Category Archives: Life

At the top and at the bottom

Life

God will be with you at the top of life’s achievements, accomplishments and joy and he will also be with you at the bottom. He is always with you even though you may not realize it.

Life is funny in that when things are going well it is easy to think you have it under control. In these situations people pray less and call on him less because they forget who is in control. God of course hears the cries and prayers from people who find themselves at the bottom of life’s cycles but while I don’t know if this is true, I suspect that the sweetest fragrance and the sweetest words spoken are when his people come to him in the good moments of life with thanksgiving.

Giving thanks in advance is one of the cornerstones of a life of faith. Many times in the New Testament it speaks of calling those things that be not “AS” through they were. Calling things in advance is one of the greatest expressions of faith that exist. It is the act of praying over a situation and thanking God during that same prayer for his answer. Spiritually speaking, it tells God not only that you have the need but that you have the faith in him to answer the need. If you think about in the natural realm, it is weird. It is like you asking someone for something and then thanking them in advance of their answer. In the spirit realm it is not weird at all because faith is the one thing that moves God. In almost every example in the bible God waited for the people to ask him before he intervened in their situation.

Take the story in the bible about the woman with the issue of blood that Jesus healed in the street. The reality is that Jesus passed by everyone else on the street that day because she was the only one who ask and acted in faith. The hard truth is that Jesus will watch from the sidelines of your life until you call on him. Let me say that again, the hard truth is that Jesus will watch from the sidelines of your life until you call on him.

My advice is to call him when you see the storms of life from a long way off and not wait until you are getting wet. Call him early and call him often. He already knows what is going on but it is your faith that moves him in your direction. KT

Peace that passes all understanding

Life

In the bible in the book of Philippians, there is an important passage that deals with how to obtain peace in our lives. It is literally a three step process and all three steps are within the two versus.

Philippians 4:6-8 says. Be careful for nothing (don’t be full of care and worry) but in everything by prayer and supplication (talk with God about everything) with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God and the peace that passes all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The last part of that passage is to me the most important aspect. When you worry and can’t sleep, your heart is fearful and your mind runs with mental videos of past failures. The last part says he will keep (hold still) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. It literally means he will bear (carry) the burden of your situation and allow you to rest in knowing he has it under control. This could be one of the most powerful passages in all scripture because it deals with something we all need and all experience.

I believe to get to the peace you need to follow the steps in the passage

Step one-talk to God about it, step 2-thank him in advance for handling it even though you may not know the answer yet, step 3-accept his peace that will hold fast (keep you from worrying) your hearts and minds.

In times of greatest stress, repeat this passage from memory (memorize it) and you will find the true meaning of God’s word. KT

What to do in the middle of stress

Career, Life

Our company, Hotel AG is involved in something this week that is proving to be a tad stressful. On me. This situation has consumed my thoughts for the past week and partially my thoughts for the past eight weeks.

I think with all big decisions in life, in order to gain perspective, you need to envision the worst case scenario before you can get past the decision at hand. You also need to take an inventory of your life and as has been preached for generations, count your blessings. I mean literally count your blessings as you think about your life, your health, your family, your children, your home etc. I find that so many times we forget or overlook what blessings we already have when in fact, these are the very aspects of life that help you gain and keep perspective.

It is my guess that you could go to the local Starbucks or a shopping area and sit for five minutes and you will see someone else that will reinforce to you how blessed you really are. It is easy to take the goodness in our lives for granted and to just assume you will continue to have that goodness.

Last night I couldn’t sleep so I went into the family room to read for a while and looked down below one of the bar stools and on the floor were a pair of little pink fuzzy house slippers that belong to my youngest granddaughter. I picked them up and held them and gently put them on bar stool and realized at that moment what a simple blessing it was to hold those pink slippers and to know that my little granddaughter is healthy, happy and full of joy. It is these little small details that give us a glimpse into a blessed life that help us get through what we think is a big issue. In reality, it helps us understand that the big issue is the little pink slippers and the small issue is the work thing. KT

When should you choose joy?

Life

Joy is the result of a decision to love and love is a choice. They come in that order. Love then joy then peace. When you chose to love, you will find joy and peace in the process. I may not have worded that in the best fashion possible but if you read it again, it may give you the road map to finding what we all want, which is to be in peace and full of joy.

For many, this time of year has difficult memories from the past. Also for many, they are dealing with sickness of a family member, health issues, financial strain, broken relationships and hurt. For the ones who are in this position, it is difficult to plan for Christmas dinners and family gatherings because they feel their life is seemingly on hold and occupied with these issues.

So the question is, when should you choose joy? I believe if God could have a one-on-one conversation with you, he would tell you to always choose joy. Choosing to be thankful and acting in love is not a casual decision, nor is it the result of circumstances. It is the deep understanding that you as a person will make better decisions with love and joy in your heart than you will without them. It is the most basic outward expression of your faith in a God that knows every single thing going on in your life. He is just waiting on you. It is like you are saying to God, I am ready to let go, please come and help me.

If your most difficult decision and cause of stress this holiday season is choosing where to shop and what to buy, read the second paragraph again and be thankful for where you are in life and pray for those who are not. KT

The most important part of a puzzle

Career, Life

If you dumped a 1,000 piece puzzle on the table, and I asked you what is the most important part of the puzzle, what would you say?

It is much like life and business. When you know what is the most important part, it helps you decide what to do. We sell hotels as a business, and in every transaction, there is always a personal element to consider. The personal element is the why. If you can answer that part, you understand the most important part of that transaction puzzle. It is the same with a marriage, children or your personal friendships. Once you understand why, you can figure out the rest.

Do you know the answer to the question about what is the most important part of a puzzle? It’s the picture on the box. If you don’t know what it is supposed to look like when you are finished, how do you start? So, in life and business it is the same thing. When faced with a challenge or problem, keep looking at it until you see the picture or the vision of it and start there. That way you will know if the pieces will fit or if it is a waste of time.

There is this guy I know who built a new house and clearly did not have a set of plans or a picture to follow. He just dug a foundation and started building; he would make changes and add rooms as he went. The result? A home that is probably valued at zero because it was done without the most important part: a picture or plans. It is just a hodgepodge amalgamation of building materials, shapes, colors, layouts and design. It is the ugliest house you have ever seen.

When you are faced with a difficult situation, ask God to give you the wisdom (James 1:5) and vision for how the situation should look once resolved. That will help guide your steps to resolving the difficult situation. Simple right? Ha. KT