Young people everywhere love going fast, to live on the edge.

The spectacular Xingu River in front of Porto de Moz.

Paponha tastes like a combination of potatoes and hazelnuts and is exceptionally good with strong sweet coffee when you are really hungry, and there is no other food around.

Deanna and I took two boats like this to get to Gurupá, with an overnight in between in Porto de Moz.

On the way home we got a ride on a barge or ferry, twenty-two hours on the boat, and then eight hours in our car, and we were home.

The rain clouds broke open over Porto de Moz while we were there.

The Porto de Moz sunset.

The river front in Gurupá.

Gurupá from the lineboat.

We spoke both nights to leaders in Gurupá.

Edna, the pastor of the Gurupá church, works at this city facility that helps special-needs students.

One of the towns along the TransAmazon Highway on our way home.

We got a liter of açai in Porto de Moz and had a relaxing supper on the line boat with some cheese, ham, and peanuts. Can you see that happily exhausted feeling of a good trip, when you are on your way home with only about 20 hours to go?

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“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me” (NASB John 17:22-23).

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Unity is crucially important to God, but how to achieve harmony is counter-intuitive for Kingdom people.

The Price of Avoiding Dissenting Ideas

At the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies in Fresno, CA, Deanna and I learned that teams that demand unity would continually fracture.

Group Think

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. It is characterized by self-deception, forced manufacture of consent, and conformity to group values and ethics. Groupthink reduces the efficiency of collective problem-solving and may lead to bad decisions (ChatGPT, personal communication, April 2, 2023).

The Abilene Paradox

One sultry Texas Saturday, a businessman was relaxing with his family. He wondered how they could have quality time together, so he threw out an idea. “How about if we go to Abilene for the day?” Abilene was a city over 100 miles away, and cars did not have air conditioners in those days. The man’s wife, two daughters, and mother-in-law agreed to the day trip. At the end of the exhausting day, when they all expressed their gratitude to be back at their fantastic, peaceful house and discovered that no one in the group had wanted to leave that morning. They all agreed because they thought everyone else wanted to go, and they wanted to be team players.

“The Abilene paradox describes a group dynamic where the collective agrees on a path of action that none of the individual members want to do. It involves a common breakdown of group communication in which each member mistakenly believes that their own preferences are counter to the group’s and therefore does not raise objection. Jerry Harvey, the management expert who identified and named the phenomenon, calls it a “failure to manage agreement” (ChatGPT, personal communication, April 2, 2023).

The Rewards of Welcoming Dissenting Ideas

In Fresno, at the Peace Center, the leaders taught us that groups that embrace dissenting ideas flourish. “If you have a leadership team of five people and welcome dissenting opinions, you will avoid polarizing your team and develop a resilient unity. On one issue, you may see three people on one side of the issue and two on the other. The next point may have four on one side and yet another, a different 2-3 configuration. Teams that embrace conflicting ideas grow strong as they work past obstacles to discover previously hidden and better ways forward.

Examples from Scripture

• In Acts 5, the religious leadership team was so furious at the apostles they decided to kill them. Then one of the group came up with a dissenting idea, and thankfully the leadership team moved away from their first group decision.

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 “So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God” (Acts 5:38-39).

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• Jesus did not expel the dissenter from his disciples even though He knew who would betray Him.

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“For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, ‘Not all of you are clean’” (NIV John 13:11).

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Why is Conflict So Difficult?

Many people are uncomfortable with conflicting ideas, so they either shrink down or take charge.

In marriage counseling, couples commonly say, “We never had any arguments until we started getting marriage counseling.” When we hear this, we know one of the two was being dominated. As they learn to express their views in ways that are different, the result is often uncomfortable and awkward conversations. 

