DOES GOD WANT YOU TO LEAVE YOUR JOB AND DO SOMETHING ELSE?

Several years ago I got really worried about "God's will for my life." I was (and still am) in the Navy and had to make some career decisions that would either set me up to get out of the Navy or help me continue to progress in my career. I agonized over this for a whole year, spent lots of hours praying, read books about it, and generally did everything I could to try to figure out what God wanted me to do. But I didn't hear anything. God had gone quiet...or at least, I couldn't hear him.

HOW TO THINK BEYOND THE DAY TO DAY

For the past seven months I have spent the bulk of my spare time working on a house rehab project. As of now, I have spent almost 60k on repairs, made 71 trips to the project site, spent countless hours of my own time, and have hired lots of people to help with various tasks. It has been a big job and I have been pushing really hard to get it finished. Some days it has consumed me; it can be really exciting or really stressful, depending on what is going on.

4 WAYS TO RIGHTALIGN YOUR "WAY TOO CRAZY" LIFE

My wife and I are busy. We have 3 little kids at home (5, 2, and 3 months), we move coast to coast at least once every 18 months (7 moves in 8 years of marriage), my work hours are not typical (active duty US Navy), my wife is an avid runner (marathons, triathlons, trail runs, etc), and we like people (church, Navy, neighbors, etc). As a result of all that, we tell ourselves almost nightly that something has to give.  But what is that something?  

WHY YOU SHOULDN'T ARGUE WITH 12 YEAR OLDS

Earlier this week I hired a couple of high schoolers and their 12 year old brother to help me clean and paint part of the house I'm rehabbing. They did a great job and we made some good progress toward finishing the house so I can put it on the market.

But I also got the opportunity to "re-learn" a lesson that I thought I already knew. The 12 year old said something that I didn't think was correct and when I tried to inform him of how and why he was wrong, he simply stated that I was the one who was wrong and that he was right. I wish I could say that I let it go at that and moved on, but I kept trying to win the argument. How I got sucked into this "yes it is...no it isn't" argument with a 12 year old is beyond me.  

SHOULD I BE WORRIED ABOUT MY POSSIBLE CAREER FAILURE?

Last week I spoke with my job placement officer about my career progression and potential for future advancement. He told me that the numbers are not looking good for me to be selected for my next career milestone (Department Head) when the board meets in April. Until then, I'm taking a hard look at all my options and trying to figure out what to do. 

DOES YOUR LIFE SITUATION MAKE YOU FEEL DISTANT FROM GOD?

I work offshore in the Gulf of Mexico for a company called Otto Candies. I work 28 days (12 hour shifts each day) and then am off 28 days. My schedule makes it challenging to stay focused and grow in my relationship with God (especially when I'm at work). I feel like I am often spiritually bogged down and just can't get traction. And I feel even worse about my relationship with God when I have been sinning or when I am personally making bad choices. 

HOW DO YOU LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF?

For some time now, I have been writing about being a Christian in the workplace but have wondered about how I am supposed to apply all these things since I am in school this year (rather than a traditional work environment). One thing that I recently realized is that we are all (workers, students, family members, etc) called to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). This is more than just reacting in love or treating each other with respect. It is those things and more. It is a proactive love. It does something, not just reacts to something. It is a love that thinks ahead, that initiates. 

HOW TO GET PLUGGED INTO CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY

Because of my job in the navy, I have moved four times in the last four years. It has been difficult to build friendships and a sense of community when I spend so little time in any place. Fortunately, I have always been able to find social connection with other Christians.

WHY TO MAKE YOUR TIME COUNT (EVEN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO)

I'm a navy man, living in an Air Force town for one year where I don't have any close friendships while I am doing grad school (Air Command and Staff College-ACSC). While I will likely only be here another seven months or so, its hard not to see my time here as very temporary and therefore not worth the investment of my time and effort to build new relationships.  

I'M TIRED OF BEING AN HGTV CHRISTIAN

Several years ago I read a book about how to find, fix, and sell (FLIP) houses; shortly thereafter, I bought my first FLIP property. Though I am still very novice, I am on my third house and so far they have all been successful. Since I started doing this, it feels like everyone seems to know about FLIPing houses and everyone has advice for what to do and how to do it. When I ask if they have ever done a rehab, they often say something like "no, but I love watching it on HGTV." 

WHEN ITS RIGHT TO CREATE TENSION IN THE WORKPLACE

I was sitting in my office working on my computer when one of my co-workers came over and started discussing some work projects with me. As the conversation went on, I began to suspect that he was being deceptive about some of the details he mentioned. When I asked him about it, the conversation quickly turned into a confrontation. The argument got heated and then ended with neither of us conceding fault.

I usually feel bad when I get verbally upset or frustrated with people and am quit often at fault in some way. As usual, after our conflict, I started feeling really bad about how upset I got and the fact that I so stubbornly stood up to what he was trying to do.

But then I felt like God told me "don't feel bad about standing up for the truth." I had never had this thought before but it occurred to me that I had in fact stood up to his deceptive half truths simply because he was not being truthful.

I got rejected-one reason I'm happy about it.

Recently, I was up for a new job (Operational Aviation Department Head in the Navy) and was surprised when I found out the selection board didn't pick me. I have done pretty well professionally, but still didn't make the cut. The Navy will give me one more shot at that job this coming year; if I
don't get selected for it, I will have to change career fields in order to stay professionally competitive in the Navy. 

Before the job results came out, I would have told you that if I didn't get picked it would be a clear indication to me that God had something else in mind. My hope and faith aren't in the Navy, but in Jesus Christ. While I still believe that is true, I was disappointed when I found out that I wasn't selected. It was more of a hit to my pride than anything else. The rejection helped me to

My limbs are being cut off...

When I do not prune my lemon trees, they produce a lot of wasted wood that branches and grows in multiple directions, each one trying to make it to the top where it can get the most sunlight. They produce a lot of light green leaves that clutter up the tree. And, they produce lots and lots of very small, and largely useless, lemons that do not have the nutrients to mature and be used in my lemonade. 

Why your future shouldn't stress you out.

As I cross the ten year mark in my military career, I am often asked if I will stay in for the next ten in order to reach retirement. Admittedly, it makes less and less financial sense for a service member in my situation to get out before then, but the question always reminds me about what James wrote in