We are social people and suffer under prolonged isolation. There’s a reason prisons use solitary confinement as a severe form of punishment. But isolation occurs in more insidious ways as well. When we feel hurt, depressed, frustrated, or angry we often act like a wounded animal and crawl off into a hole somewhere by ourselves to lick our wounds. But isolating like this is a dangerous path to walk.
Are you struggling with getting older? Someone once said, “As you get older you will understand more and more that it’s not about what you look like or what you own, it’s all about the person you’ve become.”
Thomas Andrew Dorsey was the first African American elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Gospel Music Association’s Living Hall of Fame. His notoriety and contributions to Christian music are amazing.
Although stress is not new, the fast pace of the technological age has deceived us. We have all these modern gadgets to make life easier, but they combine to inundate us with stressful stimuli 24/7. Additionally, we are often our own worst enemy by packing our lives so full that we have no margin. When something unexpected occurs, we have no reserves with which to deal with it.
Early in his career (1989) songwriter/singer Garth Brooks wrote a song called “The Dance”. In 1991 the Academy of Country Music awarded him the Song of the Year for this piece. Why was this song such a hit?
I have heard it said and asked, “Indeed, life is suffering. Contradiction, misfortune, disappointment, and heartbreak surrounded us. Why must we enter the Kingdom of God through many tribulations? Why does God allow suffering?”
Last week, we talked about contentment as a godly response to life situations. But maybe you were wondering, “Does being content mean that I shouldn’t try to improve my situation?” No! Contentment is not an excuse for laziness or inactivity, nor does it fly in the face of creativity and industriousness.
Some years ago, a friend of mine was transferred by his company to Texas. He was married with three school-age children. Being a northern boy, neither he nor his family took well to Texas. He loved his job, but for a variety of reasons, they found it difficult to adapt to Texas.
Living life by formula is an easy trap to fall into. When life doesn’t turn out like we expect, eventually disappointment and frustration can well up into resentment and disillusionment. What we really create with all our formulas for living is a formula for disaster!
That day when evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took Him along, just as He was, in the boat. There were also other boats with Him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, don’t You care if we drown?”
There’s something about strolling along a quiet beach that brings calm — an escape from the struggles and challenges of life. With a passion for excellence in any career comes the need to keep balanced as well. Christ regularly took time for solitude with His Heavenly Father. Throughout Scripture we see how God meets man in the “quiet places” of His creation.
May 23, 2020 – Listen to this week’s ManUp! Radio show with host, Jim Grassi.
As he began the final piece one of the strings on his violin snapped. In his genius, Paganini was able to continue playing the piece on the remaining three strings. A moment later, a second string snapped. Still, Paganini continued playing the concerto on the remaining two strings. And then, a third string snapped, but still Paganini continued. He finished the piece, note for note, with one string on his violin.
For America and the world one day this will all be over. The early church was no stranger to plagues, epidemics, and mass hysteria. According to both Christian and non-Christian accounts, one of the main catalysts for the church’s explosive growth in its early years was how Christians navigated disease, suffering, and death.
In this fast-paced, high-tech world some people have forgotten that God is in the business of making miracles. Mankind has explored the depths of the universe and the bottom of the seas. We have modified DNA and created artificial parts for the human body. Through technology, we can supply an endless stream of information and artificial intelligence. We’ve become self-sufficient. But the reality is, we still can’t create miracles. We still get into situations where we’re just stuck.