Articles by Ron Rose at Heartlight

Learning To Be Watched

ron@faithteam.org (Ron Rose) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Preparation

There is a mighty cloud of witnesses watching you. They are looking for something in you that is worth passing along to the next generation. They aren't listening for words; they are looking to see what you do. Are you aware of this Google search inside your soul?

The most valuable inheritance a grandchild could receive is not the savings account, it's the life given as a grandparent. I was blessed by a living inheritance more valuable than property or possessions.

My grandfather was a storyteller. His adventures become part of my heritage and he remembered how mom used to act when she was my age.

My grandfather was a mentor. For many he was a spiritual giant, for me he was a patient helper. His wood-shop was always full of tools and extra wood and he loved to spend time helping me build wooden boats and personal character.

My grandfather was a hero. There was a sense of wonder about his life. People always came first. To grandma and grandpa giving was much more important than having.

Thank you, Jesse T. and Myrtle Dotson, for your living inheritance which you lovingly gave to your children's children. We were blessed to watch you live.

Inspiration

Two days before Thanksgiving, 1957, I was in my orthodontist's chair trying to open my mouth wide enough for two hands, a mirror and a roll of stainless steel wire. The metal bands had been hugging my teeth for weeks, but this was the day for the wire to be installed. Only those who have had braces will understand the unexpected results of being "wired."

For the next 24 hours, it felt like every tooth in my head was being pulled in slow motion by a giant claw-hammer. Even drinking Nehi through a straw caused pain.

By Thanksgiving Day, I had gotten used to the wire. As long as I didn't use my teeth, the pain was tolerable. But this was a day when teeth had to work overtime.

We were gathered at my grandparent's house with relatives stuffed in every room. The house was filled with all those wonderful Thanksgiving smells that condition young and old alike to ask every 15 seconds: "When are we going to eat?"

Everything happened the way it was supposed to happen at the beginning. J.D. carved the turkey. Grandma said the magic words, "We're ready!" Grandpa led the prayer. And all the kids rushed to be first in line. I was so excited; I forgot about my braces and forced my way up to the head of the line just behind Larry. When it came to Thanksgiving food lines, Larry was the fastest in four states.

I piled my plate high with turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes with nuts on the top, and my favorite kind of corn -- corn-on-the-cob. Larry and I scurried off to the living room to "chow-down." I slathered that ear of corn with butter, salt and pepper and with taste buds ready, opened my mouth and chomped. The pain was unbearable. I would never be able to eat again. I shoved my plate away and ran outside in tears.

Grandma had been secretly watching. She took my plate to the kitchen and with a sharp knife she cut all the corn off that cob. Then she rescued me from my misery.

"Ronnie," she yelled out the back door. I came and she handed me my plate piled high with corn, fresh cut from the cob.

"Thanks," I muttered. Then without thinking, I looked up and caught a strange sparkle in her eye, a sparkle that still is a mystery to me more than fifty years later. That was the Thanksgiving when I discovered something more lasting than the taste of good food.

To this day, I'm not sure how my grandma understood as she never had braces. Her teeth were perfectly straight, I know, because she kept them in a glass in the bathroom at night.

Motivation

You are being watched. There is a mighty cloud of witnesses cheering you on to live a life worthy of being watched.

So, two things this week:

Spend some time remembering the sparkle you have seen in others. What does real faith in action look like?

Forget about the words this week. DO something worth watching. Make a difference in someone's life and let that holy sparkle shine.

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1 TNIV).

Ron Rose is a noted author and leader of Faith Team. His new email ministry, Faith Notes, provides practical resources for growing faith. Email Ron!

Website: Faith Team

And the Cure Is ...

ron@faithteam.org (Ron Rose) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Preparation

It seems to me that we are living in a time of expanding narcissism. In the search for more confidence and independence, a growing number of both sexes and all ages are basking in the glow of their own self-importance. I have seen it for years in the media, but now it's appearing in limited engagements all around me.

Even our current technology signals this attention to self: MySpace, YouTube. Researchers claim, "This self-promotion might be helpful in social networking and auditioning for 'American Idol,' but a serious problem for close relationships." Really!

So, do you know a narcissist? Do the following symptoms remind you of anyone?

