If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say?

And why are you waiting?

Do not assume that he who seeks to comfort you now, lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words that sometimes do you good. His life may also have much sadness and difficulty that remains far beyond yours. Were it otherwise, he would never have been able to find these words. Rainer Maria Rilke

The life he has planned for Christians is a Christian life, much like the life he lived. He was not poor that we might be rich. He was not mocked that we might be honored. He was not laughed at so that we could be lauded. On the contrary, he was revealing the Christian picture of man, one that was meant to include you and me.

In choosing to be born in utter obscurity, the king of the universe ignored conventional expectations. He celebrated in his own birthday the freedom to be unorthodox. In failing to live up to people's presuppositions, Jesus became a stumbling block to many of his contemporaries. The houseborken Jewish imagination cringed at the crib, shuttered at the ersatz salvation of a humble, unpredictable God. A king in rags was an insult to the finely honed intellect of the Pharisee and the rational mind of the scribe. There is a fascinating principle at work here in very religious people: 'Messiah, you get our allegiance only when you fulfill our expectations.' Brennan Manning

Who has God placed in your neighborhood, workplace or city that He is asking you to begin to cultivate a new friendship with?

"Love is a better master than duty." Albert Einstein

What attitude are you reflecting to the world around you?

"What if praise were on the tip of our tongues like we were a loaded weapon in the hands of a trigger-happy meth addict and every moment might just set us off?" David Crowder

Colossians 3:12-17
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Walking With the Wounded

"To believe the biblical promises of hope requires a courage to face up to the mystery of suffering itself. It requires a confident assurance that the God who created this world is also the God who also suffers with us in the turmoil and uncertainty of the dark hours of life. The divine call is to share the journey of solidarity with the brokenhearted. As those who carry the name of the biblical God, we are called to walk by faith in the darkest corners of the earth. And we are called to wait for the consummation of creation in the completion of the divine promises. En route to that day, we travel as pilgrims, and as a pilgrim people we engage in the vocation of walking as faithful disciples in a broken world." Stan Grenz and Phil Zylla

1 Peter 5:1-5
I have a special concern for you church leaders. I know what it's like to be a leader, in on Christ's sufferings as well as the coming glory. Here's my concern: that you care for God's flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously. Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way.

When God, who is the best shepherd of all, comes out in the open with his rule, he'll see that you've done it right and commend you lavishly. And you who are younger must follow your leaders. But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other, for— God has had it with the proud, But takes delight in just plain people.