Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 151). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) This is for us to believe, no matter what. Charles says, “Week after week in the church I serve in Texas, I look out at a congregation of faces, many of whom are struggling to grasp this transforming truth. Again, what is it? That God’s strength is revealed in our weakness—in our fears, in our struggles, in our pain, and in our limitations.” He goes on, “By this I mean turn your heart toward the Lord. Consider this: what you are enduring is part of His gracious and loving plan to make you rely completely on Him. He wants you to experience the wonder of His all-sufficient grace and power. “From God’s point of view, your pain or your loved one’s pain, including your limitations, is no accident. Accept the fact that this

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 139). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Charles gives an example. He shares, “Many people consider violinist and composer Niccolò Paganini the greatest violinist of all time. The nineteenth-century Italian virtuoso revolutionized violin technique and set the standard for modern violinists. Yet in the midst of these accomplishments, he was no stranger to disability and deep personal struggle. “During one particularly memorable performance, Niccolò Paganini stood before a packed house and played a difficult piece of music. A full orchestra surrounded him, offering thundering support. Suddenly, one of the strings of Paganini’s violin snapped and hung down from his instrument. Beads of perspiration popped out on his forehead. Paganini frowned but continued to play,

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 114). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) And we all need help in this area, don’t we? Charles says, “Sometimes there’s a blind spot that needs to be identified. Or there’s a fallacy in someone’s perspective that needs a gentle nudge or a private confrontation. A forgiving spirit provides others the benefit of the doubt. “Sometimes we ourselves are blinded to those things, and others need to allow us a second chance.” He later says, “We all need people around us who are willing to help us see the issue and forgive us, and then help us move on. The goal is improvement and growth. “On the flip side, sometimes a person deliberately does what’s wrong and is unwilling to change. That’s when offering second chances gets tough. In those situations, it’s a real

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 111). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That is true of all of us, isn’t it? Charles says, “Being imperfect and fallible human beings, we regularly fail and sometimes fall flat on our faces. Not once, not twice, but repeatedly, we feel the need to start over. We have trouble getting it right the first time. We want to do it right. We would love to do it right from the get-go and from then on, but we would have to be superhuman to do that. Part of being human is needing second chances. It goes all the way back to our childhoods.” He goes on, “From our earliest years, we learned by failing. Remember learning to hold a glass of milk without spilling it? My father used to say, ‘It will be a great day of success when this family can have one meal without one glass of

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 44). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That’s a good question, isn't it?  Why? Charles says, “Because they’re looking at life horizontally. They mean well. They want you to feel relief. They want you to be happy. That’s what prompts them to say what they say. But sometimes their words are erroneous and can add to your confusion and struggle.” He goes on, “God’s Word helps you filter out things you have no business taking in. Long before you face the storm, I urge you to soak your mind and your heart in the Scriptures. Read those great truths that give you a theological foundation. Ask the Lord to provide you with a spirit of discernment so you can easily determine whether the advice you’re hearing is from the Lord or not. Then when you experience the gale-fo

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 43). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) He is, He really is! Charles says, “Allow me to share with you an all-important answer from the end of the Book. God is already there—in your future. Tomorrow morning? Next week? When you graduate from school? In the middle of your career? In your later years? When you’re nearing the end? He’s already there. He goes before you, and He knows what lies ahead of you.” Charles goes on, “I adore my wife. I have for more than sixty years. I want to have her the rest of my life. Yet I may not. Truth be told, she may not have me. Only God knows. Does that mean we’ve served a false God all these years? No, it means that God is God, and He determines the parameters of how many days we have on this earth. If the Lord is paramount in m

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 41). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) He really does, He really does! Charles says, “He’s not some crusty old man with a long beard blowing wind out of the north. God is incomprehensibly great. He’s omniscient. He’s omnipotent. He’s omnipresent. He’s eternal. He’s ageless and timeless. He’s good. He’s gracious. He’s loving and just. And He’s always right . . . even when you feel like what happened to you was all wrong.” He goes on, “God is so profound that I’ve spent most of my ministry years as somewhat of a theologian, thinking, Lord, will I ever get this? Now that I’ve reached an age when I’ve begun to piece some of these truths together, I’m realizing it’s still not easy. It’s not easy to trust God in times of devastating loss. Now in my eighties, I remain

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 39). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) This is so important to see in this time and situation that we are living! Charles says, “Over these many years in ministry that the Lord has granted me, one of my great goals has been to proclaim this all-important truth: God is in charge. He is over everything. He is sovereign. He rules graciously and powerfully from heaven in perfect wisdom, love, and grace (see Psalm 11). “Whatever you are facing, adverse or delightful, your life is all about God . . . His will . . . His way.” He goes on, “But we easily lose our theological moorings when we insist on living horizontally. When we do, the winds of adversity eventually cause us to drift from what we truly believe. How much better to choose a response of faith that sub

