Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-02-01) from his book, 11: Indispensable Relationships You Can’t Be Without (Kindle Location 1035). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition. It’s in my genes is an excuse that many people use about not changing a certain personality or character trait in themselves.   Now David did say in the Psalms that “In sin did my mother conceive me” but that isn’t where it stopped.   Jesus came to earth and died for us so that can be taken care of and also the many personality and character bents within us. But there are some things that can’t be changed.   I have to accept the fact that I am going to be short.   That was handed to me but the fact that I have a tendency to be heavy just means I have to work harder at losing weight.   I can’t use it’s in my genes as an excuse. Now somewhere in my background I was handed the trait to be moody.   It was a pain through many of my years but by the grace of God and a lot of maturing I don’t have to any more accept

A thought by Leonard Sweet (2012-02-01) from his book, 11: Indispensable Relationships You Can’t Be Without (Kindle Locations 651-652). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition . That is really true.   I appreciate what Leonard Sweet is saying here.   We need other people to give us a correct assessment of our own strengths and best assets.   This has been what I have prided myself in, the fact that I really knew me and didn’t need other people but that came from what I think was a protecting of myself from differing opinions.   This wasn’t what God really had in mind for me in realizing my full potential in Him. I love the self-assessment tests that we can use in our important search for who we are.   I have used a number of them.   Have you ever taken the test in the back of StrengthsFinder 2.0  by Tom Rath and then read it with the results in hand?   It is such a valuable tool in this area.   I t is someone else who helps in the correct valuation of your own strengths and your own

A thought by Leonard Sweet (2012-03-13) from his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Person (Kindle Location 155). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. That is so true in our homes with people we love.   We all need each other.   The reason why we were created was to love God which in turn means loving others.   You cannot love just God. I am finding it interesting that people who are so-called Christians seem to be leading the effort to protect our borders as a nation against outsiders coming in.   That doesn’t really jive with our message of loving God and loving others.   We seem to be desirous of protecting our individualism.   What if that was true of God and His message wouldn’t have been shared with the Gentiles?   He created us all and He loves us all and we are to in turn love all.   Christians should be at the front of welcoming those who are not like us to come to live in our Christian nation.   God is bringing them here so we can share

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Person (Kindle Location 773). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition . As you may know if you have been reading here for long, I am reading through the Four Gospels this year thirteen times.   Over and over I see how the religious experts dealt with Jesus.   They knew what was right and Jesus just didn’t fit what they knew.   But I wonder what would have been their response if they really did love God and were seeking, really seeking after Him. What if all that mattered in my relationship with my wife, Margaret was to know everything I could about her and I never enhanced my love for her?   How would she feel? Granted, there are some things in all relationships that are important to know, like our anniversary, her birthday, what she likes.   I want to know all I can about God, about, Jesus, about the Holy Spirit not just to know but because my love for them demands

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival (p. 125). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. What do you know for certain?   It seems like it is only what is in your past.   So nothing from this moment on is certain so it has to be lived by faith.   Oh you think you know but you don’t really. I know so many people at my age are living from the certainty that what will make them happy is retirement.   I mean they are working long hours so that they will have enough in their retirement fund to be secure in retirement.   That is their total focus to have enough to live on but really that desire for certainty is robbing them of peace and adventure that comes by living by faith.   They are certain that they will be happy if they have $500.000 saved for their retirement then they can have fun living without any responsibilities. But to me certainty has a boredom factor in it.   And there is no excitement, no ad

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival (p. 115). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. I have just finished reading the gospel of Mark’s account of the trial of Jesus in front of Pilot.   The Jewish leaders were bringing so many accusations against Jesus to this Roman Governor, Pilot.   After each accusation Pilot would ask Jesus to respond and Jesus response was always silence. Silence is always the best way to deal with accusations.   As Jesus showed us God is the one who will fight for us.   We leave it to Him.   He will always do a better job than we will and He is the only one who can deal with the source.   The battle was won on the cross. One of my dad’s favorite verses was the one in Joshua, “The Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace.”   That is how we as Christ-followers handle accusations. So are you handling it or are you letting God handle it?

