Life’s Marathon: Starting Well vs. Finishing Strong

Posted on July 26, 2025 by David Rische

Have you ever heard a quote that you can’t get out of your head? Who remembers the Big Mac jingle from the 70s? Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. Why is it I can remember this so vividly – but can’t remember the name of the person I shook hands with and met 1 minute ago???

Anyway, over two decades ago, I was at a men’s retreat led by the now deceased Steve Farrar. During one of his talks, he said this unforgettable quote:

In the Christian life it’s not how you start that matters. It’s how you finish.

He went on to describe how starting something is usually easy, energetic, and exciting – a new job, a new savings and investment plan, new relationships, new classes, new hobbies, a new book, new home improvement projects . . .

The challenge is moving past the newness and staying with something over the long haul and completing whatever it is. Sticking with a job when it can be mundane and unfulfilling. Persevering through a relationship when it falls on hard times. Finishing a project though it has taken so much more time, energy, and money than originally planned for.

The same thing can happen in our walk with God. We get busy over the long haul. Bibles stay on the book shelf. Prayers go unanswered. People hurt us. We mess up and wonder if God will take us back.

During his talk, Mr. Farrar named names of those who started incredibly strong and had so much potential – but now they are out of the scene. Morally compromised, irrelevant, abandoned the faith, or living in obscurity. You and I can probably think of some names to add to the list.

He also went through several major figures in the Bible that started strong but didn’t finish well. Solomon, Sampson, many of the Old Testament kings, Judas Iscariot, . . .

In the Christian life it’s not how you start that matters. It’s how you finish.

How can you or I be any different? What can we do to avoid finishing poorly, finishing average, or not finishing our walk with God at all?

The Apostle Paul started terribly, and yet he finished incredibly strong. As he sensed the nearness of his death, he penned these words:

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. (2 Timothy 4:6)

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith . . . (2 Timothy 4:7)

He shows us three big takeaways on how we can finish strong:

Fought a GOOD Fight – Life is a fight. Challenges. Struggles. Hassles. Feeling like we can’t go on. Sometimes we get hit. Losses. However, sometimes we do the hitting. Overcoming obstacles. Significant breakthroughs. Winning. Defeating evil. And it’s a good fight – not great, not perfect, not untouchable. But a good fighter keeps fighting, getting back up, and persevering until the match has ended.

Finished MY course (race) – Not a sprint but a long marathon. Not someone else’s race (comparison, jealousy, or living the life others plan for us and not God’s plan). Runners get tired, injured, and may want to quit. Challenging terrain. However, sometimes runners get a break and there is easy trail running downhill. We get encouraged by and we encourage other racers. We go farther than we did last time. A good runner keeps grinding it out until the end – even if they aren’t going to finish in “first place.”

Kept THE faith – The faith – not compromised beliefs. Using discernment to watch out for swindlers and deceivers. Believing Jesus’ statement that he is the only way to God: I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life. No one can come to the Father except through me. (John 14:6) Having a sense of urgency about making our days count and impacting others for God and his kingdom. Pursuing an active relationship with God and not treating him as the great vending machine in the sky. Staying strong with our faith until the end of our lives.

In the Christian life it’s not how you start that matters. It’s how you finish.

All of the great ones say the same thing (at least on Twitter/X): The secret to life is to keep showing up consistently over long stretches of time, especially when you don’t FEEL like it. When we finally arrive at the eternal finish line, the greatest words we’ll hear from Jesus will be: Well done good and faithful servant. (Matthew 25:23) And that makes it all worth finishing.

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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Understanding Divine Challenges: Biblical Insights

Posted on June 25, 2025 by David Rische

I try not to be cynical. However, the older I get – the more I look back on false teachings I’ve heard, false beliefs I’ve believed, and messages that were cleverly disguised as self-serving and self-promoting. These are all actual statements I’ve heard throughout my life at various times:

*If I give a certain amount of money to the church or a cause – I will be blessed. If I don’t – my finances are under God’s curse and then problems are going to begin.

