

In Christ Alone,

Your brother and servant,

rlk

Share this encouragement with someone today: No matter how long you have traveled in the wrong direction, you can always turn around. #ashepherdsheart

Finding Your True Source of Joy

As people, we often search for joy in the wrong places. 

We fill our lives with activities and people that we think will be our source of joy but...then they fail us and we are left where we were before hand - with an empty joy that's dependent on shifting things and people instead. 

We also allow our circumstances as well as people try to steal our joy. 

Also, let's be real, our adversary the devil loves to try to steal our joy buy we need to Armor Up daily - in other words allow God's full armor to deflect the arrow the evil one slings at us. (see Ephesians 6:10-18)

It's been well said, like in the brief video above, that... one of the secrets to experiencing joy it to keep seeking God where we doubt He is. 

The Parable of The Fishing Net - Matthew 13:47-50 (Audio Message)

Hello!

This past Sunday I had the great opportunity to communicate God's Word. I filled in for a friend at his church campus while he was out of town and I wanted to share the message with you. 

The message was from Matthew 13:47-50 about The Parable of The Fishing Net.

Sonrise Cornelius is a bilingual campus located in Cornelius, Oregon and the message was translated / interpreted live in Español as I communicated in English. 

It was an honor to be there with them!

Here's the link to the message via Soundcloud.com: The Parable of The Fishing Net

If you listen to the message, I pray you’ll come away with a sense of urgency and sense of hope too! 

God loves you and is the standard setter! I encourage you to take time to study the passage for yourself sometime as well. May you be encouraged, challenged and motivated to serve God all the more through what He teaches us in His Word!

Many Blessings,

rlk

PS. Once you listen to the message, I would enjoy hearing from you here via the comments section or via soundcloud.com regarding your response to God's Word.  

Clean Slate

While it's not the exact intent of the author of this quote, it reminds me again that each day is a gift from God. Each day is truly a new and fresh start and God's mercies are new every morning. (See Lamentations 3:22-23)

Yesterday is behind you friend and no one on earth can be who you are and who you are meant to be... So what's holding you back? 

What obstacles (including negative people) do you need to clear from your life so you can achieve what you're called to achieve and be the person you should be and want to be? 

I encourage you to seek God's counsel and set a plan then work hard toward achieving it! 

This doesn't mean you won't face resistance, even from your self, this is all a part of growing. It's true that anything worth working for (yes, you're worth it) is worth working for. :)  

It's worth the effort because again, you are worth the effort! 

Don't ever let anyone ever try to convince you otherwise.

This is your day...seize it!

In Christ,

rlk

#ashepherdsheart

Stop Majoring In Things That Are Minor

So often we get caught up in or fixated on little issues.  

We stress out, lose sleep over and occupy our thoughts with things that are sometimes, while they seem important at the time, they're truly not worth the efforts we seem to place on them because they are minor issues. 

Like the old saying goes, "Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill."... Let's focus on the major things instead of worrying about the minor things and in all things, whether major or minor, let's submit them fully to the Lord as He never intended for us to worry about anything, rather, we're to cast all anxiety, worry etc upon Him because He cares about you / us. (see passages such as: 1 Peter 5:7 and Psalm 55:22)

We know that each day has enough trouble of its own so let's stop borrowing trouble where there often is none.  (see Matthew 6:25-34)

Let's start majoring in the majors but at the same time...leave the minors and majors in God's strong hands because we need His help in all things. 

In Christ Alone,

rlk

Share this encouragement with someone today: "It's time to stop majoring in things that are minor." #ashepherdsheart www.ashepherdsheart.org

How To Stop Pouring Out Of An Empty Cup

There are many things in life I enjoy and one such thing is coffee.

I like some of the "foo foo drinks" too (as I call them) on occasion once in a while like an Aztec Mocha from my local Insomnia Coffee Shop or a plain mocha or something like a blended drink or cappuccino. However, what I enjoy the most is plain black coffee as well as cold brew and then iced coffee with a little French vanilla creamer in it. These are my go to drinks that I enjoy...nothing too fancy but really good! 

Now that I think about it, I may have become a bit of a coffee snob a times because I really enjoy coffee and I'm, shall we say, selective with what I drink because by all means "friends don't let friends drink bad coffee". But I digress. Lol. 

With my passion for coffee, I have several mugs I enjoy and like the one featured in the picture above, (which I picked up on a family vacation) it's made for a purpose...and it sits ready in my office for a good ol' cup of Joe.  While it can sit in a cupboard or sit on my office desk it's not really made to continually sit empty unless it's not going to be used. It's made to be filled with something either liquid goodness (coffee), tea or maybe to stuff pens and pencils in. I don't know but it's made, again, to be filled with something useful and good. 

Ok so you're probably thinking well...so what?! He likes coffee and this matters to me why? Well, I'm very glad you asked and hold on as there's something for you just around the rim of the coffee cup...or tea cup if that's your preference!