7holycrap Life Lessons

I Read the Entire Bible in a Year and So Should You

When I was in High School, I had to read the Bible through as part of a discipleship and leadership program I was a part of and then when I was first a youth pastor in Wyoming when I was in my 20’s I read through it again. This year I made a commitment in January to read through the Bible and let its words and principles guide and absorb into my life. Little did I know the massive life-changing direction my life would take with the passing of my Father In Law a few days after I made this commitment.

I started my Bible reading plan on January 1st and my Father In Law passed on January 12th.
My wife was elected the President of Christian Television Network on January 14th and a few short days after that, I became the Vice President in charge of leading all 18 of our station managers in 13 states around the country and also in charge of Creative Content Development for the entire network. Needless to say, 2022 was a very busy year for me. I only spent a total of 97 days in our home state of Colorado from flying and traveling with Yolanda to stations and driving our 28’ travel trailer around the country to connect with and encourage all our stations. It has been a wonderful time of travel with my wife and seeing our managers be encouraged by our hard work and step up in each their own ways in our ministry of broadcasting the Gospel of Jesus. We know there was hard work that went into the initial building of CTN from those who have gone before us and we are dedicated to that same work ethic to continue to build for the glory of JESUS ALONE. And we know that prayer and a focus on the Bible is an integral part of what we will do.  

The fact that I felt led to read the whole Bible in a year was kind of random. I already have a devotional time I do but to take on reading the entire Bible was another level. But God knew that was EXACTLY what I was going to need this past year as I am a firm believer that if you want to be used by God in a greater way then you need to do greater things. This is not comparing yourself with anyone else, but to evaluate your life and then make changes if you want to see a different result.

The reason why I am sharing all of this is to encourage YOU to read the Bible through in a year. It was not an easy task. I had gotten about 10 days behind in my reading and took a weekend to get caught back up. And this happened a few times! The good thing is that the plan I use is only based on 25 days a month so you always have time to catch back up if you need to or you can read ahead and get further along.

There were times of reading the Old Testament where I read pages and pages of what seemed like boring information about what generation was connected to another generation. When I read those sections this time, I was gently reminded about how much God loves the family and that generational blessings are important. Things like that are lost in our culture and the Bible was a great reminder to me about it and spurred me to pray for our culture that is losing the concept of family. Then you have the New Testament reading an important truth like Acts 8:3 with an illustration of what Saul was doing to destroy the church going house to house and putting men and women in prison. Reading that verse, I wrote a note to myself that, “Saul (who became Paul) knew the depth of persecution of the church before HE became the one to help build it.” I can now look back through what I highlighted and verses I added notes to and be encouraged for this coming year. I am excited to dig back into the Bible and start over this new year and see what else God wants to speak to me through the Word of God!

A few thoughts for you about the importance of the Bible and putting the Word into your life.

1 – If you think you are too busy to read the Bible this coming year then…you are.
We make time for the things we want to do. So it really comes down to us spending time on things that we value. You need to make the decision for yourself, but you will not regret spending time in the Word.

2 – There is an epidemic of people taking verses out of context and/or using a single kernel of truth and then building humanistic lies around it.
If you consider yourself a follower of Christ it is so important that you know the Bible. To have the context of scripture for yourself so it is not even what your pastor preaches on a Sunday morning but for YOU to know the Word. There are also so many great Bible study tools that are free or low cost on the internet that you can use. I did a segment on my program Man360 that you can watch to read about Blue Letter Bible and Bible Hub website and how to use them. You can click on the Youtube link here to watch that segment – https://youtu.be/2mMT9NAJKMU?t=1298

3 – We always need to be doing things that stretch us
For me, reading has always been a stretch. I read because I know I must and not because I necessarily want to and reading the Bible in a year was something that I knew was going to stretch me. The way we grow in life is to not just stay in the same place doing the same things with the same level of push. On top of the stretching personally, my life changing with becoming the VP of CTN upped the stakes even higher! BUT, it was all something that God knew I needed and was one of the most satisfying years of my life. Busy, but satisfying.

