15 Minutes Could Change Your Life 

There is a famous car insurance company that says “15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.” I’m not sure if that is always true but there is a way 15 minutes could change your life. How can this happen? Take the 15 minutes spiritual challenge. Take 15 minutes a day to invest in your spirit. This one small habit can make a huge difference. 

A recent article on inc.com stats that successful people spend their mornings differently than others. Unlike most of us they do not get up just in time to go to work, rush to get their kids to school, and just barely make it to work. They do not start their day in stress, but rather on purpose. Successful people tend to do 4 things: They get up early, they get moving (usually committing time to exercise), They recharge themselves (usually through prayer or meditation), and they tackle their hardest task first. It is the third thing that I would like to talk about here.

Many successful people start their day addressing their spirits through prayer or meditation. Isn’t it interesting that recharging their spirits is more important than getting an early jump on their work? This is a very different picture than what we see in popular movies, where the successful person is stressed, overworked, and ignores herself, her family, and her personal needs. In reality, many successful people look beyond themselves for focus and direction. 

In our church, we challenge people to take the 15-minute challenge. We challenge people to spend 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week in prayer and scripture reading. For me personally, my prayer time can be meditative and reflective, or a celebration of praise and thanksgiving. I often go for walks and pray. That’s right. If you see me walking by the beach in the morning and my mouth is moving, I am not talking to myself nor am I crazy. I am praying! Prayer and Christian meditation change me and make a big difference in my life. Here is how: 

Prayer and Christian meditation remind me that I am not alone. 

We are a people who tend to be self-centered. It is not that we want to be, but life takes over. There is work, the children or the grandchildren, the chores, or the whatever. Life takes over. That is why we rush for here to there, thinking about our own need and wants. This can create lonely life, not to mention that is also exhausting. Focusing on ourselves or on our work only, creates a real sense of loneness. Prayer reminds us that we are not alone. Many times, I have encountered a real sense that God is with me. I become aware of His presence. It has been my experience, that God is not far from us. He is as close to us right now as we want Him to be.

Prayer and Christian meditation bring gratitude into my life. 

Gratitude is powerful. It is sad that we only think of it once a year when we eat turkey. I have heard it said that it is impossible to feel a feeling of thankfulness and a feeling of anxiety at the same time. I found this to be true for me. When I center on myself, I am acutely aware of my limitations and fears. This creates anxiety in my life. I begin to worry, and most of what I worry about I cannot even control. 

Gratefulness takes us out of the driver’s seat. We realize that we have things that we do not deserve, nor have we earned. All of us do. Being thankful puts us in a state of mind where we can receive more. We can also put the proper things into perspective. We might become more thankful for people we love, rather than being upset about the things we don’t have. God has blessed us more than we think. Prayer helps us see it. 

Prayer and Christian meditation focus me on the right things.

Real success is not measured by the car I drive or the size of my house. It is my relationship with God, my family, and my personal character. Starting my day with prayer and scripture reading focuses my mind on the things that are important. Prayer for me is more about being in God’s presence and being changed. Many have an idea that prayer is just about getting God to do the things they want him to do for them. No doubt, there is a time and place to ask God for things, but for me prayer is more about changing me. Prayer changes my focus, changes my desires, and changes my character. 

When I pray now, I usually spend more than 15 minutes, but when I started 15 minutes was a long time. Now, it is a time I look forward to.

 Successful people know the value of starting early and not procrastinating. More importantly, many know the value of having a healthy body, mind and spirit. God is not far from us. The Apostle Paul said He is as close as our mouths. One of the ancient prophets said that if we draw near to Him, He would draw near to us. This I also found to be true. Take the 15 min challenge today. Start by reading verses from the Gospel of John or go for a quiet walk. Just 15 minutes could change your life.

Three Mistakes We Need to Stop Making When It Comes to Being Generous

During the latest government shut-down our church participated in supporting our local Coast Guard. Until then, many did not realize that the Coast Guard is under Homeland Security and does not get paid during the shut-downs. We contributed to the Coast Guard Spouses Assoc. food bank. We were amazed to see the outpouring of our local community towards our service men and women. Their food bank was full before we could get our gifts to them. The gifts our church gave were very small in comparison to the outpouring from the community. Gifts were sent to other Coast Guard bases around the country and extra food is still being sent out to local food banks. This was one those times I was so proud to be a part of the community in Cape May County. It was a picture of how powerful generosity could be. 

Currently in our church we are doing a series on generosity called “The Blessed Life” based on a book by Robert Morris. I am challenging myself and the congregation to be more generous in 2019. Generosity is powerful. It not only changes the lives of those we help, but it has a profound effect our lives. There are three common mistakes we make that stop us from being generous.

We Give Away our Power 

When it comes to finances, often feel out of control. We feel like we are slaves to our income, living paycheck to paycheck. When we come to the conclusion that we are not able to give to others, we are putting our circumstances in charge of us. Making a financial plan with a plan to be generous gives us back our power. 

In our family we make giving a part of our financial planning. No matter how little we make, it is important that giving be a part of our plan. It helps us to realize that we are making a difference and we can help in the greater good. For us, the start of giving is the concept of the tithe. The scriptures speak of the tithe or the “First Fruits” offering. It meant that the first ten percent of your harvest (or money in today’s currency) went to God. In ancient Israel it was the Temple, for Christians today it is the local church. We have found that putting the tithe last in our plan never works. We have to make it the first priority. After that, we look for other ways and places we can give. We find that putting giving first, helps us to realize we are making a difference.

Putting giving into your financial planning, no matter what percentage you choose, starts to give you control. It is good at the end of the month to know you helped someone other than yourself. It empowers you to make better financial decisions and gives a sense of control even in the direst of circumstances. 

We Miss the Opportunity to Change 

Giving is a heart issue. Jesus wisely taught that “where your treasure is, your heart will be also”. We care about things in which we invest our money. Deciding to generous, changes the direction of our thoughts and emotions. It also changes our character. 

People often make the mistake of thinking that only people with wealth can be generous. This is not true. The reality is, this best time to learn to be generous is when money is tight. Why? Because it is easier to learn how to give ten dollars than it is to give a thousand. Giving is not an issue of your financial situation, it is a heart issue. Being generous changes our character, and people can smell it on us.  I believe givers are more likely to get job offers, promotions, and customers. No one wants to hire or work with a stingy person. If it is hard for you to give away money when you have a little, it will be harder when you have a lot. This little act of giving, can change our character and change the path of our lives.

We Close Ourselves Off From Others 

The final mistake we make is isolation. Human nature makes us prone to dwell mostly on our own problems, and to ignore the plight of others. Think about your thoughts during the day. What percentage of your time do you think is spent thinking about yourself and your problems? If you are like me, it’s probably about ninety percent, maybe ninety-nine. We are by nature selfish. Our selfishness hurts us in a deep way. 

Think about the most memorable and meaningful times of your life. Are they when your were selfish and got exactly what you wanted, or were they times you spent spending time with others, giving to others, or helping someone else? Our best times in life are when we give to others in some way. Giving connects us with others. As stated above, Jesus taught us that our heart follows our treasure. We are connected to those we choose to bless, even in the smallest way.

The next time someone asks you to help a church, charity or an important cause, take it for what it is – a blessing! The act of giving develops a life-changing attitude of generosity. It will do much more for you, than it will ever do for them.