“Anticipation ignites a thrill in the present caused by nothing more than a possibility in the future.”

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, (2006-11-14) from his book, Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (p. 90). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

I have a friend who can look at a menu and taste each item on it in anticipation.  He can enjoy his food without eating it.  His food pallet is that refined.

Have you ever stood in a line to ride a rollercoaster?  Now you were either scared to death or excited and ho you anticipated it went a long way to whether your thrill was exciting or not. 

I was watching the US Open in golf this past weekend and Phil Mickelson was looking at a very difficult shot that he had to make and he was picturing or anticipating the outcome.  Now many people would look at the shot and anticipate missing it and of course they would.  But Phil was anticipating how he was going to make it.  He didn’t make it but it was an impossible shot and he came very close.

I read a Psalm every day in the Old Testament in the Bible.  David is one of the main writers and I like how he faces some of the negatives that he had in his life.  Usually he started the Psalm with a lament but he then gets to focusing on God and who He is and his anticipation changes to encouragement.  He anticipated how his situation will be with God in it and it changed his whole attitude.

It is amazing how my anticipation changes when I focus on the fact that God is good and that He is in my life.  That is one of the great benefits that I have because of my relationship with Him.  I can start each day with a thrill of anticipation of the possibilities because God is in my life.

So what are you anticipating?

“We may not be able to accomplish everything we can dream, but we will not accomplish anything without our dreams.”

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, (2006-11-14) from his book, Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (p. 89). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

I found that to be true.  I was driven in Las Vegas by a dream that wasn’t accomplished but it held me steady for 15 years so other things could be accomplished.  Dreams are very important.  God knows us and knows we need them.  He built us that way.

I am today living out the benefit of living 15 years in Vegas.  I had never lived more than five years in any one place until Las Vegas.  Because of my dream we stayed 15 years there and we needed to stay there that long for the other things in our life to be accomplished.  He used it for His purpose and for our betterment and other people’s betterment. 

Now I did have to deal  emotionally for a period of time with the dream not being accomplished.  I didn’t go back to Vegas for over four years but I now see what has been accomplished because of the dream.  It is different but it is unbelievable.  God has a plan and a purpose for each one of us and it is the only way to live.  It just takes faith, trust, wisdom, perseverance and an open heart and mind to what God has in mind.  His way is best. 

So what is your God-given dream? 

“The true enemy of faith is certainty.”

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival (p. 125). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

What do you know for certain?  It seems like it is only what is in your past.  So nothing from this moment on is certain so it has to be lived by faith.  Oh you think you know but you don’t really.

I know so many people at my age are living from the certainty that what will make them happy is retirement.  I mean they are working long hours so that they will have enough in their retirement fund to be secure in retirement.  That is their total focus to have enough to live on but really that desire for certainty is robbing them of peace and adventure that comes by living by faith.  They are certain that they will be happy if they have $500.000 saved for their retirement then they can have fun living without any responsibilities.

But to me certainty has a boredom factor in it.  And there is no excitement, no adventure in being bored.  And boredom doesn’t please God.  Faith does.  Trusting Him, living for Him, risking for Him is what pleases Him.

So what is your choice, faith or certainty?

“Your mistakes may define your past, but they don’t have to define your present.”

A thought by Mark Batterson, (2011-01-18) from his book, Soulprint: Discovering Your Divine Destiny (p. 140). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition.

That is such a life-giving thought.  So many people just want to die because of some mistake that they made.  They can’t forgive themselves and so they live in such despair but they don’t have to.

Yes that mistake may be there and your marriage is over or you can’t work in that job but life isn’t over.  The story of Zachariah in the gospel of Luke in the Bible is a good place to look.

An Angel came to him one day and told him that God had heard his prayer and that his wife, Elizabeth was going to have a son.  But Zachariah said to the angel, “Do you expect me to believe this?  I’m now an old man and my wife is an old woman.” He must have been praying this prayer for a long time.  But because he didn’t believe him that it was going to now happen the angel took his ability to speak away from him.  He blew it and suffered some consequences.  But the story doesn’t end there.

At an appointed time through God’s mercy their son was born and out of obedience they named him, John and Zachariah was given his voice back.

He had blown it but he got back on track.  And from that point his life was remembered not by the mistake but by the obedience.  He had a son and his name was John. 

Your life can be defined by your sin, your mistake or by God’s grace and His mercy.  It is your choice.  Just confess your sin, your mistake to Him and ask Him to forgive you and He will.  You can start again.

So what is defining you today?

“We are designed to learn, to adapt, to grow, to change, to develop, to progress, to become.”

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, (2006-11-14) from his book, Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (p. 79). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

I know some people that all they hunger for is to retire.  To just stop working so they can do nothing.  Now i did go through a time of real adjustment when I retired because I loved what I was doing so I decided to adapt and to keep at it but without pay.

