INCREDIBLE!
     OFF THE CHARTS!
          KNOCKED ARE SOCKS OFF!
          There’s no way we could describe how much fun we had with the kids at the NAOMI House! The guys did some work as they always do, but thanks to some gifts of squirt-fish from Miss Debbie at the Sunshine Rescue Mission and Hope Cottage Flagstaff we all got soaked!
          Some folks would call these special fish - squirt guns, but we have a kinder, gentler name for them. We affectionately refer to them as "squirt-fish." Whatever you want to call them, they were the launching point for a day full of heart-smiles! 
          After lunch, the kids surprised us when they came out with super-soakers (super-sized squirt guns.) We each found increasingly creative ways to throw water at each other! The smiles were as wide, high, deep and long as the blue sky above us - and Christ’s love within us! We can’t wait to do it again!
          We're so grateful to Danny, Dave, Ryan and Leslie for sharing their hearts and making kids feel loved and making them smile. The more we work together in unity, the more we become family.
          We there as part of the YWAP Mentoring Program at the Sunshine Rescue Mission. The program is a collaboration between YWAP, SRM, Church For The Nations Flagstaff, Compassion Ministries. Some of the guys also attend Celebrate Recovery at CFTN.
          Mentoring and serving are lopsided cousins. You might think you're going to serve somebody, but the God turns the tables and the blessing falls onto your own head and your heart overflows with joyous gratitude. Only God could have envisioned this scenario.
FYI - SOMETHING TO PRAY FOR.
The gas grill bit the dust and they need a new one. We had to cook the sausages we brought for lunch in the oven.
(Bob doesn’t know how to cook on an oven - only a grill.)
Let us know if you have an extra or would like to help support the kids with a new one.
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.
#ywap4Revival #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW
#CompassionMinistries
Church for the Nations - Flagstaff
Sunshine Rescue Mission
Youth With A Purpose Inc.
Celebrate Recovery Church For The Nations Flagstaff
Danny Hurst
Ryan Musgrove

          Many people summon up the courage to leave their old lives behind. Folks who've been rescued from afflictions, addictions and abuse have taken a great first step to becoming whole in Christ. One thing remains and that's healing. Without healing the wound that caused the original need for deliverance, an open wound grows through emptiness.
          I want to begin by reading Scripture - a good place to begin, don’t you think? After the Scripture I will tell you a true story. Maybe it applies to me or you. For me - I know it applies.
Matthew 12:43-45 KJV
     “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”
Matthew 12:43-45 MSG
     ““When a defiling evil spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil. When it doesn’t find anyone, it says, ‘I’ll go back to my old haunt.’ On return it finds the person spotlessly clean, but vacant. It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits more evil than itself and they all move in, whooping it up. That person ends up far worse off than if he’d never gotten cleaned up in the first place. “That’s what this generation is like: You may think you have cleaned out the junk from your lives and gotten ready for God, but you weren’t hospitable to my kingdom message, and now all the devils are moving back in.””
          Let me repeat the line:
      "That person ends up far worse off than if he’d never gotten cleaned up in the first place." 
          Last year I was heading out for a hike. At the end of my road were two people laying against a log appeared to be resting.  I smiled and waved as I walked by. The next day I walked by the same place, they were gone, but where they had rested was strewn with garbage including liquor bottles. There was also a letter indicating one of them had just been released from a court mandated rehab clinic. I felt sad and prayed. Whatever trouble they had been in, they had quickly returned to.

• The Devil searches for delivered folks who aren’t healed.
• Folks who’ve been delivered and not healed feel empty.
• The Devil sends his evil agent who caused the need for deliverance to check out the condition of the delivered one.
• Returning to the good heart where the deliverance occurred, he finds strewn with garbage unhealed, empty and vulnerable.
• The demonic agent grabs seven of his evil buddies and plans his vicious comeback.
• The seven workers of iniquity have been schooled in the evil arts of sinful persuasion.
• They are more evil than the first demon of possession; more hideous, more malicious and more likely to enlarge the emptiness of the delivered one.

          Enlarged emptiness creates a hunger and thirst for unworthiness and self-defeat. Sometimes we get to a place where life is good and troubles seem so far away. We go through life singing happy songs. “My hands are workin and my mind is clear. I got no trouble on my own two feet. What would you think about having such luck. It ain’t luck - Yeah - I’m all blessed up!” (Cheap Elvis imitation!)
Life is good.
And then suddenly...
Here's a few lines from a song by the Beatles called “Yesterday”
     "Yesterday, All my troubles seem so far away, Now I need a place to hide away
     Oh, I, I believe in yesterday, Suddenly, I ain't half the man I used to be, no
     There's a heavy, heavy shadow hanging over me, Yesterday, came suddenly."
Has your yesterday returned?
 
