Sometimes, we (or at least me) can be anxious about knowing the details of what we need to do in life and overlook the structure and framework of what God does tell us. For some reason, reading the Bible, praying, and following His daily wisdom in dealing with Him, other people and even ourselves don’t seem “practical” enough. We lack in obedience because we doubt its ability to “work for us.” We want something specific and when we don’t see it happening, we say “I tried the whole church, bible, God thing and nothing happened.”

Being obedient to His instructions isn’t a burden to follow, a secret code to get the details unlocked, or a prerequisite to having a relationship with Him (Jesus already paid the sin penalty, restored that relationship – we have to believe that it is true by faith – and redeemed the direct access to our Creator).  Being obedient to God’s word is first and foremost a matter of faith and trust. Being obedient is not based upon the circumstances turning out just as we want them to be.  That doesn’t mean the circumstances are always rough and hard to deal with.  It’s not like watching paint dry or licking dirt. I like what Dave Harvey says in Rescuing Ambition:

“Pursuing Christ isn’t about withdrawing to a cave somewhere so we can contemplate his grandeur. Pursuit means passion, purpose, and action” (p. 30).

God doesn’t leave us hanging around and wondering about what we can expect when we obey. I’m always struck by the way the Scriptures describe the one who is doing what God wants them to do.  Psalm 1:3 says:

 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” (NIV)

Being obedient to God results in steadfastness, unflappability, firmness, strength, and assurance because we are right next to the constant and never-ending source of refreshment. We feel alive and vibrant when we are obedient to God. And during the right time, we can see evidence of our hard work slowly taking shape and growing into something refreshing for others.

Likewise, Jesus finishes His great sermon on the mount in Matthew 5-7 with a description of the ones who are obedient:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Mat 7:24-27 NIV)

The difference between the “wise man” and the “foolish man” is not access to the right tools and knowledge.  The difference is obedience. The wise man put into practice what he heard and learned. The foolish man blew off the instruction and put his fundamental trust in something else. That something else wasn’t as solid as God’s. The Bible makes it clear over and over that everything you’ve ever needed and wanted for a long and satisfying life (as well as an eternal life with Him) is found living a life with God, in God, and through God.

“You don’t know me.” “You don’t know what I’ve gone through.” ”You don’t know what it’s like.” “You’ve got it all wrong.” “It’s not like that at all.”

Can someone really be able to understand who you are and what is going on inside? Don’t you know yourself better than anyone else?

Speaking wisdom into someone’s life is a delicate thing. It takes a wise listener to weed through the situations, attitudes, reactions and the facts to get to the “heart of the matter.” It takes a willing talker to expose their heart in a way that share their inner workings of thoughts and beliefs.  It takes a willing talker to then become a wise listener to the reality of their own heart and to the advice being applied.

In one sense, we do know ourselves more than anyone else. There are many things that we might rather keep a secret. There are things that we would rather people not know about us. Our thoughts and motives are some of these things. Fear of exposing them would hurt our image. Yet, sooner or later, these become such a part of who we are that we also have a hard time grasping them to change them. That’s why it’s important to have a counselor, coach or person that can really help identify the issues and give you the accountability, resources and love that it may take to see it through. Proverbs talks much about counsel. Here are a few:

“The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.” (Pro 20:5 NIV)

 

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Pro 15:22 NIV)

 

“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.” (Pro 27:9 NIV)

Having a counselor, coach or that close and honest friend goes a long way, not only for yourself, but for those around you. There’s a great example of this in the Old Testament of Moses and what his father-in-law noticed. Check it out in Exodus 18:13-27.