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Person (Kindle Locations 2647-2648). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. Actions do speak loader than words.   There are some people who just don’t know how to say the right thing.   I mean they really want to say that something that will encourage you in your tough time but they can’t but you know that they will be there whenever you need them. There are others who walk in and say what needs to be said and then they are gone.   They know what to say but then walk out. There was a story in the New Testament of a Jewish guy who was robbed, beaten and then left for dead along the side of the road.   A couple of very religious guys came by, maybe even said the right thing but then walked on the other side of the road and left him for dead.   But then a Samaritan who was a part of a race who the Jews had problems with came by and stopped, put some oil on his wounds

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival (p. 112). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. I am retired minister.   When I was still working my work had a way of setting up a weekly agenda but retirement lends itself to a lot of potential randomness.   Retirement didn’t mean I was done with life it just said I had more control.   And I knew that wasn’t a potential good thing for me so I set out to build some structure to my day, to my week not because I had to but because I wanted to keep on making a difference with my life. I have a clear framework to my day.   It is the reason I am able to keep on growing mentally, socially, financially, physically, spiritually and influentially.   All of those areas are a part of the framework of my life.   They give my day great satisfaction and great productivity. You see no matter what stage you are in your life, you need to be striving to make a difference in yours

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival (p. 111). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition . This past weekend they did some changes in the Starbucks that I usually go to and they are doing away with the tables where I usually sit.   I said something to my wife, Margaret about it and she said, “You aren’t going to be a cranky old man are you?”   That was very good advice for this old man. It is so easy to live life in the familiar.   You just don’t have to make decisions, you just do the same thing but that isn’t necessarily a good thing.   Someone said that a rut is a grave with the ends knocked out.   There is no adventure, no excitement, no challenge, and no variety in living in the familiar.   I mean, there may be some new people to meet on the other side of Starbucks but for sure there is an opportunity to put one’s selfish desires aside.   And that is always a good thing. Maybe I need to change the

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Perso n (Kindle Locations 2119-2120). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. Maybe it is from our own fathers.   I’m so fortunate that I don’t serve a God like that because I had a father who wasn’t like that.   So many times our view of God comes from our view of our own father and for so many that is so tragic. I tell you the abuse that is handed out to so many children from someone who is their father is atrocious.   That is the most unbelievable, horrible thing that a man could every do, to abuse a child, especially if they are their father.   This world is so messed up in its relationships.   It’s no wonder that people have problems with serving a God that we call father.   Could you ever please your father?   If you are a father can your kids ever please you?   That is so tragic.   Well, let me tell you can please God.   Yes there is a prodding sometimes to

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Person (Kindle Locations 2653-2654). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. That is where love comes in, at least the love that comes from a relationship with Christ.   Now each relationship has a two-sided story and God’s loves strives to listen to their story and connect with their story.   That is where the hardening or softening comes in.   His love strives to listen, understand and forgive and in turn keeps one’s heart soft.   It’s in making it a one-side story in which you have been wronged that it can turn hard. My story has a period where my heart became hard.   I was looking at everything from my needs, my desires and my wants and not acknowledging that Margaret, Brett and Stefanie had stories of needs, desires and wants.   My self-centered living brought great pain into my family and eventually a protected hardness in my wife.   It didn’t change until we chang

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival (p. 84). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. Do you ever look at a person’s face and wonder what their story is?   Do you ever ask them? Have you ever wanted someone to ask you?   I mean your life has had a difficult turn or a fantastic turn and you would just like to share it but no one asks.   It is so easy for us to walk through life afraid to look at people’s faces.   We are just so busy and we really don’t want to see their faces, we really don’t want to listen to their story because we don’t have time to get involved.   But it is different when we are on the other side. The business of life has made it difficult to connect with people but just a moment of time can make a major difference for them and for you.   I usually sit at Starbucks right by where the drinks come out.   It usually takes a couple of minutes to get their drink mixed so I usuall

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival (p. 78). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. The answer I believe is, “no.”   It never has stopped us before and it won’t stop us now.   Then you might ask, “What do you mean?   Has someone always had the ability to know my secrets?”   That really seems to be the problem.   Yes there is now greater potential for Big Brother or Little Sister or whoever to listen in to our conversations.   I mean if you combine video surveillance with secret listening technology that monitors cell-phone traffic, e-mail communication, and your location, which is announced by your cell-phone signal you cannot hide.   And that bothers so many people.   But God has always known where you are, what you are doing or saying and He even knows what you are thinking and that hasn’t changed our behavior.   We still do everything we want with no thought that someone is watching. So why does