*If I pray certain phrases and have enough faith – then what I pray for will happen the way I’ve prayed it.

*If prayer is unanswered – I’ve done something wrong, or my sin is blocking it, or I didn’t have enough faith.

*If life is hard and I’m facing challenges – I’m not living the abundant, blessed life God intended for me.

Maybe you can relate to these statements, and/or add more to this list in the comments?

Jesus warned us about being deceived (Matthew 24:4) The wonderful, common, and ordinary people, teachers, and preachers I respect use the same filter: What does the Bible say about ____________? And they don’t twist the scriptures to fit a certain point they are trying to get across.

The Bible shows dozens of examples from cover to cover of people doing exactly what God wanted – and still times were tough. People following God’s will and the challenges multiplied. People questioning God what was going on. This concept caught my attention when Paul made the comments below. Paul who wrote approximately 2/3 of New Testament. Paul who did multiple missionary journeys. Paul who started, supported, and and lost sleep over many churches:

“And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that JAIL and SUFFERING lie ahead.” (Acts 20: 22)

So . . . Paul was smack dab in the middle of God’s will. The Holy Spirit had given him direct messages. And it had nothing to do with avoiding and eliminating problems, financial outpouring, and all his prayers being answered how he envisioned or manifested them. Comfort, ease, and unending blessings were not in the mix. The message involved jail and suffering in city after city.

What? After all he’s done for God’s kingdom? He deserved a break!

Here are just a few other examples of this pattern from all over the Bible:

*Daniel innocently thrown in the lion’s den.

*Joseph betrayed by his brothers who left him for dead. He later is innocently thrown in prison.

*Job was “blameless – a man with complete integrity” and lost everything.

*John the Baptist was put in prison, and eventually was decapitated.

*Jesus was falsely accused, beaten, and then crucified.

Conclusion: We can be 1000% in the middle of God’s plan and will for us – and things can still be tough, questionable, and downright miserable. We can utter the perfect prayer and it doesn’t get answered our way. We can give large amounts financially and cars break down. Air conditioners give out and cost a lot to replace. Jobs are lost. Kids rebel in spite of excellent parenting. The list is truly endless.

We live in a transactional world – I do this and this happens. You do this for me and I’ll do this for you. We follow the rules and get rewarded. We stay in line, do the right things, and hopefully get promoted.

God doesn’t work this way. His grace is always with us when we are his children. It is by grace we are saved through faith and NOT our works (Ephesians 2:8).

Unfortunately, we don’t get to understand and have everything explained to us by God. His promises are that he is with us when we’re not feeling it, seeing it, or experiencing it. He’s with us through trauma, unanswered prayers, problems and hassles. Moses once told his people:

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you or abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31: 8)

Next time one of those challenges happen – what if the focus was shifted to: “I’m exactly where God wants me . . . ”

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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Honoring Our Heroes on Memorial Day

Posted on May 25, 2025 by David Rische

Mismanaged time, interruptions, chasing squirrels down rabbit holes, and actual important things have prevented me from having a blog ready for this month. Inside my head, I knew several years ago that I had written something about Memorial Day, and this would be a great time to republish it. After a somewhat extensive search – I didn’t realize that piece was written 10 years ago! Here it is, with a small, new ending.

My first thoughts when looking at the calendar were, “Oh good, a three-day weekend!” I had a completely different subject for a blog I’ve been working on the last few weeks. In the quiet of the morning, my heart tugged at me to draw attention as to the reasons why we have a  holiday on Monday.

Just like any other time in my life I need information – I went to Google to see the official definition of the Memorial Day Holiday (and the link led me to Wikipedia, the other great source of insight).  Here’s what it said:

“Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces.”

So I want to use this time and space to say “thank you” to those currently serving our country.  “Thank you” to the veterans who have served in the past.  And the ultimate “thank you” to those that have given their lives while serving.

Just a small sample of my military heroes:

1)  My deceased grandfather who served in North Africa during World War II.