But the biggest thing in all of this is not to stop here.  More than having a counselor, coach or an honest friend, we need to go to the ultimate counselor, coach and honest friend: God. So many times, God is left out of the picture.  So much advice without a connection towards God leaves something lacking in the end. The process might have moved us towards a better place and being a better person, yet I wonder what kind of change it can actually be without God? God, after all, does know us better than anyone else, including ourselves. Humans can look on the outward behaviors and what you are willing share, but God knows the inner thoughts and motives. He alone can take it to a whole new level.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind…” (Jeremiah 17:9-10 NIV)

 

“Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power.” (Proverbs 8:14 NIV)

 

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.” (Heb 4:12 NET)

That is why my advice to you would be to have the advice of God. This is more than about living a wiser life.  This is more than about living a more productive life.  This is about living a life that is truly living. That only happens when we allow God to speak to us as the One who knows us better than we do.  He has the power and understanding to actually make a change difference.

What I like about blogging is that I can look back at what I wrote a year ago. Blogging is like my “Life Journal”, yet without the extreme sharing of personal feelings. I can look back and see how God has been working in my life.  I can look back and see if I’ve changed in any way.  I can look back and see if this year is too much like the year before. All of us desire to have years of growth -whether spiritually or in wealth. To many of us, it seems like we get years of rut-defining repeats.

And as the saying goes, “if you want different results, you have to do something different.” Losing weight is often the first goal or resolution of the new year, yet I’m pretty excited to see many people talk about wanting to get closer to God in 2012.  All of this remind me of what Paul says in 1 Timothy 4:8

“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (NIV)

Just like defining workout plans and creating time to actually get at it, what kind of plans are you creating to ensure training for godliness? I want to suggest 4 spiritual workouts:

1) Spend Actual Time with God -

There are many ways to spend time with God. Primarily, we have to get into reading His Word, His letter, His story for us – the Bible. Yet, buying a Bible or downloading the Bible app to your device and not using it is like buying a treadmill or a gym pass and thinking that’s the hardest part. The hardest part is actually carving out time to open it and read it. You are going to have to plan a specific and repeatable time to create a “spend time with God” rhythm. The truth is that all of us can create even a few minutes a day to do this. Maybe it’s getting up earlier? Maybe it’s getting the Bible on CD or MP3 to play during your commute? Maybe it’s putting the Bible on top of the TV remote, causing you to catch up with God before you catch up on the news? It’s time to change the classic icon of the bible to an opened one, versus only seeing the words “Holy Bible.”

2) Fast -

Just as exercising and eating whatever you want don’t mix, spending time with God can’t be just something you add on.  We have to cut out the junk and go to the source of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.  Fasting is a way for us to feel “hungry for God.” Fasting isn’t some type of self-righteous test or temptation boot camp. Fasting is about coming to a place of uncomfort and filling our appetite with really getting to know God more.  We fill our appetite with prayer or more bible reading or reflection or journal or confession, to name a few. It’s putting us at a place where we know we need God. The truth is that most of us are comfortable in our lifestyles. We have plenty of food to eat.  We have a car, a house and plenty of entertainment devices. Almost anything we want is right at our disposal. Maybe it’s cutting some of those comforts out as well?

Proverbs 30:8-9 “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” (NIV)

3) Journal -

Those who are serious about exercise keep track of where they are at in reaching their goal. They get on the scale and record the weight.  They track how many miles they ran and how long it took them.  They count every crunch and bicep curl.  They count every calorie. Keeping a log of repeat temptations and moments of celebration is a great way to monitor your progress.  It holds yourself accountable if you begin to “slip”a little. You may also begin to notice how you get upset over the smallest things. Keeping a journal allows you to step back and see your week or month as a whole. It’s also a great place to record some really great Bible verses or quotes to look back on and teach yourself what you may have already forgotten.

4) Get a Coach and a Cheering Section -

Every great athlete had people pushing them to be better, stronger, faster. Spiritual coaching is no different. We all need people to prod and push us.  We all need people to encourage and support us. Spiritual coaching happens at church, in a small group or One-to-One with a mentor or friend. God has not designed spiritual growth to happen without someone else. The early church had to be told this truth only several years from it’s beginning in Hebrews 10:24-25:

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (NIV)

Whatever your goals are for 2012, I’m praying they will transform you as God works through you, with you and in you.