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 34). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That is so easy for us to think, isn’t it? Charles says, “Sadly, for many believers those things are what it’s all about. Nothing could be further from the truth. The book of Job, like no other book in the Bible, opens our eyes to an altogether different perspective. “As Job suffered under the pain and shame of boils that covered his entire body, his wife urged this righteous man to curse God and resign to death (see Job 2:9).” Charles goes on, “Incidentally, I urge caution against responding too harshly toward Job’s wife. She’s not Job; she’s Mrs. Job. She has a right to see her loss from another perspective. She offered the wrong counsel, and Job knew it was wrong. But this couple must have had the kind of relationsh

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 4). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Has that been true of you?  Is that true of you now? Charles says, “Maybe it’s because you feel woefully inadequate or you lack training. Perhaps you’re shy and entertain thoughts of being completely insignificant. “You look at yourself in the mirror and ask , How could God ever choose somebody like me? I mean, it would be unlikely for God to notice me, to say nothing of using me greatly. I’m simply not qualified. ” He goes on, “Be honest, now . . . does that sound like you? Every time you look in the mirror, do you talk yourself out of something great God wants to do? But what if God has other plans? What if He wants to choose you to do something great? Are you willing? Would you respond in faith, or would you run in t

A thought by Henry Cloud, from his book, Integrity (p. 94). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) And we really do need each other. Henry says, “When people feel needed, they perform at levels past the ones that come out of other requirements. To have a job or meet some quota is one thing. But to be performing because someone needs you takes you to levels that only the heart can push you to. There is a huge difference between the kind of leader who comes in and says, ‘Here are the goals. They have come down from above, and corporate is demanding that we get it done. So, no slacking off or not giving less than one thousand percent. Meet these numbers or I guarantee you some heads are going to roll. I will see to it personally. Anybody who doesn’t do their part might as well get the résumé ready’ versus ‘OK, guys. We have some big goals here. They are daunting, in some ways. But, that is what is being asked of

A thought by Henry Cloud, from his book, Integrity (p. 91). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) And we so many times need this. Henry says, “Encourage literally came from ‘in courage.’ The courage is put ‘into’ you from the outside. Our character and abilities grow through internalizing from others what we do not possess in ourselves. My mother literally ‘gave me strength’ as if through a transfusion. “But, that could not have happened if she had just come along and said, ‘Oh, don’t be afraid. You can do it,’ or, ‘It’s not that hard,’ for neither of those would have integrated both sides of things. For me to be helped, and to connect with her, I needed a model who was strong enough to depend on, but vulnerable enough to identify with . That combination is what made it work. In essence, it said, ‘ Hey, she is like me, in that she is afraid sometimes and feels like she can’t do it. But, she does it anywa

A thought by Henry Cloud, from his book, Integrity (p. 85). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) And this is so important to see. Henry says, “. . . instead of just setting a standard, the parent of grace gives support, coaching, teaching, structure, modeling, help, and consequences to empower the child to get there. Those are things that the child cannot provide and so are ‘unmerited.’ They are given without their being earned, and that is grace. But grace is not removing the standard. The requirement stays, and the person of grace does what is possible to be ‘for’ the other person’s meeting it.” He goes on, “In marriage or intimate relationships, this kind of character does the same thing. Certainly, one holds requirements and standards. But, if the other person does not meet them, the person of character does not retaliate or go instantly looking for someone who can. Instead, he or she becomes a rede

A thought by Henry Cloud, from his book, Integrity (p. 65). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) And we all need that, don’t we? Henry says, “Invalidation wipes out the other heart and closes it off.  Think of the contexts of life that change when a person has the ability to connect with the other: In business, deals are won and sales are made. Employees and employers serve each other better and disputes go away. Conflicts are resolved within contractual relationships and lawsuits are avoided. Medical malpractice lawsuits are avoided when a doctor listens and understands what the patient or family has experienced as a result of an error. In personal relationships, marriages are healed when a closed-off spouse finally hears and understands what the other has been feeling and experiencing. Wayward children are won back when they feel that their side of things is finally listened to, and vice versa. Extended-fa

A thought by Henry Cloud, from his book, Integrity (p. 55). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) And that is a very good question, isn’t it? Henry says, “Why do the ‘nice couples’ get divorced? Why do the ‘loving parents’ have kids that go sideways and join countercultures? Why can’t some really nice leaders capture the hearts of their people? It is sometimes because when it comes to human behavior, being nice is not enough. We have to be connected with, and that is a whole different dimension of character. What is that dimension?” He says, “Fundamentally, what undergirds this component of character is involvement in the ‘other.’   Connection is the opposite of ‘detachment,’ whereby a person is a kind of island unto him- or herself. Now, don’t confuse that with being introverted, or extroverted. Those are styles that can be used in the service of either connectedness or detachment. You can be very extro