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Expectations

How to Be a Good Receiver

by Andy Wood on December 13, 2010

in Five LV Laws,Life Currency,Love,Principle of Increase,Words

‘Tis the season. . . to roll your eyes whenever somebody starts something with “’Tis the season!”

Anyway…

This is the season to give, give give!  Toys for Tots, help for the homeless, marches for missions, and then, of course, those never-ending shopping lists. 

With all the emphasis on giving, how about a nice change of pace?  You’ve heard that God loves a cheerful giver.   Well, guess what givers like?  Cheerful receivers! 

Did you know it’s possible to actually motivate someone to be thoughtful and generous, to feel good about themselves and you?  It all comes when you learn the wonderful art of being a good receiver.  Here are seven ways you can do that: [click to continue…]

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Limitations and Letdowns

by Andy Wood on May 14, 2009

in Insight,Life Currency,LV Cycle,Waiting

(The Four Faces of Disappointment – Part 2)

d0001231I’m not asking for much.  I just want all my expectations fulfilled, and a complete removal of all limitations.

Of course… then I wouldn’t need God.  Then I’d BE God.

Disappointments are a startling, sometimes rude reminder that the job of God of the Universe has already been filled.

Yesterday I mentioned that in my own experiences of painful disappointment, like the experience of the children of Israel, four “faces” of disappointment have emerged.  The first two were delays and distressing people.  But I have found two other ways that God deliberately allows us to “feel the burn.”

3.  Dead Ends

These have to do with measurable limitations – things like life expectancy, dollars, and distance.  Dead ends often lead us to question God’s integrity, because He seems to be contradicting Himself.

It’s like one man said, “I thought becoming a Christian was the end of all my troubles.”  It is – the front end!

Examples of dead ends are everywhere: [click to continue…]

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You May Want to Dig That Hole a Little Deeper

by Andy Wood on March 11, 2009

in Consumers,Enlarging Your Capacity,Five LV Laws,LV Alter-egos,LV Cycle,Principle of Abundance

diggingI heard a funny story recently about a lady with certain-colored hair, who was in a desperate financial condition.  The details are a little hazy, but here goes:

She knelt down beside her bed and prayed, “Oh God, please help me win the lottery.  If I don’t win the lottery, they’re coming to cut my power off.”  She didn’t win the lottery, and her power was cut off.  She prayed again to win the lottery to avoid losing her car.  She didn’t win the lottery, and her car was repossessed.  A third time she prayed to win the lottery.  This time, the bank foreclosed on her house.  She prayed again, frustrated and angry.  “If this is how you treat your children, I’ll never pray again.”

About that time, there was a knock at the door.  She opened it to find a stranger.  “I have a message from the Lord,” the stranger said.  “Would you PLEASE buy a ticket”?

We serve a God who is capable of doing “far more abundantly above all we could ever ask or think” (Ephesians 3:30).  But He insists that somehow we get involved in the process.

Two Candidates for a Miracle

This is illustrated in back-to-back stories in 2 Kings 3-4.  Two different people summoned the prophet Elisha.  The first was the king of Israel, whose army was dehydrated and facing sure defeat.  The second was the widow of a prophet, who was facing the loss of her sons to slavery to pay off her creditor.

Elisha advised similar things.  [click to continue…]

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The Secret Sadness

by Andy Wood on December 3, 2008

in Insight,Life Currency,Love,LV Cycle,Protecting Your Investment

This just in… modern newlyweds are increasingly dealing with “the bridal blues.”  Doctors report that the expectations of newlyweds are so high, and married life such a letdown after all the planning and excitement of the big day, that an increasing number of brides are suffering post-nuptial depression.  The feelgood factor fades so fast that up to 10 per cent of couples suffer enough remorse, sadness or frustration to seek counseling.

Wow.  You mean it wasn’t whispy clouds and fairy dust as you lived happily ever after?  And Franck Eggelhoffer isn’t there to plan the details of your marriage like he did your wedding?  And Daddy’s not there to pay your bills?  And sex doesn’t cure everything, or come with an orchestra in your bedroom?  And to add insult to injury, you find yourself married to a sometimes-sweaty, stinky boy, who leaves socks and underwear on the floor?  Or to a woman, who – get this – ain’t yo’ mamma, your maid, or your madame?  She’s no Cinderella, and you’re not exactly Prince Charming.

Those expectations take you for a ride sometimes, don’t they?

Dr. Terry Eagan has a name for post-wedding depression. He calls it the secret sadness.  Why? Because the women who suffer from it are often too embarrassed to tell anybody. And men simply bottle up their feelings.

The Secret Sadness is real.  And it isn’t limited to newlyweds. [click to continue…]

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The Language of Surrender… and Freedom

by Andy Wood on December 1, 2008

in Enlarging Your Capacity,Exploring the Possibilities,Five LV Laws,Hoarders,Insight,Life Currency,LV Alter-egos,LV Cycle,LV Stories,Principle of Freedom,Principle of Legacy

I don’t have to win.

I don’t have to lead.

I don’t have to debt.

I don’t have to worry.

I don’t have to be first.

I don’t have to survive.

I don’t have to give up.

I don’t have to overeat.

I don’t have to be right.

I don’t have to succeed.

I don’t have to be afraid.

I don’t have to get angry.

I don’t have to be served.

I don’t have to look good.

I don’t have to be noticed.

I don’t have to cradle pain.

I don’t have to have things.

I don’t have to be offended.

I don’t have to be stressed.

I don’t have to feel rejected.

I don’t have to procrastinate.

I don’t have to resist change.

I don’t have to be depressed.

I don’t have to defend myself.

I don’t have to always say yes.

I don’t have to spend all I earn.

I don’t have to hide my failures.

I don’t have to control outcomes.

I don’t have to get instant results.

I don’t have to hide from the truth.

I don’t have to hide from intimacy.

I don’t have to harbor resentment.

I don’t have to feel sorry for myself.

I don’t have to judge others’ motives.

I don’t have to blame myself or others.

I don’t have to be thanked for what I do.

I don’t have to take counsel of my fears.

I don’t have to crave words of affirmation.

I don’t have to repeat destructive behavior.

I don’t have to compare myself with others.

I don’t have to criticize weakness in others.

I don’t have to envy the blessings of others.

I don’t have to live in the shadow of my past.

I don’t have to spend money to impress others.

I don’t have to see every (or any) expectation fulfilled.

(I’m sure there’s plenty more I’ll discover.  How about you?  What does your language of surrender/freedom sound like?)

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