In Scripture the Lord invites us to call upon Him. Don’t ever think that your issue is too insignificant or trivial for the Lord to address. He wants us to “cast all our cares on Him.” (1 Peter 5:7) And He delights in coming to our rescue.
Astronaut Col. Michael Anderson died in the Columbia space shuttle tragedy. Mike’s death was a great loss to His family, friends, and this nation. His family has not only been comforted, but over the years, they have used this tragedy and their great faith to comfort others. Tragedy is inevitable in our broken, sin-sick world. But God uses tragedy to draw us to Himself and He offers us comfort and encouragement.
He was big for his age — 220 pounds and six feet tall! Bucking hay bales for his uncle during the summer, he had developed muscles in places most kids just dreamed about. But he was just like any other kid his age, wanting to look and be like someone else.
In December 1958, the powerful New York Giants clashed with the Baltimore Colts and a young quarterback, Johnny Unitas, pushing the game into the NFL’s first-ever overtime. It was perhaps the most exciting football game ever played!
Often when we feel discouragement settling in on our spirit it comes because of disappointment from unmet expectations. Satan’s goal is to weaken, dishearten, discourage, and make us lose hope.
Despite our great plans and advanced study, once we were in the fray, it was “every man for himself.” At times we couldn’t even paddle. We just had to hang on!
Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was hit by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent six years in a Vietcong prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from his experience.
Discouragement rears its ugly head for many reasons. It is perhaps heaviest when we realize we’ve failed to properly represent Jesus Christ. Or worse, we may have even made Him look bad! As maturing Christians, we’re on a spiritual journey packed full of lessons in humility.
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.
God wants us to be strong and courageous; to rejoice in knowing that the God of our salvation is our strength, and if we lean on Him, He will give us the power to overcome those discouraging times.
Feb 2, 2019 – Listen to this week’s ManUp! Radio show with host, Jim Grassi.
Jan 26, 2019 – Listen to this week’s ManUp! Radio show with host, Jim Grassi.
A person had a large aquarium that served as a home for an adult pike. The researcher noticed that every time he put minnows in the tank the pike would quickly gobble them up. As part of an experiment, the investigator decided to slip a plate of glass into the tank separating the pike from the area where he would introduce the baitfish. He then placed some minnows on the side away from the pike.
Gordon is one of the most remarkable people I’ve ever met. Despite his blindness, he is one of the most sought-after musicians in Nashville. If you look at the credits of a Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, or Martina McBride album anxious to find the name of the great piano player who adds so much musical flavor to those top-selling records, the name Gordon Mote, an accomplished musician, master prankster, and devoted Christian will appear on the album jacket.
Sadhu Sundar Singh and a companion were traveling through a high pass in the Himalayan Mountains when they came across a body lying in the snow. The man was barely alive. Sadhu told his traveling companion they needed to help the stranger. The fellow climber felt his best chance to reach the summit was to move on and make it on his own.
It was a cold New York December day just before Christmas. A little boy, who was about 10 years old, was standing in front of a shoe store on the roadway, barefoot, peering through the big plate-glass window, and shivering with cold. An older lady approached the boy and said, “My little fellow, why are you looking so earnestly in that window?” The young boy responded, “I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes.”
