RobFlipss

Rob's Audio Version: https://robflips.com/audioblog/

I was putting together some homemade dressing and had a thought: The olive oil I used in that dressing tastes nothing like an olive! Crazy.

That got me to thinking about how they get olive oil out of that olive: it has to be pressed.

I got to thinking about how the word "pressure" has a bad rap. Most of my life, I have thought of pressure as interfering with my life.

But the crazy part about pressure is that it reveals something about me that comfort never could.

I mean, you and I don't really know the depth of our patience... until someone tests it, right?

And you don't fully know your courage... until you're afraid.

And boy, oh boy, I don't know how deeply I've learned to trust my God... until control leaves my hands.

"Consider it pure joy, brothers and sisters, when you face trials of any kind," James 1:2 tells us.

Didn't make sense to me before. Joy? Seriously?? I considered it a joy when I got rid of the trial.

It's making more sense to me now. Sitting on my couch never grew me a smidgen or a smudge. But challenges do when I hold them as such.

FLIP IT!
Stop asking, "Why is this happening to me?" and start asking, "Papa, what can come through me here?" You'll start seeing everything and everyone differently.

That pesky co-worker might show me something I've been unwilling to see.

That disagreement might expand my perspective instead of threatening it.

That interruption might become an opportunity to love somebody.

That criticism might contain 10% truth worth hearing

I'm telling you, life changes for you and me when we make trials mean something different. That's the power and the joy of the Christian life.

Encouragement and Love from
my family to yours,

Rob
RobFlips.com

Rob's audio version: https://robflips.com/audioblog/

Did you know there exists only twelve unique musical notes? Twelve! Crazy!

Yet, look what Beethoven did with just twelve notes.

You play one note and you get… a note. You play two notes together—or three or four— and you have harmony. Beautiful, heavenly harmony.

Funny how we don't always appreciate that same principle with people.
—A coworker might see it differently.
—Your child makes a choice you would never make.
—Your spouse pushes back on your idea. What's wrong with them?
—A friend says something that doesn't fit neatly into what you already believe.

As for me? I can sometimes feel my first instinct welling up inside me to resist and fire back—That's…not…the right note.

What’s that? You do the same sometimes?

But what if, just what if, you listened for what their note might be showing you?
—Maybe your coworker sees a problem you've missed.
—Maybe your kiddo’s choice is calling for help or asking for love.
—Maybe underneath your spouse's objection is a need you haven't understood.
—Maybe your friend sees the same situation from a window you've never looked through. Different angles can be powerful.

You don't have to agree. But you can learn. Some of my biggest lessons came from actually considering pushbacks to my stubbornness.

Listening isn't surrendering your note. It's becoming curious about theirs.
It's trying to hear the harmony.

And curiosity gives you something resistance never will:
Information.
Understanding.
Perspective.
A better response.
And I'll put my guarantee on this one: a better relationship.

Romans 12:16 tells us to live in harmony and to not be wise in our own site.
So, how ‘bout you and I do a little more listening this week?

Next time somebody plays a note that rubs you wrong,
stop trying to silence it or ignore it.

Pause.
Ask a question.
"Tell me why you see it that way."
Then actually listen.

You may discover they weren't ruining the music at all.
You were just hearing their note before you heard the harmony.

Curiosity, it's a good thing, my friend

Encouragement and Love from
my family to yours,

Rob
RobFlips.com

I've never seen a river arguing with a rock. Have you?
It won’t happen.

Rivers don’t stop and complain, “Hey! Who put that there?”

Doesn't hold a grudge against the bend. Doesn't demand a straight path.

AUDIO VERSION: https://robflips.com/audioblog/

It simply keeps flowing around the rock, through the valley, over the ledge. To grandmother's house we go!

I’m thinking, the river isn’t weak because it bends. It's strong because it continues its momentum.

It refuses to stop.

I smile, thinking of how much of my energy I’ve spent arguing with the rocks of reality.

How many times I’ve thought, "This shouldn't have happened," or "That person shouldn't have said that," or "Dangit, my plans shouldn't have changed."

Talk about dead-end statements!

You reckon there's a message in that river for you and me?

The longer I live the more I notice God's fingerprints and signature in every piece of creation. It's like he has a message for us.