2)  Former NFL safety Pat Tillman who turned down a mult-million dollar contract to serve as an Army Ranger, and ended up losing his life.

3) My friend Jeff from high school that made it through Ranger and Green Beret training.

4) My deceased brother-in-law Charlie who served in the Navy.

5) The deceased Major Dick Winters, a man I never met – but highly influenced my leadership style after reading about how he conducted himself during World War II.  Here are some of his highlights summarized from various portions of the book Band of Brothers by Steven Ambrose:

“Winters was one of the leaders of the United States Airborne Division ‘Easy Company’ during World War II.  It was a company that ended up taking 150 percent casualties and considered the Purple Heart a badge of office.  In Band of Brothers, Ambrose chronicles how Major Winters earned the respect of the men under his command by having high demands, but also by participating in everything that they did.  Winters personal code was:  ‘Follow me.’  He was described by the soldiers as a leader that took out more enemy troops – and entered into more risks than anyone else.  Even after the war was officially declared over, Winters could be found doing midnight training exercises with new recruits, while his fellow officers ‘cavorted in Paris.’”
This entry was discovered in Winters personal journal, “I did not forget to get on my knees and thank God for helping me to live through this day and ask for his help on D-Day plus one . . .”

Jesus instructs us, “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. . . “ (John 15: 12, 13). Please take a few moments of quiet reflection to remember and be grateful for all of the men and women throughout history that have laid down their lives for their families, friends, and complete strangers – including us.

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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Breaking Free: How to Stop People Pleasing

Posted on April 29, 2025 by David Rische

Why do we do it? What’s the deal about so desperately wanting the approval of others? How come sometimes our happiness is directly intertwined with whether someone else is happy or not?

I wish I knew the answers to those questions. Actually, there’s quite a bit of research as to why we are people pleasers. Most of the studies lead back to events that happened when we were innocent children. Dr. Nicole LePara is a holistic psychatrist who says this about the topic:

People pleasers aren’t trying to please other people. They’re trying to avoid their own feelings of shame when they disappoint someone. Every people pleaser has one core goal: control how another person views them.

Ouch. That one kind of hurts. I recently discovered that this problem goes back all the way to the Old Testament. It is mentioned in the book of 2nd Chronicles which was written sometime around 400 B.C. The king had appointed judges to help with the administrative work of the kingdom. Here is a section of the advise he gave them:

“Remember that you do not judge to please people, but to please the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 19: 4-6)

Okay, so this has been a problem for a long time. What are some possible solutions? Here are some suggestions that I’ve found helpful:

*Awareness of our motives and the motives of others – Truly asking: Why am I doing this? Is it simply to get their approval or hope that they “like me”? Does this person or group of people have a history of taking, and this relationship is mostly one sided? We have permission to set up boundaries in our lives to minimize or possibly eliminate the people we’re trying to continually please for no apparent reason. Some are givers and some are takers. Watch out for the takers and keep on being a giver. An excellent resource about this topic is a book by Adam Grant called Give and Take.

*Saying “no” without an explanation. This can be a challenging one. The pleaser in us believes that we owe everyone explanations for our actions. Not true. Think about how many times we say “yes” and regret it. The way to start a new habit of this is giving it a try in a low risk environment.

Example: “Hey, everyone is going the 9 pm showing at the movies, you’re coming, right?”

“No.”

“C’mon, everyone is going! Why would you say ‘no’???”

“No, thanks” (with a friendly and loving smile).

Try this! And remember, you are not required to give an explanation.

*Disappointing adults – The people pleaser wants everyone happy and getting along. This just isn’t possible. When it is all said and done – we can only control our happiness in spite of our best efforts towards others. With the practice of saying “no” without an explanation, sometimes disappointing adults comes with that practice. And it is all right. Once again, Dr. LePera offers her insight from her clinical research:

To have the life you want, you need to start the practice of disappointing people. Teach yourself that adults are capable of being upset, and that your role isn’t to fix everyone else’s issues. Anxiety and depression are signals that you’re neglecting you.

