Over the last few months I have had a number of individuals in my office with serious struggles. Most often they ask me “What do I need to do to change my life” Sometimes this change is due to troubles in marriage, troubles at work, or simple because the person is tired of being sick and tired. No matter what the issue I believe change comes when we start to develop positive habits in our daily lives. Below are 7 things I do every day to activate change in my spiritual , emotional, and physical life. I hope you will take a minute to read and begin to apply some of these to your lives.

1. Start taking care of yourself. If you don’t put a priority on your health and mental sanity, you will pay for it now and later. Not only will you be constantly overworked, exhausted, and stressed, but you’ll also suffer from the physical and emotional fallout that comes from not making yourself a priority.

2. Go to bed early and get a good night’s rest. Most Americans are severely sleep deprived. It’s no wonder they don’t have passion and purpose for life; they can barely keep their eyes open and their heads from nodding off! Refueling your sleep tank is important to being efficient during the day.

3. Make the most of your mornings. Getting your day off to a great start is one of the best ways to kick-start your productivity. Wake up a little earlier, and spend time building your faith by reading the Bible and praying. Start tackling a few items on your to-do list. Make a goal list for the week. Go for a walk around your neighborhood.

4. Set five small goals. Without goals, all your good intentions amount to nothing. You need concrete, realistic goals if you want to make traction in the right direction.

5. Break down your goals into bite-size pieces. Sometimes a big goal can seem overwhelming. Break down your big goals into monthly, then weekly chunks—things you can accomplish in fifteen to thirty minutes at a time. You’ll instantly transform your goals from daunting to doable.

6. Find an accountability partner. You can’t live life on purpose on your own. Find a friend or two who are willing to keep you on task. Set up regular check-ins, whether online, in person, or over the phone. Share ideas on how to practically engage in an accountability relationship.

7. Replace the TV or Internet surfing with productivity. Feel like you don’t have enough time? Well, you’re not alone. Most Americans feel like they are incredibly strapped for time. But the average American also watches four hours of television per day. If we all invested even half of that time into improving ourselves, working toward our goals, working out, getting more sleep, and so on, think about how much better we’d feel and how much more fulfilled we’d be in life!

No matter your age, your financial situation, your education, or your upbringing, you can live an exceptional life. You can say goodbye to survival mode and hello to a life that matters. A life that makes a difference. A life on purpose!!!

May God bless you in your endeavors today.

Chaplin Rob

What, then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? – Romans 8:31

World War II ravaged through Europe for more than two years. The Axis forces looked invincible. England had suffered massive air raids by German forces in late 1940, and again in the spring of 1941.

On October 29, 1941, Great Britain’s Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, visited the Harrow School for boys, his alma mater-to speak to its students. What message did the times demand? What could Churchill say to these young men in the face of the Blitzkrieg that seized Europe, leveled London, and cast their lives and futures into a thick fog of uncertainty? His words were simple, moving, and unforgettable: “Never give in—never, never, never, never, never give in.”

Are you tired, have you grown weary from the “Blitzkrieg” in your life? There is hope at the cross for you. God is in the business of turning hopeless situations around.

Remember, Lazarus had been in a grave for four days, his family was in mourning when Jesus showed up and called him back from the place of the dead. God can make something of the ashes that we bring to Him—Isaiah 61:3 tells us that “He will give us beauty in exchange for ashes.” We need to stand firm in our faith and never give up or give in to the belief that He cannot redeem us or the situations we find ourselves in.

Perseverance—it’s born of faith, it’s nourished by hope and it’s a sure sign of strength of character. What role does it play in your Christian life?

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9

The greatest glory in living lies not, in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.  – Nelson Mandela

May you find strength and peace today!

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Respect and obey the LORD! This is the first step to wisdom and good. – Psalm 111:10

There was a judge named, Edward Thompson who held a firm belief that God could change lives more powerfully than any judicial system. He liked to tell the story of 54 year-old Mary, who appeared before him with 53 previous convictions for drunk and disorderly conduct. She had been jailed six times. But this time the circumstances were different. For one thing, she was in love with an older gentlemen. For another, her son was on his way back from World War II, and she was eagerly awaiting his arrival.

