DIY Guy Learns a Valuable Lesson

By Alan Mowbray –

A few days ago, I was in a panic.

I had been working on my MINI Cooper–installing control arm bushings and other parts that, when I had the car at the shop a couple months ago, the dealer had recommended replacing. With a $2500+ price tag on the parts and labor, I figured it was time for DIYGuy!

Dun Dun Duuuuuuuuuuuuuun!

Well, everything was going great for DIYGuy until he realized that when he popped the ball joints loose on the lower front control arms, he had damaged the threads beyond repair. Even worse, in trying to extract the ball joints, DIYGUY discovered that the dastardly RustMonster had attacked and welded them into place with his deterioration ray.

Things were not looking good for our plucky superhero…

What would happen if he had to admit that he had bitten off more than he could chew, requiring him to call the dreaded AAA, tow the MINI to the dealer, and kowtow to the eeeevil masterminds of S.E.R.V.I.C.E. D.E.P.A.R.T.M.E.N.T., the sworn enemy of his credit card and his secret organization, B.U.D.G.E.T.???

Sensing defeat, DIYGuy decided to go in the house, get a drink of ice cold H₂O and collect his thoughts while leaving his sidekick for the day, FriendGuy, in the garage alone–still banging away at the stuck joints.

As DIYGuy sat on a stool in the kitchen pouting, his wife, a superhero herself (on-call basis only) noted his demeanor and asked him how things were going.

Dejected, he poured out his heart.

“I think I took on more than I can handle. Whatever we do, we can’t get the ball joints out of the steering knuckles. RustMonster has frozen them in place and without some sort of miracle, I’m gonna have to call a tow truck and haul this car off to the dealer to finish the job! I don’t know if I can handle the humiliation!”

His wife–Proverbs31Girl, as she is known in circles that know such things–put her arm around her man softly.

“Why don’t we pray about it?”

Inwardly, kicking himself for not thinking of going to his Lord and Master to begin with, DIYGuy agreed.

And pray she did! Without warning, she attacked Discouragement in the name of the King of all Kings! Spinning around, she ground Doubt under her feet, claiming the authority given to her by her Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Screaming in fear, Frustration and the rest of his cowering minions ran away in defeat, stunned at the brutal assault sustained just by the mere mention of the protection given to Proverbs31Girl and DIYGuy by God Almighty–all because of their sworn acceptance of his Son and the sacrifice He had made for them on the cross.

When the battle was over, DIYGuy raised his head and kissed her softly.

“Thank you, my love, for reminding me to whom I should call on in times of trouble.”

She smiled at him.

CRASH! THUNK! The noise came from the garage.

“Got ‘em!” FriendGuy hollered. Even the evil RustMonster couldn’t stand in the face of the promises of God.

Later that night, after test-driving the repaired, upgraded, and smooth-as-silk MINI around the neighborhood, I crawled into bed with a thankful, humbled heart. Once again I had been reminded why God had matched me up with a woman such as my wife. She was a complement to my weaknesses and vice versa.

“Goodnight, Proverbs31Girl.”

“Goodnight, DIYGuy.”

As I drifted off to sleep, I thanked God one more time for blessing me with this woman.

“My pleasure, son. Sleep well.”

The Restful Life

By Alan Mowbray –

I tend to focus on things that are life enhancing. Part of it is probably personality, but there is a real benefit and purpose behind this: it’s restful.

When life happens, it seems so easy to focus on money woes, car maintenance bills, the broken transmission on the lawnmower, children who have to be told a million times to do something, politics, politicians, the plot line of a favorite TV show, that pain in your shoulder… no. Stop. I have control in this situation.

Why are people who focus on the positive always happy, even in adversity? Are they just happy people? Are they immune to sadness? Are they incapable of taking anything seriously? Hardly. It’s because they don’t focus on the bad. They make a choice to look to positive things. And in doing so, they do not walk alone when dealing with what life hands them. They’re living what I call The Restful Life.

In the Book of Philippians, Paul writes—while in prison mind you—“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies” (Philippians 4:6-9 MESSAGE).

When your situation is at the center of your life, you open yourself up—handing over control to your emotions. Paul learned a better way—let Christ displace worry at the center of your life. He said it was wonderful living a restful life. Where did he learn this? Because Jesus said it, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:23 NKJV).

Jesus Christ is our rest. He encourages us to lay our worries, concerns, burdens, habits, and etc. at His feet. When we have a problem, it’s not time to dwell on it; it’s time to go to God.

Always. Try to make it a habit in your life.

Remember, He is your Savior, your Father and your Helpmeet. Instead of being discouraged, ask for His wisdom. Rather than ruminating on your circumstances, remind yourself of what He has done for you. In the midst of it all, thank Him for His guidance. Once the situation is resolved, don’t forget to give Him the glory and tell others about what He did for you. Always tell someone… their faith will be built up because of your successes in Him.

Here’s Jesus’ words again, this time in the Message translation. I just love this:  “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:23 MESSAGE).

Yeah… living the restful life. That’s my choice.

How ‘bout you?

Who Am I?

By Alan Mowbray –

Who am I?

Who are you?

There comes a time in life when we all ask ourselves this question. The answer we get is based on who we listen to—man or God? Listening to man can be dangerous. On occasion, I‘ve had the opportunity to minister to those with a terrible burden on their hearts because of names they have been called by those around them.

Oooohh, names? Seriously?

Okay. We’re not talking about the playground name calling ritual we all grew up with. Look deeper. It’s more about the words behind the words. Those phrases of blame that say—you’re lazy, inconsiderate, fat, ugly, stupid, loud, ignorant, boring and a loser—without actually saying those words. Most of the time, the name callers don’t even know what they are doing; yet, deliberate or not, the wound is still inflicted and, unchecked, may fester for a lifetime.

“Stick and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I don’t know how or when that rhyme originated, but it is wrong. Words can hurt. I could discuss how we should watch what we say to others, but no, let’s go in a different direction. When I encounter one of these broken individuals and listen to them for a while, I hear one thing—they don’t really know who they are in Christ. They think that they do, but it’s only head knowledge, not heart knowledge.

You have got to know the difference! When the situation arises, I ask each person to research and physically write down who they are in Christ. It seems like such a small thing, but part of knowing what you know, is knowing why you know it. That’s where faith comes from. It’s not enough to be told; you must research it yourself, get into the Word and discover who God says you really are.

Because I have received what Jesus Christ did for me, I know that I am more than a conqueror! I know that I am the head and not the tail! I know that I am a child of the Most High God, His ambassador, His precious jewel, His possession, His beloved and His heritage. I have been redeemed by the blood, given access to God, forgiven, washed clean, adopted into God’s family, justified in the eyes of God and set free!

Because of this, I have the mind of Christ, the tongue of the learned, boldness, peace, authority, and a hope that is sure and steadfast! I know who I am in Christ. Nobody else can name me now because only God has the authority to name me. Since I know this, I am not moved by disparaging words or condemnation from others. By naming and describing me Himself, God has provided me with a shield of protection against the tongue of the enemy. I know this without a doubt.

Possessing the knowledge of who you are in Christ is faith building. It is life enhancing. It is freedom!

If life circumstances have been tossing you about and left you rudderless and wounded, take the time to get to know yourself through God’s eyes. I did this myself about 9 years ago and the knowledge and faith that grew—from knowing who I am in Christ—have been a rock-solid part of my spiritual foundation. Once you turn from believing what man says about you to believing what God says about you, life is positively different!

Try it.

You’re worth it.

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