Our theme for this month: “You Gotta Keep Dancing”

Our Bible verse for today: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Choose to enjoy the day”

As I sit here writing this it’s early in the morning.  There’s a hint of dawn in the eastern sky. The windows in my office are open, the birds are chirping as they greet the new day, the ceiling fan is swirling creating a pleasant breeze, and there are deer grazing in my yard. And I have a cup of coffee. It’s a peaceful and relaxing moment and I’m enjoying it.

As I contemplate the day before me I know there are issues that will have to be dealt with. For one thing, it’s sermon-writing day. That’s always a joy but also a burden. Writing a sermon is hard. It takes hours of intense concentration and it’s spiritually and emotionally draining. By the time I’m done I’m not good for much else for the rest of the day, certainly not anything creative.

My sister has also moved to our town and is beginning a whole new chapter in her life. Today is her first full day here and I will spend some time today helping her to get settled. There’s more. The lawn needs to be mowed and watered, I have to check the dogs for ticks, and the oil in the car needs to be changed. But you don’t need to hear about my stuff because you have plenty of your own stuff to deal with – probably a lot heavier stuff than checking the dogs for ticks.

If we’re not careful we can easily get caught-up in thinking about all the chores we have to do and the burdens of life we have to deal with, and we can miss the simple joy of just being alive. I need to be conscious of the fact that the Lord has granted me another day of life. Birds are chirping in the trees, deer are grazing in the yard, a cool breeze is blowing through the windows, and the coffee tastes good. For the moment it’s enough to just relax and enjoy that.

I love Psalm 118:24 – but I think it needs to be personalized. It says let “us” rejoice and be glad in the new day. I think it should read “I” will rejoice and be glad in it. This needs to be about each of us individually.

Don’t miss the miracle of simply being alive today. Notice the small blessings and enjoy the simple pleasures. This is the day the Lord has made, I encourage you to rejoice and be glad in it.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

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Our theme for this month: “You Gotta Keep Dancing”

Our Bible verse for today: “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring – what your life will be! For you are like a vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.” James 4:13-14 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Don’t keep putting it off.”

Sue was a healthy and active middle-aged woman. Now that the kids were grown and out on their own, she and Bob had big plans for this new season in their lives. They loved to laugh and joke about the television commercial that was running back then. It showed a smirking young man looking at his parents and he says “Well Mom and Dad, now that I’m moving out are you going to miss me? What are you going to do?” In reply the parents looked at each other and smiled a mischievous smile, then they looked back at the son and the mom said “We’re going to Disneyland!”

But it didn’t turn out that way. Out of the blue Sue was diagnosed with stage-four cancer and she was gone in less than six months. Now, a month after the funeral, Bob was sorting through Sue’s things and he came across a box from a high-end dress shop. It contained a stylish and slinky dress that Sue had never worn. Bob remembered when she came home from the store with it. He had slyly asked, “Well, when am I going to get to see that on you?” Sue grinned and said “It’s for a special occasion.” But sadly that special occasion never arrived. Sue never wore the dress for Bob.

In James 4:13-14 James reminds us that we don’t know what tomorrow may bring – or if there will even be a tomorrow for us. Life is fragile. There’s a thin line between life and death, and none of us knows what tomorrow might bring for us – or if there will even be a tomorrow. So we need to live life now. Yes we do need to plan for the future, but we also need to live in the present. Too many of us put off joy for tomorrow as we struggle with the issues of today.

In yesterday’s devotional message I encouraged you to slow down and savor the simple things in life. We do need to do that. But we also need to do special things with special people now, while we still can. Don’t keep putting those things off for another time. There may not be another time.

I encourage you to wear the special dress. Go on that trip. Embark on the adventure. Make the phone call. Eat the ice cream. Check something off of your “bucket list”. Don’t keep putting it off.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “You Gotta Keep Dancing”

Our Bible verse for today: “But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.” 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Focus on what really matters.”

Linda and I have experienced an interesting shift in our thinking in recent years that has resulted in major changes in our life. We have come to appreciate the truth that in life, quality is more important than quantity. So we decided to simplify and downsize in all areas. First we sold our old home and bought one half the size. Then we gave away or sold approximately 75% of our possessions. Then we cut out of our lives a lot of the busyness and activities that kept us constantly on the go but didn’t really add anything meaningful to our lives.

During that time I’ve also found myself drawn to books about the simple life. “Wisdom of the Plain Folk” by Donna Leahy; “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” by Annie Dillard; “The Little Way of Ruthie Leming” by Rod Dreher;  “Jayber Crow” by Wendell Berry; and “The Farmer’s Son” by John Connell, just to name a few – all of them about the peaceful beauty of living a quiet and simple life.