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Reviva l (p. 69). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. Have you found that to be true?   We are in the middle of Spring Training in baseball.   I have lived both in Phoenix, Arizona and Seminole, Florida two different times in my life and I love Spring Training.   To me the enjoyable time of Spring Training is not the games but all the other stuff, all of the working on the small stuff, the fundamentals.   It is the small stuff that when put together in the right way make a winning team.   It’s throwing the ball to the right base, it’s the pitcher covering first base, it’s being able to lay down a bunt, it’s hitting behind the runner on a hit and run and so many other small things. The same is true in life.   It’s starting your day with a quiet time in the Bible and in prayer; it’s always telling the truth; it’s being faithful even when your spouse isn’t around; it’s m

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Reviva l (p. 64). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. Here is the key, Jesus is to be the leader, we are to be the follower.   That is what He taught but we have been consumed by our culture to believe the opposite. I mean there are some who teach that if we do a series of steps we will get God to give us what we want.   But here is the problem of that. Does a follower go to the leader to get them to give them what the follower wants?   No it is the other way around. Somehow we have gotten this in the wrong order.   What does the leader want, what does the leader teach?   Now Jesus all through the Gospels is telling His disciples what His Kingdom is all about.   Now we need to really understand what a kingdom is.   For one it is not a democracy.   There are no elections in a kingdom.   A kingdom has a ruler/leader/king and it has followers.   His kingdom has Him as the

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival (p. 54). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition . Change can be a difficult thing for people.   We get use to certain ideas and think they will never change.   Like, who would ever think that our kids or grandkids would never have the need to learn to write?   I know.   It’s called cursive now.   For me it was print or write.   How we say it has even changed.   In thinking about this change I had a little anxiety.   Why in the world don’t they want my grandkids to learn to write in cursive (see I can change)?   That would be horrible.   But then the thought came to me, why did we need to learn to write in cursive in the first place?   I mean we first took all that time with just learning how to print and then along the way they showed us another way to do the same thing.   Why?   I haven’t done any research on the why but my first thought was because cursive is a

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Person (Kindle Location 155). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. Today is Valentine’s Day.   We buy that just right card that says what we wish we could say to the one we love then we go out to eat just the two of us and at some point there will be a kiss.   But how many people today don’t have anyone who will give them a card.   Today is a day that highlights our being connected and highlights our being disconnected. For some, today is the only day that they feel connected and then the loneliness sets in just like the other disconnected people. Now Margaret and I don’t really have that problem.   We moved to Pasadena, California a little over three months ago because of Margaret’s new job.   She is now the Director of the 65+ person QI department of a large health care insurance company. She has an office but she doesn’t stay in it.    One of the first things

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Person (Kindle Locations 2977-2978). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition . The direction we are headed seems to me to be the key.   One of the attributes of God is that He is everywhere so our focus seems to be the important key here.   He is always near us. I love my reading through the four Gospels in the New Testament and I read an interesting response of Jesus to His disciples.   In the New International Version He says, “Are you so dull?” and He says to them in another place, “Do you still not understand?”   And I thought I wonder how they felt and it came to me, He probably could say the same thing to me.   But He also could say it to the smartest person on the earth and all the angels in heaven.   Compared to Him we are all dull, we have so much to learn and so much to experience with Him. But I’m sure there are some who would really be upset if He said th

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13).from his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Person (Kindle Location 773). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. I am in the process of reading the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – the first four books of the New Testament.   I am reading them 13 times in 2013.   I do not want to get to know Jesus better but to experience Him more.   I want a deeper relationship with Him.   That’s why I am spending this year in reading and picturing His story through the eyes of these four writers and the nudging of the Holy Spirit.   I just finished reading of His birth for the sixth time and it finally got through to me how much God really loves me.   He wanted me to really know how much He loved me and He showed that by living as I live and it starts by His being a baby. We as a family are experiencing three gifts of love.   Harper is three month’s old, Addison is three years old and Ashlyn is six years old.   The

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Person (Kindle Location 2350). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. That is sure true.   That is where grace, love and forgiveness come in.   In every relationship there will be pain because no one is perfect. I was reading yesterday about how Peter denied He knew Jesus.   Here Jesus was going through the most difficult time that anyone has ever gone through and one of His closest friends denied that he even knew Him.   How have you handled rejection from your closest friend?   Well after Jesus had been killed and then resurrected, one of the first people He came to was Peter.   He still loved Him.   The relationship had a failing but He knew it didn’t have to fail. What are your expectations of your friends?   Do you expect perfection?   Oh we want grace because we are not perfect but we demand justice because they should be?   Somehow we need to understand