          Years ago I had a fear of failure, falling and not finishing. Falling backwards every time I neared the top - on a bridge, on a bike or in a car. This went on for years until one day I felt God speaking to me.  
Then God said, “I am at the top. I will bring you up and over. You cannot get to the top on your own power, but by My power I will climb the mountains of life.”
          God wants all of you to know that Jesus is the greatest Overcomer in the history of mankind. He was delivered from the cross to heal our sinful condition. Deliverance and healing go together.

• All of you are mountain climbers.
• If one of you falters along the way, I will leave the 99 and go help you.
• You are never alone, I will never leave you or forsake you. 
• You are a child of the most high God and I invite you to the high places.

           There are times in life when we don't feel worthy to accomplish all that God has called us to do. Gideon felt that way. The Lord answered him, "I will be with you."
Judges 6:11-16 ICB
“The angel of the Lord came and sat down under an oak tree at Ophrah. (fawn.) The oak tree belonged to Joash,(given by the Lord) who was one of the Abiezrite (my father is help) people. Joash was the father of Gideon (hewer, cutter down, a laborer) . Gideon was separating some wheat from the chaff in a winepress. Gideon did this to keep the wheat from the Midianites (strife). The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!” Then Gideon said, “Pardon me, sir. If the Lord is with us, why are we having so many troubles? Our ancestors told us he did miracles. They told us the Lord brought them out of Egypt. But now he has left us. He has allowed the Midianites to defeat us.” The Lord turned to Gideon and said, “You have the strength to save the people of Israel. Go and save them from the Midianites. I am the one who is sending you.” But Gideon answered, “Pardon me, Lord. How can I save Israel? My family group is the weakest in Manasseh. And I am the least important member of my family.” The Lord answered him, “I will be with you. It will seem as if you are fighting only one man.””
          We finished our class with a story and wisdom about boundaries from our Workbook, "Strong Men Great Dads." You can find those in pictures posted below. Please feel free to contact us with any questions. Seek healing or your latter days may be seven times worse than your former days.
          If you need healing, seek it. Begin in the Word, seek counseling and join a group like Celebrate Recovery. click on this link to - FIND A CELEBRATE RECOVERY NEAR YOU.
         Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.

          It's Comeback Week! The greatest comeback in the history of mankind is the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The greatest comeback in NFL history was led by a Quarterback for the Buffalo Bills named Frank Reich. The men at the Sunshine Rescue Mission are crafting their own comeback stories.
          The Crucifixion was a horrible form of torture and death. God used the worst the world had to offer and turned it into the best He could offer the world - His Son - Jesus Christ. God used His own Son to pay the price for our wrongful actions. Sometimes we call them sin. Our selfish behaviors hurt other people and cause us to be separated from God's love. 
          Jesus had to die so he could have a comeback. Being born again is like dying to yourself and accepting new life in Christ. The guys in the Sunshine Rescue Mission Disciple Program are learning how to die to themselves. Here's a great verses from the Bible that describes the process, 
          "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you,
          Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,
          it remains [just one grain;
          it never becomes more but lives]
                              by itself alone.
          But if it dies,
          it produces many others and yields a rich harvest."
John 12:24 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
​          The Frank Reich and the Buffalo Bills comeback story is based on the Jesus comeback story. Frank was pacing the sidelines as his team was being beaten badly by Houston Oilers. He wasn't studying a playbook. He had a song in his head that was carrying his heart. The song is called In Christ Alone by Shawn Craig, (music by Don Koch)
You can watch Michael English perform the song by clicking on this link: IN CHRIST ALONE
In Christ alone will I glory
Though I could pride myself in battles won
For I've been blessed beyond measure
And by His strength alone, I overcome

Oh, I could stop and count successes
Like diamonds in my hands
But these trophies could not equal
To the grace by which I stand

In Christ alone I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory let it be said of me
My source of strength, my source of hope is Christ alone

In Christ alone will I glory
For only by His grace I am redeemed
And only His tender mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness, to my need

Now I seek no greater honor
Than just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses
And to the glory of my Lord

In Christ alone I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory let it be said of me
My source of strength, my source of hope is Christ alone.