• I remember a story from the Yukon. A coworker was a truck driver. One day he came home to Whitehorse after about a week on the road to an empty house. His wife of ten years had packed up her stuff and left. “…and I thought we had a happy marriage.” 
• A pastor friend told me over a period of years of his pain when people would leave his church. He would not know they had left until they’d been gone for some time. When he started asking questions of the absent people’s friends the reasons they left did not seem logical.
• One day about twenty-five years ago, a best friend and co-leader mentioned to me, “I am quitting and leaving this Saturday. You are such a bad leader. I cannot bear working with you anymore.” I can still remember where we were sitting, in my pickup, on a particular street in a Brazilian town. That was the first time I could appreciate what my friend in the Yukon who arrived home to an empty house experienced.

I could go on with more examples of times when one well-meaning friend is utterly oblivious to the feelings of someone they love. The question arises, “Who is responsible?” Is it the one who is unaware or the one who is silent? The most straightforward answer is the best. Both are responsible. Both have the power to change their system if they are sufficiently motivated. The price, though, is to learn to become comfortable with chaos or that state where you are in unknown territory. This concept is so vital for God’s people that Bible authors included it on page 2.

Genesis 2

The story begins with God creating a Garden in the East and placing a man in the Garden. At the end of the story, God made a woman, and the two are in perfect unity in an ideal world where God reigns supreme. The story describes a beautiful River that waters the whole Garden, and then the report includes a whole paragraph about how that River in Eden leaves the Garden and divides into four rivers. An entire section in this second story is about rivers that water the regions of Babylon, Assyria, and Egypt, places outside the Garden that contain good gold, among other things.

One lesson that helps me from this story is that now that we have access to the Kingdom of God, that realm where Jesus is King, we can spend time each morning with God, getting filled with the fruit of the Spirit, and then we can go into a chaotic world with God to do our work (Matt. 28:16-20). Becoming comfortable with chaos and curious when people do things that don’t make sense is my greatest lesson this past decade. Learning not to panic but rather to thrill when things are out of control… people pay big money for experiences God wants for all His people. We are called to an abundant life (John 10:10).

Practically, what if we react before we think during a conflict? What if we shut down internally, or, rising to the challenge of competition, we lose sight of the goal of a good decision and will do anything to win the argument or our viewpoint? We learned how to respond to life’s challenges in our childhood. If you want to change your impulsive and reactive responses to challenges, try changing your reactions in your family. First, think about times when being silent or aggressive helped you as a child. Then think of times it has tripped you up as an adult. The idea is to increase your ability to choose the best option for each situation. Your family is a great place to practice. Families are God’s idea.

In Summary

In conclusion, the best unity often comes on the other side of healthy conflict. If we settle too soon, or if we are too intent on controlling outcomes, we may miss many treasures and experiences that God has in store for us.

Five more gallons of sauerkraut, ready to go!

The cleanup crew is on standby.

We drove to visit Jefferson and Simone last weekend.

Maria, Simone, Jefferson. Jefferson and Simone pastor a church, supervise an area, and have a 4×4 school bus business in a remote jungle area.

Apolana, Tomás, and WD

Fifteen years ago, I didn’t even know Conflict Resolution was a thing. Now the concept is so familiar it goes by the nickname ConRes. Many professionals, however, have changed the name to Conflict Management because conflicts often get driven underground, only to reappear again and again.

Ghosting

Take ghosting, for instance. 

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Ghosting is a term used to describe the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication. The concept most often refers to romantic relationships but can also describe disappearances from friendships and the workplace. People respond to being ghosted in many ways, from feeling indifferent to deeply betrayed.

(ChatGPT, personal communication, March 22, 2023).

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Ghosting sometimes happens when people in power do not know what to do, so they opt for a win/lose solution in their favor. The problem is, these solutions are often temporary.

King David’s Disaster Story

The Bible teaches through stories because it is the best way to teach the complexities of how we are to do right by God and people within our cultural contexts.

One wonders why David stopped acting with the integrity he had as a younger man. In the wilderness, running because of unjust charges, David honored God and his family, but when he got into power, he sometimes fell to manipulation and ghosting people he loved. At one point, for example, David refused to let one of his sons return home for three years, even though he loved and wanted to see him (2 Sam. 13:37-14:1). Then David invited Absolom back to the royal city, but for more two years continued to refuse to see him.