Not being a people pleaser may lose us some popularity contests. That is just fine – let someone else win it. When we observe the life of Jesus – you see he didn’t care what the crowd thought. The Apostle Paul made this claim in reference to being a follower of Jesus and people pleasing:

“If we were living to please people – we wouldn’t follow Jesus.” (Galatians 1:10)

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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Spring Break & Disney World – What Could Go Wrong?

Posted on March 24, 2025 by David Rische

A few years ago, I painstakingly planned the “perfect” vacation to Disney World and Universal Studios for Spring Break. This ended up being one of my most popular blog posts that many people commented they could completely relate to. Here’s a recap of my story:

Are you a “Planner”, or do you like to “Fly by the seat of your pants”? I’m a total Planner. Thus, the inspiration for this blog. I had extensively planned for about 8 months an Orlando Spring Break vacation for my daughter’s senior trip. We had never been there as a family – so I read endless books, conducted extensive interviews and interrogations with those that had been past visitors, and combed the Internet for anything related to this magical place. This was going to be the greatest family trip we (or anyone else in history) had ever taken. This time, I was going to do everything right. No room for error. Pure joy. Every activity would be on a precise schedule – just like Robert Deniro’s character in Meet the Parents.

The trip got off to a rough start when I noticed a sharp discomfort in my lower back around 5:30 am at DFW Airport. Thought it was a cramp, nerves, or some other nuance that would go away. We boarded the flight, and those uncomfortable airplane seats were even more uncomfortable. Three hours later, I was writhing in pain – I literally started crawling on the floor of the terminal at the Orlando airport. Was this “The Big One” like Fred Sanford used to say? Was one of my major organs giving out? Appendix bursting? We found a saint of a cab driver that sped us to a close and quality ER. About 5 hours later, I had passed my first kidney stone! Okay, this wasn’t in the plans. However, the medical staff patched me up and blessed me with meds – in a few hours I was screaming in exhilaration as we rode The Everest Expedition Roller Coaster that evening. Slight “blip” in the plans, but we would hit the next few days with a vengeance. Universal Studios and Harry Potter World were tomorrow.

In spite of getting up at the crack of dawn, it seemed as though tens of thousands of other people had that same idea. As the lines allowed, we rode every ride we could between the two Universal Parks (some marketing genius out there conceived the idea of splitting up the Harry Potter World into two worlds – I would love to say it was for the benefit of the consumers, but it was so they can double their moolah intake). We were exhausted, but tomorrow was The Magic Kingdom – and I was determined to see my plans to fruition.

Our hotel was about 20 minutes away from The Magic Kingdom. They offered a “free shuttle” that left at 7 am and dropped everyone off at Epcot (which I was informed is the central hub for all Disney Park transportation). Thought we’d save a few bucks and not use a taxi or Uber. Sounded perfect – The Kingdom opens at 8, leave at 7, arrive between 7:30-7:45, scan our tickets, and we would be in! Everyone had advised us to get there right as the park opens, and you can experience at least 3 major rides before the crowd hits. That advice combined with 3 Fastpasses – I envisioned myself joyfully singing, “Yo-ho, Yo-ho, a Pirate’s Life for Me!” We had the potential of enjoying 6 major rides before the clock struck noon – boom!

The trend of most of my plans not going as I had hoped once again began to rear its ugly head. I first became suspicious when our “shuttle” was a giant charter bus. “Wow, that’s nice of them to provide such a big bus for one hotel,” I thought in my ever increasingly fatigued, naive, and delusional mind. Even though we are not Orlando residents, after about 10 minutes we noticed, “Hey, this isn’t the route to the park.” The bus, oh excuse me – the “shuttle” literally made 7 stops at other hotels before Epcot. The driver dropped us off around 8:15 am in an empty parking lot the size of the poppy field in The Wizard of Oz. It took about a 10-minute walk to get to the Monorail. Phew, finally made it. Oh, but wait – you must get off this Monorail and transfer to another one. Stood in line for about 15 minutes. Rumors circulated throughout the tense crowd that there was a delay.  We waited about 15 more minutes to get on a ferry headed for Disney World. 20 more minutes on the boat ride – and we finally arrived at the entrance around 9:15 am. We soon discovered that half of humanity had already beaten us to the ride (and food) lines – realizing it’s not really such a Small World After All. As the day unfolded, I soon began to fully immerse myself in the spirit of the dwarf Grumpy – along with some of his lesser-known brothers: Pushy, Pouty, and Rudey.