          We're all in different stages of redemption. We're all in different seasons of comeback lives. We don't get to the mountain of perfection with God on this side of heaven. Our source of hope and strength as we go through trials and temptations is Christ alone.
          SRM is acronym for the Sunshine Rescue Mission. In our Program called Strong Men Great Dads, we changed the acronym. SRM means Strong Resilient Men. We help each other when we fall. We hold each other accountable. We celebrate victories won. In Christ alone we stand as Strong Resilient Men. We help each other walk on the Comeback Trails of Life.
          Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.

          Easter is always a season of new beginnings and fresh starts. Mrs. Triggs could be called the "Mother of Fresh Starts!" She's the Founder & Director of None Like You/We Care Outreach and Buffalo is a better City to live in because of her good neighborliness.
          Collaboration is her middle name. When most organizations are short on volunteers, Mrs. Triggs is like volunteer magnet - drawing folks from all over Western New York. The love of God and neighbor in her heart is contagious - folks just want to be around her!
          We want to say thank you to the many volunteers and community organizations that partnered in creating a beautiful day in the Buffalohood. Politicians, Policemen, Judges, community leaders, and neighbors all joined in with Mrs. Triggs to paint Buffalo with neighborly love.
          The next big event for Mrs. Triggs is Mother's Day. She needs all kinds of donations including, flowers, food and gifts. If you'd like to get involved with the "Mother of Fresh Starts", please call her at 716-533-9753. Your financial gifts to None Like You/ We Care Outreach are tax deductible.
          Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.
#nonelikeyou #mrstriggs #goodneighbors #Buffalove #ywap4buffalo #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW

          Tarzan is his yard name, or what they used to call him in his old life. The yard is a prison yard. His old life was one of addiction and violence. He was doing life in the sin yard of destruction. Christos Terzan and his wife Michelle visited Celebrate Recovery at Church For The Nations Flagstaff last Friday night. They brought new life with them and inspired a bunch of folks with their courage to surrender their lives to Christ.
          Violence was a normal part of Tarzan's life as a youngster. When the violence wasn't physical, it was emotional and verbal - it started at home. Eventually street life contaminated his character and he was immersed in thug life. Christos became a hardened man, a gangster and a drug addict. Mean and nasty are character traits for hoodlums who have a one track mind focused on self-survival. Gangsters are the apex predator and everyone else is just prey.
          Eventually all gangsters end up dead or in jail. Only by God's grace and mercy did Chris end up in alive prison. For three years after his arrest, even though he was alive, all Chris could think of was death. He planned to kill people when he got out of prison. One day, Chris wandered into a program called Celebrate Recovery. The guys were smiling, peaceful, content and happy. He wanted what they had, it was contagious! 
          Chris almost ran when he found out these guys were into Jesus, but God drew him in. One of the greatest things we can say about Christos Terzan is that he constantly works on his character in Christ. His speech is almost like one long litany of God's attributes. He gives God all the credit. He also gives God gratitude for his Wifey4Lifey Michelle. She's a Godsend! Lives are being redeemed from the pits of addictive hell because of what God is doing through these reclaimed children of God.
          As a master mechanic Chris used to build lowriders for gangsters and drug dealers. A lowrider is a customized car or truck with a body that's nearly lowered to the road. Chris is now a master preacher, humbled by Christ, whose life is lowered to the Way. From an apex predator out for prey to a lowrider in Christ looking to pray, Chris has become a Godsend. 
          "But God demonstrates his own love toward us and while we're still sinners Christ died for us."
The only reason Christos Terzan is alive today is because he did die; Tarzan died to himself and became alive in Christ.
          Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.

          Christos Terzan is the Arizona State Representative for Celebrate Recovery Inside - organization in prison that lead him to Christ. He wants other inmates to know the freedom from anger, violence, addiction and low self esteem that he found in Christ.
          He's also the Founder and Director of Dunamis Prison Ministries. You can help Chris and Michelle bring the message of hope and redemption through Christ to other people in prison and on the streets by clicking this link to donate. 