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However, the king said, “Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face.” So Absalom turned to his own house and did not see the king’s face (2 Sam. 14:24).

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The relational challenges escalated and took on a life of their own.

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Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king’s face.
Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. So he sent again a second time, but he would not come.
Therefore he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
Then Joab arose, came to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there.” ’ Now therefore, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him put me to death”

2 Sam. 14:28-32.

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David continued to love Absolom but did not express that love when the time was right (2 Sam. 19:1-7).

NOTE: There are extreme cases where one person feels unsafe around another. That is another situation. But the Bible has much to say about how healthy people resolve conflict.

Conflict Resolution Evolved in Genesis

Some leaders at the Fresno Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies consider Genesis as a book about the evolution of conflict resolutions. Deanna and I audited a course there 15 years ago, thanks to Mike Sheedy among others, and I still remember the series of morning devotionals.

1. Do Away With the Other.

Cain uses a power-over conflict solution—no more problems. Or is there? (Gen. 4).

2. Distance.

Abraham uses a power-over solution and sends Hagar away. No more problems… for the moment (Gen. 21:9-21).

3. “Don’t go away mad. Just go away.”

Jacob pretends to befriend Esau, but when Esau wants to travel and hang out together, Jacob wants nothing to do with him. Their conflict continued for generations (Gen 33:1-16).

4. Reconciliation.

His brothers brutally mistreat Joseph but by the end of the story, both parties seek to serve the other. Reconciliation is God’s best choice for human relationships, and the book of Genesis closes. Jacob’s reconciled family hung together for many generations.

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[Joseph’s brothers approach Joseph].
“And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.”
And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said,
“Behold, we are your servants.”
But Joseph said to them,
“Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place?
“As for you, you meant evil against me,
but God meant it for good
to bring about this present result
and preserve many people alive.
“So therefore, do not be afraid;
I will provide for you and your little ones.”
So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Genesis 50:17b-21.

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Best Practices

1. Become the best version of yourself in difficult circumstances, and then hold to your character/lessons/principles when you gain power and resources (Matt. 5-7).

2. As far as it concerns you, be at peace with everyone, all the time (Romans 12:18).

3. Reconciliation only works if both parties are in agreement. But what if the other party doesn’t want reconciliation? Keep being the best version of yourself. People and situations change over time. If you are able to refrain from reacting with anger, distance, adapting, or triangling, you’ll be in a good position to move toward reconciliation when the other party is ready.

4. Do not let rejection become an anchor in your spiritual growth. If you react with anger or distance, you may stay anchored to the problem. If you cut the anchor cables with forgiveness, you may be in a position to be a healing agent.

5. Lean into spiritual growth in adverse circumstances with more prayer and time with God. Learn to wait for God’s timing. Sometimes the hardest obedience is waiting. One time Saul was so eager for action he acted prematurely and Samuel said that act cost him his kingdom (1 Sam. 13:8-14). I wonder how often we try to manipulate people we love and mess up God’s better plans. Our attempt at a shortcut becomes another lap around the training mountain. Thankfully love covers a multitude of errors, and God keeps working with willing people (1 Pet. 4:8).

6. “Let’s work with the people who want to work with us.” Deanna and I continually encourage ourselves even as we scan our relationship world for changes and opportunities.

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So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach (Heb. 13:13).

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7. How we treat others is how we treat God.

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And He [Jesus] said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’
“This is the great and foremost commandment.
“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’
“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

(Matt. 22:37-40).

If we want to be great in God’s kingdom, we must learn to be comfortable outside our comfort zones. As we take risks for God, our emotions and thinking will work with us to take more significant risks. It’s called muscle memory.

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Muscle memory refers to the ability of our muscles to perform specific movements or actions automatically without conscious effort or thought. It results from repeated practice or training, which helps create neural pathways that allow our muscles to perform the desired action more efficiently and effectively.

