How would you like to improve how you relate to others and become more energetic at the same time? All this without having to purchase anything? 

Here’s a surprising truth. One of the most powerful weapons to enhance our lives is our tongue! A powerful energy killer is distress over troubled relationships. Worrying about them can siphon off needed energy.

Here’s a simple five-point plan for improving relationships and increasing your energy at the same time. 

1. Speak encouraging words instead of negative ones. 

Concentrate on positive qualities in other people and dwell on those instead of others’ faults. This alone should do wonders in relieving stress in relationships. Doctors know prolonged anxiety can bring about harmful physical and mental results, however, healing words can soothe stress and lead to improved physical health. Think back to when someone encouraged you. You still remember what they said and the good feeling it gave you. Don’t you? We store in our minds other people’s responses toward us. Which of your words would you like people to recall when they think of you?

2. Don’t pour gasoline on a verbal fire. 

Proverbs 15:1 states, “A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.”(NKJV) When someone gets mad at you, be careful about your response. Choose what you say before you speak and then talk. Why should you burn your relationship houses down with your own mouth? Remember, a soft answer turns away wrath. That way you won’t be adding to the heat of an already roaring fire. Why not try spraying water on an argument with calm words instead? 

Many marriages have crashed because of hurtful accusations partners hurl at one another. You might as well punch a hole in a feather pillow and let the feathers fly out and then try to collect them one by one! We can’t get back the damaging effects of hurtful words either. Want to free yourself from an entrapping verbal situation? Practice waiting a while before answering someone when you’re angry. Carefully choose what you are going to say. The other person may remember your reply for years.

3. Don’t be a motormouth. 

Let’s listen more than we talk and think about what we’re going to say before we spew it out.  People who chatter on and on strain their relationships. If you enjoy monopolizing conversations, consider what other people may be experiencing when they’re with you. Also, the more you talk, the more likely you’ll be to put your foot in your mouth. So pause before you let something out you’ll regret. 

4. Practice carefully choosing your thoughts. 

If you could put your thoughts on CDs or DVDs, what would they be? And if someone played them, what would their reaction be? Would they feel uplifted or would it discourage them? What you’re thinking will come out sooner or later in your conversations.

5. Let’s pray for healing words to tap the Source of wisdom. 

Here’s a to-the-point prayer: “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” ( Psalms 141:3). 

Do you want a better life? Choose better words.

Do you believe Jesus Christ of Nazareth rose from the dead, or do you think the resurrection is only a legend?

If you are a doubter, what you are about to read might surprise you. 
 
1. Legends take time to develop and become embellished in the retelling, but the news of the risen Christ sprang up right away.

It takes several generations for myths to develop into their final forms, whereas within a short time the news Jesus rose from the dead spread throughout the Roman empire.

2. Over 500 witnesses encountered the risen Christ.

After His resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared to His followers for forty days. At one time He appeared to over five hundred people at one time. Many remained alive years later after the resurrection to tell their own personal stories about seeing the living Christ.

The number of witnesses in trials today is crucial. If you paraded five hundred eyewitnesses of a murder in a court of law before a jury, they would find the accused guilty due to the sheer number of eyewitnesses.

3. The death and rebirth of mythical gods is a foreign concept to Jews.

The first Church was Jewish, and they are monotheists. Why would they accept as their Messiah a criminal crucified on a Roman cross? 

4. There is no description of the resurrection itself in the Bible.

If the resurrection is a legend, the creators would describe such a miraculous event in glowing details.

5. The first witnesses to the resurrection were women.

But the testimony of women didn’t count in Roman or Jewish courts in that day, so why would a legend revolve around women instead of men? If the resurrection is a legend, why would the people who started it want women to be the first witnesses? 

The apostles were hiding from the Jews in fear of their lives, but the courageous women put the frightened men to shame. This was a patriarchal society. If people concocted a myth about the resurrection, would they invent brave women and cowardly men in a man’s world?

6. One of the prime witnesses, Mary Magdalene, didn’t even recognize Jesus when she first encountered the risen Savior.

She observed nothing special about Jesus’ resurrected body. Mary thought He was a gardener! Does this sound like a legendary hero?

7. Why would Christians be willing to die for a lie?

Thousands of believers died horrible deaths. Some were covered with oil as human torches and lit to light Nero’s garden rather than deny Christ. Thousands still die for Him today.

Yes, Jesus did rise from the dead! Millions have received new lives in Him. Why not you?

Trust Him and live forever! 

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

 

 

Have you ever been hiking outside enjoying the fresh air when suddenly an exquisite butterfly visits you? What a treat it is watching these shimmering creatures flit from flower to flower flashing brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and all the colors of the rainbow– depending on what type of butterfly you see.

The special hand of the Creator God can clearly be seen in the metamorphosis of a butterfly. Even strong believers in evolution can experience a twinge or two watching the amazing change from a caterpillar to a butterfly as it emerges from its cocoon after being tucked away from the watchful eye during the amazing stages of metamorphosis.

Darwin had his own ideas of how all life came into being. He believed a process known as natural selection was responsible for all the humans, animals and plants that have ever existed. Darwin thought that natural selection worked through a series of slight modifications over millions of years.

Here’s what Darwin admitted about a weakness in his belief system: “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.”

However, Darwin was certain that there were no examples to contradict what he believed.

 Although he felt he had never seen an example to refute his ideas, consider that the butterfly is proof of dramatic change without slight modification. A caterpillar does not simply grow wings while tucked safely away in his little cocoon, he changes completely. He loses six legs and three segments of his body. This would be enough to rebuke the theory of a slight modification, yet the butterfly’s story doesn’t end there. Its number of eyes decreases and a sucking tube replaces his jaw! Then add to the total amount of changes reproductive capabilities.

