Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Rick Warren from his book. God's Power to Change Your Life (Living with Purpose) (p. 17). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) We all do, we really do. Rick says, “If you don’t think you have any problems, check your pulse. The only people who don’t have problems are in cemeteries. “The real problem is what we do with our problems. Inevitably, we try to solve them with our own power. How do we know when we are trying to solve all our problems with our own strength? We are tired all the time! A man who was frustrated with his lack of power to conquer his problems summed it up when he said, ‘I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.’ We get this way when we try to solve our problems on our own. God wants us to stop trying and start trusting him with our problems. Rick goes on, “I have met hundreds of people who feel as if their lives are out of control. They tell me, ‘My life is out of control; I’m...

A thought by Rick Warren from his book. God's Power to Change Your Life (Living with Purpose) (p. 14). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That is the truth, isn’t it? Rick says, “A lot of people feel that way about life: ‘I’ve made so many mistakes. I wish I could just wipe them out and start over.’   Failures, problems, bad decisions — we have all suffered from them. But some people just can’t seem to let go of the past, and as a result, they let their past limit their present opportunities. They live in a constant state of regret, continually lamenting, ‘If only I hadn’t done that’ or ‘If only I had made these changes.’ They repeatedly second-guess themselves. And they are tormented by painful memories. ‘I blew it, and I’m going to be paying for it the rest of my life.’” Many of you may feel that way as we head into the last month of 2018.   You look back at this year at all of your failures and wond...

A thought by Mike Bechtle from his book, Dealing with the Elephant in the Room: Moving from Tough Conversations to Healthy Communication (p. 60). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That is so true, isn’t it? Mike says, “They don’t like conflict, so they disengage from the other person to avoid confrontation. But at the same time, they put their feelings in writing where they can be aggressive without having to deal with the other person’s response. They might also start talking to others about what the person is doing. “Communication is kind of like being on a dance floor with a partner, and we’re trying to dance together. Dancing isn’t an exact science, and success depends on being attentive and responsive to what the other person is doing. We can’t ignore each other. “When we criticize someone behind their back, it’s like ignoring our partner on the dance floor. Instead of trying to work with them...