Judge Thompson decided to put Mary on probation with a few conditions. He insisted that she go to church regularly and pray for God to change her. He said, “Try going to church—loving God—and see if it doesn’t help you find a new self-respect and happiness.”

Would Mary really be changed, or would she appear again in front of his bench, disheveled and disoriented? Judge Thompson rather anxiously checked with Mary’s probation officer week by week. Yes, she was attending church services. And she was getting involved in the church’s social life.

When Judge Thompson returned from an out-of-town assignment, he was informed, “Mary was back.” His heart sank.

A court officer told him, “She came to see you–to thank you and tell you good-bye. She’s getting married to that elderly gentlemen, and her probation officer has given her permission to move to California. She’s a changed woman.”

When we are forced to confront our shortcomings and to find out why we fail, we usually come to one conclusion—we have not lived God’s way. Whether our lives are out of control as Mary’s, or we are unable to keep our commitments to ourselves and others, the reason is usually that we are not loving God and we are not putting Him first in our lives. Sins and shortcomings occur more frequently when we are living for ourselves and are not loving God as we should.

We never grow closer to God when we just live life. It takes deliberate pursuit and attentiveness. – Francis Chan

Blessings,

Chaplain Rob

But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” – Psalm 31:14

Do you recall an advertisement that captured your attention?

No matter which medium . . . television, radio, print, or the web, advertisements are created to arrest our attention. Recently, I was caught off guard with a newspaper ad. It pictured a gray-haired senior citizen in a wet suit. The woman was holding up her surf board along the edge of the beach. The ad began, “No matter where life takes you, your health care coverage goes along.”

The ad was designed to have you think about your future. No one knows what crisis tomorrow may bring. The life of faith involves living each day trusting God to guide and direct your future. That doesn’t mean that you are naïve and ignore things like health care coverage. But for the bigger picture of life, you can trust God. In the unexpected events of life, you can trust God. The Bible describes faith as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

You may not know where your life is taking you. But you can be sure that tomorrow, God has something prepared for you that you can’t see or imagine. That’s why we need to learn to trust God each day, no matter what the day holds.

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. – Corrie ten Boom

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stout-hearted. – Psalm 138:3

I think we all discover about five seconds outside the womb that this life isn’t easy. And it seems that the older we get the tougher it becomes. Some people have problems or are attracted to difficulties like fleas to a dog. Others make it through life with relatively little difficulty.

But most likely, you’ll face some tough times in life, and it’s not important how your challenges stack up to the challenges of others. Sometimes you might wonder if you are going to be able to make it through, and you will if you hold onto God. He’s promised to see you through.

Are you weighed down? Do you feel overcome with grief or alone in your struggle?

You can choose to take steps to walk through your challenges and come through them a stronger person.

Remember, believing in God and in Jesus Christ doesn’t mean you won’t have problems. But it does mean you have resources, people, and God’s Spirit who will see you through your problems. What could be better?

Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records. – William A. Ward

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28

Does it seem as if everyone wants something from you or expects you to do something? Pressure has become a regular part of our lives today. And these will be times when you’re forced to choose between surrendering to the pressure of others and doing the will of God.

Scripture remembers Saul as a man who didn’t choose well. Israel was at war. In the midst of battle it was customary to have a priest offer sacrifices. Samuel had promised Saul that he would come at an appointed time to do this. Saul waited for a while but began to feel pressured because his troops were leaving him. He knew that it was against God’s law for him to offer the sacrifices because he was not a priest. But Saul decided he couldn’t take the pressure any longer. He offered the sacrifices himself.

Just as he finished, Samuel arrived. “How foolish! he said. You have disobeyed the command of the Lord your God. Had you obeyed, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your dynasty must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:13-14)

If Saul had waited just one more hour, he would have kept his kingdom.

