Just Continue That Thought...

  A thought by Max Lucado, from his book,  You Were Made for This Moment  (p. 72). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) A very good and important question, isn't it? Max says, "That is no small question. Indeed, that is the question. The vast majority of people see no pending relief. Their summary of life reads like a Shakespearean tragedy. 'We live in a beautiful but broken world. It cannot be fixed. Nothing can be done. We make the best of it and then die.' For many people that’s life in a nutshell. So it’s hardly any surprise that we live in a day marked by despair and suicide." He continues, "The story God offers is, by comparison, a golden meadow. It begins like the other but ends in a far better place. " 'We live in a beautiful but broken world. However, our Creator made this world and did not destine it or us for brokenness. He destined us for a wonderful life. His intentions for us are g...

  A thought by Max Lucado, from his book,  You Were Made for This Moment  (p. 60). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) This is so important to do. Max says, "Don’t wait until the heat of the moment. A crisis is no time to prepare an escape plan. Being in the arms of your date in a motel room is not the time or place to make up your mind about morality. The day of your final exams is not the time to decide about honesty. There is a reason the airline attendant points out the emergency exits before the plane leaves the ground. We don’t think clearly during a free fall. The time to determine to resist temptation is before it strikes." He then says, "Make up your mind now about what you will do then. And remember: Stand up for God, and he will stand with you." And that is so true, isn't it? Yes, yes! #continuethought

A thought by Max Lucado, from his book,  You Were Made for This Moment  (p. 42). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) That is a good question, a very good question. Max continues, "And whose you are? "You are the presence of Jesus in this world—an eternal being, destined for an eternal home. Pimply faced and gangly? Hogwash. You are a citizen of heaven. Unique in all of creation. . . The devil can’t touch you. The demons can’t have you. The world can’t possess you. What people think about you matters not one whit. You belong to your heavenly Father." A live oak He goes on, "I received an unexpected reminder about my identity a few weeks ago. My wife and I had the opportunity to drive through my hometown and pay respects at the grave site of my mom and dad. It’d been ten years since our last visit. It is easy to locate their burial spot. It is the only one with a live oak tree. The cemetery has many trees, mind yo...

A thought by Max Lucado, from his book, You Were Made for This Moment (p. 8). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Do you ever ask that question and are you unsure of the answer? Max continues, "Might you be open to a gold nugget that lies in the substratum of the Esther story? Quiet providence. Providence is the two-dollar term theologians use to describe God’s continuous control over history. He not only spoke the universe into being, but he governs it by his authority. He is 'sustaining all things by his powerful word' (Heb. 1:3). He is regal, royal, and—this is essential—he is right here . He is not preoccupied with the plight of Pluto at the expense of your problems and pain." He says, "He has been known to intervene dramatically. By his hand the Red Sea opened, the manna fell from heaven, a virgin gave birth, and a tomb gave life. Yet for every divine shout there are a million whispers. The book of Esth...

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Relationship Goals  (p. 46). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And I have found that true too. Michael continues, "When God said of Adam, 'It is not good for the man to be alone,' He didn’t mean it’s not good to be single. True, humans need to be involved in healthy relationships. In particular, nearly all of us crave to be intimate with someone else. But sex is not the only kind of intimacy, and marriage is not the only valuable season in our lifetime of relationships. The season of singleness is necessary—I’d dare say a priority—to anyone who wants to reach her relationship goals. Think about it: single was Adam’s first relationship status." Michael says, "If you’re single, I’m sure many people and messages in this society have made you feel like you aren’t enough without a significant other. The pressure to find a mate seems intense and unyielding, ...

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Relationship Goals  (p. 41). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) OK, this is very interesting. Michael says, "Not many people I know are happy to live without a bf/gf, much less a h/w. But, actually, singleness could be the most important time of your life because it’s a prime time when God reveals to you who you are. You become self-aware. You find purpose. The future begins to come into focus. We’ve talked about how you have purpose before the person, and this is the phase when it happens. "Many marriages aren’t whole because they have a lot of holes—secrets, pains, scars, fears, insecurities, and so on—that one partner is desperately hoping a spouse can fill. But what if each person had taken the time to heal and develop before they even met? Singleness is the time." He goes on, "When you feel like you know yourself well enough and you’re walking with G...

   A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Relationship Goals  (p. 39). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Yes, it will. Michael says, "Maybe you’re exploring this whole faith thing and this idea of cultivating a relationship with God seems a little intimidating. Well, my boy James gives us some advice and a promise: 'Come close to God, and God will come close to you' (James 4:8). It’s just that simple. You take a step, and you become more aware of how close God is. While you’re cultivating your relationship with God from your side, He’s doing even more to cultivate it from His side." He continues, "For you, what does this require? "You need to have a daily devotional life. I’m not going to tell you how to do that or when or for how long, but somehow you’ve got to crack that Bible open or scroll on that app every day. I promise it’ll make you better. It’s the only book where you read it ...

A thought by Michael Todd, from his book,  Relationship Goals  (p. 36). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Yes, He does. Michael says, "Also, your purpose can change from season to season. It evolves. It grows. Sometimes it comes to its natural end. Or it may lie dormant." He continues, "There’s a lot I still don’t know about why God has me on this earth and what He wants to do through me. One reason I know this is that some of my inborn desires are still unfulfilled. And you, I’m sure, have a lot to learn still about your purpose as well. My encouragement is, if you have a relationship with God and you’re really trying to draw near to Him, He will reveal things to you." He goes on, "Now, sometimes the process of learning and growing and moving toward our purposes isn’t easy. Maybe you hate your job, but God is saying, 'I know you only make ten dollars an hour, but there’s something about ...