          The local Director in Flagstaff for Celebrate Recovery is Jennifer Leyland. You can reach her at jennifer@cftnflag.com. 
                      Celebrate Recovery is held every Friday night from 6-9 pm at Church For The Nations Flagstaff, 755 N. Bonito St. 86001
          "A safe place to find community and freedom from issues that are controlling our life. We are a Christ-centered, 12 step recovery program providing healthy tools for anyone struggling with hurt, pain or addiction of any kind."
​

Greetings Prayermeisters!
           We hope your day is filled heart-smiles! Yesterday we held a Grill & A Prayer meeting and came up with our Flagstaff Area schedule for 2021. You will find that below the Statement of Faith at the bottom of this article. The locations are still to be determined, but we're happy to have these dates on the books. We want to be organized and pursue God's excellence in all we do.
          Each event will feature Prayer as the most important thing we do. We'll also have food boxes to give away along with Compassion Ministries grilled specialties! Clothing and other giveaways will be available as we receive them. Bibles, materials encouraging spiritual growth and community education information will be on hand.
          Prayer teams will be made up of men and women as much as possible. That's good protocol to make folks feel comfortable and a good safety measure as well. Amelia and Max have accepted roles of leadership. Most of the leadership will be behind the scenes and will in no way affect their gifts of praying for folks on Prayer Days.
          Marvin has graciously and energetically volunteered Compassion Ministries to take care of all on site food distribution. We urge all Prayer Team members to freely give feedback as we can always strive for more of God's excellence. Whenever possible we'd like to have folks give us contact information so we can keep them in the prayer loop. Church For The Nations Flagstaff does have a 24 hour Prayer Line and Prayer Email, 928-421-2050, prayercftnflag@gmail.com.
          Several more items to note of importance came up at our meeting:

• Increasing event length from 2 hrs. to 3 hrs. - allotting time to set up and take down.
• Be aware of safety regarding drive up cars and pointing others toward parking spaces.
• Prayer Team is free to pray in the Spirit - we will not shorten prayers for traffic considerations. We may have to ask folks to pull to the side to free up the drive thru lanes.
• Whenever possible, we need to be respectful of COVID attitudes. Some folks wear masks, some folks don't and some can't.  I'll leave that up to your discretion.
• Our commitment must be rock solid. If we say we will be counted on to be at an event, we must be there or find an approved replacement.
• New Members - All new members must agree with the Statement of Faith as written by the Northern Arizona Covenant of Churches which you will find in its entirety below.

          If you have any feedback or comments, please don't hold back! ywapbuffalo@yahoo.com Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.

          All members who actively participate in Grill & A Prayer Events as volunteers and prayer Team Members will agree with this Statement of faith as written by NACC.
          Northern Arizona Covenant of Churches (NACC) exists to provide a clear, unified presentation of the Gospel through the diverse and distinct expressions in local churches. NACC is a strong and committed network of relational pastors, churches, and ministries that recognizes our responsibility to one another and to our community, in order that we might be a conduit for the Grace of God in this world. Further, we exist to fulfill the Life–Giving Call of God that we believe He has for Flagstaff and Northern Arizona. The NACC Statement of Faith derives from the Association of Related Churches, a global network existing to plant life giving churches around the world.
     We believe the Bible to be the inspired, inerrant, authoritative, and sufficient Word of God. The Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the Old and New Testaments pointing to Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. 
     We believe that there is One God, eternally existing in three persons and revealed to the world in God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit. By Whom all things were created.
     We believe that God the Father sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem all. Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life on this earth, performed many undeniable miracles, was crucified for our sins, buried and was raised from the dead for our justification. By the name of Jesus Christ, and His name only, can humanity be saved. Jesus Christ sits at the Right Hand of the Father and will return personally in power and glory to receive His Church unto Himself.
     We believe all human beings are created in the Image of God and therefore have inherent value and dignity. God invites humanity into the vocation of faithful stewardship over God’s creation and to function as mirrors of our loving, eternal Creator.
     We believe that humanity is sinful by nature and will perish without the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as revealed in His Gospel. That God wishes that no one should perish, but that all would come to this saving knowledge and personal belief through the presentation of the Gospel to a lost and broken world in need of hope.
     We believe that sexuality is given to humanity as a gift for our flourishing and joy. Therefore, we maintain that sexual activity is reserved for husband and wife. Marriage is a holy monogamous union between one biological man and one biological woman. This means that man and woman are two distinct genders willed by God their Creator in their respective beings, which reflect the Image and Nature of God. 
     We believe in the multi-faceted work of God the Holy Spirit to bring conviction of sin, revelation of the truth of the Gospel of Christ, drawing of the sinner to God, adoption of them into the Body of Christ through regeneration, and the distribution and administration of the Gifts and Fruit of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. Jesus Christ is the “baptizer in the Holy Spirit” for the empowerment of the Church.
    We believe the local church provides purpose to its members as well as encouragement, interdependence, fellowship, correction, and discipline. The local church is a place where Christ followers gather together for edification, teaching from the Word of God, and ministry to and through each other according to their spiritual gift, in order to most effectively love our neighbors and communities for the Glory of God and advancing of Christ’s Kingdom.