I suppose one reason for our shift in thinking is simply the fact that we’re older and have slowed down a little, but part of it is out of necessity too. Linda’s health issues required that we make some changes. But interestingly, this has resulted in a much more pleasant and enjoyable life for us. It’s slower, more peaceful and serene, and we’ve learned to truly savor and enjoy the little things. This is the kind of life Paul was commending in 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 cited above.

In all my decades of working with people I have observed that trials and difficulties, even sickness and even apparent tragedies, have a way of shifting our thinking and causing us to focus on the things that really matter in life. Often, in the long run, in many ways this shift in thinking ends up making things better rather than worse.

Yesterday I suggested to you that God brings good things out of bad situations for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). That’s what I’m talking about here. As you continue to deal with whatever it is you are wrestling with in life right now, I encourage you to focus on the things that really matter. Use this season in your life as an opportunity to reevaluate your life and to cut-out things that have been weighing you down or holding you back. As the song says, “Maybe your world isn’t falling apart; maybe it’s falling into place.”

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “You Gotta Keep Dancing”

Our Bible verse for today: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Walk with Jesus through it.”

In my opinion, when it comes to understanding how to live the Christian life well, especially during the tough times in life, Matthew 11:28-30 is one of the most important word pictures Jesus gave to us. That being the case I return to it frequently in my own life, but also in my preaching, teaching, and writing.

In this scene Jesus used an illustration that the listeners of His day would have quickly and easily related to. Theirs was a farming society and they were used to seeing a team of oxen yoked together plowing a field. They knew that in every team of oxen there was a lead ox and a follower ox. The lead ox was older, bigger, stronger, and more experienced. The follower ox was younger, smaller, and less experienced. The lead ox carried most of the load and provided the direction. The follower ox was to stay beside the lead ox, share in carrying the load, and following the direction of the lead ox.

In this illustration Jesus was saying “Let me be your lead ox”. Yoke yourself to me, walk side-by-side with me through life. I will carry most of the load and I will provide the direction. Just stick close to me and we will do this together.”

Life is always better with Jesus than without Him. Whether that life is lived in a hut in remote Africa, in a prison cell in Tennessee, or in a mansion in Beverly Hills, life is always better with Jesus than without Him. When you are walking closely with Jesus through life the Holy Spirit provides guidance, encouragement, and an increasing awareness of the fruit of the Spirit in your life. The fruit of the Spirit, as described by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:22-23 is, “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” No matter your geographic location, your age, your health, or any other circumstances, life will always be better with Jesus and with the fruit of the Spirit than without.

Our theme this month is “You Gotta Keep Dancing” through the difficult times in life. As you do that your circumstances might not improve much. You might not be healed of your sickness; you may have to continue to live on a small income; your unfaithful spouse might leave you and never return. So your circumstances might not improve, but whatever the circumstances are, life will always be better with Jesus than without Him. The closer you remain to Him the stronger and happier and more content you will be.

Whatever your situation is, I encourage you to stick close to Jesus and then walk with Him through it.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “You Gotta Keep Dancing”

Our Bible verse for today: “Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me; O Lord, be my help. You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.” Psalm 30:10-12 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Get it out of your system and then get on with life.”

I guess the thing that impressed me the most during my visit with Bill was the radical change in his attitude. He was a man I knew more than twenty-five years ago. He served as a leader in the church where I was serving as a part-time staff member. Bill was in his early forties at that time and he had just had a massive heart attack followed by extensive open-heart surgery.

At first, after he regained consciousness and began to realize the extent to which his life had just changed, he was depressed. Everything about his life was going to be different now. He was going to have to make major changes in his lifestyle, in his job, and in many of his other activities. So Bill did the same thing King David did when he was faced with seemingly tragic circumstances, he cried out to God. He “cried” to God. He wailed. He got depressed. He engaged in a little bit of self-pity. And then he got over it.

Both Bill’s and David’s initial reaction to their circumstances were perfectly natural, and perfectly okay. Life-altering events like that should upset us, and it’s natural to mourn and cry. That’s okay – as long as you don’t remain in that pit of despondency. Get it out of your system, have a good cry, complain about it and even shake your fist at God for a moment – then get over it. Don’t give-in to the “poor, poor pitiful me” syndrome. Don’t be a victim.

Bill and David both got it out of their systems. And neither of them became a victim. As we read in Psalm 30:10-12, David gave the situation to the Lord and the Lord turned his wailing into dancing. In other words God gave David a new perspective about his situation. The same thing happened with Bill. For a few days he allowed himself to mope and moan but then he shook it off, embraced the new reality, and trusted God to help him live well in whatever his new circumstances were to be.

By the way, both David and Bill were fine. David got beyond his difficult circumstances and he went on to have many years as the most successful king the nation of Israel ever had. My friend Bill has done well too. He recovered from the surgery, he adopted a new and healthier lifestyle, and almost thirty years later he is still going strong.

If you’re faced with unexpected and perhaps even tragic circumstances go ahead and weep and wail a bit. You can be upset and even a little depressed. Take it to God and yell a little if it makes you feel better. Get it out of your system, but then get on with life. If you let Him, God will turn your wailing into dancing.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “You Gotta Keep Dancing”

Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart celebrates, and I give thanks to him with my song.” Psalm 28:7 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Choose Joy”

We are each responsible for our own lives. When it comes to living successfully regardless of circumstances, personal responsibility is key. You must accept personal responsibility for your own life. One of my favorite books regarding the importance of personal responsibility is “The Traveler’s Gift” by Andy Andrews. It is fiction that teaches profound truth. I’ve mentioned this book in other devotional series but I come back to it now because when it comes to learning to continue dancing in life despite tough circumstances, a strong sense of personal responsibility is immensely important.

Of all the things you are personally responsible for your attitude is probably the most important. And make no mistake about it – you are responsible for your attitude. You might not have control over your circumstances but you do have control over your response to your circumstances.

In “The Traveler’s Gift” the main character is a man by the name of David Ponder. His life is a train wreck and he is very depressed about it. Perhaps in a dream, perhaps in reality, God takes David on a trip back through time to have short encounters with prominent figures from history including Solomon, Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, and others. At each stop along the way the historical person teaches David an important lesson in personal responsibility. In each case he leaves the encounter with a take-away phrase and a statement of positive affirmation that he can carry with him through life.

At one stop in time David encounters the young Jewish girl Anne Frank. At this point Anne and her family have been in seclusion, in an attic, hiding from the Nazis for several years. It was an extremely restricted and difficult way to live. But Anne was a bright perky girl who was upbeat, positive, and happy – despite her circumstances. The lesson David learned from her was that you have to choose to be happy. David’s take-away statement was “I choose to be happy.” And here’s a paraphrase of the positive affirmation that he learned from his encounter with Anne Frank:

“I choose to be happy. Happiness is a choice. I can choose to think thoughts and engage in activities that bring me joy. I choose to be happy. I also choose to be grateful and I choose not to complain. I smile at people. People are drawn to me because I have joy in my heart, a smile on my face, and laughter in my voice. Life itself is a privilege and a gift. I choose to live it with joy and to the fullest. I do not deny the reality of my situation but I do deny the finality of it. This too shall pass. I choose to be happy.”

You are personally responsible for your own life, and you are especially responsible for your attitude. If you’re going to keep dancing despite tough circumstances, you might as well be happy while you’re doing it. I encourage you to choose joy.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “You Gotta Keep Dancing”

Our Bible verse for today: “I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Bite the bullet and live to be 100!”

Many of you are probably familiar with the old story once told by G.W. Target about the two terminally ill men who shared a hospital room. One man was in a bed next to the window. Day after day he gazed out the window and related to the other man what he was seeing. He told about the park that was right across the street with green trees, beautiful flowers, ducks in a pond, families walking, children playing, and a fine view of the city skyline in the distance. Day after day the man by the window told interesting and funny stories about the things he was seeing in the park across the street.

Over time the man in the other bed became jealous and wished that he was in the bed by the window so he could see these things for himself. Finally late one night the man by the window had a coughing spell and was choking. The man in the other bed, by now with a bitter spirit, just laid there and listened. He never called for a nurse. Soon the man by the window stopped choking, and he stopped breathing. He was dead. The next day the man by the wall asked to be moved to the bed by the window. Once he was there and settled, he propped himself up to get a look out the window and when he did, he saw nothing but the blank wall of the building next to them. There was no park. The other man had looked at the bleak scene of a blank wall and chose to make something good out of it.

As you look out the window of your life do you see a blank wall or a beautiful park? Do you wallow in despondency and self-pity because of your circumstances, or do you make life come alive around you?

In his book “You Gotta Keep Dancin” Tim Hansel tells of the time when he was in his doctor’s office and he received his final diagnosis for life. The doctor said they had reached the point where all the tests had been run, all the surgeries had been performed, all the procedures had been tried, and Tim was as well as he was ever going to be. The doctor told Tim there was nothing more they could do for him. Tim protested and said, “But doctor! I’m still in pain everyday! What am I supposed to do now?” The doctor was quiet for a moment and then he said, “Well Tim, I suggest you just bite the bullet and live to be 100!

Your joy in life has more to do with your attitude than with your circumstances. There is nothing you are facing that you and Jesus can’t handle together – and handle well. Paul’s words in Philippians 4:13 are as true for you as they were for him, and for Tim Hansel, and for the man in the hospital bed by the window – you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

I know your situation might be hard. I encourage you to pray about it, do everything you can to fix it, then just bite the bullet and live to be 100!

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “You Gotta Keep Dancing”

Our thought for today: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Get your fix”

According to “The Dictionary of Idioms” the slang term “to get your fix” means to obtain an adequate amount of something you desperately need or something you are addicted to or compulsive about. In the most pejorative use of the term we sometimes hear of drug addicts seeking their next fix of whatever it is they’re addicted to. Late at night I usually find myself needing a fix of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

The term is also used in positive ways though. Not long ago one of our church members arrived for Sunday school. I greeted her and asked how she was doing. She rolled her eyes and said “Pastor, it has been such a hard week. I really need my fix.” Confused, I asked her what she meant by “her fix”. She said, “I need my fix of the love of Jesus. I need to be loved-on by my church family!”

That gal was exactly right. She knew exactly what she needed and she knew exactly where to get it. If you’re a member of a good church family then you know what she was talking about. Experiencing an overwhelming expression of the love of Jesus is like refreshing spring water on a hot dry day. It is like soothing ointment on an itchy rash. It’s like a good shoulder massage for your aching muscles.

The people of God are the hands and feet of Jesus and so the experience of the love of Jesus comes from being around joy-filled, joy-full Christians who love each other and who are eager to show it. This is one of the reasons God wants every Christian to be part of a good church family and to then be faithful in your attendance to the gatherings of your church. Not only do you need to be there for yourself, but you need to be there for others. They will be a conduit for the love of Jesus to flow to you, and you will be a conduit for the love of Jesus to flow to them.

Life can be hard. We all have stuff we’re dealing with, stuff that can be oppressive and which can weigh us down. Church is the cool breeze in your week; it’s the spiritual shoulder massage you’ve been longing for. Being in church is a time of renewal and refreshing, it empowers you to keep dancing as you deal with the challenges in your life.

Paul’s words of blessing to his readers in Romans 15:13 is also my prayer for you. Come to church tomorrow and get your fix of love, joy, hope, and peace.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “You Gotta Keep Dancing”

Our Bible verse for today: “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” John 15:11 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Choose Joy”

There’s a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness depends on circumstances but joy is an attitude. Way too many people look to circumstances as a source of joy, and they put off joy until their circumstances improve. But circumstances are fickle; they shift and often are determined by outside influences that you cannot control. So if circumstances are your source of joy, then your source of joy is largely beyond your control. No, circumstances can produce happiness but not true joy. True joy comes from the Lord. It is a gift from Him.

In Galatians 5:22-23 the Apostle Paul listed for us something he called “The Fruit of the Spirit”. These are character traits of Jesus that become increasingly evident in our own lives as we grow in spiritual maturity. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Please note that the joy of Jesus is the second fruit of the Spirit. It is yours as a gift and you experience it in increasing measure as you grow in your relationship with Him. This is real joy. This is deep joy. This is joy that doesn’t depend on outward circumstances which work into your heart. Instead real joy comes from deep within your heart, wells up, overflows out, and impacts your circumstances rather than the other way around.

The joy of the Lord is a joy that transcends circumstances and it comes only from Jesus. This is what enables us to face trials and struggles with tranquility and confidence. It’s what helps us to remain unruffled and even upbeat. This is not a denial or evasion of circumstances that are real, it’s simply a refusal to be defined by or controlled by the circumstances.

But this is intentional. It requires us to turn to Jesus. And the more difficult the circumstances are, the more fully we need to be embracing Jesus. This is the “choice” part of choosing joy. This is the attitude of joy. “I surrender to Jesus rather than to the pain.”

In his book “You Gotta Keep Dancin”, Tim Hansel said that as he fought through his own pain, and as he observed and learned from others who were also dealing with great difficulties, he realized this: “… some people spend their entire lives practicing being unhappy, diligently pursuing joylessness. They get more mileage from having people feel sorry for them than from choosing to live out their lives in the context of joy.”

Don’t be that person. Don’t let your circumstances determine your attitude. I encourage you to choose joy by embracing Jesus.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

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