Dump your trash somewhere else.

I have a friend who owns a few acres on land that once was the site of many civil war battles. One day he arrived home to find a guy in his front yard with a metal detector and shovel looking for souveniers. Unamused, he asked for the man's address so he could return the favor.

That story reminded me of the lack of respect we sometimes have for others, or they have for us. I compare it to your neighbor coming over and dumping their garbage in your front yard. Most of us would never allow this kind of behavior to our well cropped lawns and gardens, but we let it go on every day in our lives.

We live in a time when there seems to be a total lack of personal accountability in our society. At work people blame their failures on a co-worker (dumping their trash in someone elses yard). In our  homes we blame a sibling or spouse for what is going on in our life. At church we blame the preacher or church leaders for something we don't like, or something we find offensive.

Grow Up! If you want to be successful. If you want to get the most out of each and every day. Here are two simple rules that might help.

1. Take responsibility for your own life. Quit blaming someone else for your circumstances, your unhappiness or your failures. You can't change what happened in your past (even the garbage others have dumped in your life), but you can impact your future.
2. Don't let people dump their garbage in your front yard. A simple, "I'm sorry, I won't accept that kind of behavior" or "You are not going to treat me that way," goes a long way. If it continues take the necessary actions to stop the unwanted behaviors.

If all else fails - go buy them a trash can.

God, I've got a Question

I have suffered through some dark days during my past. There were times I wondered if I could keep groceries on the table, and times I worried that God had forgotten me completely. During those times, I often made a tragic mistake in climbing out of my doldrums. I turned to everyone but God. I borrowed from friends, made decisions without counsel and generally had my priorities out of whack.

This week I have been reading about the "power of God in us" (Eph. 3:20). God works in us and through us, so do Christ and the Holy Spirit. We have a comforter, guide, and intercessor when life gets hard, or simply if we need to turn somewhere for counsel. Why is it that God is always the last one on our list of advisors when we need help?

Next time you need help with anything (your kids, your finances, your emotional stability, even your faith) try turning to God first. Here are 5 reasons you should lean on God daily:

1. "He is able . . ." (Eph. 3:20).  Able to do more than you ask, able to do more than you can imagine. Where others can and will fail, God is able.
2. "He will never leave you nor forsake you. . ." (Heb. 13:5). It is kind of nice to have someone to depend on when the rest of the world walks out.
3. "He cares for you . . ." (I Peter 5:7). Peter reminds us that we can turn our cares and worries over to the Lord because he genuinely cares for you.
4. He has endless resources. (Psalms 50:10). If you really want help you need to ask the one who has an endless supply of resources. "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. . ." (Psalms 24:1)
5. He promises to provde (Matt. 7:7-12). Ask, Seek, Knock - God is calling us to test him, challenge him, lay our needs before him.

My job consists of asking donors to give. It can be trying at times and like a sales position, the pressure is always on. Imagine the comfort I recieved about a month ago when a donor made a significant gift and then said, "Call me in the fall for my end of year gift, or if you ever need anything just pick up the phone." I trust him when he tells me that.

God is asking us to "just pick up the phone." Ask, seek, knock! Lean on Him, trust Him, turn to Him for all  your cares and needs.