Do you have a problem comparing yourself to others? Most people do. Why do we do this? It’s such a global thing.
Author: Brenda Wolfe
Brenda is the Founder and Director of Alive and Active Life, a ministry that inspires and equips Jesus followers to live in power, passion, and purpose with God’s Word in practical ways each day. Alive and Active Life walks alongside to help you pursue and succeed in your relationship with Jesus Christ. Our strong launch pad has always been God’s Word. Everything we do and say flows from principles in Scripture and is aimed your direction for the boost you need as a person of faith, living in difficult times. It is our desire for you to have an Alive and Active Life with purpose and meaning.Fresh New Life
The topic for today is fresh new life. You know life can shift pretty quickly. 
Mostly it’s in the small stuff. I’m sure you’ve been in a jam at some point. Caught in bad circumstances. You have that dreaded, instant panic feeling. It could be you lost your wallet or left your purse on a shelf in a store aisle. Perhaps you forgot to pay an important bill. You may have broken something very special or ruined a plant you were nurturing. Your keys to a public building, a safe, and your own home are missing.
Maybe you ran your car into someone’s fence or got pulled over for speeding. Maybe you said something you later regret terribly.
These kinds of things make your stomach churn. You just hope for some way to reconcile things with as little pain and upset as possible. Many of these scenarios are minor and temporary. Some scenarios are the big stuff – serious and life altering with long-term losses.
Stuck in the Corner – How to Get Out
It is a terrible feeling to be stuck in the corner. Trapped by problems. Maneuverability seems so limited. Fear starts to do its work. Many times life feels like this. No matter how hard you’ve tried to do your best and make good decisions, sometimes you are just stuck in the corner. What options do you have in this place?
Match God’s Heart
What does it look like to engage a life that matters? To avoid entanglements, skip the irrelevant, and move forward to be a seasoned believer. And what does it look like to apply practical decisions each day that make a difference in this world. You are only given a certain number of days. How can you make them really count and match God’s heart? What does it look like to carry out God’s agenda in your daily living?
Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” (Mt. 5:13) I wonder what He meant. Why did God say this? It’s as if He is telling His people to ponder a bit to get at His meaning. Jesus want us to read between the lines.
Lose the Bottle!
I’m sure you have held an infant, completely helpless, very hungry, in your arms. They depend utterly on you to protect and nourish them. Their intense, desperate delight as they grab the bottle you offer, shows their utter focus on themselves and their complete dependency on you for survival. It’s a precious memory to feed an infant.
Picture an older child, teen, or adult in that same scenario, however, and you get a completely different reaction inside. It’s repulsive. They should be actively engaged, handling a fork and knife (or chop-sticks) as second nature. The expectation is pretty simple – lose the bottle! Grow up!
How To Get Through Loss, Disappointment, and Pain
Life is hard! How do you get through it all? When too many painful seasons chain together, we start asking serious questions. Most people’s questions flow out of losses, disappointments, and pain.