When we repeatedly perform a particular movement or action, our brain and nervous system develop neural pathways that become more efficient over time. This process is called neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt and change in response to new experiences.

With enough repetition, these neural pathways become so well established that we can perform the movement or action automatically without thinking about it consciously.

ChatGPT in “What is Muscle Memory”

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The Growing Side of Peter

1. Peter recklessly left his safe fishing job to follow Jesus. 
2. Peter climbed out of the boat in the middle of the sea and walked on the water.
3. Peter quickly made a plan to build three tabernacles in the transfiguration event.
4. Peter became the first missionary to the Gentiles, against all his life teachings and examples (Acts 10).
5. Peter became a miracle worker and a spokesman for the apostles.

Peter also…

1. …made a worldly plan for Jesus’ rise to power (Matt. 16:22-23).
2. …fell asleep when Jesus asked him to pray.
3. …tried to become a sword fighter for Jesus (John  18:1-10).
4. …denied Jesus 3 times.

Peter did not start as a spiritual giant. But he was willing to take risks and develop his spiritual muscle memory.

David

1. David killed lions and bears while tending his father’s sheep.
2. David learned to play the harp while tending sheep.
3. David used this muscle memory to take on a giant.
4. David continued to take huge risks as he waited for God to promote him.
5. On his best days, David refused power-over solutions on his rise to leadership (1 Sam. 19-27).
6. David wrote many Psalms during his wilderness years. 

Rick Bergen

When I was ten, my dad came home with a big red bicycle. It was an old, heavy, adult bicycle. I could barely touch the ground with my tip toes when I straddled the center bar. My dad started me out on the top of our gently sloping gravel driveway, gave me a little push, and let me go. At the bottom of the driveway was a shed. The brakes on that bike were on the pedals. When you pushed the pedals backward, they braked. I had no muscle memory. This was all new to me. I ran straight into the side of the shed. That hurt. I didn’t want to ride the bike anymore, but Dad insisted. Soon I was pedaling around. I had a mustang within a couple of years, and I dominated it. We would build jumps at the bottom of a ravine to see who could stay airborne the longest, knowing we would crash into the other side of the ravine. That was fun.

Years later, in the Yukon, I asked my friends how they got jobs operating big machinery. They said they watched for opportunities, and if someone needed an equipment operator, they said they could do it. “Fake it till you make it.” I took six months of tech school in Whitehorse, where I learned some basics about safety and machine care, but many times I was way out of my comfort zone. Then we looked for those opportunities. We love being the first ones out after a blizzard to re-open the Dempster Highway, and we were always the last ones in, even doing a sweep, a trip to the end of our section and back if we were uncertain if anyone was stranded before we closed the highway. Often we could only see the hood of the pickup and the reflectors on the side of the road. Everything else was pure blizzard white, and those were the really good days. Of course, the food and the money were good too. That helped.

I traded all that to attend Bible School in Texas for two years. I flew down the first time. I didn’t know what to expect. I’d heard it was hot. When I got off the plane and into the airport, I thought the temperature was warm but reasonable. I’d brought my sleeping bag, and it was night, so I slept in the airport while waiting for the daytime and my ride to the Bible School. I was hit with a wave of hot, humid Texas air when I stepped outside the airport. It was like an oven. It dawned on me that inside the airport were air conditioners. That is when I knew I was in for some unexpected and unknown situations. I have often felt like an outsider, like I didn’t belong. Over time I realized many people feel like outsiders, and it is part of the human experience. When we are in the business of community transformation, feeling like we really belong and feeling like outsiders are comingled.

All these experiences and a million other experiences blend to help me become who I am today. My parents made me take piano lessons in grade school for six years. I wouldn’t say I liked it. Still, the muscle memory of those years served me well in Bible School and again at the start of the Mirante Church when it was just a youth group. One of my favorite missionary sayings is “There are a lot of things they never taught me in Bible School.” The thing is, we don’t need to know how to do stuff. We need to know how to be comfortable following Jesus, to “fake it till we make it.”

Muscle-Memory Downside?

Spiritual muscle memory may have a downside, and it’s called trauma. When we get exceptionally hurt or shocked by situations or people we trusted, we build a kind of negative muscle memory. Immanuel Prayer is helpful for healing traumatic memories. Think about the Israelites in the desert and how easily they were triggered back into their slavery mentality, that their master would maliciously mistreat and harm them. It was difficult for God to work with those people. We need healing and courage to reconstruct our neural, emotional, and spiritual highways and to get back on track with trust and risk-taking.

Jesus’ Shocking Prediction

Jesus said God loves Kingdom risk-takers and is strongly displeased with those who play it safe (Matt. 25:14-30). 

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 “‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave… ‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.”

(Matt. 25:25-29).

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There is no thought of someone risking too much or even unwisely.
In this story, all the risk-takers are entrusted with more.

What About You?

Do any thoughts come to your mind as you read this?
Can you remember any childhood dreams or aspirations?
What is one risky thing you could do . . .

Your thoughts?

Favorite Photos

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For the full pre-2015 interview go to https://vineyardusa.org/elba-dolan-and-the-vineyard-in-brazil/

In this interview, Elba Dolan shares her story of coming to Christ, how she connected with the Vineyard, and her thoughts on the Vineyard, both in Brazil and globally. She currently serves as one of the National Leaders for the Vineyard Churches in Brazil, is presently the Senior Pastor of the Igreja da Vinha do Mirante, and is the founder/director of nonprofit organization CDR.

VUSA: Let’s start with a bit of your story. How did you come to Christ, and how did you end up in the Vineyard?

Elba Dolan: I came to Christ when I was 16 years old through a missionary family. They were from Canada, they had a relationship with the Vineyard, and they came to plant churches in the Amazon. I started working for them as a maid, and that’s how I came to the Lord.

Rick Bergen had a dream to come to the Xingu region about a year later to start planting Vineyard churches. So that’s what we did. We came to the Xingu and started Vineyard churches there. That’s how I was born into the Vineyard.

It really takes godly people to do what Rick ultimately did. How many people can have a teenage maid and see a calling in my life that I didn’t see – that I would be his leader? But Rick was that kind of guy. He always encouraged that call in my life. He gave me opportunities to work toward that. It just came to happen through him faithfully serving the Lord.

And I learned that you have to work faithfully with the small things. If it’s cleaning the kitchen, you do that well. You work your butt off, don’t play around, and the Lord will lead you. That’s what happened to me – being in the right place with the right people around me to see things that I didn’t see. Lots of mentoring and encouragement. I never thought I’d become the person I am. I just kept going step by step.

And going for the adventure! I just went for it. Not that it’s all fun all the time! But to see the Lord working, to see marriages restored, to see people coming to Christ … there’s no way I’d miss this. It’s addicting. You almost develop a love/hate relationship with it. So you do it, you work hard, and then you rest. And the next day you’re in love with it again.

You don’t want to throw people in too young, but you also don’t want to wait until you’re dying to pass the baton.CLICK TO TWEET

That is what I learned as people gave me opportunities, and that’s what I try to do: move people along. I think it is just being faithful to that and walking through the doors that are open to you.

And each step was amazing. Leading a small group was amazing. Helping lead youth was amazing. Whatever I was doing was amazing, and then God had the next thing. So you just keep moving as the Lord is moving. It’s not magic, just faith.

How long has the Vineyard existed in Brazil?

We came here in 1996, but the interesting thing about the Vineyard is that it started in Brazil in the north and south parts through different relationships that they had with Vineyards in Canada and the U.S. around 1994, maybe 1995. But we didn’t know about each other – until 2001, when Mark Fields heard about both groups and brought us together.

When did Brazil become its own AVC (Association of Vineyard Churches)?

We haven’t yet! We’re still in the process. We were supposed to be released last year, but we decided to step back and wait to get everything the way it should be.

What are some of your passions in ministry? What excites you?

I come from a very poor background. I felt like coming into the kingdom just completely expanded my vision. I’ve been able to do things I never could dream of. It completely opened my eyes to the world. Huge opportunities. I truly believe the kingdom brings opportunity.

I am very passionate about young people experiencing this huge adventure with Christ. So I just love that. I love to see people being changed, I love realities being changed. I love to see movement, to see people go beyond where they thought they could go on their own.

I love that challenge. You can be somebody else. Your life can be different. There’s so much more to life when you come into the kingdom of God. I want that for everyone. That’s what I live for on a daily basis.

What are some of the challenges of doing church and church planting in the Xingu area, and what are some of the neat opportunities that you have?

In this area, people are very open to the gospel. Geographically though, it’s very far, and travel is hard. It takes much time to get from one area to another. Training leaders in the community is a huge challenge because we’re not there on a daily basis. A lot of places you visit only once per month.

In a month a lot of things happen. A lot of times, changing that mentality of being a leader and not a follower is a challenge. That’s not the model of Brazilian history and poverty. People are used to being told what to do. It’s a big challenge to train leaders, to make them believe that it’s okay to lead in this way. We experience that.

The other thing is, when you train a leader and he or she starts getting more knowledge and experience, they want to keep growing. Many times they’ll just move out of the community looking for more education, more opportunities, get their kids in school and do what they were not able to do. That’s a challenge, to train people to lead and then get them to stay in their communities.

The other challenge is that people still move a lot. They homestead, they move together as a family. But opportunities change, and people move a lot.

That’s in the Xingu region. In the south, it’s a different challenge. It’s more urban. It’s a different culture. To go to church, to give your life, is to leave the urban life. It’s a step down, not a step up, to leave your good job and follow Christ.

I find vultures so amazing! They can eat the foulest garbage with great gusto, and they don’t get sick. How did God do that? It rained all night, so this morning, the vultures were drying out their wings so they could fly again. They all face 90 degrees to the rising sun in the East.

Clenildo sent me a series of photos this week highlighting his recent missionary trips. Clenildo and Angelita are regional overseers, so along with helping resolve challenges, they get to participate in baptisms and special services.

A Dress Rehearsal?

We’ve been at this for almost 30 years now. Together with everyone who has helped, we have learned many lessons.

Question 1: “How do we start a movement where many people can take the gospel to many locations, without us, and train up leaders who will do the same?”

Question # 2, “How can we help others experience Jesus as we know Him?”, because when they do, they will help their family and friends.

In talking with Clenildo, I realize we cannot work any harder. We need to learn our lessons and release a thousand new people to ten thousand new locations.

Maybe we’re still working on a prototype, a model that will resonate with the culture in a way that will inspire the next generation of leaders to experience the joy of missionary work, training leaders, and planting churches.

But now I’m thinking out loud…

What are your thoughts?

Please pray for Clenildo while you’re gathering your thoughts. Pastors and leaders can get accidentally overburdened, and we need each other’s prayers and encouragement.

The top right and bottom pictures are baptisms in remote locations, and the top left is when Clenildo got some volunteers to come with him to restart some village churches along the Xingu River.

We homeschooled our four daughters. Deanna did most of the teaching/planning/organizing. But when it started pouring rain, it was an automatic break so the girls could run outside. The children in our yard found the same joy this week.

Children have an easy time getting lost in moments, one of the key indicators of a good life.

My Practice

I repeatedly tell myself, “Wow, do I ever have a good life.” Or “I can hardly believe our good life.” I say the words out loud. Mostly I am telling myself, but if other people are within earshot, so much the better. This simple habit changes everything.

Benefit # 1

God is paying close attention. God really wants to bless people. Have you ever set everything up for the perfect day for your child, and then they totally love it? God is like that and gives us gifts all day long. However, when we get too many gifts, we risk taking them for granted, and things are imperfect. We are still between the ages. We are free, and we are still working out our freedom. Jesus is here, and He is returning to restore everything. Even so, a million and one good things are happening around us daily. The food we eat, the people in our life, the planet we live on, etc. God hopes we will enjoy life. Deuteronomy 28 is the chapter about God’s blessings which are unimaginably good, and the alternative curses, which are unimaginably bad.

