Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Relationship Goals  (p. 34). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) It really is! Michael continues, "This is true with your BFF, your college adviser, your roommate, your business investor…and especially your spouse. "This isn’t about being selfish—'I want a spouse who will free me up to do whatever I want.' No, no, it’s about finding a partner who will help you to fulfill the purpose for which God put you on this earth instead of getting in the way of that. (And of course you need to be the kind of person who does the same thing for your spouse, because she has a purpose too.) This is a big deal. It’s about following God." Michael says, "However much you know about your purpose (I’m about to help you with that) and whatever it might be, remember that Adam started working in his purpose before he ever got a person. What I’m saying to you is that while

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Relationship Goals  (p. 31). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And it's not good for me to be alone. Michael continues, "When we set up a life that is guarded and gated, the Enemy comes to attack us. When we’re isolated, we’re at more risk of listening to lies about who we are and coming to believe them as truth. We all need relationship with people who can remind us of the truth and dispel the falsehood, who can show us some of the love our hearts need, who can help us along our way. God knows this. And that’s why God wants relationship for us." Michael says, "Is it hard for you to believe that a major part of God’s plan for your life involves relationship? He wants you to have healthy and successful relationships—yes, you, the one who is content working from home and taking online courses, does all your shopping on Amazon, and doesn’t like going to churc

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Relationship Goals  (p. 28). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) They do, they really do. Michael continues, "I’m not saying that people who are living far from God can’t sometimes have good relationships. Obviously, they can and do. But I’m saying that on the spiritual level at least, there’s a difference. If you and I don’t have our constant source as God, we will always be deficient and not able to give all the grace, give all the peace we should in relationship. We won’t be able to walk in the love of Christ like we’re supposed to." He says, "Let’s go back to creation. God made the sun and the moon and the sky and said, 'It is good.' He made water and dry land and said, 'It is good.' He made plants like spinach and kale and then, for me, all the ingredients for a delicious soul-food dinner and said, 'It is good.' Then He made the sea

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Relationship Goals  (p. 24). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Michael earlier asked, "How much time do we spend pursuing relationships that would be a mistake if we ever got them, trying to make bad relationships work better, or healing from past relationships that blew up on us? From the perspective of a pastor whom hurting people tell their stories to, I can assure you, it’s a huge amount of time!" He continues, "Wouldn’t it be better if we put our energy into having the best possible relationships in the first place? It’s not a perfect world, we’re not perfect people, and no relationship on earth is ever going to be perfect. But God has given us the Bible and the church to help us win in relationship. He helps us find the right targets and straightens our aim. "You don’t have to listen to me if you don’t want to. You can go ahead and secretly envy wha

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Relationship Goals  (p. 19). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) He really was. Michael continues, "Let me prove it.  "Once, God told the prophet Jeremiah, 'Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.' (Jeremiah 1:5)" "In other words, Jeremiah had a God-given mission before he even took his first breath. But before you dismiss that as a special case, let me tell you that it’s not just prophets or other unusual people who have a place in God’s plan. We all have God-given, inborn purposes." Michael says, "An apostle said it: 'We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago' (Ephesian 2:10). You’re a masterpiece ! He’s got good things for you to do, planned before you were born! "... We all have a variety of purpos

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Relationship Goals  (p. 17). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) It really does. Michael says, "Let’s say you’re single and ready to mingle and you’ve made a list of things you want in a significant other. One could be 'He’s got to be at least this tall and make this much money' or 'She’s got to have the cute face and a tiny waist.' This shows that most of our lists tend to be a little (or a lot) superficial and might reflect not what we actually need in a partner but more of just what we want at the time. I assure you, life has a way of changing, modifying, and redefining what success in relationship looks like for all of us." He continues, "When I’m going on a road trip, I usually tell my phone where I want to go, and it gives me directions on how to get there. But success for the journey happens only if I’ve given my phone the right destinatio

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book, Relationship Goals  (p. 15). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) The whole thought says, "The truth is, having a goal without aim is senseless, but having a goal without God is pointless." Michael continues that thought, "Many of us don’t have our aim directed when it comes to relationships. We take whatever comes. We do whatever’s comfortable. But we don’t really know where we’re going or why." He says, "Many of us don’t have our aim directed when it comes to relationships. We take whatever comes. We do whatever’s comfortable. But we don’t really know where we’re going or why. "Don’t believe me? Have you ever known a girl who dated pretty much any guy who happened to show an interest in her, without ever stopping to think about the kind of guy who would really be right for her? Or a couple who have dated for a long time and have gotten so comforta

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Crazy Faith.  (p. 38). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Prayer can and will make all the difference in whatever we are facing. Michael continues, "Too often, however, people turn to God only when they’re at the end of their ropes or when something earth-shattering happens. This was my routine for years, praying only when I was in trouble or on trial. Can you identify? In the weeks following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, church attendance in the US surged as much as 24 percent. Online attendance at church services and Google searches for faith-based subjects skyrocketed after the whole world shut down in 2020 due to a global pandemic. Don’t get me wrong: in those times, it was necessary to pray. But I would much rather we intercede when something is in infancy than wait until it becomes enormous." He says, "Practically speaking, there’s nothing wrong with NyQuil

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Crazy Faith.  (p. 31). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)  It really is! Michael says, "Each and every step you take in baby faith is a momentous occasion that’s bringing momentum for your miracle. People may not understand how valuable your pint-sized progression toward purpose really is, but don’t let anybody make you feel bad for working your muscle of faith. Every step out of your comfort zone is momentous . Each step past fear makes you a walking miracle. Every time you share your testimony is monumental. The words you speak in faith bring momentum. Even your attempt to grow your faith by reading this book is movement forward." Zechariah 4:10, "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. " He continues, "For some of you, taking steps of baby faith means going back to the basics. Maybe it’s not your first ti