A few days after we returned home – I had some quality time to reflect. I then realized that one of the most important events of our trip was that crummy shuttle ride. That experience served as a great reminder of what it is like to walk with God. So many unplanned stops along the way that test my patience. Not having control over situations and just having to go with the flow. Disappointment. People getting on my nerves. Me getting on people’s nerves. Unexpected barriers and delays that get in the way of me reaching my envisioned destination.  Which leads to the question we can ask in every situation: Is my envisioned destination His envisioned destination?

Plus, I had so much to be thankful for. We were able to save up for the trip instead of charging everything. I could have been stuck in that ER for days, or possibly have had to have surgery, or it could have been “The Big One”. The family had several spontaneous moments of belly busting laughter. A ticket snafu that “entitled” us to 3 any time any ride Fastpasses at Disney Hollywood Studios. And finally, embracing every second of having lunch in Epcot Italy knowing that my daughter is only a few months away from going to college.

This trip was a continual reminder that I want comfort, control, and predictability. God offers wild, uncomfortable uncertainty – covered with many promises that He will be with us every step of the way. May your journey find you somewhere between the happy medium of planning and pants flying.

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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The Heart Matters: Embracing Sincerity Over Spectacle

Posted on February 25, 2025 by David Rische

I meant to post this several weeks ago. I wanted to use one of the themes of Valentine’s Day to write about. So many to chose from: love, candy, flowers, cherub angels, giving, cards, restaurant reservations . . . Then of course, I settled on the most important topic – the heart!

What about the heart? Is there a word of encouragement we could hear during these times that seem to be wearing us down? If we do a topical search – it ends up there are so many verses in the Bible speaking about the heart. However, this one stood out:

” . . . so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart.” (2 Corinthians 5: 12)

We can look around and see spectacular ministries . . .

Stages, tours, lights, social media followers, awards, likes and shares, mega churches, best selling authors, autographs, fans, difficult to approach, relate, and talk to . . .

It’s easy to think, “Wow, I’ll never achieve those things. God is really using him or her. That is the unreachable standard. I’ll just keep going along in my own quiet way.”

Wait a minute. According to the 2 Corinthians verse – there’s something better than a spectacular ministry – A sincere heart!

We can look inside for a sincere heart . . .

Earnest, real, candid, genuine, forthright, outspoken, true, trustworthy, serious, profound, deep, honest, and fervent (according to synonym.com).

None of us have achieved “perfect sincerity” – but I’ll bet several of the above listed describe you. Plus, we can keep growing and getting better with the rest. A sincere heart is accomplishable. A spectacular ministry is a select club.

The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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4 Key Areas for Lifelong Growth

Posted on January 13, 2025 by David Rische

Now is the perfect time to be bombarded with goals, health club memberships, investment in precious metals, miracle meal plans, comfy pillows, financial prosperity, blah, blah, blah. Simple, easy, low cost, effortless, pain-free . . . it wears me out . . . you too??? If you just buy their _________ – then you will meet all your needs and goals you somehow weren’t able to accomplish in years past!!!

There is a simple growth program found in the Bible. It can smoothly be integrated into our daily lives. We can miss a day or two, and that’s just fine. People of all ages may join this program. It can remain low cost. The bad news about the program – it will take the rest of our lives to finish. The good news about the program – it will take the rest of our lives to finish! What is exciting, is that we can always have something to be working and striving towards with this program . . .

Here it is. Check this out:

Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, in favor with God and with men (Luke 2:52).

Four key areas. Jesus grew mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially.

Let’s look at how you and I can do the same. Plus, the myths and reality surrounding these four areas.