I’m not ususally one to reminisce about the past. I did often think that it was a sign of not growing, just looking back at the “good old days.” The mentality of today is to keep your eyes on the future, your dreams, your hope, and your goals. But there is value in looking back. After all, “this is your life. Are you who you want to be?” (song by Switchfoot).

We should look back to connect the dots of where we have been to where we are now.  We look back to help explain how we came to the place that we are now (physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually). The bible does this a lot. Each gospel account of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) describes how things started out or how Jesus fulfilled prophecy of hundreds of years before. The Bible as a whole is a story, a narrative of the development of humanity and God.  My favorite New Testament book, Ephesians, does this right from the beginning. Paul talks about how he was an apostle “by the will of God.” Paul talks about how God has worked from the beginning of time for our salvation.  Paul is connecting the dots for us. And I like how Paul puts it in Ephesians 2:10. Check out the NIV and Message version:

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (NIV)

“No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” (MESSAGE)

This passage talks about our lives before Christ and how God has brought us salvation.  It also talks about what this salvation then brings.  Salvation is not the end.  It’s a point along a great journey.  For those of us who believe in Christ as the Lord of our lives and the Savior of our sins, we are God’s piece of work.  Each day is not just “another day, another dollar.” Each year is not to be a repeat of the one before.  Events, experiences, and relationships all play into God working in us, through us and with us to do the things He has already designed and prepared for us to do.

That blows my mind to think that not only does He care and love enough to die for my sins, but He cares and loves enough to work with me, develop me and allow me to be a part of His great work. Look back over this past year and see the events, experiences, relationships and things you’ve learned that helped shape you into what you believe and why you are who you are today.  These things will help drive your desires and passions.  These things help you understand and watch for the experiences, opportunities and relationships that God could be preparing you to do His great work in this next year.  And if you want to get crazy, begin to look further back in your life to see God’s handiwork in you over the long haul and perhaps, even over the generations.

Here are some books that I really enjoyed and that helped shape my thinking in 2011, in no particular order.

Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley

Weird by Craig Groeschel

Soul Print by Mark Batterson

Read This Before Our Next Meeting by Al Pittampalli

First Time Dad by John Fuller

Ephesians by Paul and God

Honorable Mentions:

Wired to Care by Dev Patnaik

Read the Bible for Life by George Guthrie

Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud

One of the harder things to work through is when someone you really like or love leave you. It could be that they have passed away.  It could be that they are divorcing you and connecting with someone else.  It could even be that they moved away to do ministry work somewhere else.

This last example is perhaps one that everyone, who has been involved in a church, has experienced. Most pastors (youth, associate, children’s, senior, missionary…) stay at a church or mission field for an average of 4 to 5 years and leave for many reasons. Most pastors will work at 4 to 5 different churches in their lifetime, if they continue (8 out of 10 will drop out of ministry before they reach retirement age). On top of that, some research suggests that a pastor is most effective between year 5 and 14. With the church seemingly on “decline,” it probably isn’t a coincidence of the two. When the ones you like, leave, it can hurt emotionally and spiritually.

I remember when I was in High School, my youth pastor left to lead another church and it was a sad moment at the time for me. A few years later, the senior pastor of that church left to pastor somewhere else.  During my last year at graduate school, the senior pastor at the church I was attending resigned after a long and legacy tenure. After graduating from school, I planned to help a church planter continue the two year old plant until he suddenly announced to the small church that he was quitting. He ended up just leaving that church to dissolve. After moving to Massachusetts, the lead pastor at the church I was attending left a few years later. He had been there for less than 10 years and followed a pastor who failed morally.  A few years later, I left that church as well. There were many different reasons these all happened, but they happened. I have experienced and seen these leavings often hinder spiritual growth in many people. Everyone I talk to can share many stories and their results. So is this something we just have to come to grips with?

I believe there are a few things to notice long before and even if a pastor does leave.

Some pastors leave because they don’t know what else to do. They can feel as though they are not being effective in that church or region.

