Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Mark Batterson, Richard Foth, and Susanna Foth Aughtmon (2015-04-28)from their book, A Trip around the Sun: Turning Your Everyday Life into the Adventure ofa Lifetime (p. 16). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I love this thought by Mark.  He says, “In the words of Ashley Montagu, ‘I want to die young at a ripe old age.’  That’s more than a personal aspiration. That’s a biblical command. In God’s kingdom, childlikeness ranks right next to Christlikeness. Becoming more and more like a child is the true mark of spiritual maturity.” He then goes on to say, “Jesus said: ‘Unless you become like little children, you can’t enter the kingdom of heaven.’ Mathew 18:3. Kids get adventure. It’s innate. They live life free of worry, full of faith, and with their eyes peeled for the next big adventure. We should live with a holy anticipation of what’s around the corner.”  He continues, “I am always looking forwa

A thought by Lee Strobel (2015-02-24) from his book, The Case for Grace: A JournalistExplores the Evidence of Transformed Lives (Case for ... Series ) (p. 53). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) It is so easy for us to get in the performance rat race of living for Christ.  There is a story behind this thought.  Lee who was a staff minister at the time said, “One night I got a call from the church’s senior pastor, Bill Hybels. ‘I heard a nasty rumor about you,’ he said. I was taken aback. ‘Like what?’ ‘That you’re working at the church sixty or seventy hours a week. That you’re there late into the night and all day Sunday.’ To be honest, I swelled with pride. That’s right, I wanted to say. I’m the hardest working member of the staff. Finally, it’s time for some recognition and thanks — if not directly from God, then from my pastor. I said with some modesty: ‘Well, I am working hard, if that’s what you mean.’ Now his voice had

A thought by Lee Strobel (2015-02-24) from his book, The Case for Grace: A Journalist Explores the Evidence of Transformed Lives (Case for ... Series) (p. 18). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) We have just come through the celebration of our mothers.  Mother’s Day is a very important time of honoring and thanking our mothers for the major impact they have in our lives but so do our fathers. I had a very strong relationship with my father.  He was my idol.  A major part of my beliefs about life come from my father.  He was truly a great gift from God and he showed me how to have a strong relationship with my heavenly Father. Lee said, “I wasn’t aware that many well-known atheists through history — including Friedrich Nietzsche, David Hume, Bertrand Russell, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Arthur Schopenhauer, Ludwig Feuerbach, Baron d’Holbach, Voltaire, H. G. Wells, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, and others — had felt abandoned

A thought by John Ortberg, (2015-02-24) from his book. All the Places to Go . . . How Will You Know?: God Has Placed beforeYou an Open Door.  What Will You Do?     (p. 5). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That has been so true in my life. I remember the day that I became discontented of living with the fear of being hurt and rejected again and decided that God had something better for me so I became open to having a relationship.  It was in that year that I asked Margaret to be my wife. I remember when I became discontented at being a staff minister and looked to becoming a pastor which led to becoming a church planter.  I loved being a church planter. I remember the day that I decided I didn’t want to become an invalid so I started walking and walking and walking.  I still spend time walking every day. I remember the day that I became discontented with my inactivity as a retired person and

A thought by John Ortberg, (2015-02-24) from his book. All the Places to Go . . . How Will You Know?: God Has Placed beforeYou an Open Door.  What Will You Do?     (p. 245). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I love the story that John tells of Bob Goff. He says, “Bob Goff writes about how he desperately wanted to become a lawyer so that he could make an impact on the world in the area of justice. He knew the law school he wanted to attend. The only problem was they didn’t admit him. So he went to the dean’s office, introduced himself, explained his situation, and described how badly he wanted to attend this school even though they had rejected him. ‘I understand,’ said the dean. ‘Have a nice day.’ Bob decided to keep knocking. ‘You have the power to change my life,’ Bob said. ‘All you have to say to me is “Go buy your books,” and I could be a student in your school.’ The dean smiled. ‘Have a nice day.’ Bob d

A thought by John Ortberg, (2015-02-24) from his book. All the Places to Go . . . How Will You Know?: God Has Placed beforeYou an Open Door.  What Will You Do?    (p. 238). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) But that can be such a difficult thing to do, can’t it?  The Apostle Paul in his letter in the New Testament, the one he wrote to his friends at Philippi said exactly that.  He said, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal.” (Philippians 3: 13-14 {NIV}).  So what is it that I need to forget? John said, “One of the great tasks of the spiritual life is learning what to remember and what to forget. I am to forget ‘what is behind.’ My guilt, my inadequacy, my weakness, my regrets. ‘I know you have little strength,’ God says.” What would happen in your life if instead of rehearsing all of that bad stuff you would start releasing it to God?  Instead of d

A thought by John Ortberg, (2015-02-24) from his book. All the Places to Go . . . How Will You Know?: God Has Placed beforeYou an Open Door.  What Will You Do?    (p. 211). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you ever thought about that?  Oh I know we have problems with open doors.  We are afraid to step out, to risk but for sure we have problems with closed doors.  I mean, I’ve prayed and prayed and prayed and I can’t seem to get the answer I want.  We have problems with that don’t we? Well there are many different reasons why God closes doors in our life and one of them is He has something better for us.  At the time it is hard for us to realize it but over time God shows us what is best. Back when I was 21 I had gotten pretty serious with a young lady.  I thought she was the one but she wasn’t and I went through some years after that with some deep despair.  I wasn’t sure if God was going to o