All this is more than slight modification– even before you take into account his new set of wings. The butterfly is set about in this world as a completely different creature than he began, and it is not by chance nor by adaptation that this occurs but through intentional design. The butterfly’s journey from larvae to adult is a proven solid argument for creation.

When a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, his entire purpose changes. The caterpillar is rather destructive. While he is food for birds and other creatures, he feeds on trees and plants, often destroying their beauty. Once he turns into a butterfly, however, his entire intention changes as now he is responsible for the germination of plants and flowers. Thus, this is proof that the radical undertaking the caterpillar goes through during metamorphosis is not about adaptation, but about creation in its entirety.

When a caterpillar sleeps in his cocoon and then later emerges as a butterfly, this also reminds us that the same thing can happen to us spiritually as well as physically, but in a different way, of course. When we arrive into the world, the Bible says we are dead in trespasses and sins and need to experience spiritual life. Second Corinthians 5: 17 states that whoever is IN Christ is a new creation!

Jesus said we must be born again. He also said He would come again and those who trust Him, who are alive at his coming, won’t die but will be changed in an instant at the last trumpet. However, if the Lord Jesus doesn’t return before we die, believers’ bodies will be raised from the dead! Those who trust in the Lord will have bodies like the resurrection body of Jesus Christ. Wow! What a metamorphosis that will be!

The Bible tells us we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. For example, one of the ten commandments commands us not to lie. There is a penalty attached to breaking any part of God’s Law. It is death. In Romans 6:23 we read that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment we deserve for breaking God’s Law. He was buried but rose again from the dead on the third day.

Trust Jesus today.

 


Man thinks he knows how the worlds began,

accidentally without a plan.

Did the universe appear by chance?

With a big bang and amoeba’s romance?

I believe this simple fact, profound yet true:

God created all . . . A truth old—yet ever new.

 

Did you know there are key health benefits that can result from owning a pet? A furry companion can enhance your physical, mental, and social well-being.

1. How can a pet help your physical health?

Owning a dog, for example, may encourage you to get more exercise. With your faithful friend at your side, you’re much more likely to go for a walk. Walking is one of the best health activities you can do. While walking you’re also more likely to interact with your neighbors because your special pal often acts as an ice-breaker.

Research led by Dr. Karen Allen at the State University of New York at Buffalo shows that pets can help lower blood pressure. Stockbrokers with high blood pressure were studied to see what happened when they adopted a pet dog or cat. Researchers concluded that having a pet nearby helps control increases in blood pressure due to stress. 

In his studies, Alan Beck, ScD (Professor of Animal Ecology, Purdue University) found that the simple act of petting your dog slows your heart rate and causes your blood pressure to drop.

An added health advantage from pet ownership is that patients may live longer after heart attacks. Some doctors recommend that a heart attack survivor adopt a dog because research has shown that a faithful canine companion can help prolong an owner’s life.

2. How Can A Pet Improve Your Mental Health?

Pets can help their owners overcome depression through their companionship and unconditional love. They seem to possess the natural ability to help you relax and enjoy life more. Pets can also help when you experience times of loneliness.

English poet, Alexander Pope, has stated that histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends. According to a Chinese proverb, dogs have so many friends because they wag their tails, not their tongues. When you take care of a pet, you have to develop a routine of getting out, buying food and providing exercise. This can help fight off depression and loneliness. The simple responsibility of pet care can help you get your mind off yourself and your problems.

3. How can a pet enhance your wellbeing in relationships?

Pets are more than just a member of the family. They’re central to a healthy lifestyle. They help lessen tension between family members and add a lot of fun and unconditional love to the homes where they live. When pets do cute and funny things, which they often do, family members react by laughing and being more relaxed.

If you don’t have a pet yet, consider making one part of your family, but make sure you have the time and resources necessary to provide a stable loving home for your new friend.

If you choose a dog as your new pal, remember this wise old saying. “A dog is man’s best friend.” That’s true in more ways than one. You’ll get unconditional love, companionship, loyalty, and relaxation in return for your investment of time and material resources.

What a bargain! 

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” Psalm 51:12

 

One morning as I glanced at the clouds from the kitchen window, I noticed with delight that the bougainvillea I assumed was dead had blossomed again.

What a surprise to welcome back the purplish-red flowers peeking at me as though to say, “I’m still here.”

Grasshoppers unknowingly imported from a hibiscus I purchased had swarmed over my lovely plant and ate the foliage. It was in an awkward spot to spray with bug killer or to pick off the insects one by one. And with my allergies, I was reluctant to use pesticides, so I gave up and stopped watering what remained of the once vibrant flowering shrub—only bare branches. But a downpour of rain from recent storms soaked it, and it pushed out new growth again after many months of lying dormant. I had missed the cheerful blossoms and was so glad they had returned.

There beyond my kitchen window was a lesson just for me and maybe you too.

Sometimes I feel like that bougainvillea whenever I focus on my circumstances instead of on the Lord. When I rush ahead of Him and do things on my own, grasshoppers of discouragement, worry, and fear invade my life. I too dry up after opening the door to these enemies. When God points out I’ve let peace-devourers inside me, I turn back to Jesus and ask Him to forgive and restore me to close fellowship. Then I can once again please Him and enjoy the life-giving water of His Spirit and Word.

Has your life ever seemed as though it was about to dry up? God’s living water can revive you—no matter where you are in life or what you’ve done. Turn to Him with repentance and ask Him to give you the gift of eternal life through Christ or restore the joy of His salvation.

Dear Lord, please help me keep my eyes on You instead of on my circumstances.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Go Deeper — Keep looking to Jesus instead of your troubles.