  1. Mentally – Myth: I need to know everything about a particular topic. Reality to grow: experiences, reading, podcasts, thinking, praying, courses or classes, new skills, mistakes = improvement, learning, desire to become a better version of myself, creating, and reflecting.
  2. Physically – Myth: I need to belong to a gym and/or purchase massive dollar amounts of equipment, food plans, and supplements. Reality to grow: Eating healthier, reducing sugar, pilates, stretching, walking, exercising, running, working/gardening outside, fresh air, sunlight, and getting out in nature more.
  3. Spiritually – Myth: I’m not good enough for God. Reality to grow: The myth statement is accurate. We can never be good enough in our own strength and abilities. But, believing in His Son Jesus as our Lord and Savior is more than enough. Other ways to grow – Bible reading and study, fasting, giving, praying, church, books, serving, being still, solitude, gratitude, and worship music.
  4. Socially – Myth: I feel like an imposter, what do I have to offer? Reality to grow: stop being a perfectionist, stop keeping score, stop comparing, accept you are enough right now, initiating conversations, small circle of true friends, actively listening to someone, texting encouragement randomly, volunteering, kind social media comments, forgiving offensive people, and setting boundaries with offensive people.

That’s a wrap! These four areas can be pillars for the rest of our lives. Please let me know in the comments of any other actions in these areas you’ve experienced that have helped you grow.

For God knew me in advance, and He chose me to conform to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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Holiday Amplification . . .

Posted on December 23, 2024 by David Rische

“Tis the season to be jolly . . .” But what about those who are feeling sad?

“Silent Night . . . All is Calm . . .” But what if there’s chaos all over the globe?

“Underneath the Tree . . .” But what if there aren’t any gifts or even a tree?

I recently heard a guest speaker at church who opened up my mind to the above scenarios. To paraphrase, he described how everything gets amplified during the holidays. Great things get amplified:

Joy, family, friends, gifts, wonderful meals, sweet treats, shopping, sales, bonuses, travel . . .

However, challenging things also get amplified during the holidays:

Grief, family strife, job losses, depression, anxiety, hunger, no gifts, divorce, loneliness . . .

Sounds so simple – but I found it deeply profound. We might feel embarrassed because we’re “not feeling it W” this holiday season. We could feel shame because we’ve said multiple times, “I just want to get through Christmas.” There might be deep regret because we tried to manufacture happy holidays by racking up purchases on our credit cards.

It’s all right for us to feel and experience these things. It’s a part of the amazing journey we’re on as being fully human. It can serve as a reminder to our hearts that whether we’re experiencing joy or sorrow – this earth is our temporary residence:

For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. (Hebrews 13:14)

And since it is temporary, we can always have hope in spite of our current circumstances or feelings:

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. (Romans 8:18)

And finally, to experience that future glory, we can believe in and receive the ultimate Christmas gift from God, his son Jesus:

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16,17)

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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When Thanksgiving and Anxiety Coexist

Posted on November 26, 2024 by David Rische

The Thanksgiving schedule looks vaguely familiar to most of us: Leave for your destination or start preparing days in advance if you’re the host. Arrive, visit, get caught up, watch the football games – and then it’s time to eat. Usually a prayer of thanks, fill up the plates, fill up the stomachs, and then rest it off. Watch more games or a movie, have seconds – and then rest it off. Finally, leave for home in enough time to get ready for those Black Friday sales!

Or, Thanksgiving might look surprisingly unfamiliar this year. Grief over a lost loved one. Having to work on the holiday. Financial hardship. Alone. Feelings of anxiety, sadness, and possibly depression.

One of the many great reminders of Thanksgiving is for us to take the time to slow down and reflect on how much we have to be grateful for. Last summer, I read a book called The Answer to Anxiety by Joyce Meyers (strongly recommend). The chapter that stood out the most to me was called “The Discipline of Gratitude.” She talks about maintaining an “Attitude of Gratitude.” This comes from pages 88 and 89 of her book:

When I have a huge, unexpected, unwanted problem, my reaction is to complain, feel sorry for myself, and worry (me too – Dave’s words added). But through discipline, I am learning how to look away from anything that distracts me from God and His goodness and instead discipline myself to look for the blessings in my life. We can find something good in every discomfort if we will only look for it.