To be honest, maybe they are not a great fit for that region or church.  Or perhaps they feel that they have done all they can do with their learned “bag of tricks” and it’s time for someone to build greater things upon their work. Or perhaps they don’t fully understand what their gifts are, how they are wired to work and what weaknesses they need to be aware of. Or perhaps they are simply mistaken in thinking that they are not being effective.

Pastors are often “sensitive” individuals who felt the call of God to lead and take care of His people. God uses that sensitivity and background for them to be in “tune” with those they lead. They desire to help people just like they were helped out. That same sensitive heart can drive their excitement and joy in Christ or it can bruised, causing a hardened heart to respond to their followers and the work of God with resentment. Seeing and hearing people grow in Christ are huge ways to encourage and incite pastors to remain in the joy of God’s work. Standing in support of the pastor as a person without the constant stressing oversight allows the pastor to be led more by the Spirit of God than by human “leanings” to perform in certain ways.

Giving a pastor room to grow in Christ himself is the pastor who leads from the overflow of that personal growth. They will always be in tune with new ways of connecting and understanding people, and new ways of understanding and applying God’s word because it is a constant part of their own personal life. Give leaders time and space and help during their growth. They are humans just like everyone else and they need to grow just like everyone else. There are many ways to encourage and it is my hope to be able to encourage; and teach churches and pastors how to encourage by the beginning of this next year.

Some people’s spiritual growth was too heavily laid on that one person.

Let us be honest. Each of one of us are primarily responsibility for our own spiritual growth.  We can’t blame someone else for our lack of growth if we treat our private time with God with such great neglect. Growing in our understanding and relationship with God can increase with pastors, accountability partners and other spiritual leaders, but should not waver so drastically when they leave. Be actively involved in Scripture reading, meditation, prayer, service and other Christian disciplines.  It’s too easy to find yourself completely busy, disconnected and doing little for God and with God.

Pastors, missionaries and spiritual leaders can also contribute to this from happening by working better with a team and highlighting the benefits of one another. Many often claim that it is lonely at the top and I wonder if this is partly due to their own crafting of how they work and design the ministry (putting themselves alone at the “top”)? Other times, many are so busy with their own work that they are simply left alone rather than working together or at least encouraging one another. I also see pastors, missionaries and spiritual leaders put too much pressure on themselves to make certain spiritual responses happen from their followers.  When the responses don’t happen, they react. These reactions have hurt followers or made the leader feel as though they are not being effective within that church or region. Not to lessen the responsibility placed on spiritual leaders by God, but there must be a balance and a reminder that they are co-laborers with Christ. Just as much as people shouldn’t rely on one person for their spiritual growth, pastors shouldn’t rely simply on their own efforts to complete God’s work.

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There are many more things that could be added to this list and perhaps I’ve stirred the pot a little. I would welcome your additional thoughts and even share your own stories.  I do know this: each decision made by a pastor, missionary or spiritual leader to leave has not been an easy one.  Each pastor, missionary and spiritual leader takes their calling very seriously. Not every decision to leave is made for the wrong reason.  Not every transition turns bad. In the end, it is my prayer that every pastor, missionary, spiritual leader and every follower of Christ will continue doing the work of God and will grow in their own spiritual walk with Him especially when the ones they like, leave.

I’ll be honest to say that as I’ve followed God’s calling to “Go” (and not sure yet where that going is), it’s been a lot more of wandering that I wanted to experience. Yet, I’ve had the opportunity to gain more perspective about church life and being a Christian.  I remember reading Mark Batterson write that “a different place and a different pace leads to a different perspective.”  It’s the chance to step back and see it a different way.

So for the first week after leaving our previous church, we intentionally didn’t go anywhere.  We simply stayed home. I wanted to feel what it was like to “skip” church and small group. It was kind of awkward not getting ready for church as I saw a lot of my facebook friends and pastors talk about Sunday morning services.  I did kind of feel that I was missing out on something.  But then later in the day, I realized that I wasn’t even sure what I had missed.