That river? it accepts that the big ol’ boulder is there. No complaints, no fight. It is what it is, and that’s what it is. It then simply chooses plan B.

In my mind? That river's plan B, C, and D are preferred. Those alternate routes form magnificent twists and turns that give it character.

I mean, c’mon—Wouldn't a straight river be somewhat boring?

Here's what I'm getting at my friend: let your day play out and practice accepting the things that are. You and I stress over things that already are or things we can’t change.

Acceptance is a powerful posture. It allows you to press forward with strength rather than dilly-dally over squat.

What happened, happened. OK it sucks. But it happened. Move on.

What should have happened didn't. Whatever. Move on.

Yeah you should have made your move but you didn't. Accept it. Learn from it and move forward.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” — James 1:2–3 NIV

Now go be a river, my friend. Thanks Lord for the love-note in your creation.

Encouragement and Love from
my family to yours,

Rob
RobFlips.com

Years ago, Thomas Edison was asked about his six thousand failed attempts to invent the light bulb.

His answer?
"I haven't failed. I've just found thousands of ways that won't work."

Now, whether the number was ten, a hundred, or a thousand doesn't really matter.

What matters is this...He refused to call it failure.
He called it education.

Take a second and pull one of your old disappointments off the shelf. You know—the one you quietly avoid.

The business that folded.
The relationship that fell apart.
The dream that never got off the ground.
The year you wish you could erase.

Now hold it up and look it straight in the eye and ask one question:
"What did you teach me?"

Because if all it gave you was pain... then yep, it was a bad season.

But if it gave you wisdom...
Humility...
Compassion...
Patience...
Courage...
A thicker skin...
Or a deeper dependence on God...
Then, by golly, it wasn't a failure at all.

Count the cost as tuition.

Our God is a remarkable craftsman. He doesn't just celebrate finished masterpieces. He shapes them. Sands them. Refines them.

The very thing you wish had never happened is the very tool He used to make you into the person you are this moment.

Don't downplay those scars, my friend. Breathe them in.
They’re proof that you’re ridin’ high on that pony!

And don’t count those years as a waste. No siree Bob!
Count them as expensive lessons... but you graduated!

With love and encouragement,

Rob
RobFlips.com

Rob's Audio Version: https://robflips.com/audioblog/

There was an elderly husband who drove his wife through their old hometown.

"Remember when that little pizza joint was right there?" He smiled. We'd scrape together an extra dollar and change and split a pizza. They chuckled.

A few bucks later, "Oh look! Remember that dance hall? We thought we would never stop dancing."

They laughed as one memory after another rolled past the windows.

Then he noticed she grew quiet.

"What's wrong honey?"

"Oh nothing."

He smiled. "I know you better than that." After a pause she said, "I was just remembering when you drove us down this same street years ago. We used to sit so close together in that old car. We don't sit that close anymore."

He pulled over, smiled, reached over and took her hand. He gently asked...

"Who moved?"

I think about that story now and then. It speaks to me. I've had seasons when God felt distant, not because he went anywhere but because my life just got noisy. I'm sure you felt it.

We just get busy, we get hurt, we get distracted, we get confused, and we wonder, "Where's God?" Or even worse we forget about God.

The beautiful truth is this: His love never packed its bag. Every morning His compassion shows up fresh whether you and I notice it or not. Such dedication, such true love.

Maybe today isn't so much about trying harder or getting ahead or buying your joy somewhere. Maybe it's simply about noticing that your God, who gives all that, has been right there beside you all along.

Maybe today's a good day to simply scooch back over.

Stay curious, my friend, and stay close. That's where life is waiting.

Encouragement and Love from
my family to yours,

Rob
RobFlips.com

AUDIO VERSION: https://robflips.com/audioblog/

THINKING BACK, I DON’T REMEMBER A BOOK IN SCHOOL that covered how to make decisions. Do you? I mean, c'mon! Isn't that rather important?

Your life is but a culmination of all your decisions made.

Can I sell you a recipe that will make decision making easy? It'll surgically extract all angst and confusion from the process.

FIRST: sit still and think of five or more things that you most value. This might feel like trying to start an old rusty locomotive because it’s hard to put into words sometimes the things we most value.

