Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Mark Batterson, (2013-09-24) from his book, All In: You Are One Decision Away From aTotally Different Life (Kindle Location 401). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. I am having a problem with my hip.   It is bothering me when I walk.   This morning I thought I would walk down to the Starbucks that is close to me.   I thought that I would protect myself.   I should shouldn’t I at 65+?   But I didn’t. I took the bus instead to my normal Starbucks to see my friends and then make the long walk home.   I am not going to give in to the pains of being old.   I have too much to see and experience even at 65+. There is my testimony of getting up and doing on this day.   You see for me to live the remaining years of my life not as an invalid then I have to get up and get out.   If I sit before the TV all day then I will truly become an invalid but I have determined not to do that. Now for every dream and every goal in life there will be days that your resolve will be te

A thought by Mark Batterson, (2013-09-24) from his book, All In: You Are One Decision Away From aTotally Different Life (Kindle Location 296). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. As I think back on my life, I realize how true this is.    The one decision that I made as a teenager to let God have total control of my life has lead me to where I am today.   The decision to marry my wife, Margaret came from that decision.   The decision to become a staff minister and then to become a church planter came from that.   The decision to have children has led to so much joy.   The decision to retire has led to such a productive life of extended ministry.   That decision will also lead me to and eternal reward after this life is over.   My life would have been so different if I hadn’t stood in that auditorium in Winona Lake, Indiana and said out loud, “Here an I, use me.”    That was a defining moment in my life that even brings some emotion in me as I remember it right now.   Now there

A thought by Mark Batterson, (2013-09-24) from his book, All In: You Are One Decision Away From aTotally Different Life (Kindle Locations 151-152). Zondervan. Kindle Edition . Pretty searching statement.   Here is another one by Mark, “Here’s our fundamental problem: we try to do God’s job for Him. We want to do amazing things for God. And that seems noble, but we’ve got it backward. God wants to do amazing things for us.” If He does it we don’t get credit.   We are so full of ourselves but what if we hungered after Him and what He wanted to do?   I mean, it is amazing what we can do but compared to God. I had a moment a few years back when I was Pastoring in Las Vegas.   I happened to be up looking down on the Vegas valley and marveling at all that man had done.   All of the houses, all of the unbelievable Casinos and I then looked over to Lone Mountain, the smallest of all the mountains that surround the Vegas valley and in its smallness it dwarfed all that man