After March the Prayer Calendar will follow a 1st Wednesday & 3rd Saturday format, except in circumstances where we want to avoid competing with other community events.
March 17 ~ April 7, 17 ~ May 5, 15 ~ June 2, 12 ~ July 7, 17 ~
Aug. 4, 21 ~ Sept. 1, 18 ~ Oct. 6, 16 ~ Nov. 3, 17 Dec. 1, 18. 

Greetings Prayermeisters!
          Thank you for allowing God to make you hungry for Him and sharing your hunger with others. I this note you will find our agenda and Zoom link for Prayer Outreach Planning meeting on March 10, 2021.
          We are on to something big for God. Please know that I believe a Holy Spirit explosion will take place - first in us as we surrender completely to Him, and then in the folks we minister to. Our meeting is on March 10. Here are some interesting facts from history that happened on March 10,
March 10, 1748: John Newton, the captain of a slave ship, converts to Christianity during a huge storm at sea. He had been reading Thomas a Kempis's The Imitation of Christ, and was struck by a line about the "uncertain continuance of life." He eventually became an Anglican clergyman, the author of the famous hymn "Amazing Grace," and a zealous abolitionist (see issue 31: The Golden Age of Hymns).
March 10, 1880: Commissioner George S. Railton and seven women arrive in New York City to establish the Salvation Army in the United States (see issue 26: William and Catherine Booth).
March 10, 1898: George Mueller, English philanthropist and evangelist, dies. He, in his 93 years helped more than 10,000 English orphans.
March 10, 1913: Harriet Tubman, known as "Grandma Moses" for her work rescuing slaves and guiding them to the north on what was dubbed "the Underground Railroad," dies. Her 19 rescues (of about 300 slaves) were successful, she said, because God showed her the way. "'Twant me, 'twas the Lord," said the diminutive woman who herself escaped slavery. "I always told him, 'I trust to you. I don't know where to go or what to do, but I expect you to lead me,' and he always did"

March 10, 2021: A group of prayer warriors assemble in person and in spirit to seek the greater ways of revealing God's truth and glory. We don't know where to go or what to do, but we expect God to lead us - and He always does.

4 PM      Opening Prayer
4:05        Opening Remarks - Our Purpose: Connected In Christ, Engaged In His Service,
4:07        What We Believe
4:10        Thorns, Buds & Roses

1. What were the problems that we had?
2. What seeds were planted that need to be nurtured?
3. What were the highpoints?

4:40        Possible Locations
4:50        Possible Dates, Suggestion: Every 2nd Wednesday of the month 4-6 PM.
5:05        Adding Prayermeisters - Who do you know?
5:10        Comments
5:20        Closing Prayer

ZOOM Meeting Details & Link
Time: Mar 10, 2021 04:00 PM Arizona

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77345432441?pwd=VGZ4ZUNqTHlSSVFJc1pYSktTU2RkUT09

