The Process We Hate Births Results We Love
So, a few weeks ago, I wanted mashed potatoes with the meal I was preparing. The thing is they had to be homemade, using real potatoes. Now, don’t roll your eyes. For the record, I have absolutely nothing against instant mashed potatoes, but I prefer homemade… “from scratch”.
Here’s the catch – I loathe peeling potatoes. Yep, I hate it. There’s just something about it that really annoys me, but how else will I get to the potato part? Exactly my point. So each time, I have to suck it up, pull out the knife, and get to peeling. And no, I don’t use a potato peeler, that’s more irritating than using a knife.
The potatoes had to be peeled, but the end result is more than worth it. This time though, my mom was in town, so I asked her to peel them. Of course, this isn’t an every time occurrence, so I took full advantage.
Can I Skip This Part, Lord?
The thing about peeling potatoes is that it’s the part of the process you cannot skip. In order to enjoy delicious, homemade mashed potatoes, the potatoes must be peeled. Unless you leave the skin on or you’re making potato salad, ya gotta peel them.
This is a lot like life in general. We often hate that part of the process or our journey that will make our life great! I know I do, geesh.
Sometimes, the most necessary puzzle piece to our deliverance is what annoys us the most. Of course, we would rather skip it, but we cannot go around it. Potatoes don’t peel themselves… trust me on this one. And you know what? Your process won’t go away without you going through it, either. One thing we seem to forget is that God is always “in town” for us to ask Him for help.
So, What’s the Play Call?
Your process produces progress when you agree to “grab the knife and peel”. Here are a few things to remember when you want to chuck the potato with the skin:
- Don’t quit in the middle. Nope, endure that process and God will rescue you. “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matthew 24:13
- Ask for an understanding of your process. Often, we don’t want to accept the process because we just don’t get it. I had to learn how to peel a potato before I could actually do it… enjoy it or not. Without understanding, I could peel more than just the skin or even cut myself. “Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.” Proverbs 2:3, NLT
- Ask for help. We were not created to bear burdens alone, so God is there to help us. Just as I asked my mom to help me peel those potatoes, we can go to our Father for assistance during our life’s trials. “Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy:” Psalms 109:26
- Submit your will to God. Sometimes, we just don’t want to deal with the circumstances that come with growing in God, but we must allow His will to be our focus. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
- Request a view of the big picture. When we forget that the potatoes must be peeled before mashed potatoes can be made, we forget that there is greater to come. If you just ask God to remind you of your future, He will reveal things that you never imagined possible. “Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” Jeremiah 33:3
No matter how tedious, each stage of your process is necessary. Don’t skip one step. Try not to despise where you are. Let God help you “peel your potatoes”.
Planning a wedding is a very special season in a couple’s relationship – but it can also be very expensive and overwhelming. Communication and careful premarital financial planning can go a long way in helping you prepare for marriage and your 
When you’re independent and earning an income, it is easy to make financial decisions that do not affect anyone but yourself. However, in preparing for marriage, you may need to realize that your decisions can have a direct impact on your partner.
We would all love the wedding of our dreams, but it’s important to weigh the costs of an expensive wedding versus what you can afford as a couple. Big celebrations with all the trimmings may cost a lot of money that could leave you on a financial back foot for many months or even years after your big day.
The diet industry claims to have the answers. They wrap up these formulas, facts, research, eating plans, exercises, and specials tricks into neat and tidy packages – diet plans, books, programs, and supplements. Our culture continues to flash us with perfectly shaped bodies and air-brushed pictures on tv, social media, ads and every other place, causing a deep discontent and inner longing to love the way we look. 
I know, I know. We all want an easy diet plan that will get us to our goal! Mind work takes time, attention, and getting out of all the noise around us to actually notice the talk going on in our head. But, if a 6-week meal plan was all we really needed to get us to our goals, we wouldn’t have a health crisis in our country. Neither would we hear complaints of fatigue and lack of energy, and we wouldn’t have body image issues. 
I recall being a child, growing up in my parent’s home, and my mother often reminding my younger brother and me of all the things that we did not buy, and with good reason.
As I think back, there have been numerous times, as I’ve grown older, that I “forgot” what was done for me and given to me. Times when I didn’t acknowledge that I didn’t get where I was on my own, but that someone else made it possible for me to get there.
Matters not if you’re young or old, when you can’t swim, the fear of drowning will make you act a plum mess – especially in the shallowest of waters.
Sadly, Teammates, some of us know the fear of drowning all too well. It’s scary, we feel all hope is gone. But, you know what’s worse? Sometimes, we’re feeling this level of fear and despair in 
Let’s begin today’s practice with a common scene from households everywhere…
In the very beginning, Genesis 1, God created the family unit. He created male and female and called them to be fruitful and multiply. Then, He gave them dominion over all the earth. Because man was made in the image of God, He called them to reproduce Himself, His very image in the world. Then, He charged them to rule and reign over all that He had created.
Here in Georgia, we often experience 3 seasons within one day. You can wake to a comfortable spring morning then transition into the summer heat. At night, you’ll feel the crisp air of winter.
Something I find amusing is that, despite my reputation for being “passionate” about God, people frequently ask my stance on trending topics. I’m sure they know my belief, but I guess they are intrigued by my point of view. Nonetheless, I have come to understand that despite people appearing to reject the truth, some are what I call modern-day Nicodemuses (John 3:1). They learn from Jesus by night to avoid being spotted publicly.
Previously, I wrote an article 
Now, I understand that some people take cannabis as medicine. Yes, God created it, and the Bible says that the leaves of plants can be used as medicine (Ezekiel 47:12). But, getting high was not the permitted use of the leaves. But, If someone was to find themselves high, without intending to, because of medication, it is not a sin.