4 – The Bible is not for the people who don’t know Christ, it is for the follower of Christ!
The verse in 2 Timothy 3:16 that talks about the value of the Bible being for “teaching, correcting, and rebuking for training in righteousness. That is NOT talking about non-believers it is for the CHURCH! When those principles are enacted then WE go out into the world and LIVE those Biblical principles to make people hungry for something they don’t have.
The problem is that it’s VERY hard for us to live the principles of the Bible if we are not READING the Bible and allowing it to do surgery on us each day first! Our culture has shifted to a “feeling -based” theology and not a BIBLE based theology. The Bible is replete with verses that talk about how our senses will deceive us (Jeremiah 17:9 & Proverbs 28:26) and not to trust them! It is ok to have feelings and emotions but when left unchecked by the Word of God we run the risk of leading ourselves AND others we encounter away from God and not towards Him!

The Bible should be the beginning and the end of our lives. We need to read it to challenge us, to protect us, to guide us, and give us the encouragement we need each day. The Bible is the BEST way to rehearse the victories of God and what He did back in the day and what He can do for you TODAY!

Take the Bible reading challenge for this year! I dare you!

Click below for a link to a PDF that you can download and get started reading the Bible for yourself!

Click to access bible_reading_plan_man360.pdf

7holycrap Holy Crap

2021 Was a Great Year! Am I Insane?!

Well 2021 is finally over. I see people posting some pretty funny memes about what they thought of this past year but as I look back I can say what a great year! Now, why would I say something like that considering where we are in the world in so many dysfunctional ways?

Maybe 2021 has been a year of seeing and knowing what NOT to do. Isn’t that as important as a year we would define as “great”? Generally, I don’t like correction but when we get something wrong or something bad happens in life those moments raise the value of the “right” in life when we have Jesus in control. It seems like correction is something talked about in every other verse of Proverbs. From the results of being stiff necked in Proverbs 29:1 (A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed–without remedy) to Proverbs 12:1 (Whoever LOVES discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid) Such fun verses to meditate on the first day of the new year. Haha

You may say, “That’s easy for you to say. You had a relatively uneventful year.” Unless you realize that I fell in the airport late last year, had to have major rotator cuff surgery and be in an a sling for 42 days. AND since the new year has happened my insurance deductible went back up and I start 6 months of painful physical therapy that will cost thousands of dollars so…yeah…I would have a reason to complain to start the new year but I wont. I am going to ask God to put the people in my path that need to hear about him; Doctors, nurses, receptionists, my PT person, etc. and not just complain. I pray that our eyes are fixed on HEAVEN and not on the trappings of this earth.

2021 has also been a WONDERFUL year of defining lines in the church body and those who want to pursue holiness in life and those who want to just add Christianity into the other things they do. This may sound like a judgmental statement, but it is not. I know about the story of the thief on the Cross and him living his life for himself to the end and Jesus inviting him to heaven. I do think that there will be people who make it to heaven who don’t do much on this earth for Christ. To me, that is a scary place to serve God from because if we say we are a follower of Christ but we only follow him to the local church on Sundays and our Bible and prayer when it gets tough in life can we TRULY say we are a follower of Christ? ALWAYS remember that Jesus didn’t come to CONVINCE anyone that they needed to follow Him. He came to live a life of example and OFFER a different way to people who had unmet expectations in life. It is also an observation based on people who want to get to heaven but don’t want to change their actions including the trend of “Christianity in Hollywood”. I do believe that there are some wonderful followers of Christ out there, but there are many A list stars that have professed their Christianity but still take acting jobs that reflect Godlessness. I believe that is leading people astray to think that a walk with Christ is about just saying you follow Christ but not doing anything in life to prove it.

So what will 2022 be to you? Will it be a year of recognizing what you did wrong this past year then changing what you do this year to expect a different result? As we get closer to the return of Christ remember that there will continue to be a blurring of what it means to have Jesus in control of your life. You may be reading this and say, “How do you know that YOU are right?” The only thing I know is that I don’t want to live as far away from Christ as I can and only reach out to him when things go bad. I will use the Bible as the guidebook for my life and be involved in a church that preaches the Word AND is not afraid to defend what is being preached from the pulpit. I will love EVERYONE equally but also not be afraid to let people who I disagree with know that there is another way to live life. That may sound like judgement to some, but I’m not trying to make anyone live the life I do. People have to come to the end of themselves before they decide to do something different. This new year I will be a bridge to people getting back to Jesus who have walked away. Basically, I want to be an example to people i come in contact with and see the fruit of the decisions I make to put Jesus first in everything because it is not about ME or anything about me but Jesus IN me!