Like a monster truck rally, it’s mostly about getting there on Sunday, Sunday, Sunday….but why? Putting on facebook and twitter statements like, “you won’t wanna miss this next weekend, it’s going to be awesome!” or “we start a new series that I can’t wait to share with you about” or “I’m making a big announcement this weekend, it’s going to be so big you better be here” don’t really do much for me.  I don’t know about other people, but it kinda leaves me wondering what’s the point? What are they really going to be sharing that I can get excited about long before I “have” to get there? Is the only goal attendance or is it daily spiritual awakening? I often wonder what else is going on during the week that I can get excited about or even involved in with.  Even if I’m in a small group during the week, that may not be enough if it doesn’t get the point either.

I don’t mean to sound critical or act like I know it all. My point is this. Try getting people involved, excited, encouraged, connected, provoked to be with God and to become aware of their impact locally and globally during the whole week. Many churches, organizations and pastors do this and I love seeing and hearing about it.  It reminds me when I taught Sunday school at a church when I was in college.  One week, I ran into a student from that class at the grocery store.  The look on the little kid’s face was of shock.  He wondered what I was doing there.  I said “buying groceries.”  In a weird way, since the kid had only seen me at church on Sundays, he kind of thought that I lived at the church and by default never existed in the world “they” roam every other day.  Even though none of us are naive to think such things about churches, organizations and pastors these days; sometimes, I believe we never think or realize otherwise and we end up thinking we didn’t miss anything after all.

I began reading a book called Rescuing Ambition by Dave Harvey.  In the forward, C.J. Mahaney writes:

“Humility doesn’t have to quench ambition. And ambition- the right kind- doesn’t have to trample humility” (p. 9).

The more I thought about this and my own life, the more I see this tension.  Christian passion and zeal have often come across as being crazy, irrational, unbalanced, unrealistic, wacky, weird and even sinful because it can be prideful and against a “suffering” way of living as a Christian.  To run around in excitement and have ambition to see something grow (even if it is for God) somehow means that one is trying to draw attention to themselves rather than to God Himself.  It somehow means that searching for significance and doing things of significance has to be searching to be somebody important, to have the attention drawn to themselves.  And no doubt, you and I can name a few people or even ministries that do easily fit that stereotype.  So the result for many, including myself, is to make sure we live in opposition to ambition: “humility”.

Practically, I would always find myself checking my “pride” and choosing to remain humble in the form of sitting back and being quiet.  I would even praise my humble submissiveness (or blame others for being in my way) or I just thought I shouldn’t because I don’t know enough (intimidation hurts ambition too and expresses itself as a false humility).  So every few years, I realized I lost some passion.  Yet, as with Jeremiah and Ezekiel, there was a fire, deep inside, to proclaim what God had put in my heart: to proclaim ambition, to live according to something of worth, something of significance. I think it is a common track for many people.  I’ve enjoyed books like IT and Chazown by Craig Groeschel or Soul Print and Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson or Holy Discontent by Bill Hybels that speak about Christian passion and ambition and how to find it.

I’m slowly learning that humility can even be the wrong kind when it subverts the very gifts God has placed within us.  These gifts are God-designed for me to best bring Him something of worth, something of weight, and something of significance (the meaning of ‘glory’). The “search for significance” doesn’t have to equal sinfulness or selfishness.  I see too many of us living day to day without passion, ambition, joy or a sense of significance.  I believe we desire to know that we are doing something of value and of worth.  Sometimes we simply don’t know what that is and we’re tired of trying. Sometimes we just simply don’t see or hear the affect we’ve made with our time, influence and resources.  Sometimes we are tired of dealing with people telling us how to live out our gifts for the fulfillment of their passion.

There are a million reasons that can affect our ambition and joy. So, sitting back and just living life is less complicated, but it lacks joy, doesn’t it?  I don’t believe that it’s okay to live life knowing that we are here just to live and then to die and to be forgotten.  In one sense, this is a true reality as Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes. But in another sense, it lacks the reality of Jesus in our lives. ”Suffering” for Christ does not mean it is without enjoyment, ambition and knowing our lives are of significance.

I hope to talk about what God sees as significant in the next coming posts.

