“Our preferences for stability and security blind us to the opportunities for adventure when they present themselves.”

A thought by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch (2011-04-15) in their book, The Faith of Leap (Shapevine) (p. 31). Baker Books. Kindle Edition.

Tony Campolo in his sermon, Revolutionary Love, tells of a study that was taken of people over 95 and they asked them the question, “If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?” The 3 most distinct answers were: reflect more, risk more, and do more things that would live on after their death. Save more for retirement didn’t make the top 3.

We spend most of our time worrying about things that really won’t matter when we come down to the end of our lives. But the problem is those worries keep us from seeing those things that really make a difference in our lives.

I am a retired church planter. What that means is I started churches that had no people. I have lived a life of no security but an awesome life of adventure and challenge.

I remember when we were moving as a family to Las Vegas, Nevada to plant a church that I had a friend say, “There is no way I would raise my daughter in that town.” But Brett and Stef grew up as teenagers there and they grew stronger in their faith and character because they lived there. Yes it was a risk as parents but GOD honored our faithfulness and protected our family in that very sinful town. Our living in Vegas as a family was some of the most rewarding days for our family.

Margaret and I even in my retirement took the risk of moving to one of the most expensive places to live, Long Island, just east of New York City. We have loved the adventure and the excitement of living 30 miles from the most exciting city in the world.

Now the amazing thing is GOD is taking care of us better than we could ever have imagined or expected. I also know HE has a new adventure in store for us. HE is not done!!!

What about you?

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“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle? Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

“God does big things with small deeds.”

A thought by Max Lucado (2011-05-02) from his book, Cure for the Common Life (p. 115). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I don’t know how you feel about what you are doing and how it can make a difference. You may feel that it is so small and not even worth the effort. Max says, “Begin. Just begin! What seems small to you might be huge to someone else. Just ask Bohn Fawkes. During World War II, he piloted a B-17. On one mission he sustained flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. Even though his gas tanks were hit, the plane did not explode, and Fawkes was able to land the plane. “On the morning following the raid, Fawkes asked his crew chief for the German shell. He wanted to keep a souvenir of his incredible good fortune. The crew chief explained that not just one but eleven shells had been found in the gas tanks, none of which had exploded. “Technicians opened the missiles and found them void of explosive cha...

“Sometimes we think we’re stuck simply because things are hard.”

A thought by Matt Perman, from his book, How to Get Unstuck (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the That is a possible trap for many, isn’t it? Matt says, “But if you’re continuing to make progress and aren’t experiencing huge snags, you’re not stuck. Rather, you’re in a dip. “A dip is a temporary hard slog that you will get through if you keep pushing and don’t give up. And pushing through the hard slog is actually the fastest route to the destination. In these cases, you will be especially tempted to bail. Be discerning and able to identify that you’re in a legitimate dip and you’re not a failure.” Matt says another trap to be careful of, “Some people are stuck and don’t know it.” He goes on, “Everything can be going your way, going smoothly, and going quickly. Everything feels and seems wonderful. Yet... you are still headed toward a dead end, a form of getting stuck, if you are leaving God out of t...

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