Have a GREAT 2022 and I am praying for you!

7holycrap Life Lessons, Living Like a true Christian

One Usable Arm Helps Bring Perspective in Life

I had rotator cuff surgery about a month ago and am now starting the process of physical therapy. I can say that you never really realize what you have with two functional arms when you only have one. From folding a blanket to putting on your socks to tying your shoes! When everything happened with almost losing my eye it was a similar journey in that there were never things I considered with my vision until I was confronted with the potential of vision loss. 

So the question is what are you taking for granted in life? Is it your health or maybe mobility in some way? Is it relationships and something as simple as appreciating your parents? Maybe it is your job that you complain about when there are others who would give their right arm (pun intended) for what you do. Maybe it is a relationship with Jesus. I know for me, I have known Christ all my life and sometimes the gravity of what God did for me is lost in the milieu of life even being in full-time Christian television ministry. 

Pauses in life are vital to reflect and reevaluate what is important in life. But what we don’t realize is that pauses can come in all kinds of ways. For me, my shoulder situation is something that has caused me to pause and reflect on the things that matter most in my life. Not to mention my wife who has done an outstanding job taking care of me while executing all the other responsibilities in her life. 

Today, take a moment and reflect on the good things in life but also the challenges or things that hurt. Maybe take a moment and consider where you are with Jesus. I mentioned in a devotion time the other day that Jesus didn’t come to the earth to try and convince people that they needed to follow him. He would love people, listen to their story and then offer a different way of living. Some “contemporary Christians/churches” have the loving and listening part down to a science but there needs to be engagement when it comes to interacting with people who don’t know how great Jesus is when the Holy Spirit leads. Jesus would offer a “pause” to people’s thinking to help them evaluate the results of their actions in life and followers of Christ need to look for opportunities to do the same! 

Today is the day to consider where you are in life, where you would like to be, and what is bringing you TRUE happiness. Remember this practical lesson when you go through life today; when you buy a vehicle the BRAKE is as important as the ACCELERATOR. 

Have a great day and use or take those pauses in life to make sure you are going the direction you think you are and consider giving Jesus control. I’ve got 49 years of following Him and He has never let me down!  

7holycrap Man360 Program

Man360 is Coming and YOU Are Invited!

It is hard to believe that after 2 years of harvesting segments for my men’s program and all the things we have had to fight through, that Man360 is going to launch in a week! I am excited for what the program is going to do in helping men. I wanted to share a quick blog about what people can expect who tune in each week including the creative use of the website Man360.tv as a full part of the program as well.

Man360 was birthed out of a desire to produce a TV/streaming program that is high quality, clean, entertaining and Spiritually challenging for men. Although anyone would enjoy watching the program, it is specifically geared towards men and helping them become complete in every way. This means that we will have interviews from people like Tony Dungy, JB Brown, Dr. Henry Cloud, John Tesh, and many more. The interviews are geared towards honest questions that focus on struggles that each man had and I give them a chance to speak into the lives of viewers to help challenge or encourage them in some way.

Another segment we are developing is “Things Brian Doesn’t Want to Do” and is basically getting me to do things that I don’t want to do. The first episode will include me getting a pedicure with my brother in law, which was hilarious.

We also have book reviews or teachings that I will do from the Bible to challenge and encourage men to get into the Bible. We may review a devotional for men to pick up or just talk about a good book that deals with a topic like fear.

Yolanda and I have worked very hard on getting segments from around the US and around the world from our travels. We have segments that will play from states and countries like Florida, Utah, New Hampshire, Barcelona, France, and Dubai. These will be focused on interesting facts about the areas we are in or maybe a quick devotional to get the viewer thinking.

I will also do outdoor gear reviews on things like how to choose the right hiking boot to picking a good pocketknife.

We will also have musical guests like Josh Baldwin from Bethel Worship Collective, Tyree Morris, and Sean Be. It was fun to sit down with these guys and hear about their journey into Christian music and I think you will really enjoy each interview.