We can discipline ourselves to look for the good in things. A friend of mine shared this with me:

  • I am thankful to be able to get out of bed every morning even if I am a little stiff or still sleepy, because it reminds me that I am alive and I have things to do each day.
  • I am thankful when I have to cook a meal, because it reminds me that I have food to eat.
  • I am thankful when I get sore from exercising, because it reminds me that I am blessed with health and strength.
  • I am thankful when the oil in my car needs changing, because it reminds me that I have a car to take me where I need to go.
  • I am thankful when I have to juggle invitations or opportunities to be with friends or family, because it reminds me that I am blessed with people to love and people who love me.
  • I am thankful if my clothes feel a bit tight, because that reminds me I have plenty of food.
  • I am thankful when I have to walk to another part of the house to turn off a light or to adjust the thermostat, because it reminds me that I have electricity and a comfortable home.
  • I am thankful when I pay bills, because it reminds me that I am able to buy what I need.
  • I am thankful when I fight traffic, because it reminds me that I have somewhere to go.

My friend’s list includes things most of us can relate to, so next time you find yourself in one of these situations, I hope you will remember to be thankful because of what it reminds you.

Conclusion: Maybe this is a perspective of what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote: Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). It doesn’t mean we still can’t feel anxious, sad, disappointment, or frustration. Looking at the above list – I’m still a work in progress being thankful for bills, traffic, and my car breaking down. I’m reminded of a quote from speaker and author Bob Goff: “Don’t let setbacks become a camp site.”

I’m thankful for you! If this helped – please share with a friend that might need a word of encouragement.

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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You Are Hidden Treasure . . .

Posted on October 22, 2024 by David Rische

Do you find it easy to get caught up in feeling like a number? Statistics say we’re one in 7.9 billion. We have individual Social Security numbers. Driver’s license numbers. Our bank accounts, routing numbers, and PIN’s. Maybe employee numbers, Tax ID numbers, or have had to take a number at the DMV (yuck)?

I’m embarrassed to admit it, but sometimes this thought makes its way into my head: In all of His busyness running the universe – am I a number to God?

A few weeks ago, I came across a verse that stood out when I read it. I’ve seen this story before, but haven’t noticed this verse. It is found in 1st Samuel 25: 29:

Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the Lord your God, secure in his treasure pouch!

This does start out rough talking about King David’s enemies chasing him and wanting to kill him. Hopefully that’s not our situation! However, notice the text says “when you are chased”, not “if you are chased.” We have all kinds of stuff chasing us don’t we? Bills, illnesses, pain, problems, hurts, disappointments, confusion . . . If anything, the resistance we are encountering can be reassurance that we are living lives that matter. The conclusion is in this lifetime we are going to face problems, hassles, and trials. However, in ways to vast for our minds to comprehend – God is protecting us. Even if we have the roughest life – we have the hope of eternity in heaven if we are one of God’s adopted kids (see Romans 8:1-17 to make sure you are in the family!).

Let’s focus on the last part of the verse. Treasure pouch – I like that! If we are God’s children then we must be in that pouch. I reflected on some of the attributes of what it means to be inside of a treasure pouch (try saying these out loud for greater impact):

I am protected.

I am valued.

I am cherished.

I am separated – in a good way.

A cost was paid for me.

He has invested in me.

I am His guarded possession.

I am safe.

He shows me off to others . . .

What about life’s challenges chasing us? Yes . . .

Once those tough times hit we can fix our minds on being in that pouch. Now, and then forever in eternity. When bad things happen, we can move forward knowing that we will ultimately triumph even though circumstances temporarily set us back.

Go out today and shine like the treasure that you are! Please comment if there are any other treasure attributes that you came up with to add to the list.

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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