Meeting ID: 773 4543 2441
Passcode: 57q9FU

          Sometimes ministry flourishes in families. YWAP Director Linda Kuebler's niece and her husband, Susan & Brett VanderMolen are the Directors of an Orphanage in Cambodia called the Train Up A Child Children's Home. Children - anywhere in the world, are always in our hearts at Youth With A Purpose. 
​          Susan and Brett spend most of their lives as Mom and Dad to children in Cambodia without parents. They come home to visit family and friends every few years. Being a missionary is a heart condition that's contagious. Children in need of love find it when Christ-centered people enter their lives.
        Children are sometimes left on the streets or put in prison if there's no one to take care of them. Babies are left in the garbage or left on a beach. Susan and Brett have dedicated their lives to loving discarded children.
          We spent several days listening to them share stories. Some were gut wrenching and while others were heart warming. Either way, the compassion and empathy just poured out of these two Missionaries on a Mission from God.
          Pastor Daniel Williamson from Church For The Nations Flagstaff was gracious enough to allow Susan & Brett to share the stories of orphaned children during the Sunday Service on February 28, 2021.  Click here to watch the video. Susan & Brett come on at about the 32 minute mark You will love their story - even through Susan's tears!
          Pastor Daniel's sweet spot is prayer. He also has a heart for missions. Last week his church launched missionaries with YWAM to Brazil, this week it's Cambodia. He also started a 52 Day Devotional program for church folks that helped to raise money for a Pastor's motorcycle in Africa. His heart supports God's love wherever there are people!      
          Here in America Youth With A Purpose regularly serves children in need. We gave Susan & Brett a bunch of Jesus Wristbands to take back to Cambodia. We've made a commitment to become monthly financial supporters. Collaboration is a holy alliance among God's people that enlarges His Love throughout the world. From Buffalo, NY to Flagstaff, AZ to Cambodia, God's love has no boundaries.
           If you would like to learn more, please visit the website or check out the Directors information to learn more about the story of Brett & Susan. 
          You can easily sponsor a child, a project or commit to being a monthly supporter by clicking on DONATE 
or using your phone camera to scan the QR Code below.   
​Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we,    

          Most folks like to brag about their successes and there's nothing wrong with that. Unless of course they get obnoxiously prideful about it. We're all pretty much happy when we succeed, but I learn more from my failures. Failure is not finishing what you set out to do.
          For the second year in a row, I blew my New Year's resolution. It's not a big deal, nobody will die, a business won't close and a war won't start. It was important to me, but now it's done - I blew it again. My goal was to walk 10,000 steps everyday for 365 straight days in 2021. On March 2, I fell asleep 218 steps short of my goal. Last year I fell asleep one step short of my goal. One step!
          After last years failure I began again and lasted for 250 straight days before I failed again. I came up with a plan to defeat my failures. I bought a calendar book and put it by my bed with the intention of writing down my step count every night before I went to sleep. The calendar book became an appointment book and left my nightstand. Once again, I failed to do what I said I would.
          One of the last things that Jesus said before He died on the cross was, "It is finished!" To the world, Jesus looked like a total failure. Folks mocked Him by saying, "He saved others, but he can't save himself!" What looked like a failure was only one small step toward the ultimate success of His resurrection and our gift of eternal life. When we believe in Christ, He takes away our moral failures. Following Christ means we form new habits and let go of our old ways.
          I know how to form new habits - come up with a solid plan and stick with it for at least 30 days. The actions you take on a repeated basis will become second nature. Yesterday I started my new plan and today I made one step to ensure it will happen.
                    I asked my wife for a small pocket calendar and put it by my bed. It will not leave and I will write my step count down every night before I go to sleep and fail again. You might be thinking that Bob is making a big deal out of nothing. Here's the problem, I said I would do something and I didn't do it. That bugs me and it's a crack in my character. If I can't find a way to always keep my word - that makes me a liar. I will not be known as a liar, to myself or anybody else.
          Working on your character is hard. It takes self-accountability to the next level. Some folks describe character as what you do when no one's looking. The bigger picture is, God's always looking. Here are some learning points that have helped me work on my character.

1. When you fail, go the extra mile to find out why.
2. Failures are stepping stones to success when we seek wisdom as to why we failed.
3. Spend more time on the most important things in your life. Doing too much depletes your energy and focus leading to a greater possibility of failure.
4. Write down your plan to succeed and tell others about it. Ask them to hold you accountable.
5. Forgive yourself for failing. Grieve if you have to, and start again quickly.
6. Ask God to reveal parts of your character that aren't reflective of His more excellent Way.

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we. 

          It doesn't take much effort to make a difference in someone's life. One smile, one good word, one lending hand, one text message, one step - just do one thing. Step into someone's world and leave a trace of love. It only takes one step to create a beautiful day in the neighborhood!
          Churches are good places for one-steppers, but you can take one step on your own. Sometimes church folks step outside church walls to smile, pray and serve people on the streets in city neighborhoods.
          Guys from the Sunshine Rescue Mission are top notch one-steppers. They stepped into a mentoring program  that helped them leave their neighborhood and step into an orphanage. The leaders of the NAOMI House take many steps everyday to act as fathers and mothers to kids experiencing hard times.
          The YWAP Ministry took one step into partnership with a local business to make Police Officers feel valued and appreciated. It didn't take a lot of effort to do something that has the potential to bless a lot of people.
          Everyone is hungry for love, but sadly many folks are living love-starved lives. Can you take one step and show somebody love?
          Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.