Mid-Days with Doug

Do you think the guy that gave the donkey to Jesus right before Palm Sunday in Matthew 21 knew that his gift would be used by God in such a memorable way?I'm sure not what it is for you, but I really think you have something God can use if you'll let him

I have this friend who is a long distance runner (seriously, it's actually a friend. Doug Hannah and distance runner don't belong in the same sentence.) He had some really great insight of how he handles running that applies directly to how you and I can handle our day to day lives.

You may feel like your worth is in question today. But good news: your worth is in safe in the hands of your maker.

In a world filled with chaos and uncertainty, we all have a longing for peace. The search for solace and tranquility has led many on different paths, byt the most direct route to achieving true peace lies in the ability to communicate with God directly.

If I could make a list of the greatest things I could get, grace when I least deserve it is the best. If it's that impactful in my life, why would I keep from giving it?

Maybe you haven't thought of it this way, but at this momet, you have all-access to the most powerful name is all the universe: Jesus Christ.In need? Call on him.Hurting? Call on him.Lonely? Call on him. He's yours today.

There's so many things in our lives that can cause us very real fear, but here's one thing that you never have to be afraid of.

In the face of our failures, we have a choice. We will we focus on the size of failures and sins or, instead, will we put our focus on the size of our Savior, Jesus?

I know life may be totally crazy for you at the moment, but if you get a minute, stop and think about someone who been a good friend to you. Maybe you're still friends, maybe that friendship was only for a season in life. But think about the ways they were there for you.And if you feel like it's been a long time since you've had that friend, you have the opportunity to be that friend to someone else today.

Occasionally, a little bit of envy creeps up in my life. It could be over somebody else's job or somebody else's calling. It could be someone else's or something that we just wish was ours and it's not. When that comes up, I find it helpful to ask myself “If God wants that person to have that blessing, why do I get concerned about that?”In those moments I think it's important to remember that God has each of on a unique path and have been given a unique calling by a one-of-a-kind God.

When I think of all the beautiful gifts I've received in my life, the gift of grace from God stands out above the rest. It's so good, God calls us to regift it.

At the end of the, it really is all about God's amazing, perfect, saving grace. And no matter how long you are a Christian, you never graduate from it. We all need it. Each and every day.

Want to learn more about God's love today? Look no further than hotel soap!

To whom it may concern,You will never find your value by digging through the pile of opinions of other people. Even those who you are close to.Sincerely,Someone who's tried.

Tomorrow really is a gift. It's a gift from a God who offers some incredible possibilities. I know we don't know each other that well, but my prayer for you is that you won't allow the disappointment of today to spoil the amazing gift of tomorrow for you.

I want you to know something today that may not agree with what your inner voice tells you: You can't let God down. Not that you won't, you literally can't.

What is it that you need today?Well, whatever it is, Jesus fulfills all of those needs and more. If you've got Jesus, you've got it all.

I have this friend. He's probably one of the wisest, most thoughtful people I know. He also doesn't speak with a whole lot of certainty when discussing the thing he sees around him. Those two things are actually connected in my mind.There's alot of wisdom in being able to say "I don't know."

Believe it or not, we can stand to learn a lot from a trapeze artist.

There are 3 ancient guys with some funny sounding names who have a great lesson for us about what it looks like to trust.Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are pretty well known, but we want to share their story with you in case you're not familiar with them. They are characters in the Old Testament that can be found in chapter 3 of the book of Daniel. They were essentially commanded to worship an image of gold that was set up by King Nebuchadnezzar or were to be thrown in a blazing furnace if they refused, which they refused. When asked by the King if this was true, this is what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said:"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”Did you catch that phrase of trust? "But even if he does not"? Should he deliver them, awesome. If he doesn't deliver them, then so be it because their trust was not in the outcome, it was in their God. We don't always get what we want from God, but we will always get the God who loves us.

Sometimes we can get stuck living in our past. It's kind of a natural thing. But in those moments we just can't let go, we communicate something to God that just isn't true...

