HIM Conference 2024

Last weekend we had the annual Hawaiian International Ministry Conference. Every year they have several speakers come and share with Christian churches in Hawaii. 

Some of the discussion was centered around the loss of loved ones. A wife shared how she lost her husband, a mother shared how she lost her son to suicide, and as you know, the city Lahaina in Maui had a devastating fire. And questions about God's sovereignty can arise. Why the suffering, grief, pain, and loss? Couldn't God have prevented these things? What about all the prayers of the church? How do we interpret Romans 8:28 in light of our grief and loss? Does God really work all things for the good of those who love him? The short answer is Yes, yes he does. And one speaker shared how our definition of "good" is often what we would prefer or a more comfortable life. However, God's definition of "good" is found in the follow verse Romans 8:29, that we are to be conformed to the image of His Son and to look more like Jesus. 

Everyone goes through challenging hardships. Every person I've counseled has a story or circumstance of trial, stress, and difficulty. And if you haven't been through tough times, you most likely will. Where life doesn't go exactly the way you hoped. Where unexpected tragedies happen. We live in a fallen world where people sin against God and each other. One of the toughest books in the Bible to understand is Job. If you're unfamiliar with it, God allowed Job to face severe distress from every angle. God also knowing Job was faithful to endure such testing even under spiritual warfare. Even though Job lost everything including his entire family, livestock, and health, He continued to praise and glorify God. To me that is remarkable. For someone to lose their love ones and go through such pain in this world, and to yet only give God praise. God blessed Job for his faith. If we went through the same suffering as Job did, would we still praise God?

In several instances you see Christians praying and seeking God, and for whatever reason, God doesn't immediately show up, but instead asks us to wait. In many cases you see Christians asking for miracles, healing, and answers to their questions and prayers. God does not need to answer us the way we expect, and in many cases does not give us the direct answer as we'd wish. I've come to see that God will often use disappointment and life challenges to draw us nearer to Him. God sharpens and sanctifies our faith through the fire, and through the storm. God never promises an easy and comfortable life. If our trials and suffering in this life lead to a refined and stronger faith in God, we should actually welcome the opportunities when they arise, to manifest our faith in deep trust. 

God works on us even when we don't sense or feel His presence. God is with us even when we have no knowledge of His Spirit at work. I've been hoping to hear from God, and come to Him with questions I'd like clarity on, but we are not entitled to get an answer the way we want. Rather, God often doesn't provide clear answers to all our hard questions. In fact, we're often left with mystery. And in this life may not know why things happen the way they do. But what we can know is that God is good, and we can place our hope and trust in Him, that He is working all things for our good and even more importantly His highest good. 

Here's what I did learn. If you seek God with all of your heart and soul, you will find Him. God is a personal God, and does not abandon or forsake us. Yes there are times where it may feel like a Dark Night of the Soul where it seems very hard to hear from God, but God uses those times as well. God's word is true, the Gospel is true, and Jesus is the way, truth, and life. If these are true statements, we must then therefore dedicate and commit our lives to growing in the likeness of Christ and living for Him. 

God showed up for me. If you listen very carefully, God will speak to you in a variety of ways. No, He didn't answer all my questions. But what He did do, is remind me that He is with me. God is with me, even when I don't feel or sense Him. In the future there will be times where I have no sense of God, but God tells me He will be with me even then. Whatever the future holds, God will be right there in sovereign control. 

God desires for us to let go of the things that weigh us down. What are our eyes set upon? So often we look at the dark ocean of chaos below us and rely on our own strength to solve our problems, rather than keep our eyes on Jesus. So often we are so focused on our problems we miss a deep communion with God. God asks us to let go of our pain, our depression, our anxiety, our anger, and sorrow. He desires that we simply sit at His feet and abide in Him. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. Come to Him for healing. God is our ultimate source for love, peace, and joy. God wants us to forgive others, and forgives us of all our sin. God's power and grace is greater and covers all our sins. We are not only forgiven, but are imputed the righteousness of Christ and made holy. We are justified and declared right in God's sight. We can approach the throne of God in confidence because of His grace. We need to be reminded of these truths. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

True Power from Soul-Care

It's officially 2024. And usually I try to come up with clarity over what I want to create in the new year. I try to condense it all into one word. At first I felt like "Self-Care" encompassed what I'm looking for. And it does in part. Parts of me need healing, restoration, and care. But there's also another component I'm still trying to grasp.

I once heard that self-care and self-love, really boils down to self-discipline in terms of behavior. If you love yourself, you will create a system of habits that build a healthier version of yourself. Simple things like eating right, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, healthy relationships, and spirituality should be important ingredients towards self-development. 

I'm still learning the term, "adulting." Perhaps the reason that word sounds a bit scary is because it means taking full responsibility for yourself. It means taking ownership for your life, relearning to take care of yourself and your needs. It means doing hard things whether you want to or not, and purposely facing your challenges instead of avoiding and running away from problems. Adulting involves a level of maturity in taking care of themselves in every area of life. As a child we could rely on someone to spoon feed us, tend to our needs, and walk us through hard things. As we grow older we must learn self-reliance and self-efficacy. 