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Crazy Faith.  (p. 31). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And that for sure is the truth. Michael says, "If you had an absent father or a parent who fell significantly short of giving you the love, care, provision, and attention that you craved as a child, it may be hard to have childlike faith in a Father you cannot physically see. Psychological studies tell us that we human beings tend to associate the attributes of our primary father figure (or lack thereof) with God. If you couldn’t count on your earthly father, it’s harder, statistically speaking, for you to put your trust in God. You may have a tendency to correlate the earthly dad who never showed up for your birthday parties and soccer games with a heavenly Father who won’t come through when you need Him." He continues, " Yet this couldn’t be further from the truth. God is actually omnipresent, which m

  A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Crazy Faith.  (p. 29). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Now that is what we need to do, isn't it? Michael says, "At the beginning of Matthew 18, the disciples come to Jesus and ask, 'Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?' (verse 1). If I were Jesus, I would have replied, 'Are you serious? Why do you even need to know that?' Aren’t you glad Jesus is always so patient with us when we’re insecure and trying to compete with each other instead of simply having faith that God has a great plan for each one of us?" He continues, "Jesus begins His response to His disciples’ question by pointing to a little child—not an astute, wise, experienced, or prolific adult but a baby. 'I tell you the truth,' He says, 'unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven' (verse 3)

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Crazy Faith.  (p. 27). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) An immovable mountain He continues the thought, "... because from our perspective everything looks like an immovable mountain. Perhaps our culture is so built around microwavable, instant, two-day-shipping convenience that we have trouble grasping the worth and value of a baby step. After all, if I set a huge goal and take only tiny steps toward it every so often, I might eventually get there but it will take an exhausting amount of time, endurance, and patience. "The difference for believers is that our faith is not in ourselves and our own abilities but in the omnipotent God in whom we trust." He then says, "My friend works for a company that offers her great benefits, including a 401(k) retirement plan with dollar-for-dollar matching. So, for every dollar she puts into the account, her employer c

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Crazy Faith.  (p. 26). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And we do too, don't we? Michael says, "In Matthew 17, there’s a story about a time when Jesus’s disciples are on crowd-control duty (verse 14). Everything is going fine until this one father asks them to pray for his demon-possessed son. Jesus had given the disciples authority to heal sick people and cast out demons (10:1), so why not? They muster up the courage to lay hands on this boy, and…pause for effect… nothing happens . "The boy’s father does what my dad would do if we were at a restaurant and the server didn’t bring us what we asked for: he asks to speak to their boss. He approaches Jesus, Jesus rebukes the demon, and instantly the boy is healed! That makes the disciples wonder why it didn’t work when they tried." Michael continues, "This reminds me of a time a while back when my oldest

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Crazy Faith.  (p. 24). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)  So, what is it? Michael continues, "If you can’t figure out what your first step of faith should be, God has given you an amazing tool to walk in baby faith. It’s called your imagination. That’s right, your imagination. Now, I need you to do something that might seem a little crazy, depending on where you’re reading this book. (If you’re on the treadmill, proceed with caution.) Close your eyes. No, seriously; read the next few sentences, and then close your eyes. "Imagine yourself in your favorite vacation spot, sitting next to someone who makes you happy and sipping unlimited refills of your favorite drink. You’ve got ten seconds. Go !" He says, "Ahh…didn’t that feel good? It’s okay if you took longer than ten seconds. I want you to understand the power of your imagination. I’m sitting in my offic

  A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Crazy Faith.  (p. 22). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Okay, then what do we do? Michael continues, "No one walks into a gym for the first time in two years and jumps into bench-pressing three hundred pounds, and nobody in her right mind jumps headfirst into a pool for the first time and expects to perform like an Olympic swimmer." He says, "The night I first met Natalie, I didn’t get down on one knee, profess my undying love, and propose to her. She would have called me desperate! Instead, I took my time to get to know her, cracked a few jokes, spit some game, got the digits…you know, baby steps. Look, baby steps are annoying, but they are absolutely necessary to reach a big goal. Lifting heavier weights calls for gradual conditioning, and managing greater success calls for steady character building. You’ve got to do your reps. "But don’t get it twis

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Crazy Faith.  (p. 12). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Michael continues, "I’m sure you’d agree that this world we live in is pretty out of whack, and for things to get right, we need miracles taking place far more often. If we really want crazy results, we’ve got to put in a crazy amount of faith—even if it’s hard. So I’ve got one question for you: How badly do you want it? " He says, "Merriam-Webster defines crazy as 'not mentally sound: marked by thought or action that lacks reason.' In other words, if something is crazy, it makes zero sense. There’s no reasonable explanation why it should be happening. Some synonyms for crazy are insane, impractical, erratic, out of the ordinary, and unusual. You can probably think of someone you know who fits that description—and if you can’t…well, then, it might be you! "I’m kidding. But for real, how many

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Crazy Faith.  (p. 7). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And that's a great place to start. Michael continues, "Sure, the best time to start laying that foundation may have been twenty years ago, but the next-best time is right now . In many translations, Hebrews 11:1 starts off with these two words: 'Now faith.' So I’m encouraging you now, at this moment, that now is not too late. As a matter of fact, now is the perfect time. Right where you are, you can begin tearing down the walls of doubt, pulling out the lies of pessimism, and removing the framework of fear so that God can pour a new faith foundation deep within you." He says, "We each have beliefs, standards, philosophies, and habits, and these are all built on some sort of foundation, whether from family, friends, education, religion, or culture—or a combination of all of the above. I wrote t