Lean on God today. If you've fallen, you can know that God will get you back up.

For a lot of us, Memorial Day is day of relaxation and BBQ. But for way too many, this day stings because it's a reminder of what is no longer here: a loved one who gave their life in sacrifice for something bigger themsleves.Today I stand with those who are hurting, I pray with them, yet I'm reminded of the one who gave his life in sacrifice so that we may see our loved ones again. Thank you, Jesus.

At the end of it, when your faith becomes sight, you'll never hear a word about your success from Jesus. You'll never hear about your level of influence or how hard you worked. In the kingdom, what success boils down to is surrender and faithfulness. Well done, good and faithful servant.

I'm going to go ahead and guess no one has said this to you today, but I'm going to say it because it's the truth: You are beautiful to God. Even in your weakness and your shortcomings, God loves you.

Today, let's keep the bigger reality in mind. Let's choose our words wisely.

Jesus's last words as he was hanging on that cross were not "make it worth it."Nope. They were "It is finished." Our guilt is finished. Our unworthiness is finished. Our sins are finished. It really is finished and that is THE good news for you today!

I've got a dentist appointment next week and whenever I'm scheduled to go to the dentist, I spend extra time brushing my teeth. I try to do a good job so I will make a good impression. So I do extra scrubbing, extra flossing, and extra work to make myself look good to the dentist.The only problem is that when I arrive, the dentist is not satisfied with my good works.

This wonderful story told by Max Lucado brings me a lot of hope today. I pray it also does for you.

Hurt never feels good. I would never recommend it, but without, we never truly come to appreciate the joy of healing.

Maybe you're just doing your best today and don't feel like your best is enough with all that you're dealing with.If that's where you're at, let me introduce you to A.M. Overton.

Hope it was a wonderful Mother's Day weekend for you but I know it's filled with a lot of mixed emotions for a lot of people, including our family. Though it was an tough day without mine or my wife's moms, something really interesting happened that turned a sad day kind of sweet.

I think all of us are looking for connection.Some of us will try to find that on social media. Maybe these days, that's the most common way we try to connect with others.But, there are a few things that can get in the way of real connection. One happens on social media a lot.If I put a veneer or gloss over myself to hide what I really don't like about myself, or what I think YOU won't like – if I try to make myself look better than I really am or just like a less flawed version – connection becomes difficult if not impossible. Social media – as fun as it can be – really encourages this.I'm learning that the first step is to just drop the veneer...take the filter off...be a little humbler and kinder to myself and others.Then, often, people feel they can connect with me more. When I'm not trying to be so Insta-Worthy.Another beautiful thing about doing this: it takes the pressure off everyone.

Myabe you're facing something that feels scary. Maybe in that thing you feel like you're walking into it alone. Here's a truth that will never change: You will never go where God is not. Plain and simple. It's a 2,000 year old promise.

Some reflections to encourage you on the loss of my mother, and how I used it (by God's grace) to share a blessing with my children (her grandchildren). You can do the same.

Now that my kids are bit older, I look back on my years of parenting fondly for the most part, but there's of course a couple of regrets. This one sticks out above the rest.-Doug

Our bad things will turn out for good. Our good things can never really be lost. And the best things are yet to come. -Jonathan EdwardsThis week, as I buried my mother, I thought a lot about the question, "How do people deal with death if they think this life is all there is?"Just about the ONLY thing that has kept me from breaking down (other than just God's sheer mercy even when I couldn't see it) is the knowledge that this is NOT the end.As a believer in Christ, my mother LIVES.

I hope you are OK today. If you're not - that's understandable...and OK.Our entire community is shaken to the core, and rightfully so.It is in these times of shock, sadness, confusion, and frustration, that I CLING to words like these.

My mom's funeral is tomorrow and in the month that she's been gone, there's something I've found that I've just clung to when I thought the grief was going to swallow me up.

Is there something you're praying for right now that feels unrealistic? Too big? Well, in the presence of the King, that's something you don't need to worry about.