Problems are normal. Most of my life growing up I always thought problems were abnormal and that I did something wrong. I saw problems as a type of punishment for doing something wrong. Many years ago I finally matured to the point of actually accepting reality that all the problems I face nearly daily are normal.

Tuesday February 17, 2015
Seattle, Washington

Today has had its fill of problems. I was an hour and a half late to Seattle due to truck problems. Of course I could throw in all the traffic problems and a few miscellaneous problems too. I think now I see problems as my chance to grow and learn something new or better. I look at problems as growth for my ministry. I think God gives a full measure of problems to those He can trust to overcome.

Through problems God shapes and molds us into His desire for us. God does have a plan in mind. God is not haphazardly throwing things together hoping everything will work out. No!! That is someone else who things like that. God is in a continual quest to create His family of believers. We have the opportunity to become the children of God, through our faith in Jesus Christ. This is salvation, saved from the eternal ‘problem’ of Hades or Hell or Eternal Damnation. That would be one unsolvable problem. No there will not be a continual party in Hell. Did you know that people were not created for Hell? That place was built for satan and his demons (all fallen angels). How sad that all those angels were deceived into following ‘lucifer the morning star’ who became the deceiver the devil satan. Be set free, be delivered from demonic presence, in JESUS’ NAME! Amen.

Problems come and go. It is our stance that matters. How is our belief, our mindset and our spirit? Time freedom and financial freedom and political freedom or geographic freedom will not solve the problems. They must be dealt with as we go along in life.

I find that staying calm and peaceful helps me. Also slowing down my actions and my words and my mind helps greatly. By going slower I noticed that I can get the solutions quicker. Then with going slower I can also not accidentally hurt myself. I find a lot of benefits in going slower.

When I was young, fast was all I knew. Of course I’ve always been a slow goer. It takes me a very long time to get things done. But in most cases going even slower helps me.

Another good idea that I discovered is simply stopping. Yes. “Stop and Look and Listen.” That phrase is from safety instructions on crossing railroad tracks! Sure sounds like great advice to me. What do you think?

I’m in Seattle unloading my load of produce. It’s after midnight and most people are sleeping. But the crews of people who deliver fresh produce are at work. There are lots of people serving lots of people and all of us have unsolved problems. You and I are not the sole benefactors of problems. I don’t think problems are distributed equally among all people. I am not sure exactly how God figures out who gets what problems. Maybe He doesn’t. We just make problems happen naturally.

Natural. What an odd word. Do you think Natural has any problems? Yes. Nature has all kinds of situations that require they’re attention. That’s okay.

The greatest potential problem is IS NOT receiving Jesus Christ as your savior. Solve this problem right now and life will become oh so much better. Then we can say as the Jamaicans would say… “No Problem Man”…

No No Problem for we are well able to go over and conquer! If God is for us, who can be against us??? The answer: No One.

John :)
Seattle, Washington
Tuesday/Wednesday February 18, 2015