Surrendering to God means that you resist surrendering to those who pressure you to disobey His commands. When you surrender to ungodly pressure, you pay the consequences. When you surrender to God, you benefit, and your family benefits for generations to come.

You’re born. You suffer. You die. Fortunately, there’s a loophole. – Billy Graham

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:4-7

There are times when we’re caught off guard by life. We are suddenly faced with problems that can wipe out our joy in an instant. Our hearts are disquieted and our minds begin to race. When we are grappling with unsettling problems that come our way and cause us to worry, it’s time to run to God in prayer.

From his prison cell, Paul wrote this message: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand” (Philippians 4:6-7).

The psalmist wrote, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation” (Psalm 100:4-5).

God’s gates are always open to us. He’s waiting for us, whenever we’re upset and in need of a friend. We’ll still feel the painful emotions. We don’t just hand them over to God and expect them to disappear. But we can experience God’s peace through prayer. Prayer is a useful tool to help us work through our problems. He will give us his peace, reminding us that he’s there with us. For this, we can be thankful.

A life bathed in prayer is the best antidote for worry.

Blessings,

Chaplain Rob

And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. – 1 Peter 5:10

Do you ever think that your level of success in life is minimized by the problems and setbacks you experience along the way? Well, it’s just not true.

Our problems and setbacks don’t determine the shape and direction of our lives. What problems and setbacks do, however, is reveal character. They show us how we respond to fear, disappointments, and failure. They reveal what level of resilience we possess; whether or not we’re content to play the role of a victim; and whether we’re willing to take a risk again after initial failure. In other words, they diagnose our shortcomings and call us to positive change.

Problems and setbacks are the crucible of character formation, and they give us perspective as we pause and evaluate what’s truly important in life. So don’t be discouraged when troubles come your way, instead hang on to your faith, God’s word and ask yourself, “what can I learn from this”. Trust that the God who created you and in whom you place your faith and trust will carry you through your setback or trial.

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved. – Helen Keller

May each of you see setbacks as stepping stones to deeper character.

Blessings,

Chaplain Rob

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.- Ephesians 4:32

There’s a story about a grandmother, celebrating her golden wedding anniversary, who told the secret of her long and happy marriage. She said, “On my wedding day, I decided to make a list of ten of my husband’s faults which, for the sake of marriage, I would overlook.”

A guest asked the woman what some of the faults she’d chosen to overlook were. The grandmother replied, “To tell you the truth, my dear, I never did get around to writing the list down. But whenever my husband did something that made me hopping mad, I’d say to myself, luckily for him that’s one of the ten!”

At some point, you’ll need to forgive virtually every person you know. Forgiveness is absolutely essential for the health and growth of any relationship. Jesus paid a price for our forgiveness, and He was clear in His teaching that we are to forgive others; that’s the price we pay to receive His forgiveness.

To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. – C.S. Lewis

Blessings,

Chaplain Rob

“Each of you has received a gift to use to serve others. Be good servants of God’s various gifts of grace” (1 Peter 4:10 NCV).

To experience significance in life, you must serve with others in ministry. Ministry just means doing good to other people.

Significance does not come from status or a hood ornament on your car or a logo on your shirt. Significance does not come from a bigger salary.
Significance does not come from sex.

Significance comes from service. Significance comes when you start thinking about other people more than yourself and you give your life away. You cannot be selfish and significant at the same time.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10, “Each of you has received a gift to use to serve others” (NCV).

The talents you were given are not for your benefit. God gave them to you for the benefit of the people around you. You are shaped for significance, and you find that significance by using your gifts and talents and abilities to serve other people.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, “Two people are better than one, because they get more done by working together. If one falls down, the other can help him up. But it is bad for the person who is alone and falls, because no one is there to help. If two lie down together, they will be warm, but a person alone will not be warm. An enemy might defeat one person, but two people together can defend themselves; a rope that is woven of three strings is hard to break” (NCV).

You’re not meant to serve God by yourself. You’re meant to serve God on a team. You’re meant to serve God in a family, in a small group, in a church. You’re meant to serve God in relationship.

We’re better together!

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob