I listen when the written word speaks to me.

Three articles, three individuals, three messages. Each one said something that spoke to me. I love it when that happens. I could relate to what they had to say. Here are the three gems I read this week.

1. “Lead with love.”

Karlynn Holbrook , senior manager of organizational operations at Walt Disney world. Biola Magazine, Fall 2020

I was reading the Biola Magazine when I came to the alumni section that features Biolans’ impact in the world. Karlynn is a graduate of Biola who has worked up the ladder to her present position with Walt Disney World. In August 2019 , she received the Walt Disney Legacy Award, which is a peer-nominated award.

As a Christian it’s a challenge to be a Christian in a secular world. She says she leads with actions first to demonstrate her love for everybody. “‘Hey, I love on everybody! I want to see you be successful. … I’m not going to go down a moral low ground just because other people are doing it.’ And believe it or not, that stands out by itself.” The article ends with this statement. “We can (make an impact) when we ‘lead with love.'”

. . .

2. “Thank You, Jesus, that You love me so much, that You . . .”

Mary Carothers, Foundation of Praise Ministry, Praise News newsletter, June 2021

At 89, Mary said she starts her day like this. Upon waking, she says: “Thank You Jesus, that You love me so much, that You gave me this good bed – that I now have to leave. Thank You Jesus, that You love me so much, that You saw to it that I have this alarm clock.” As she staggers (her word) into the bathroom, she says, “Thank You, Jesus that You love me so much, that you gave me this bar of soap to wash my face and this cold water to splash on it.”

By the time she is in the kitchen, she is filled with joy and love. This practice of saying, “Thank You, Jesus, that You love me so much, that You . . .” gives her a spiritual lift even when she isn’t feeling up to it at first.

. . .

3. “Your body belongs to the Lord.”

Cec Murphey, semi-retired writer, ghost writer, speaker, and writing coach, Cec Murphey’s June Newsletter, 2021

At 88, Cec Murphey walks five miles a day. Up until last year, he ran several miles every day. When he was a younger man he had a wake-up call one day when the Lord spoke to him about how he was neglecting his body. He had gained thirty pounds. God got his attention with the thought, “Your body belongs to the Lord.”

Soon after that, he helped Ben Carson with his book, and then another Seventh Day Adventist book, and then another Ben Carson book. Eating clean is part of Seventh Day Adventist practices. Cec Murphey disciplined himself to make better choices. He changed what he ate, and he implemented a running regiment. It has paid off with good health and active engagement.

. . .

My Thoughts

Lead with love. That is what I want to do. I want to lead with love. You can’t go wrong if you lead with love.

Thank you Jesus, that you love me so much, that you’re going to be with me today, and tomorrow, and the next day. (I like this suggestion.)

Your body belongs to the Lord and I need to treat it as the Lord’s. My body is His temple. I need to respect His temple as I honor him with how I treat my body.

In Conclusion

Reading can be a game where you are looking for what speaks to you. You can underline it and date it, that way, the next time you read it you will remember what was going on in your life at that time. I used to do that with bible verses. I rue the day I lost my bible. It was tattered on the outside but well marked on the inside with years of notes. God speaks to us through His Spirit and His Word. He uses all sorts of things to minister to us.

Wise is the person who heeds God’s instruction.