I have found that deep inside me is a hunger to grow, to learn, and to do.  The reason why it is there is because that is the way I was built and that is the way you were built.  I am so glad that I had parents who understood that.  My mom still at 85+ craves to learn and to do.  I love that about her.  I know it is frustrating sometimes to those around her.  They wish that she would just sit down and sleep and stay out of their way but I love it.  That’s not my mom.

You see to stop doing what you are designed to do means you’ve died.  I’ve met some people who have died before they have died.  They just want to be entertained.  That is not what we were created to do. 

Let me ask you, what book are you reading right now in the Bible?  Do you have a hunger to learn more about God’s view of this world and your place in it?  What nonfictional book are you reading right now?  What new thing have you learned this past week and who did you share it with?  How has that thought changed you?  What relationship in your life challenges you?  Who are you challenging to grow? 

Don’t die before your time.  Yes we do need to relax and rest but we also need to grow, to develop even at 65+.

I love life.  I love the opportunity of another day. 

How about you?

“One of the most basic truths about love is that it can’t be forced.”

A thought by Kyle Idleman, (2011-05-24) from his book, Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus (p. 135). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

I love my son, Brett and my daughter, Stefanie.  I really do.  There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for them.  Now I know that they love me but in one sense there love for me was kind of forced on them.  I mean Margaret and I acted on a desire we had and nine months later they each were born.  It all happened through no chose of theirs.  They each woke up one day and there we were. 

But Margaret is difference.  She definitely chose to love me.  I wasn’t forced on her.  She didn’t have to love me, she just does.  Now there have been some difficult days in our life together but she still chooses to love me.  She doesn’t have to love me but she does and she didn’t have to marry me but she did.  I really do love her. 

Now Brett and Stefanie made their choices of loving Marissa and Andrew and making their lifetime commitments to them.  Brett’s love for Marissa and Stef’s love for Andrew wasn’t forced, it was given and a commitment was made for the rest of their lives.  Now I know that they love me but it is a different kind of love.

My love for Jesus isn’t also forced.  My parent’s where Christians but that didn’t mean that I was forced to be a Christian.  Oh I went to church every week and I never fought that.  That’s what we did in our home.  But one day I made a choice and a commitment to love and follow Jesus.  My love for Him wasn’t forced.  

I love Him because I choose to love Him.  It is a personal relationship with Him that I choose to have and it is something that He chose to have with me.  He loved me so much that He chose to die for me.  He didn’t have to do that for me just like Margaret didn’t have to die to other male relationship for me but she chose.   The best decision I ever made was to love and follow Him followed by my decision to ask Margaret to marry me.

Love is not forced upon me.  I still can chose to quit loving.  But I’m not going to stop loving Jesus and I’m not going to stop loving Margaret and the same is true of Jesus.   I know that.  No matter what I do, He will always love me but that may not be true with Margaret.  I could hurt her to the point that she could choose to quit loving me.  She still is not forced.  And I in no way must take her love for me for granted.   

Love is a choice.  I am so glad that Jesus chose to love me.  Now I can choose to quit loving Him and losing out on the relationship with Him.  I must never take for granted His love for me.  And I want to do all I can to show Him how much I appreciate that and how much I love Him.   

And I also need to remember that Margaret still has a free choice to love me.  I am so glad she does and I want so much to do all I can to let her know that I love her too. 

Remember love is not forced so are you taking someone's love for you for granted?

“If you would be as zealous about caring for the sick as you are about a ‘Christmas tree’ being called a ‘holiday tree,’ health insurance wouldn’t be a problem.”

A thought by Kyle Idleman, (2011-05-24) from his book, Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus (p. 82). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

It might be very enlightening to know what Jesus really thinks is important.  I know a lot of people think they know by what they are griping about on Facebook.  That is one reason why I am reading and rereading the Gospels.  I want to really know what Jesus thinks is important then I want to do it or not do it.

Now I’m not really sure why we spend so much of our Facebook time on how the government deals with Health Care or the other issues like the taking Christ out of Christmas.  Maybe it is because that makes us feel Christian without doing Christian.  We seem to think all of these stands we take are the Christian way. But is it really?

When I read the Gospels I find that His Kingdom in us is important, taking care of the sick is important, feeding people is important, right priorities in the church is important.  He was upset that the church had gotten off track.  Keeping the rules it seems was more important to the religious leaders than meeting people’s spiritual and physical needs. 

Jesus did not come to make His way better but other people’s way better.  His was not a self-focus but an other-focus.  I mean, going to a cross was not a good thing for Him but it made all the difference for us.

Listen, continuing to do what He was doing is the Christian way.  So let’s get with it. 

So what spiritual and physical needs are you taking care of?