God gives us an option, if we prefer not to serve Him in the way that pleases Him.

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Since you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a cheerful heart, in gratitude for the abundance of all things, you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, thirst, nakedness, and devoid of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you” (NASB, Dt. 28:47-48).

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Benefit # 2

God created our brains to help us get the life we desire. Your brain will hunt for reasons to prove that your words are true. Our brain can find a limitless amount of awesomeness once it really starts looking. Every morning at 4 a.m., our dog hears me get up to make coffee. She gets up from wherever she is sleeping and comes to the door. I go outside, crouch down, and tell her, “Can you believe it? We have one more day to be alive. We’re on a rock spinning through space. God keeps everything spinning in perfect sync. Pretty soon, the world will light up and become colorful again. The grass is going to grow. The insects and birds are going to sing. The flowers will bloom. All this while we are spinning at an incredible speed through space . . . it is going to be awesome. Today God will feed all the birds so we can enjoy their sounds and diversion. Jesus told us that God feeds all the birds every day. . .” Our dog is encouraged by these powerful words and snuggles close to soak them in. The stream of ideas about how good we have it continually increases. No one can even come close to exploring the limits of the greatness of this training habitat God created for us.

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“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matt. 6:26).

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Benefit # 3

The more we learn to appreciate life the way God meant for us to appreciate it, the more attractive we are to a lost and dying world. Everyone is looking for what works. Sin has that deceptiveness that appears to lead to life, but it does not satisfy. Christians who learn to fully appreciate each moment often lose track of time. Think about when you lost track of time and the awesomeness of that experience. That is a taste of eternity. People pay big money for extreme sports experiences to focus and feel alive. What if you could live your life, so even your work was fully engaging? What if you could learn to look forward to stress and conflicts, because these are opportunities to grow and to help others get to a better place? This is possible for you if you learn how to have good days.

How I Train My Brain to Help Me Have a Good Day

Over four decades, I have discovered the high value of starting my day with God. God comes first before social media, email, or all the challenges in my world, because God is the ultimate reality. The rest of the stuff is shifting sand. First, I need to get grounded. Here is the rhythm that has worked for me for the past few years.

1. I start with 30 minutes of Centering Prayer. This is when I sit quietly with God in His Kingdom. Maybe it is in a Garden, a Mountaintop, or some other place. I find the Calm App helps me learn to quiet my brain. My brain loves to race around, looking for ways to help me. I need to train it to be quiet with God. Sometimes, when we get traumatized or from this broken world, our brain develops familiar super-highways where when our thoughts drift, we immediately start thinking about how bad someone or something is. We need to retrain to get a thought super-highway about God’s great plans for us and our people. I spend 10 minutes learning to quiet my brain and 20 more quietly with God. I am a contented child, soaking in His goodness in that place where He is King.
2. Before and/or after Centering Prayer, I spend time reading and studying the Bible. I read the Bible through every year to avoid getting stuck on favorite doctrines and missing the whole message. I also listen to Bible Project for 10-15 minutes.
3. Finally, I pray through three lists. My first list is all the people in my life. I’ve been building it for years. I pray I will be the right person for God to use with the people He has placed in my life. Secondly, I pray through and remember God’s promises to me, unfulfilled prayer requests, and I systematically review my dreams and outstanding prophecies people have spoken over me. Thirdly I review the people to whom I am ministering and again ask God to shape me into a person He can use to do His will on earth.

Now that God is firmly on the throne in my life for another day, I am ready to open my email inbox, begin my tasks, and engage with the unpredictable chaos world. Stress is good, when you are in a strong place to engage with it.

Benefit # 4

Enough good days in a row will make a good year, and enough good years in a row will make a good life. We are prepared as well as possible for the age to come.

How do you set yourself up for the best day possible?