All Things New with Jeff Ackenback

No matter what you are going through, you are never alone.  Always remember that and be willing to ask for/accept help.

One of the keys to the "trial" of Jesus before the high priests was the fact that they looked for evidence AFTER arresting him, and even then, when they couldn't find it, they hired people to lie.  Yet Jesus still showed them love, still lived as hope, forgiveness, and grace...and calls us to do the same.

On the night he prayed in the garden, Jesus was betrayed by Judas...but also the other disciples.  Whether it was an inability to stay awake for a few minutes or fighting like the world instead of like Jesus or running away...they broke his trust.  Yet he never showed anger or regret at choosing them.  Instead, he continued to show them (and us) a better way.

Communication is key in all relationships, but not just THAT you communicate.  It's vital HOW you communicate, and I don't mean texting vs. talking vs. pony express.  Treat others as you would want to be treated must also apply to "talk to others as you'd want to be talked to."

Trust can be fragile, and it can take time for others to earn it or earn it back.  Being forgiving doesn't mean forgetting, but it does mean you do your best to live a life worthy of trust, no matter what.

It's crazy to say looks shouldn't matter, because in a way, they always will.  However, it's important to remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, AND that any outer beauty should never make you compromise on that which is inside.

Respect for yourself, living with respect for others...they are definitely important things to do in life and in love.  Respecting boundaries and opinions of others, as well as expecting that same respect for your own...also vital, but they can be so hard to live with on a day to day basis.  This week, we will discuss all that and more. :) 

Living in the middle never helps anyone...and it leads to a life of always looking over your shoulder.  The wonderful thing about free will is that we all get to choose how we live, what we do...and how we treat others.  Always do your best to choose to treat others with love, respect, and to love everyone.

You can live your entire life saying "I need to do this..." without ever starting.  "I need to do better," "I need to help more," "I need to try..." Once you realize that, start right away.  You won't feel ready, and you won't be who you will become...but starting is trying and trying is succeeding.

When you realize you've done something wrong, admit it.  Don't blame others, even if they had a role...but take the blame, then accept the consequences, learn...and move forward...like David did, who did things far worse than any of us.

Be ready.  Be like Jesus.

It is common (and easy) to always say, "Someone else can help...I need to work on myself," but it's far better to work on yourself AND help others.

Everything begins with a fresh start. :) 

In the end, if you do your best to live a life loving God and others, there will be peace.  In the meantime, do your best to bring that peace to your life and the lives of others through the way you treat them.

Carry the hope and love from Christmas all year, especially to others.

Cosmic Christmas is an extended version of the Christmas story, but told from the angel Gabriel's perspective.  

Most people have heard of "Armageddon" (the final Biblical battle, not the Bruce Willis movie...although it is also good), but few realize that it's over before it starts.  In one line, John describes the battle lines being set, in the next, Jesus is standing victorious...because nothing can stand against Jesus.  With that in mind, we should love each other, treat each other with respect, and show...

For John, seeing Jesus again was beyond description...and then he immediately was also shown the perfection of heaven.  Much of Revelation is confusing, but when you look at it in those terms...a man doing his best to describe things beyond description, it makes a little more sense.  

John was the last of the original disciples.  He'd seen everyone he knew and loved die around him, and as he sat alone in exile, he probably had many questions about his life.  Jesus, though, showed him that his usefulness was never ending...that he still had a purpose, a chance to do good.  He showed him what is to come, not to scare him or lead him to scare others, but to assure him that love is...

There are two ways to look at doing good: 1. No good deed goes unpunished...in which you feel like doing good is a chore or something that simply doesn't even work; 2. No good deed goes wasted...no matter how anyone accepts or rejects the good you do, a seed is planted, and there IS a change.

In the end, we either choose to do good or choose not to...to help or not to help.  Obviously there are a lot of things that go into each decision, and it isn't possible to help everyone...but we should do our best to treat others as we would want to be treated, including helping anyone we are able to help.

Finding common ground with someone doesn't mean you suddenly believe/live/act like them.  It doesn't even mean you think they're right.  It just means that you understand they are a person, that how they feel matters, and that you are called to love them.  Doing good can definitely be mission trips, giving to charity, etc...but sometimes it's as simple as just not being hateful.

Jesus called a tax collector to be a disciple, which can seem strange enough to us...but back then, tax collectors were considered scum, below human.  In order to do good, you first must see people as more than a number, then recognize that, while they are no better than you, you are also no better than them.  Know better, do good.

Everyone knows that it's better to "do good" in the world, but the problem comes to how we see each individual.  If you see someone as just a number, an opponent, a problem....then problems arise.  However, once you realize every person is more than that, you begin to realize that all of us have value, that all of us are and should be loved.

Fear of success doesn't sound like something "normal," but it really is.  Because it's not the success itself that can be scary, but what comes next.  "Will they always expect it?" "Will I have to do this all the time?" Yet, what other people think ultimately doesn't matter.  That's easy to say, but it's still important to remember that you define you.  Do your best, be your best, and love each ot...