HOW TO BIBLICALLY COPE WITH FUTURE ANXIETIES

In two weeks I'm graduating from a year long school the Navy sent me to. I'm excited to be finished but still have no idea what my next job will be. For several complicated and uninteresting reasons, I may not know what my next assignment is for several more weeks. I have also been trying to sell my house and a boat before I have to move. As you might imagine, I have been worried and stressed about these issues and what might come next...even though there isn't anything I can do to change my circumstances.

ARE YOU MAKING THE WRONG LIFE CHOICES?

For the past several weeks I have been scrambling to put together an application package to transfer to a different career field in the Navy. I have spent hours on the phone to discuss different options, get career advice, and ask for letters of recommendation. Sometimes I feel very excited about the opportunities I'm applying for. But I have also woken up in the middle of the night thinking about all the worries and concerns that come with potentially moving to an entirely different career field. I have been wondering if I'm doing the right thing. There are so many different options and I don't know how to ensure that the one I am choosing is the right one; if it is the direction God is leading me in or not; if there is a better choice; if I should wait longer or do it now.

HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR CALLING IN LIFE?

I have always wanted to have a job that I feel is my calling. Something I'm passionate about, that adds value to the lives of others and gives me a sense of fulfillment. I have spoken with a lot of people who talk about wanting to find something similar; we all want the perfect job-one that is our calling, that is God's will for our lives. The problem is, many of us don't have the perfect job and will likely never find it. 

THIS SIMPLE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION COULD TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE

I have never made New Year's resolutions. But this year was a little different. Over the Christmas break, I read a book that really inspired me to adjust how I think and act (I guess that is kind of like a resolution). It asked a simple question that helped me realize how much I was letting "fear" influence some of my decisions and actions. I realized that I often let silly little fears of rejection, failure, or ridicule keep me from doing things as simple as initiating a religious conversation with someone or even asking another Christian to pray for me about something.

FOUR VERSES USEFUL FOR EVERYDAY MINISTRY

When I started kindergarten at a small Christian school (a long time ago), I was forced to start memorizing scripture verses. It wasn't too bad at first but by the time I was in 7th grade I was forced to memorize whole chapters. I hated it. 

Most of us don't like taking the time or effort to memorize verses. 

But as I got older, and wasn't being forced to do it anymore, I began memorizing verses that were meaningful to me on my own.   

HOW TO DO YOUR WORK IN AND OUT OF THE CHURCH

Many of us see the importance of allowing our faith to follow us through the church doors on Sunday and into the rest of our life. It is a struggle at times, no doubt. Many also see the importance of courageously making room for our faith to enter into the doors of the workplace. God at Church, no problem, God at home – yeah that can happen, God at work?  Now that is taking some personal risk. Many workplaces aren’t exactly faith friendly – despite the politically correct company line and the first amendment, there is a great deal of social pressure to be lukewarm, fit-in, and avoid upsetting the apple-cart. Nevertheless, despite the challenges, many acknowledge the virtue of moral consistency - to be true to your values and faith no-matter where you are.

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.  

HOW TO BE A CHRISTIAN AT WORK WITHOUT FRATERNIZING

When I started doing Bible studies with people from work, I was concerned that I might be engaging in the activity that everyone emphatically said to stay away from: FRATERNIZATION (frat). One document from my workplace says this about frat: personal relationships between officer and enlisted members which are unduly familiar, do not respect differences in grade or rank, and are prejudicial to good order and discipline are prohibited. Your workplace may have similar policies or expectations for personal relationships between co-workers. 

HOW TO AVOID EASY, EMBRACE RESISTANCE AND SUCCEED

Recently I was reflecting on the resistance I got from some people on my ship when I tried to implement a few minor changes. I had been reading a book about management, leadership and team building when the "good idea ferry" started to go to work in my brain. I was "in charge" after all and felt responsible to make my organization better if I saw a way to do so. "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" James 4:17

IF IN DOUBT, READ THE MANUAL

Fairly often I get into religious conversations with people and end up asking them what their faith background is. Most recently, I was talking to a guy at work and he told me that he was a Christians and then he went on to describe some of his theological beliefs. I was a little surprised because I would not have guessed he was a Christian. 

Lots of people are like this...when asked, they claim Christianity, but their behavior and speech don't reflect it; they aren't working the way God intends them to...in other words, they aren't properly functioning Christians. 

How To Spiritually Prepare For A New Job.

I recently moved several thousand miles for a new assignment in the Navy (again) and am getting settled in at my new location. Over the last ten years I have moved eight times, changed jobs eleven times, and changed positions within a job close to twenty times. I should probably be a pro at moving

One Simple Technique That Will Improve Your Effectiveness

In my job and life in general, I think a lot about how to influence people and how to communicate with them so they not only hear what I communicate, but actually do something about it. Recently I

Can you see what God is doing?

I want to do my own thing my own way; I have been fighting selfishness my whole life but often succumb to it anyway. I even do this with spiritual things. I may be willing to lead a Bible study or prayer group, but I want to do it my way and don't feel like taking the time to ask God what he wants

Is this one thing holding you back?

A couple months ago, I had the opportunity to encourage a fellow believer and co-worker as he started a lunch break Bible study at work. Like most of us, he was concerned about details, who would show up, and what it would look like. He wasn't sure what kind of material to cover or exactly