Exaggerates self importance

Forces friends and family to earn his or her love and affection

Is afraid to trust others

Takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends

Is unwilling to feel empathy

Tries to controls all situations and relationships

Is jealous and possessive

Expects others to take responsibility for making him or her feel better

Unwilling to commit to anything outside self

Has a "the world revolves around me" attitude

Is unwilling to confess personal problems or issues

If indeed there is a growing number of narcissists living in our neighborhoods and attending our churches, what can we do about it? The social scientists are unsure of and doubtful of any obvious remedies for this condition.

Jesus knows what to do. He took 12 self-focused men and transformed them. It didn't happen overnight, but he changed these argumentative, controlling, distrusting, impetuous, self-absorbed followers into humble faith giants.

So, what is the secret of this miraculous change? Personal time with Jesus -- worship! In fact, it is one of the reasons Christians meet together as often as they do. We need more time with Jesus ... more praise time ... more time getting to know him, being transformed by him.

So, how does that work? Full participation in weekly praise gatherings will dismantle our growing glut of narcissists. True praise gatherings begin with an attitude of awe. When the created and the creator come together there is always a renewed awareness of spiritual realities. God is God and we are not. This moment of awareness ignites an overwhelming need to confess our attempts to replace the God who made us. We are humbled! God is lifted!

God designed it so that our praise gatherings help us get the focus off of ourselves and onto him. In fact, only the humble enjoy worship.

Find a gathering that consistently focuses on God; your faith will enjoy the refreshment and you will grow immune to the current plague.

Inspiration

The sanctuary was crowded. As usual the back rows were packed. Even though the audience was mostly white, middle class, and aging church members, there was an undercurrent of tension and awkwardness. A spirit of fearfulness had descended on the congregation over the years; yet, hidden in the hearts of many believers was a growing desire for something more. Secretly they were looking for more AWE -- a little dose of amazement.

The preacher stopped in the middle of the sermon and walked out to the front steps of the stage. Then he lifted his hand; he lifted it high, like he wanted the teacher to call on him ... like he knew the answer.

Then with his hand still lifted he asked the audience to stand.

Within a few moments everyone was up, even the grumblers in the back felt the pressure to stand.

"Thank you for standing. Now I have one more request. I want everyone in the room to take whatever steps are necessary to get as close to my hand as possible. Please do it for me. There is a point in all this."

With frowns and grumbling from the back, the crowd moved to the front and in from the sides.

Then once again he spoke, "Please move closer, as close as you can get."

After a few more minutes of shuffling and mumbling the church had responded to his request and stood tightly grouped completely surrounding him. There were no spaces between anyone.

Before the claustrophobics in the crowd could get too flustered, the preacher announced, "Have you noticed what has happened here? When you got closer to my hand you had to get closer to each other. It's the same with the kingdom. When God draws you closer to himself, you have to get closer to each other. That's why we are here. Now, go in peace."

The strange thing was that the people didn't leave. They hugged and talked and some even prayed. And God smiled.

Motivation

I have a growing need for more praise time. How about you? In this narcissistic culture I can't get by with just a weekly praise gathering. I am beginning to understand why the early Christians met together daily.

Gather a collection of praise songs, ones that focus on the power and might and wonder and grace of our father-God. Find a time each day and lift your hand; imagine God calling on you to sing. Sing your heart out. If your time is commute time, lift your fingers and feel the fingerprints of God.

He is God and we are not. I'm humbled by praise and I need it.

Visit the i2eye page, take the challenge, and see what God does with 21 days.

Ron Rose is a noted author and leader of Faith Team. His new email ministry, Faith Notes, provides practical resources for growing faith. Email Ron!

Website: Faith Team

Time for Some Faith Tracking

ron@faithteam.org (Ron Rose) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Preparation

I have a widget on my computer that allows me to track airline flights. That way if I know what flight Lyn is working I can see where she is. Amazing, isn't it? This tracking concept has captured my attention.

In the last few weeks I have noticed more and more people tracking the Stock Market. They are taking the time each day to check on where the Dow Jones Average is, or the value of stock on their watch list, or stock held in their 401(k). Since before the first of the year, the Stock Market track has been headed down and the problem is no one knows where it will stop; there is uncertainty about the bottom. So, everyday is filled with fear.

During the presidential campaigns we heard a lot about tracking polls. These polls reflected the candidates' favorability rating from one week to the next, or even day to day. Now that we have selected a president, there is a tracking poll that provides an approval rating from week to week. It seems wherever you turn someone is tracking something.

Have you considered doing some "Faith" tracking?