The website, Man360.tv will play an integral part of the program as well. After each episode, we will provide viewers with “additional content” on the website that will be directly connected to the episode they will see. We will have additional footage that we didn’t have time for on the program as well as links to gear you can purchase or books that we mention on the program. There will also be a link to my book if people want to pick up a copy and an email connect for people to let us know how we are doing, send a prayer request, or request me to come speak at their event. Content will be changing each week so you will want to make that part of your regimen each week.

Yolanda and I created a program that I hope you will enjoy with a bit of humor, informative reviews of things like gear, books and also teachings from the Bible. We have been praying over this program that I touches many men and helps people see that you can have fun and be a Christian too!

Man360 launches next week, November 12th at 7:30pm (MST) nationally and will also replay here in the Colorado market on Saturdays at Noon. You can also go now to Man360.tv for more information about where to view the program.

We appreciate all the love and support for the program and believe that God will use it to touch many people!

7holycrap Holy Crap, Testimonies

Testimony From a Reader

glowing wooden cross

I have had people through the years share with me how much my story has meant to them but this testimony I received recently really struck a nerve with me. Maybe because it hit so close to home in my mind and reminded me of the depth of despair I was in when I was at my deepest darkest point.

As I have said many times, stories like the one below are not just about selling more books but about sharing what God has done with my simple story and how he can use what YOU have gone through for His glory too!

Here is the testimony I received from a reader. I pray it encourages you AND helps you know and recognize that you are not alone in the fight.

“I just finished your book. I can’t say just how much it touched my heart and soul. As soon as the new church I want to go to opens back up I am going to go. I am going to call the pastor tomorrow and ask him when I can start going.

I have been sick with a disease since I was 10 years old. I have been lost many times on the journey of life and am recovering now from being lost and making the wrong choice when it came to trying to take my life. I was in so much pain that all I wanted was for the pain to stop. All I remember is waking up in the ambulance and being so mad that my plan didn’t work. That was about 8 months ago and now I can say I am glad that I didn’t lose my life that lost moment.

Thank you for sharing your story and making me feel like I am not so alone in this world.”

As I pray for this new friend, I pray for you as well. That you would sense God in the middle of your darkest night and that Jesus’ great love would intersect you in a miraculous way.

There is just as great a chance of something wonderful happening in your life tonight as there is something terrible. How about you expect a MIRACLE and not just more crap in life? You can do it. I am cheering you on!

7holycrap Holy Crap

A Key to WINNING the Coronavirus FIGHT

I can remember three times when debilitating fear struck me when i was sick.

One was when I had been sick for a few months and Yolanda and I were sitting on the couch at our house waiting for the results of a CAT scan of my head/eye area. I remember laying on the couch and not saying anything to Yolanda and my mind wandering from cancer to anything that could be worse. The test came back negative and the doctor said that everything (minus my eye situation) looked normal.

I can also remember being sent to the hospital to get a test for Grand Wegeners disease as a possible solution to why my eye was flaring up. I remember laying in the hospital before being admitted to the ICU and singing, with tears in my eyes, an old Imperials song “He Didn’t Lift Us Up To Let Us Down”. I got my kidney biopsy with a three day stay in ICU to make sure I didn’t have internal bleeding and released with another “good” report that my immune system was not functioning correctly and the core issue of my eye flaring up. This didn’t help where I was mentally and struggling to get a foothold on my disease.

The third time was when I took a trip to Barnes Eye Institute in St. Louis Missouri to meet with one of the best retinal doctors in the country. Barnes is known as the “Mayo Clinic for eyes” and I had high hopes that they would be able to give clarity to why my eye was acting up and giving me issues. I remember sitting in the examination chair with my eye dilated (which I have and always will hate) and the doctor taking a look in my eye and saying, “It looks like your doctor in Colorado is doing all he can. I don’t have another solution to your issue.” It was like someone punched me in the stomach.

Each of these situations gave me greater insight into what despair looked like when someone faces an issue, especially when it comes to fear and health. The best way I could describe what I was feeling during my entire time of being sick was like I had claustrophobia but it was coming from inside me and not from outside forces. Meaning, there was nothing I felt like I could do or anywhere I could go to make it better. It was like I was drowning inside myself with water pouring down my throat and an anchor tied around my foot.

