“The tragedy is not that we make mistakes but that we are prone to make the same mistakes.”

A thought by Jeff Manion (2010-07-14) in his book, The Land Between: Finding God in Difficult Transitions (p. 139). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

There are so many people who get so upset when they make a mistake so it is difficult to understand why they keep making the same mistake over and over again. I mean wouldn’t you think because it is such a negative emotional experience for them that they would do whatever they could to not visit this same place again and it seems again? But somehow they haven’t learned the assessment and asking step in making mistakes.

It is a difficult step. It is much easier to believe that somehow the next time will be different. So we do the same thing but we believe that life will turn out differently this time. It is a faith thing. I mean didn’t Jesus turn the water into wine. Yes he did but He also created a complex marvel inside your skull called a brain and He expects you to use it.

It is true that some people like the attention they get from making mistakes. They really need that focus on them so they make the same mistake hoping someone will feel bad for them. To them it is a positive experience but for most, that isn’t true.

There are others however who stop and analyze what happened. What was the cause and what do I need to do differently? What difficult thing do I need to do to get out of this rut of making the same mistake over and over?

They also have learned that they may need help in doing this? So they find someone who has experience in this area and ask them what they would do? Now some make the mistake of asking a peer, someone who is making the same mistake. That won’t help in finding the answer but it will help in getting attention or making the same mistake again.

Another thing, there are tremendous books out there that will help you in finding answers. That is one of the main purposes in my writing this blog to introduce you to people who will help you.

Margaret and I were going through a decision time last summer and I found myself at Barnes and Nobles and I found the book, The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley. It was exactly what we needed. We were going through another decision time two months back and I suggested to Margaret that maybe we revisit the book again. We just finished it again this week. Again it gave us help in making a decision about our future.

So what about you? What mistake have you made over and over? Why don’t you stop and take the time to find out what happened and find out what new direction you need to take. Why not start now?

What do you think?

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...

“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...

“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...

Just Continue That Thought...

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