The process of tracking your faith requires a starting place and a destination. And, neither of those points are really places. You might associate the starting point of your faith with a place or a day or an experience, but the place isn't the marker; it's the moment of personal connection to God, the moment of new life, of new direction, of new birth.

The destination of faith is certainly not a place, not even Heaven. It is a transformed awareness of life seen and lived through the spirit and power of Jesus. We see what he sees, feel what he feels, do what he does. He is found living in us. That's the end game.

Paul says that our "hope of glory" comes from one thing, "Jesus in us." Remember, genuine faith can be tested, "do you see Jesus in you?" Yes! You pass the test. Now, will you go through trials? Yes! Through pain and testing? Yes! Will you have mountain-top moments that thrill your soul and lift your spirit? Yes! Will you go through the valley and the shadow of death? Yes! All of these experiences will lead you to the awareness of Jesus in you. They track your faith.

Whether you are in the middle of good times or bad, the emergence of faith is based on your awareness of Jesus in life. Your vision, or calling, or ministry has one direction, one destination. Do you see Jesus in the moment, in your attitude, in the faces of your fellow believers? Each step brings you new opportunities to do just that.

Inspiration

When you're in pain, it's tough to think of anything but your pain.

Decades ago I was on staff in a Southern California church. My ministry areas included oversight of the education and youth programs. Lyn and I were in our fourth year when, out of the blue, I was called into an unscheduled Thursday evening meeting with our church Board.

The chairman didn't waste any time. After a perfunctory prayer he read a carefully scripted letter that asked for my resignation. I was stunned nearly speechless. On the surface there was no case, but beneath the surface was one deacon's complaint about my perceived lack of attention to his struggling daughter. To this day, I can't remember the words of the letter, but I can still feel the pain in my gut. After a period of heated discussion the Board agreed to modify the 30-day severance. I was to be paid till I found a new position.

As I walked out of that room, I felt betrayed, abandoned, misunderstood, embarrassed, powerless, and a concoction of other emotions that I didn't have words to describe. How could I tell my wife about this? I wanted to escape, to disappear.

I drove around trying to come up with a plan. My best plan? "Just wait till tomorrow, maybe Jesus will come tomorrow and I'll never have to tell anyone."

Once I was sure Lyn would be asleep, I pulled into the driveway and parked the car. I prayed, "God make it go away. Make it all a dream." I quietly entered the house, tip-toed into the bedroom and gently crawled into bed hoping for sleep.

"How was the meeting?" Lyn whispered.

"Just a meeting," I replied, but my silent tears spoke louder than my words.

She sat up in bed and replied, "No, something's wrong. What is it?"

"I don't want to talk about it now. Wait till morning,"

"No, let's talk now!"

There was nothing left to do, my plan had failed. In fact, it looked to me like my whole life was a failure. "They fired me tonight. We are supposed to announce it Sunday and say that I resigned."

After an hour of reliving the meeting, Lyn asked, "Why didn't you want to tell me this?"

"I want to be a success in your eyes. I want you to be proud of me. I didn't want you to think of me as a failure."

Then she said something that became the beginning point of a changed perspective. "When we got married we promised to love each other for better or for worse, when you refuse to tell me about this kind of pain, you are refusing my love. I want to love you now more than ever. I want to share this pain. Do you understand that?"

Within a month or two we found another church and a better house and continued ministry opportunities with that Southern California church in spite of being fired. In more ways than one, we were all shaped by that night.

Motivation

Now, when you face difficult times, painful experiences, and those out-of-control moments, talk about it. Talk to a spouse, a friend, a mentor. Share the pain and then ask God to help you step back and look for Jesus.

When the news from the tracking poll is negative and frightening, look for God to show up, not to fix the moment, but to help you look past the eyes, behind the words, and beyond the fear.

Jesus has a plan for the pain; his plan is for people to see his power in your life. After all, he is still alive!

Ron Rose is a noted author and leader of Faith Team. His new email ministry, Faith Notes, provides practical resources for growing faith. Email Ron!

Website: Faith Team

From 'Now What?' to 'What's Next?'

ron@faithteam.org (Ron Rose) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Preparation

At the end of the movie Matrix Revolutions, Agent Smith stands above a beaten Neo and wonders aloud why his adversary continues to get up just to be beaten down:

Why, Mr. Anderson? Why do you do it? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something? For more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom? Or truth? Perhaps peace? Yes? No? Could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception. The temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose. And all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself, although only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson. You must know it by now. You can't win. It's pointless to keep fighting. Why, Mr. Anderson? Why? Why do you persist?

