Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book,     Start Where You Are.    Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Yes, it does. Charles says, “Almost imperceptibly, you become a person with keener sensitivity, a broader base of understanding, and a longer fuse. Patience is a by-product of pain. So is tolerance of others and obedience to God. For lack of a better title, let’s call the whole package ‘wisdom.’ “For too many years in your life, you have operated strictly on the basis of knowledge—human absorption of facts and natural reaction to others. But affliction has now entered your life, and even though you would much prefer to have it over with, it has not ended. Difficult though it may be for you to believe, the pain you are forced to endure is reshaping and remaking you deep within. ” He goes on, “Human knowledge comes naturally, is enhanced by schooling, and enlarged by travel. But with such knowledge

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, Start Where You Are. Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) We want God to take of this virus right now!!! Charles says, “We like quick turnarounds, instant changes from sickness to health. We much prefer accounts of miracles to long, nonsensational stories of slow recoveries. In fact, we tend to grow impatient with those who can’t seem to take our advice and ‘snap out of it’ or ‘get well soon,’ like the greeting card urges (pushes?) them to do. “But like it or not, more often than not, the wise words of Hippocrates are true: ‘Healing is a matter of time.’ ” Charles goes on, “The one who needs time to heal—perhaps months or even years—often becomes the recipient of resentment. Instead of being affirmed and encouraged to press on through the pain, allowing sufficient time to get better, the sufferer encounters resentment and impatience. Uninvited advice, drippi

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book,   Start Where You Are,   Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) It still does. Charles says, “The classic case in Scripture is Job. Here was an upright man who worked hard, dealt honestly with people, reared a fine family, and walked with his God. Then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a whirlwind of multiple tragedies drove the man to his knees. “It was bad enough to lose his livestock and all other means of income, but on top of that he lost each one of his children, and finally . . . his health. With hardly a moment between these calamities to catch his breath and gain a measure of equilibrium, Job was reduced to a painful hulk of humanity, covered from head to toe with oozing skin ulcers. “Exit: compassion.  “Enter: thoughtless counselors of blame. ” He continues, “One man after another pointed a long, bony finger into the face of the sufferer, fr

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book,  Start Where You Are.   Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) For some of us, maybe change is what we need. Charles says, “A man can wear out a particular part of his mind by continually using it and tiring it, just in the same ways as he can wear out the elbows of his coat. There is, however, this difference between the living cells of the brain and inanimate articles: One cannot mend the frayed elbows by rubbing the sleeves or shoulders; but the tired parts of the mind can be rested and strengthened, not merely by rest, but by using other parts. It is not enough merely to switch off the lights which play upon the main and ordinary field of interest; a new field of interest must be illuminated.” He goes on, “It is no use saying to the tired mental muscles—if one may coin such an expression—'I will give you a good rest.’ ‘I will go for a long walk,’ or ‘I will

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, Start Where You Are.   Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) And there may be many areas in our lives where we want a fresh start. Charles says, “To get somewhere else, it’s necessary to know where you’re standing right now. “That’s true in a department store or in a big church, on a freeway or on a college campus . . . or in life, for that matter. Seldom does anybody ‘just happen’ to end up on a right road. The process of redirecting our lives is often painful, slow, and even confusing. “Occasionally, it seems unbearable. ” He goes on, “Consider Jonah, one of the most prejudiced, bigoted, openly rebellious, and spiritually insensitive prophets in Scripture. Other prophets ran to the Lord; he ran from Him. Others declared the promises of God with fervor and zeal. Not Jonah. He was about as motivated as a six-hundredpound grizzly in mid-January. “Some

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 178). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Now there is some misinformation out there about God's view of work. Charles says, “As Scripture opens, God is at work in Creation, creating the world and everything in it. In fact, He had His work cut out for Him, since the Bible declares, ‘The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters’ (Genesis 1:2). Basically, before God began His work, the earth was uninhabitable. No life could exist in such a realm. So He went to work, creating light and separating light from darkness, separating water from land, creating sky, shorelines, and wide-open plains, which the Bible calls ‘dry ground’ (see Genesis 1:3-10). “Genesis 2 opens with a summary statement on God’s creative work. It’s here we find the ori

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 171). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) So, let’s see what it is! Charles says, “It works in most situations where not everyone agrees but where all desire harmony rather than conflict and strife. I suggest you memorize it and then put it into practice: In essentials . . . unity. In nonessentials . . . liberty. In all things . . . charity. “All those who join our church, Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, are united in the doctrinal essentials. But there are many other issues that are not essential. Members may not always agree with every jot and tittle of our policies and ministry strategies, but those are nonessentials. So, we have the liberty to have differences of opinion, as long as we support the overall ministry with humility and Christlike se

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 152). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) In our lives, there may be many thorns. Charles says, “Focusing your thoughts beyond your present situation stimulates fresh hope in what is yet to come. Instead of staring at the current thorns, focus on the ultimate fragrance. Hope is like the fragrance from blooms on a rosebush. Suddenly you’ll be enveloped in that fragrance, and the aroma will diminish your anguish. You’ll rarely even notice the thorns because you’re so enamored by the beautiful smell all around you.” He goes on, “Few virtues are more encouraging than hope. Consider these uplifting words from someone who learned to focus on the Lord rather than the struggle of human limitation: ‘Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of f

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