Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book, Double Blessing (p. 85). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That is such a good thought, isn’t it?   Especially if you are in a broken place. Mark continues, “It’s the broken places where God uses us to help others heal. It’s the broken places where God is breaking ground for a bigger blessing.” Kintsugi He goes on, “There is an ancient Japanese art form called kintsugi that repairs broken pieces of pottery by filling the cracks with a lacquer made from powdered gold. The dysfunctions are not disguised. The cracks are celebrated with golden seams. It’s those cracks that give the repaired pottery its unique character! As you count your blessings, don’t forget the broken places, the broken pieces! “Like plants that miraculously manage to grow through the cracks in concrete, the blessings of God are irrepressible. His blessings have a way of sur...

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book, Double Blessing (p. 83). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) This may be where you are today. An obstacle or opportunity? Mark says, “It’s seeing opportunity where others see obstacles. That may sound like nothing more than a good pep talk or TED talk, but it’s good theology! What did Joseph do to his brothers who faked his death and sold him into slavery? He didn’t curse them. He gave them shin . Like the Jewish priests who raised their hands and pronounced a blessing on the people of God, Joseph blessed his brothers through his pain. And his words reveal a double-blessing mindset: ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.’ (Genesis 50:20)” Mark goes on, “If you curse those who cause you pain, it only compounds the problem. I know it’s hard not to, but it was a posture of bles...

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book, Double Blessing (p. 76). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I know, I know, we want to protect our kids from any disappointments, any pain, but God has a different perspective, a different understanding. Mark says, “We're still subject to the law of sowing and reaping. And we still live in a fallen world, which means we’ll experience our fair share of pain and suffering. Plus, God is not a helicopter parent. Just like Joseph, Esther, David, and Daniel, we will experience personal setbacks and seasons of suffering. The good news? It will be for our good and God’s glory.” Mark then says, “The last thing I want to do is make light of the difficulties you’ve endured. I actually want to validate them. It seems like every news cycle these days brings new allegations of sexual harassment or sexual abuse. If you’ve been the victim of that kind of abuse, it’s n...