Why indeed? Why do we get up? When we've experienced a setback, a major health issue, a catastrophic loss, what is it that makes us get up? What is it that makes us push through?

Answer: It's in our DNA; we are made to get back up.

In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on an adventure, an expedition up the Missouri River across the Rockies and down to the Pacific Ocean and back. For months they studied and planned. How many men? What skills? How big a boat? What design? What type of rifles? How much powder and lead? How many cooking pots? What tools? How much rations could be carried? What medicines? What scientific instruments? What books? How many fishing hooks? How much salt? Tobacco? Whiskey?

They expected to be gone for two years or more, totally cut off from known civilization. There would be no incoming letters, no orders, no fresh supplies, no reinforcements, nothing reaching them until they returned. They had invested months in plans, but now as they left the dock, they would find the plans were useless.

The process of planning -- thinking of the possibilities ahead -- was vital, but the plans themselves proved worthless. Like Dwight Eisenhower who lived more than a century later, they found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. The unexpected changes on the river rendered their plans inadequate. The adventure forced them to adapt and taught them to expect surprise. They endured incredible hardship in an unknown world. Why? Was it just a job?

No! Once we get up, we are made for adventure; we are put on this planet for discovery. Lewis and Clark got to see the unseen and unknown types of plants and animals. They got to meet strange new people. They were able to view breathtaking grandeur. Together, they experienced the new world firsthand, mapped it, wrote about it, and in the process were transformed by it. These ordinary men quit asking "Now what?" and woke up each morning wondering, "What's next?"

Are you hooked? Want answers? Got plans that seem useless? Have you been knocked down? It's time to toss the plans and open your eyes. Get up! He's ready to lift you. Remember it's in your DNA. Look outside the box; expect something new. Faith is the ultimate expedition; it's seeing the unseen, living beyond our circumstances. When we get knocked off our feet, it's the perfect time to change our perspective and let God lift us up. Then, if we let him, he will invade our imagination and give us new discoveries.

So, the expedition begins.

Inspiration

It happened a few weeks ago, but the shock is still sinking in. The conversation was short and somber. After eighteen years working a job he loved, Steve was given his notice. He would get a 30-day severance deal, but had to be out of his office by the end of the day.

"I was speechless," Steve said. "I knew things were slow, but I figured my job was safe. After all, I'd given some of my best years to that company." Steve had worked his way into management and dreamed that one day soon he would be a Vice-President, but all that was gone, vanished in a moment.

After a few uncomfortable seconds of silence, he protested, "Now what? What am I going to do?"

"Steve," I responded, "the question is not 'Now what?' it's 'What's next?' First, you are going to get up ... God's going to lift you. You can because God made you to get up. Second, once up you are going to live a new adventure. You will re-assess your worth, re-think your values, and re-live some memories. Then you will get up and get started on the next chapter. We're not homesteading here and we are not circling the wagons. Together, you and I are embarking on a new expedition, an adventure. We will plan and scheme and prepare, but in the end we will turn our imagination over to God and begin the journey, wherever it leads. God has given us abilities and gifts and good judgment and HIS presence and we will need them all as we blaze new trails."

"We will make the trip together."

Motivation

When you are on an expedition it's always best to have a partner with skin on. Got one? Can you be one?

Like Steve experienced, in one way or another, this is your year of discovery; your year for a multifaceted, hands-on adventure into a new world. This adventure will stretch your horizon, reshape your worldview, introduce you to fascinating people, and leave you basking in memories of holy "Kodak moments."

It may begin in pain and doubt, but God has great plans for you. So, get up, give God your imagination, and gawk a little. There are unseen things all around you.

We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:3 TNIV).

Ron Rose is a noted author and leader of Faith Team. His new email ministry, Faith Notes, provides practical resources for growing faith. Email Ron!

Website: Faith Team

Unveiling of Legacy

ron@faithteam.org (Ron Rose) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

A good life gets passed on to the grandchildren ... (Proverbs 13:22 MSG).

Preparation

Thomas Cahill writes about history, legacy really. In The Gift of the Jews, Cahill explores the impact of "the God of Abraham." This Creator-God gives us a beginning and an end; he defines justice and mercy, refines our conscience. And, as Cahill states, "Most of our best words -- new, adventure, surprise, unique, individual, person, vocation, time, history, future, freedom, progress, spirit: faith, hope, justice -- are the gifts of the Jews," Abraham's legacy to us.

Stay with me as we sneak a peek into our legacy -- our view of life and living.

For better or worse, my dad shaped my view of the world. Part of his personal story was clouded by years of alcohol addiction, but his perspective about life has become clearer and more meaningful as the years have gone by. From my dad, I learned to never throw away what could be fixed, to refrain from freeze-framing people (everyone can and will change), and to think outside the box (look for unexpected options). Over the years I have become his legacy, unwrapping the best and forgetting the worst.

Legacy is the wisdom, convictions, experiences, and values that have been handed down to us from the generations before us. It shapes our worldview, providing wisdom and direction for the next generation.

Legacy is powerful. It is a gift we are compelled to open, but after opening it, we are faced with challenges and choices. Will we accept the gift and find a place to display it and share it, toss it, or rebel against it?

What have you done with the legacy you were given?

How have your parents, your early years, your grandparents shaped your perspective on life?

Then the bonus question: How much of your faith is yours and how much of it is what you inherited from others?

Inspiration

A few days ago I was blessed by a "holy moment."

Mearl's body was at the funeral home; the memorial service was set for the next day, so most of the details related to death had been dealt with. Now it was time to talk.

We gathered in the family room to tell stories, share memories, and unwrap the legacy of Mearl Jacobs. She had lived a life filled with stories, from the dust bowl of Oklahoma to Southern California to Abilene, Texas. Most people didn't know that she worked for thirty years at Rockwell International and helped prepare the budget for the first space shuttle; or that even at 82 years of age, she loved the highest of the high-heeled shoes; or that although she really didn't care much for baseball, she loved listening to Vin Scully call the LA Dodger's games because her son, John, loved baseball.

Before long, the conversation turned from stories about Mearl, to stories of how she changed and shaped the lives in the room.

Her daughter, Carol, said, "Just a few hours before Mom died she said she wanted to go home. 'I asked her if she meant back to her apartment?' She said, 'NO!' I asked, 'Home to be with Jesus?' 'YES!'"

That did it. The legacy began to emerge. A tapestry of love and grace and service was realized that night. Mearl had lived a life that rubbed off on the young and old alike. When she rubbed off on you, you left a different person, a better person. She was gifted that way.

She knew how to demonstrate the things that really mattered. She stood up for values that she held dear and she always seemed to know how to grace people, to accept them "as is." Her grandkids talked of her perpetual, unconditional acceptance of them, no matter what.

Some things have to be seen to be understood: love, forgiveness, acceptance, and faith are a few. Mearl knew how to help you see. Her life was an investment in family and church and friends -- in people.

The fingerprints of God were all over that room. It was a legacy celebration, and I was honored to feel the holiness of it. Mearl had seen the best in these kids before they had seen it in themselves and now they understood. The gift was unwrapped; the legacy unveiled.

The next day, it was clear that Mearl was still around. We buried the body, but she lives in all those present and beyond. She is still hugging and giving and loving and smiling and if you are really in need of it, she is still giving "that look."

It's her legacy.

Motivation

You have received a legacy and you are building a legacy. They are both bigger than you. Make the most of both.

What is it that you want said about you when you're gone? What rubbings are you leaving on the people in your family and in your world?

Like those before you, you are shaping the worldview of those who come after you. So get on with it.

Regardless of what others do or have done, YOU have the choice!

Visit the i2eye page and take the challenge. Listen to the spots and see what God does with 21 days: http://www.faithteam.org/talks.htm

Ron Rose is a noted author and leader of Faith Team. His new email ministry, Faith Notes, provides practical resources for growing faith. Email Ron!

Website: Faith Team

That's Good News!

ron@faithteam.org (Ron Rose) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Jim pulled me down close and in a desperate, worried voice he whispered, "Is God going to zap me? I'm not sure I'm good enough."

We talked a long time about God and love and grace and forgiveness. It was our last conversation; 48 hours later Jim punched his transfer from this life to the next.

But, the conversation has lingered in my mind. Since that day I've had numerous discussions about what God is like and if any body is good enough. One friend put it this way, "It seems to me that God just sits up there in heaven and punishes the people who are already having a tough time on this earth." Another told me, "I think God is power and he uses his power to dominate others. Just look at the Old Testament. He was always angry at somebody, usually his own people." A stranger at Starbucks added, "And, how about those Ten Commandments ... they're impossible requirements, no wonder he never blesses anyone. No one is good enough."

"So, where is the good news?"