It's easy to want to give up and crumble to life's stressors. It takes courage and boldness to do what you do not want to do. This takes vision, intent, and training towards your goals. Often, if you can see what you want, and who you want to become, you can work backwards to see what actions can get you closer to that reality. 

Self-care is definitely becoming a high obvious need for me. But the other words that come to mind are a combination of Grit, Focus, Commitment, Energy, Power, and Consistency. I'm not sure what word can encapsulate this inner strength and mindset. I find myself distracted and unable to stay on task lately. My mind wanders all over the place and yet nothing actually gets done. Perhaps if I had greater focus and power, I could do more, and be more efficient & productive.

"Self-Care" is more commonly heard over "Soul-Care" and they can often be used interchangeably. Yes spirituality is part of self-care, however, Soul-Care emphasizes a high reliance on one's relationship with God on a daily basis. Soul-Care elevates one's intimacy with God above other aspects of health. 

If one were to elevate physical, emotional, or mental health over one's spiritual health, I'd say that notion is a bit backwards. One's spiritual life needs to be our highest priority, as all things flow from our soul. Nurturing our souls and inner most being comes directly from our relationship with God. The main way we get fed as children of God is by going to our Father. Reliance on our God is the same as faith or trust, knowing that He is there to comfort, care, empower, and be with us. 

What would my life look like if I sought God first and foremost? What would my new year look like if I purposely waited on God, and listened in silence to God's provision and guidance? What would it look like if I surrendered my will and replaced it with God's desires? 

There is a spiritual power.. that can only be received from God. In His presence He pours out true love, joy, peace, and power. And where He guides He provides. He speaks if we listen carefully to both His Word and Spirit. Where He leads, He gives us the sufficient energy to accomplish His will. Jesus tells us that if anyone thirst, we should come to Him. God provides everything we need, not only to sustain and survive, but to thrive and flourish.

The biggest idol is ourselves. We are all to some degree self-seeking. And we do everything we can to avoid any form of suffering and discomfort. We live in a culture that is all about consumption, entertainment, and comfort. In a way, I think it makes us weak and distracted. 

I think a good starting point is a place of surrender. And not asking what do I want this year, but rather, what does God want us to focus on this year? At the end of the day, I think God asks for our heart. To simply be with Him, enjoy Him and glorify Him by being truly satisfied in Him.

This year, I pray that I would become a man of God. I pray that I would have more energy and to stay focused and committed towards becoming a stronger man of God. The past few years, I've tried to make myself more disciplined and consistent. And perhaps I relied too much on my own strength rather than trusting and inviting God to be with me. Our own ability will only get us so far. Apart from God we really can't do much. Self-belief is useful, but faith in Jesus is even greater.

A true man and woman of God is one that abides, obeys, listens, and receives from God. God calls us to Him. He says, come to me. He asks us to sit at His feet. To give up our sense of control, and to place our hope in Him. God works all things for our good, and I keep forgetting that. But in the midst of the storm, there is nowhere better than to be right next to Him in His care.

Whatever circumstance or trial you're going through or have gone through, know that we have a gracious and loving God. He never abandons us, and is with us at every moment. Place yourself under His outpouring and receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual disciplines make more space, so our inner life can be more full of Him and less of ourselves. 

Father God, 
Keep my heart and mind set on you. Help me to follow your ways. Grant me the energy and focus to overcome the challenges that come my way. I pray for greater discipline, self-control, and consistency in creating healthy habits. More than pursuing my own goals, may I pursue a deeper walk with you Lord. Help me to surrender, and give you my best. I pray for healing over areas where I'm wounded and broken. I pray for perseverance and power to accomplish your perfect will. Speak to me. Help me to listen better and come directly to you. Keep my eyes on you Lord. Create in me a new heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Thank you Lord, Amen.

Axiological "Moral" Argument

 

Spiritual Hunger

 I've been thinking a lot about our desires and the things we want in life. I've been thinking about how that affects our day to day priorities and behavior. What do you want in life? What's most important to you? In what way can I live a more purposeful life? 

We may say little phrases like, put God First, Keep Christ the center of your life, live to worship and glorify God. But does our life match to those mottos? Does God rule and reign supreme in all areas of our life? In what ways do we get distracted? Do we fall into temptation or pursue idols before God? What does it look like to prioritize and love God? What desires are from him, and what are not?

In what ways can we grow in a spiritual hunger to walk closely with Jesus? In what ways can we synchronize, align, and attune our heart to His word, will and way? Where in my life do I need to take better responsibility? What in my life do I need to surrender to Him? 

The Kingdom

A pastor at the HIM Conference made a statement like, "Jesus is on a boat in a storm, and I prefer to be on the shore where it's more comfortable. But I realize now that the safest place is not on shore, but rather the safest place is next to Jesus."