There is this verse in the Psalms where David cries out to God for a restoration of joy in his life.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psa 51:12 NIV)

The Psalm is written when David’s sin and adultery with Bathsheba was confronted by the prophet Nathan.  Having your sin exposed is humiliating because sin is inherently shameful.  All of us experience and participate in sin.  We often don’t feel the shame associated with it because we have justified or reasoned the deed to be “normal” (or whatever we tell ourselves).

But what that has left us with is a life without joy.  A life without joy doesn’t have to be gloomy and depressing.  It could be a steady, emotionless, almost “adult-like” living.  We could even be more focused at business because there are going to be less and less things that grab our attention for excitement. It’s as though nothing really matters anymore.  It’s the pessimistic outlook on life that Solomon writes about in Ecclesiastes.

So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun. (Ecc 8:15 NIV)

David writes in Psalm 32, that this living with sin (and therefore without joy) is actually slowly destroying his body (Ps. 32:3-4).  The solution, as outlined in both of these Psalms, is to confess our sins to God and begin reflecting and sharing how good God has been, is and will be in our lives. Having someone speak into our lives, besides ourselves and including the Holy Spirit and the Bible, is key to experiencing joy in our lives.

As I’ve transitioned from Fellowship Church and learning more about following the Holy Spirit’s lead in my life, the more and more I realize how sinful I am, yet how much God loves me and how much God desires for me to live with joy in light of that love.  For too long I’ve lived as most “older” Christians have lived: a steady, repetitive, yet emotionless, unmotivated life of “enjoying” God’s blessings on my life. Living in this mysterious middle has been confusing and discouraging in certain aspects.  But it has also been enlightening, a going “back-to-the-basics” time, and holding onto the things that really matter.  I highly encourage you to simplify your life a little and leave plenty of room for God to work in your life as you reflect on the joy of HIS salvation.  His salvation on your life (if you’ve accepted Jesus Christ as the Savior of your sins and the Master of your life) leads to joy and lets your own spirit be willing and motivated to live a life of excitement for God, a life that can really sustain you in the long haul.

Towards the end of summer, my wife and I decided it was time to truly trust and obey God by leaving our comforts of a home, a job and security.  As a pastor, we constantly tell people to trust God, trust God, trust God and for some time, we rode the fence because we knew there were some things God had to finish before we stepped out.  As we prayed for those things to happen, they took care of themselves. God answered prayers (some of them not as we thought He would).

In any case, we find ourselves transitioned out of Fellowship Church as our home (we lived in an apartment above the church) and as my vocation.  Many people would look at what we did as foolish or wonder what kind of controversy was going on behind the scenes. Either one of those answers sound more reasonable than one made by faith and with faith.

Where does that leave us? Well, God says that “all things work together for GOOD, to those who love God, to those called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).  One thing about God is that He is concerned about making things GOOD.  When He created the world and everything in it, He said it was “GOOD” (Genesis).  When Jesus came and proclaimed the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies as the Messiah and brought salvation to all people through His death, burial, resurrection and ascension into Heaven, it is called “the GOOD News.” When talking about the Bible, the apostle Paul said that it is useful to fully equip men and woman to do every GOOD work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Sometimes, we are filled with news and work and busyness that have little GOOD in it.  As I’ve ventured out, I’ve come to realize that there are a lot of people desiring to do good, but not sure how to do it.  I’ve come to realize that there are a lot people just not sure where to help or if they are really needed. I’ve come to realize that there are a lot of places trying to do good, but lack in public awareness or network support.  I’ve come to realize that there are a lot of places trying to “reinvent the wheel” when there are already places making very good wheels.

In the midst of looking into where and what God would have us do, I want to learn and share through this blog GOOD things happening in New England. On top of sharing encouraging and motivating things from God’s Word and books I pick up, I’m sharing GOOD things from churches, non-profits, educational institutions and personal inspiring stories.  I pray through this venture, that more and more people would get involved with the GOOD and fall deeper in love with the creator of GOOD; God Himself.