What Would You Tell Your Younger Self?

I saw this title on a YouTube real estate channel that I watch fairly regularly. I thought about what I would say to an 18 year old Mike Jewell. I didn't think too long about that subject, though maybe I should so as to be able to communicate with my grand kids.

However, a conversation with my younger self is just a dream talk. Because it can't happen nor can it change anything. I think that it might be better to talk to my old self. That talk can still yield some positive impact and might even help the younger members of my family in the process.

So, what would I say to my current version Mike? Focus on the goal. That goal is to be more like Christ everyday. Forget what is in the past that didn't have a positive effect on your walk with Jesus. Spend time in the word of God on a daily basis. Don't just read to read, though that will happen sometimes. Read to see Christ in every part of the scriptures. It is possible because he is the focus throughout.

Plan for the future like James told his readers to plan. "Say, if the Lord wills I will do this or that." I once told my mom, after she scolded me for not saying the above phrase, "I don't care if it's the Lord's will or not! I'm not doing it!" I almost got smacked in the head. Kids say the cutest things. That wasn't cute, however. God's will must be my will and yours.

Planning for the future is not a bad thing. It is prudent. However, don't hyperventilate over how things are going to turn out. Remember always that God is in control and he is taking care of all the details. He wants moldable clay not rock heads or rock hearts.

Look for opportunities to help others. It is so rewarding to see God work his work through you. When God opens up an opportunity to help and you do just that, it is what the Bible calls, "being a servant". Jesus went so far as to say that when we help others, we are helping him (Matthew 25:40).

Enjoy life. Remember that you don't have to do everything and that if you were to die today, life would go on, for the most part, normally. You would be missed for sure, but life would go on. You can take it easy at times. It's not a sin to take a trip and see different stuff. Laugh, play and spend intimate time with your family. You won't regret that time invested.

Watch your P's and Q's! I don't know what P's and Q's are but you know what I mean. Behave yourself. Be polite and careful about what you say and do. Don't hurt people's feelings. Laugh with those who laugh and be ready to cry when they are crying. Contrary to what some people think, real men do cry! Don't be so tough that you don't. Another thing, real men embrace too. Don't be ashamed to hug when one is needed.

Go to church! Not just any old church mind you. Go where the preacher loves God and his Word. Church should be 90% of your social activity. Bass your family life around the ministries of your church. Set the example here. Be involved with your whole family in church. It is not a "fortress" mentality it is what good Christian people do. We go to church to learn ever more about God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Those are some of the most important things that I would emphasize to a younger me. What would you say to a younger you?

Caught up to Paradise - 2 Corinthians 12

Residing in Michigan for over half my life, I had heard about Paradise. Because Paradise is a small town in the Upper Peninsula, you may have never visited there in your life, but you knew it existed. It was WAY up there next to Tahquamenon Falls and nothing else. Where's Tahquamenon Falls? Next to Paradise and nothing else. It's a long way from home. Why all of the talk about Paradise? Because Paul talks about it in 2 Corinthians 12. There was this guy who had been caught up to Paradise. Not in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but into the REAL Paradise. While there, he'd heard things that he was unable to repeat. What on earth was this? Who was this guy? Here's what was going on. Paul defended his position of Apostleship in chapter eleven and gave the Corinthians an idea of what Apostleship looked like in chapter twelve. It came with great wonders, like seeing or instead hearing unimaginable things. But, too, that position came with a terrible cost. God gave Paul a &q

What to get God for Christmas

Jesus left perfect surroundings, relationships and glory to be born into squalor. He was homeless before birth. His father was a carpenter in a culture where carpentry was a despised trade. His, mother though young and giving birth to her firstborn, had no attendant nurses, helpers or friends. Rather than a pristine hospital, birth was given in the filthy stench of a stable. Romantic? Hardly. This sacrifice brought a life of hardship. Why? Why this odd story? Obedience. God's gift to humanity was His son. Jesus' gift was obedience to the Father. He paid the greatest price. Not because we are special but because he loves His Father. His gift was the perfect gift. Our Father wants obedience for Christmas and every other day for that matter. In Brazil Christmas is becoming commercialized. A phenomenon familiar for years in the United States tickles a growing economy. There is little time for meditation on God's Gift. There are no chestnuts roasting or Jack Frost nippin

Stop Trusting

Isaiah 2:22 says Isaiah 2:22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? The Prophet is saying that we shouldn't put our trust in humankind because they are so finite. They are not like God, who is infinite. People are fickle. They change their minds. They love you and then hate you in moments. God invites us to trust him completely with everything that we have. He doesn't show himself to us physically or as a spirit. He demands that we have faith. However, he also gives us the faith to trust him. The universe shouts "Creator!" and yet we often ignore the proclamation. This ignorance does not make God's creation any less a physical demonstration of his grandeur. God's boundless being becomes more amazing in his presence within us. How can the infinite God dwell in the mortals he commands us not to trust? Jesus said, "with man it is impossible but with God, all things are possible."

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