Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by James MacDonald (2010-05-03) from his book, 10 Choices: A Proven Plan to Change Your Life Forever (Kindle Locations 3245-3246). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) You’ve heard of shotgun weddings haven’t you?   But I’m not sure those weddings are too romantic or authentic. James says, “Authentic means genuine, as in, not forced. I’m not going to church because my wife makes me. No one is forcing me to do or say anything. I want this for myself. My actions are not the result of coercion. Coercion is a subtle kind of pressure that manipulates another person. Coercion doesn’t force directly but hints at a consequence if I don’t conform. I don’t want my faith to be the product of coercion in any way. I want to live for God because I love Him.” He goes on, “Authenticity is not contrived or calculating. I’m not saying and doing the right things because that’s what is expected of me. I’m not acting. Don’t y...

A thought by James MacDonald (2010-05-03) from his book, 10 Choices: A Proven Plan to Change Your Life Forever (Kindle Locations 3224-3225). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Oh, I wish I could hide the fact that I am getting old.    I had someone say the other day that they thought I wasn’t really as old as I am so maybe this thought is true.   James continues, “The problem is not in the unavoidable gap between others’ perceptions and our reality. The problem is when we ignore the gap. The danger comes when we widen the gap by promoting it. The number one criticism leveled against people of faith is that we are hypocritical, that we knowingly nourish a substantive separation between the life we project and the life we practice.”   He goes on, “Interestingly, the complaint against hypocrisy is something God Himself has in common with pagans (a very short list of similarities). He, too, despises du...

A thought by James MacDonald (2010-05-03) from his book, 10 Choices: A Proven Plan to Change Your Life Forever (Kindle Locations 3136-3137). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Family is so very important to me.   Each and every member is a very special gift to me personally.   In the next 10 days we will be celebrating my wife, Margaret and Harper, our youngest granddaughter’s birthdays.   Margaret and I will also be celebrating our 42 nd Anniversary.   We as a family have been together for 42 years all the way down to our youngest of 4 years.  I love my family.   Love is a key in the success of every family. Now James deals with the fact that love never fails to conquer skepticism.   He explains what he means. He says, “Inside the safe haven of home, painful actions take place. Each of us sometimes takes advantage of that security by exercising shameful humanness. Like no one else...