I learned that when i got sick I knew Jesus for everyone else besides myself. In essence, I had lost my first love with Christ and thought that I was in full control of my destiny as a youth pastor and able to just cruise through life because I was a good person and doing the work of the Lord. I believe that God had to interrupt my life so that I could recalibrate and learn how to trust him even in the darkest days or nights.

I share these things to illustrate what it was like to lose control, or what I THOUGHT I was in control of, in my life. You see, we live our lives with a false sense of controlling the things around us or even our own health. Of course, we can be wise and eat healthy, get sleep, etc. but the reality of life is that we cannot prevent all bad things from happening to us. I can almost remember to the day after being sick for so many years when i finally let go and said to God, “I recognize that I cannot control this situation and whatever you have for me is what I will receive.” After I prayed that prayer, things turned around for me. It was not that I was succumbing to defeat but deciding to live my life in SURRENDER.


It is funny to think about how I reacted when I got sick and how I grew up with important outdoor life skills. I do a lot of hiking and always have from when it was a kid. Growing up in Montana, we were always taught one simple and important fact about getting lost in the woods. It wasn’t to bring enough extra supplies or know how to make a shelter, how to sterilize water or even build a fire. It was to STAY CALM. If you lose your head in adverse situations then you already start at a disadvantage. I even had a time when I was hiking a 14er (a 14,000+ ft mountain, for those of you not from Colorado) and got off trail and started going the wrong way up the mountain. I was assessing our situation and making plans to stay overnight in the wilderness but was able to think logically through the situation and not get nervous. Also because of keeping my head, we were able to find the trail again and get back to the car with limited problems. So even with all my learning and understanding of keeping calm in adverse situations I still “lost my head” when i got sick because I felt out of control with limited information about my sickness and why I was dealing with a rotten eyeball.

It is similar in seeing people’s response to not having a lot of information about COVID19 so they spin out of control and (for example) buy up rolls and rolls of toilet paper! There was nothing any of us could have done to prevent where we are and the only thing we can do is STAY CALM, trust in God and take patient steps to get through this season of life. In fact, those who don’t have a relationship with Jesus will be watching how Christians react to this situation and if we are going to walk in the same worry and fear that others do or are we going to show where our hope is; in CHRIST alone. I know that the peace I feel now in this situation is from spending so many years in fear when I was sick with my eye condition and see the results; loss of sleep, tearing down of my trust in God and pulling everyone around me into my black hole of defeat. Christians need to now PROVE all the worship songs we have sung for years in church and take a stand against the enemy and his lies and schemes.


Praying for you all and that the PEACE and love of God surrounds you like a flood and that you will NOT listen to the lies of the devil who wants to try and flex his power when the ONLY power he has is what we allow him to have in our lives. That you will take this time now to develop your relationship to Jesus or maybe start on the journey of making Him the Lord of your life. Once you experience HIS peace there is no virus, no disease no earth-shattering event that can keep you from mental and emotional well being that people have searched for and never found without Christ.

7holycrap Holy Crap, Life Lessons

Where People Find Jesus…

end of road
I was praying for the viewers of my TV station this morning that they would find Jesus if they don’t know him. I also prayed for people who have known God for a long time that they would continue to deepen their relationship and be open to Him showing them new revelations of his glory, grace and peace.

As I was praying, I thought about a term I have used many times while talking to people about having a relationship with Jesus and “coming to end of themselves.” I considered what that term actually meant to someone finding and deciding to follow Christ. Then I felt impressed by this statement:

People normally don’t find Jesus in the “middle” but at the “end” of themselves.

When people are still in the “middle” they can think of a relationship with Jesus as something else to add to their lives. But when they are at the end of themselves, they are done “doing” things to find peace and they are willing to accept the peace and direction from Jesus, which has fully to do with surrender.

Even the term “surrender” for some people can be difficult because that word can be synonymous with hurt/pain or being taken advantage of. Hurt from the past can be a deterrent from people walking into a relationship with Jesus but I can tell you that trusting in Him is a step towards a freedom you have never experienced before. The difference is that Jesus only wants the best for us when we give him control of our lives.