Here’s my list:
God’s presence, Honesty, Adventure, Respect for others and self, Learning/expanding, Contribution to others, Excellence, and Humor.

Making this list will be the most influential move you will make for all your decisions to come.

SECOND: OK. Got the list? Now, STOP. Grab your coffee, sit back and go ooooo. Admire that list. Because those words you came up with reflect WHO YOU ARE. And who you is perdy cool!

Now, align every decision with those values. Make choices based on who you are. Otherwise, you'll be out of sync.

If you put a high value on family, why are you considering a job that requires frequent travel? Or if you value adventure yet the person you just had a date with is a couch-potato, are you not setting yourself up for a rocky ride?

Want your life to purrrr on all cylinders? Align your major choices with "who you are."

That “Who are you?” question can be a stumper. I watch folks stumble all over themselves trying to answer it. But it deserves you effort.

My friend, God made you to live out who you are, not who others want you to be. So...GO BE IT! And enjoy the purrrr.

Encouragement and Love from
my family to yours,

Rob
RobFlips.com

Enjoy Rob's audio version: https://robflips.com/audioblog/

I've spent a good portion of my life arguing with reality.

I'd pray, "Lord, please remove this." Then I'd spend the rest of the day wishing my circumstances were different.

I eventually gave myself a diagnosis. Most of my exhaustion didn't come from the problem. It came from resisting the problem. Very human, wouldn’t you say?

I’m learning the art of asking myself better questions.

Instead of, "Why is this happening?" I ask, "Lord, what can this grow in me?"
Just that simple question gives me a completely different experience.

Have you noticed some of the greatest gifts in life arrived wrapped in disappointment? And some of your closest friends came through detours you didn't expect?

Heck, I can attest that my faith has grown deepest in those moments when life didn't go according to my plans.

Ever seen a tree fight the rain?
They don’t. They receive it.
And because they receive it, they flourish.

Let's make that our invitation this week, my friend.
When life doesn't go according to plan, stop spending your energy wishing for different weather. Pause…for just a moment. Then ask, "Lord, what are You watering in me?" Then look for the answer.

Who knows...
The very thing you've been asking God to remove may be the very thing He's using to help you grow. Funny how that works.

Encouragement and Love from my family to yours,

Rob
RobFlips.com

AUDIO VERSION: https://robflips.com/audioblog/

I remember as a kid dressing up and going to my first concert.

Just as I sat down, this gosh awful noise filled the room. I didn't know that the orchestra had a few minutes of tuning up and so naturally I thought to myself, "What a horrible orchestra!"

Violins squeaking.
Trumpets blaring.
Somebody over there trying to play scales.

Nothing seemed connected. I mean, nothing!

I remember thinking, "Oh boy, this is going to be a waste of time."
Then the conductor stepped onto the podium.
Suddenly silence. Complete…silence.

He gives one wave of the baton...
And suddenly hundreds of unrelated sounds became one… beautiful… symphony. Holy cow!

Hang on a second. Ain’t that life?

Random.
Disconnected.
Noisy.
Disappointments. Delays. Surprise opportunities.
A closed door.
A relationship.
A problem child.
A shock, detour, rejection, or setback.

It's easy to think,
"This is going to be a disaster!"

I once lived as if my life is just a collection of unrelated events. Like an out-of-synch orchestra. Boy was I off.

Our God sees the entire score. He hears the melody long before you hear the first note.
Image
The violin has no idea what the cello is about to play. The trumpet doesn't know why it's resting for sixteen measures.
And yet the Composer knows exactly when and where every instrument belongs.

Here’s what I figure: we’re called to trust.
Because, as senseless as things look sometime, the One writing the music never loses the melody.

Hey, listen. If today feels a little out of tune...Hold your britches. Don't judge the concert before the final movement.

Your Composer isn't finished yet. You gotta believe this, my friend. Personally, that’s one of my favorites… not having to worry about the noise around me. I’m over here hearing commotion and He’s hearing Symphony No. 5 in C minor.
Romans 8:28 tells us, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Take that to the bank. Let’s you and me walk this week with a bit less worry and a lot more confidence that it will all come together.

Encouragement and Love from my family to yours,

What if the very thing you're clinging to is the thing keeping you from where you're meant to go?

I think you're going to like this. Let me know.

LETTING GO Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.