I'm sure most of us would prefer to be on a nice comfortable + warm beach next to Jesus. We want to avoid the storms of suffering, toil, and tribulation. However, the best place to be is with Jesus. 

"God wills that we should push into His presence and live our whole life there. This is to be known to us in conscious experience. It is more than a doctrine to be held, it is a life to be enjoyed every moment of every day." -A.W. Tozer

Becoming Your Best Self

Becoming Your Best-Self
What does the best version of you look like? How would the best version of yourself feel about yourself? What self-development practices, habits, and disciplines would the best version of yourself do? What’s the point of becoming the best version of ourselves? The point is to find greater health, wealth, strength, healing, power, happiness, and meaning. The following are general tools, tips, and concepts to life we can apply to thrive and flourish.

Holistic Health
Enriching our lives starts by honing in on different areas of our holistic health. Holistic health is interconnected. Spiritual, Emotional, Intellectual, Physical, Relational, Occupational, Environmental, and Financial Health. Each sphere of health requires a variety of different practices, strategies, and exercises that increase our level of health.

Satisfy My Soul

In counseling, a lot of clients & students come to me to create change, find healing, or find new perspectives. A lot of our stress is self-caused. They look to a variety of illegitimate means to cope or feel better. When we feel unhappy, depressed, stressed, or anxious, it's easy to turn to unhealthy habits and that can create addictions. Temporal means of instant gratification don't truly help. In our culture, we try to "fix" ourselves by getting certain dopamine highs. But we always have the power to make better and healthier choices. When you're faced with challenges, stress, and trials, who or what do you turn to?


"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14

Keys to Happiness

I've been pondering the idea of Happiness. What is it that makes me happy? Why do I feel happy today? Is happiness only a fleeting feeling? What are the main ingredients to grow in happiness? Is happiness genetic? Is happiness only circumstantial? What role does our attitude and actions play in our happiness? Are joy and happiness the same thing? How do I cultivate greater contentment, peace, joy, & happiness in my life? 

The Best Version of Myself..

The best version of myself makes healthy choices.
The best version of myself utilizes and manages his time well.
The best version of myself is considerate and thoughtful.
The best version of myself glorifies God and includes Him in every manner.
The best version of myself is patient and is a good listener.
The best version of myself says no to things that aren't good.
The best version of myself works hard. Really hard.
The best version of myself inspires, encourages, and teaches others.
The best version of myself is loving, kind, forgiving, understanding, and compassionate.
The best version of myself has a morning and night routine.
The best version of myself is humble and not attention-seeking.
The best version of myself does not waste too much time on screens.
The best version of myself minimizes foods like carbs and sugar.
The best version of myself applies God's word and prays.
The best version of myself goes out of his way to help others.
The best version of myself takes care of his mental health.
The best version of myself embodies integrity and honesty.
The best version of myself worships God in joy. 
The best version of myself responds to texts, calls, and emails.
The best version of myself is a good friend.
The best version of myself does not have a quick temper.
The best version of myself does not swear or yell.
The best version of myself treats others well.
The best version of myself is grateful for people and simple things. 
The best version of myself controls his emotions when feeling stressed.
The best version of myself attends church 
The best version of myself sleeps early and wakes up early. 
The best version of myself exercises at least twice a week. 
The best version of myself communicates assertively
The best version of myself is responsible
The best version of myself manages money well.
The best version of myself makes others feel comfortable and seen.
The best version of myself is early on time. 
The best version of myself accepts what he cannot control, and does not overthink.
The best version of myself does not dwell on the past.
The best version of myself chooses to be happy.
The best version of myself learns and adapts. 
The best version of myself cleans and does chores.
The best version of myself reads, writes, learns, and grows in self-development.
The best version of myself has grace for shortcomings and mistakes.
The best version of myself speaks in truth and love.
The best version of myself is fun to be around. 
The best version of myself is caring towards others.
The best version of myself breaks bad habits and creates healthy daily routines.
The best version of myself apologizes and forgives.
The best version of myself does what is right.
The best version of myself knows his value, self-worth, and does not seek validation.
The best version of myself is creative, interesting, positive, and pursues righteousness.
The best version of myself does not complain, make excuses, or grumble.
The best version of myself is focused on becoming his best self every day.
The best version of myself is whole, full, abundant, smart, kind, powerful, energetic, and confident.
The best version of myself is resolved and committed to being consistently disciplined.

Quick Thought

 Although I've heard this quote several times, I think only now it's really starting to hit me deep.

"Instead of looking to find the right person, focus on becoming the right person." 

We get so caught up looking for someone to sometimes perfectly meet our long list of needs and expectations, to find that connection on all intimacy levels, have excellent communication, compatibility, shared faith, values, life goals, interest, who's emotionally available, attractive, affectionate, warm, supportive, thoughtful, caring, and loving, etc.. 

But do we possess those traits ourselves? Perhaps we ought to be more focused on loving ourselves, and becoming the best version of ourselves because whether we're in or out of a relationship, self-care and self-improvement should be our top priority anyway.