Following and trusting Jesus is simple but can be difficult at the same time because the “effort” shifts from us trying to FIND peace to ACCEPTING Jesus, who actually IS peace. When we accept Jesus we get peace and don’t have to wait for something additional to fill the voids in life. This is where the power and importance of the Bible comes into play. The Bible is the guidebook for life and not just a book of suggestions to help train our minds to trust in God. For example, the book of John can be a great overview of who Jesus is to humanity and the book of Romans helps illustrate the power and importance of Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

Today, no matter where you are with God, take one step closer. If you have don’t know Jesus and have trouble in life, just cry out to Him and tell him you need help. If you are a follower of Christ and don’t have a good church home, find a church that teaches the Bible and Jesus. If you attend church somewhere and are not currently involved in anything more than Sunday am, find a way to serve.

Praying for you today to find the peace that I found so many years ago as a kid and then with my physical issues, realizing that Jesus NEVER left me through my entire life. Jesus loves YOU that much too!

 

 

7holycrap Holy Crap

God Showed Me Lots of Things…That Were Just Not For You!

I had a GREAT hike trip this past weekend and decided to leave my phone at home. It was probably one of the most freeing hiking trips I have ever encountered in my life because it was missing all of the distractions of my technology and people trying to pull on me. I honestly believe it was something that “reset” me with my technology and distractions in life. I didn’t take one picture, video or create any social media post while I was gone. I was just able to enjoy nature, the amazing views and the company of friends.

I also had some GREAT times with God and him sharing things with me about my life and an unhealthy focus on turning things he would share with me (that were only for me and not anyone else) into a blog or instagram image or facebook post. It was a realization that everything God shares with me is not for public consumption, but everything he shares with me will help me when I know I need to share things with others.

Maybe you are like me and cannot stay off of your phone or social media. I have turned off ALL of my notifications on my phone except reminders, calls and texts so that I can have a buffer and my phone is not alerting me constantly. The best advice I can give someone who thinks God showed them a fresh revelation about an area of their life is put ACTION to the words of God. Just because God shows you something doesn’t mean anything has changed. You need to initiate and activate your free will to match what was shown to you.

So…God showed me ALL KINDS of stuff on my hiking trip but unfortunately, none of it was for you. It was all to help make me a better man, son, brother and husband. But think of it this way; they were all things that will help me be a better citizen of earth and develop my listening and obedience skills with God so I can love the people around me in an even greater way. Be encouraged that you can have that same relationship with Jesus and know that he wants to talk to you, no matter what you have done or where you are from. It’s as easy as reaching out to him and just saying, “I’m here, God. Speak to me.” Have a great week!

I had a GREAT weekend of hiking this past weekend and decided to leave my phone at home. It was probably one of the most freeing hiking trips I have ever encountered in my life because it was missing all of the distractions of my technology and people trying to pull on me. I honestly believe it was something that “reset” me with my technology and distractions in life.

I also had some GREAT times with God and him sharing things with me about my life and an unhealthy focus on turning things he would share with me (that were only for me and not anyone else) into a blog or instagram image or facebook post. It was a realization that everything God shares with me is not for public consumption, but everything he shares with me will help me when I know I need to share things with others.

Maybe you are like me and cannot stay off of your phone or social media. I have turned off ALL of my notifications on my phone except reminders, calls and texts so that I can have a buffer and my phone is not alerting me constantly. The best advice I can give someone who thinks God showed them a fresh revelation about an area of their life is put ACTION to the words of God. Just because God shows you something doesn’t mean anything has changed. You need to initiate and activate your free will to match what was shown to you.

So…God showed me ALL KINDS of stuff on my hiking trip but unfortunately, none of it was for you. It was all to help make me a better man, son, brother and husband. But think of it this way; they were all things that will help me be a better citizen of earth and develop my listening and obedience skills with God so I can love the people around me in an even greater way. Be encouraged that you can have that same relationship with Jesus and know that he wants to talk to you, no matter what you have done or where you are from. It’s as easy as reaching out to him and just saying, “I’m here, God. Speak to me.” Have a great week!

7holycrap Holy Crap, Life Lessons

The Short But MIGHTY Phrase

Short and Mighty Phrase
I felt the full gravity today of thanking the person that helps manage the property for our television station. I could tell when I first met her that she deals with more than her fair share of negative words and attitudes with tenants and people telling her that crap is broken and for her to drop everything and assist them.