In the verses before the Ten Commandments, before God gives any commandments, he introduces himself as the God who loves Israel. He wants the best for them. God didn't sit in heaven making a list of all the things he knows human beings like to do and then outlawing them. But, he knows us really well. He made us. His desire was to bless us and to call us to reflect his character and compassion. This is where the Ten Commandments come from.

My response to the stranger at Starbucks? "I think God is saying I am the God who loves you. I'm on your side. I got you out of slavery. I'm the best deal you've got going. Trust me. Don't steal. Don't lie. Don't abandon me. Don't commit adultery, because if you do, it will unleash destructive power that will slowly overshadow you, destroying you, your families and your society. Trust me. Don't be stupid."

Truth is, from the beginning God has known that we have to see love, to know what it's like ... so he sent Jesus to live here and show us how to love and forgive.

Remember that famous verse?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life [beginning right now]. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him (John 3:16-17 ESV, comment added by author).

That's Good News!

We are followers of Jesus and Jesus invested in people ... all kinds of ordinary people. They followed him day and night. They gathered on the hillside to listen and marvel -- the oppressed, the sick, the outcast, the losers, the lonely and the powerless. They had been denied dignity, value, and hope. He looked into the eyes of friends and strangers alike and announced, "The kingdom of God belongs to YOU!"

They were blessed, not because of their condition, but in spite of it. The discounted and excluded were shocked and stunned.

"What did he say?"

"Did you hear that?"

Rather than telling them how they'd failed, he declared: "You are the salt of the earth."

"But Jesus, we've been told we are the scum of the earth."

"You are the light of the world."

That's the God I follow. This is the God of love and grace and forgiveness. And Jesus, he came to show us how to live ... right here, right now, not just someday in heaven because God loves us now and wants to bless us and show us how to love and forgive.

That's Good News!

Ron Rose is a noted author and leader of Faith Team. His new email ministry, Faith Notes, provides practical resources for growing faith. Email Ron!

Website: Faith Team

Make a Faith Choice

ron@faithteam.org (Ron Rose) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Warm up: Out of the Shallows

This may be your year -- the year to claim your faith option. That curve ahead may lead you smack dab into the Twilight Zone of the unknown and impossible. You may find yourself facing the greatest struggle of your life. What would you do?

You could play the victim card, spiral downward in despair, grow bitter and negative, or take the faith option. Trust that God is bigger and stronger than any curve, or roadblock, or failure you may face. The faith option changes everything. It empowers you to face the challenge regardless, to get beyond yourself, and see into a new world of wonder, and opportunity, and hope. It opens the door of divine opportunity.

This faith option has transformational power; your struggles and failures and difficulties become divine opportunities for morphing into a new version, a better version, of the person you are meant to be. After a while, you will find God's fingerprints all over you and that feels great.

So, trust the Maker. Take the faith option; it will rock your world.

Inspiration: Into the Deep

Richard began, "Two weeks after the credit company took our farm, I lost my job as ranch foreman. Our family moved into a compact rental unit, and my wife and I began working a series of minor jobs. We were barely making enough money to provide food, yet we faced a $100,000 debt. The Credit people had seized all our assets -- our land, our equipment, our home, and our bank accounts. Others might have seen our situation as hopeless, but we just looked for God to take us in a new direction."

It took eighteen months for the new direction to appear. Richard and his wife were asked to manage an exclusive 2,600-acre hunting club in northern California. As they served at the club in numerous ways, they got the opportunity to share their story. God had rocked their world, and they were better for it. It didn't take long for them to introduce a new spirit to that snobbish old hunting lodge. Their perspective on life and value was infectious.

After a year at the club, the head of the credit company that had taken their farm visited with Richard. "A friend of mine," he began, "recently lost everything he owned and his wife has just committed suicide. We at the office have noticed that you and your wife have handled your loss with grace and dignity, so I've come to find out what your secret is."

"It's not a secret," Richard explained. "We believe God never deserts us. In fact we believe he turns every struggle into an opportunity and we live like it."

"I've heard about that religious stuff," the Credit boss said, "but this is the first time I've seen it really make a difference."

Game Plan: Living Beyond Yourself

You have choice now!

Make it a personal decision. Make it public. E-mail me and tell me you are committed to take the faith option, regardless of what happens: ronrose@sbcglobal.net

Your world is waiting to see the results.

Ron Rose is a noted author and leader of Faith Team. His new email ministry, Faith Notes, provides practical resources for growing faith. Email Ron!

Website: Faith Team