All Things New with Jeff Ackenback

Having a good life, a strong faith...those are wonderful things, but the pride that can come with them should never become prejudice. We are here to help, to love others, not to shame them.

Community has taken on a new meaning, as many have found their home online. The important thing is not what you think in terms of texting vs. calling or online vs. in-person...but how you treat each other. Also, don't allow your community to become so shut off to the needs and opinions of others that you believe that yours is the only way to do things.

Know what you believe. Know who you are. Know that no one else can change that, so show them love no matter what...show them who you are, who you serve...help build a better world.

Loving people isn't about turning them into clones of yourself. It's about listening, caring, and helping them in ways that improve their lives. When it does come to faith, it's not about proving yourself right...it's about discussing with reason, earnestly listening, and showing God's love no matter what.

It's tempting to love people how we think they should be loved, but our calling is to love everyone unconditionally...to care about others, not just pretend to care.

Jesus told the disciples they would be his witnesses, knowing that how the world saw him would be how they knew (or didn't know) him. The same can be said for us today. As things begin to return to a semblance of normal, keep in mind that we can be better than before...in how we treat others, how we live...how we love.

We are known not by our words but our actions and how we treat others. Don't make things so difficult for someone else that it pushes them away...instead show love, understanding...find common ground. Meet them where they are, don't try to force them where you are.

Treat people like you want to be treated. Love people like you want to be loved. Listen, speak, HEAR, people like you want to be done to you.

We are known not by our words but our actions and how we treat others. Don't make things so difficult for someone else that it pushes them away...instead show love, understanding...find common ground. Meet them where they are, don't try to force them where you are.

The first thing Jesus said when reappearing to the disciples was "Peace be with you." Out of all the things he could say, he chose to call for peace. Do your best to live in peace, to live at peace....to seek peace.

When Jesus came back from the dead, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, a woman who (even more than other women at the time) was looked down upon and considered far less than reputable. To Jesus, though, she was, like all of us, enough and worth it. He didn't see what others said, he saw only her heart, who she was...and that stays true for all of us.

Regardless of what you think or don't think of Jesus, when he was facing the absolute worst physical and emotional pain imaginable, he still showed grace, love, and forgiveness for everyone...including those actively hating him. That's our example. That's how we should live.

No matter what you are going through, you are never alone. Always remember that and be willing to ask for/accept help.

One of the keys to the "trial" of Jesus before the high priests was the fact that they looked for evidence AFTER arresting him, and even then, when they couldn't find it, they hired people to lie. Yet Jesus still showed them love, still lived as hope, forgiveness, and grace...and calls us to do the same.

On the night he prayed in the garden, Jesus was betrayed by Judas...but also the other disciples. Whether it was an inability to stay awake for a few minutes or fighting like the world instead of like Jesus or running away...they broke his trust. Yet he never showed anger or regret at choosing them. Instead, he continued to show them (and us) a better way.

Communication is key in all relationships, but not just THAT you communicate. It's vital HOW you communicate, and I don't mean texting vs. talking vs. pony express. Treat others as you would want to be treated must also apply to "talk to others as you'd want to be talked to."

Trust can be fragile, and it can take time for others to earn it or earn it back. Being forgiving doesn't mean forgetting, but it does mean you do your best to live a life worthy of trust, no matter what.

It's crazy to say looks shouldn't matter, because in a way, they always will. However, it's important to remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, AND that any outer beauty should never make you compromise on that which is inside.

Respect for yourself, living with respect for others...they are definitely important things to do in life and in love. Respecting boundaries and opinions of others, as well as expecting that same respect for your own...also vital, but they can be so hard to live with on a day to day basis. This week, we will discuss all that and more. :)

Living in the middle never helps anyone...and it leads to a life of always looking over your shoulder. The wonderful thing about free will is that we all get to choose how we live, what we do...and how we treat others. Always do your best to choose to treat others with love, respect, and to love everyone.

You can live your entire life saying "I need to do this..." without ever starting. "I need to do better," "I need to help more," "I need to try..." Once you realize that, start right away. You won't feel ready, and you won't be who you will become...but starting is trying and trying is succeeding.

When you realize you've done something wrong, admit it. Don't blame others, even if they had a role...but take the blame, then accept the consequences, learn...and move forward...like David did, who did things far worse than any of us.

Be ready. Be like Jesus.

It is common (and easy) to always say, "Someone else can help...I need to work on myself," but it's far better to work on yourself AND help others.

Everything begins with a fresh start. :)

In the end, if you do your best to live a life loving God and others, there will be peace. In the meantime, do your best to bring that peace to your life and the lives of others through the way you treat them.

Carry the hope and love from Christmas all year, especially to others.

Cosmic Christmas is an extended version of the Christmas story, but told from the angel Gabriel's perspective.

Most people have heard of "Armageddon" (the final Biblical battle, not the Bruce Willis movie...although it is also good), but few realize that it's over before it starts. In one line, John describes the battle lines being set, in the next, Jesus is standing victorious...because nothing can stand against Jesus. With that in mind, we should love each other, treat each other with respect, and show the truth of that victory each day.