We had some leaks that have existed in our portion of the building even before we moved in. The church that used to own the building we lease in had done everything in their power to try and help get the leaks fixed but it always ended up with water pouring in everywhere. When the new company took over our lease, we contacted the lady who was the asset manager and asked them to fix the leaks in our area. After a few phone calls back a forth, they brought out a roofing specialist and they made the appropriate repairs that have been working great for probably two weeks.

I decided to give our property manager a call and thank her for their company fully fixing our leaks and preserving the electrical equipment that we have stored all over our office. It was funny because when I called her she didn’t really know how to respond at first. I told her I was sure that 99% of the phone calls she receives are negative in nature and can be wearing on her. I told her I wanted to encourage her and thanked her for her help. I could hear her voice loosen and she said that I made her day. I am not sure if she is a follower of Jesus but from my simple thank you I have gained entrance into her life just from being grateful.

Then I thought of the verses in Luke 17:11-19 where it says that Jesus healed 10 lepers and only ONE came back to thank him.

Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy

11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy[a] met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Verse 17 gives such an interesting response from Jesus before he tells the man to rise and go. He mentions the nine other lepers that had the same condition of this man but did not come back to find Jesus and thank him. I wonder if this portion of scripture is here to remind us of the importance of a thank you? Or is it an example of being obedient to the urging of God when thanking people in your life and not looking for an equally generous response? I think it was a bit of both.

You can NEVER underestimate the power of a simple thank you. Thinking of all the things that Jesus endured while here on the earth and the countless stories of his power moving in people’s lives, there are very few examples of people actually saying thank you.

Think today about your life and if people around you would consider you a grateful person. Is there someone in your life that you need to thank for something they did or they do on a consistent basis? I have heard many people say, “That person knows I appreciate them. Why do I have to say anything?” Verbalizing a thank you is not only for encouraging a person, but it is also for you to hear yourself appreciating those around you.

Your words have power to speak life or death and a simple thank you is the best example of life-giving power in someone else’s AND your own life.

7holycrap Holy Crap, Life Lessons

No One Buys Gift Cards from a Store Going Out of Business

giftcards
I went to a store going out of business in my area last week and thought I would share my experience for humor and an important lesson I learned. First, when I pulled up, there were two signs on the side of the building. One said “Going Out of Business Sale – Everything Must Go!” and the other one said “Now Hiring!”. After chuckling and doing a double take, I thought I should take a picture and send it in to one of the late night talk shows so that others could get a laugh out of it. It was so weird to see those signs hanging next to one another knowing that only one of them were true. When I walked into the store, it looked like ants disassembling a Sunday picnic with people walking all over the store assessing the best deals and making their purchases. Plus, in the entire time I have lived in my area, that store has never had that many people in it to my memory.

As I walked up to pay for the discounted treasures I found, the check out aisle had a completely FULL kiosk of gift cards for the store. Again, I chuckled and then was instantly struck with a truth that applied to that store and to life; no one buys a gift card for a company going out of business. Our world puts an incredible focus on the temporary things causing people to strive to get things that, when they die, will not matter anyway. I remember taking my youth kids from church to a graveyard and asking them how many garages they saw by tombstones. The answer was obvious as I shared that there are no garages in graveyards. There are no U-Haul trucks in a funeral procession full of possessions to leave with the deceased person at their gravesite.

There is an incredible responsibility on all true followers of Christ to share with others about the relationship that they have with Jesus and help people shift the focus off of “gift cards that won’t have any value” when the “store” of life closes. Even greater, is if you call yourself a follower of Christ and have a passion to acquire things in this world that is out of balance with your pursuit of Christ, then you need to reevaluate your relationship with Jesus and what HIS value is in your life. I am only saying this because God has done some “housecleaning” in me including an evaluation of my focuses and things that I value.

Today, you have an incredible opportunity to show people around you the power of a focus that is on eternal things and not just the temporal. Just remember that not everyone you come in contact with will understand this principle and needs to not here your WORDS about what you believe with well crafted social media posts but see your ACTIONS that have a magnetic power to draw people to Christ through you.