For John, seeing Jesus again was beyond description...and then he immediately was also shown the perfection of heaven. Much of Revelation is confusing, but when you look at it in those terms...a man doing his best to describe things beyond description, it makes a little more sense.

John was the last of the original disciples. He'd seen everyone he knew and loved die around him, and as he sat alone in exile, he probably had many questions about his life. Jesus, though, showed him that his usefulness was never ending...that he still had a purpose, a chance to do good. He showed him what is to come, not to scare him or lead him to scare others, but to assure him that love is at the center, and as long as there is life, there is hope.

There are two ways to look at doing good: 1. No good deed goes unpunished...in which you feel like doing good is a chore or something that simply doesn't even work; 2. No good deed goes wasted...no matter how anyone accepts or rejects the good you do, a seed is planted, and there IS a change.

In the end, we either choose to do good or choose not to...to help or not to help. Obviously there are a lot of things that go into each decision, and it isn't possible to help everyone...but we should do our best to treat others as we would want to be treated, including helping anyone we are able to help.

Finding common ground with someone doesn't mean you suddenly believe/live/act like them. It doesn't even mean you think they're right. It just means that you understand they are a person, that how they feel matters, and that you are called to love them. Doing good can definitely be mission trips, giving to charity, etc...but sometimes it's as simple as just not being hateful.

Jesus called a tax collector to be a disciple, which can seem strange enough to us...but back then, tax collectors were considered scum, below human. In order to do good, you first must see people as more than a number, then recognize that, while they are no better than you, you are also no better than them. Know better, do good.

Everyone knows that it's better to "do good" in the world, but the problem comes to how we see each individual. If you see someone as just a number, an opponent, a problem....then problems arise. However, once you realize every person is more than that, you begin to realize that all of us have value, that all of us are and should be loved.

Fear of success doesn't sound like something "normal," but it really is. Because it's not the success itself that can be scary, but what comes next. "Will they always expect it?" "Will I have to do this all the time?" Yet, what other people think ultimately doesn't matter. That's easy to say, but it's still important to remember that you define you. Do your best, be your best, and love each other.

Everyone fears loss of some kind, but we often deny it...even run from it. It's hard to appear helpless...but the longer we deny that fear, the worse it gets as it goes from loss, to doubt, to even losing hope. Be willing to share, to talk, to help...and to accept help.

There will be times in our lives where it feels like the odds are stacked against us, like it's not worth it to even try. However, trying is succeeding, and as long as there is life there is hope.

Hardly anyone admits to hating someone else, but our actions and words often betray us. In order to truly know God, we must know His love, AND also show that love to everyone. Seriously. Literally everyone.

One of the most common fears is the fear of the unknown. We fear what might happen, what people might do....what's out there "in the dark." There is always a way through, though...a way to continue going forward...as we accept help, then help others to do the same.

The baseline for our faith should be to treat others as we want to be treated, but we live in a world where that doesn't happen as often as it should. As Christians, we should do our best to follow that, to treat others with kindness, with respect, with love...and the impact will amaze us.

I have no idea if people ever read these, but I want to take the time to finish the Beatrice anecdote. I missed her first birthday, BUT a couple of weeks later, I was able to see her first steps on zoom.

Often, we look for ways to "pass the buck" and avoid responsibility. However, as a great philosopher once said, "with great power, comes great responsibility." If we claim to follow Jesus, then we accept His power...giving us a huge responsibility to make a difference, not to pass the buck.

We live in a world where many people feel like the ends justify the means, even if it comes at the cost of other people. Sometimes, there are even negative consequences to doing the right thing, which makes it even harder to not just go with the "short term happiness" mindset. However, even when it's difficult, it's best to do what you can to help others, to be kind, to treat others as you'd want to be treated.

Everyone feels like the central character in their own story, because we all see things, literally, from a first person point of view. However, there's a huge difference between being the central character and being a hero. Our lives connect with others in many ways, and how we treat them can go a long way in how their own lives go, as well as how those lives connect with others, and on and on and on...

Unconditionally love everyone.

How you feel is how you feel, and what makes you sad makes you sad. Don't let anyone shame you for grieving or rush you, but always be willing to accept love, help, and doing what you can to take the time you need in moving forward. As hard as it is to lose someone or something you love, as long as there is life, there is hope.

We all have worries, stresses, things that seem to constantly eat away at our mind throughout the day. There's no way around having them, but it is possible to learn to handle them better, to seek help, to do your best to think of a "best case" for every "worst case" scenario running through your mind.

We all feel pressure from temptation, but sometimes even moreso from our peers. It's important to remember two things: 1. If/when you mess up or give in, that doesn't end your life. Learn from it and move forward, better than before. 2. Anyone pressuring you to be someone else or do something you're not comfortable doing...they're not you. They won't live your life or deal with what you deal with for consequences. Be you.