Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 132). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. It doesn’t have to be but for many it is.   The other day, I made a mistake but I don’t remember what it was.   I do remember sitting in a recliner and reading 5 books to Addison, then listening to Ashlyn and Marissa tell of the two auditions for commercials that Ashlyn went to and also Brett’s great interview for a new job and Margaret’s handling some difficult situations at work.   What I see and how I see it is my choice.   The mistake wasn’t the focus of my day.   For some that is all they see. Yes, when I grew up as a traveling evangelist’ son I think we had some difficult times but what I remember was my dad, sister and me singing from one end of the United States to the other and even up in Canada.   I remember the 49 states that I have been too.   I remember...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 147). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition . Love is a commitment not a passion.   I should say authentic, true love is a commitment.   In so many areas culture has changed the definition but not the reality.   Now commitment does lead to passion. Some in this day would say its passion then commitment.   As long as the passion is there then the commitment but that is where the till death do we part comes in. The commitment is what has kept Margaret and I together now for nearly 39 years.   To be honest we have had 36 great years together but there have also been three bad ones.   Commitment kept us together through the three bad ones.   Now I love the passion.   I deeply love my wife but I also know the importance of the commitment.    We made a covenant on November 9, 1974 in Maud Wesl...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't. Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. I am having a sciatic nerve problem today and am finding that back pain can affect my view of my future but it doesn’t have to. What situation are you in today that is affecting your view of tomorrow?  Maybe it is financial, or relational or occupational or so many other circumstances that are in our present.  Now a focus on how Jesus faced His present shows that negative present circumstances don’t need to affect our view of the future. Take for instance His present negative situation of having 5,000 hungry people out in the middle of nowhere and needing to feed them.  He saw how the present negative situation could be used to stretch His disciple’s faith.  You see He already knew what He was going to do.  He had a plan and He used the present negative situation to fulfill it.  And ...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book,   You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 19). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. We have so many things that go through our minds, so many voices and so much noise.   Have you ever wondered why there is music everywhere, even in elevators?   I spend time at Starbucks and on those mornings when they have forgotten to turn the music on I usually ask them about it.     We really have problems with it being quiet.   The noise seems to have a calming effect. But when I really want to think and to hear from God I don’t want any noise.   I usually go someplace in nature where it is quiet so I can clear my mind of any distractions so I can hear God.   There are so many different voices in our minds that want to be heard on any decision that we need to make.   There is our self-centered voice, there is Satan’s voice and there is our frie...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 155). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. I am having a real problem in getting started writing today.   We came over to Las Vegas from Pasadena, California to see our daughter and her family and I am a little distracted.   Now the battle in me to write or not is based on two things, one I’m tired and two is the boldness I have that someone needs what I am going to write so I have to do it no matter what.   As you can tell the second one is the argument that won. Now the key is first finding the right quote and then writing the first sentence.   I did that and now I am writing.   I just had to start. There is something bold that you know you need to do and maybe you are just waiting for that something to inspire you and then you do it.   The key is you start doing and then you will be inspired.   Pret...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 144). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. That is why so many dreams aren’t realized.   It comes down to what we want most, our dream or our comfort?   Most people come down on the comfort side.   But that means they don’t really live.   Have you found that something starts happening to your body when you sit in a comfortable chair too long?   It gets so hard to get out.   Margaret my wife may ask me to get up and do something for her but I don’t want to.   Oh I want to help her but not if I have to get up out of my comfortable chair.   But if I stay something will start happening to my relationship and something will start going wrong in my body.   My body and my relationships were built for action.   The world outside of that chair has real meaning and real potential and it just means that I ...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 134). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. I could share right now ten blessings in my life.   I would have no problem doing that but I know that that wouldn’t benefit you.   My blessings are different than your blessings. I do have problems in my life and I deal with them and strive to solve them but I don’t dwell on them or count them.   That would be discouraging to me.   I find it more beneficial to look at my blessings.    I find that is where my power comes for me to face my problems because I see how God is blessing and not Satan is defeating. As I said, I do deal with my potential problems before they become major problems.   To me solving is better than sobbing.   Sobbing gets me nowhere except defeated.   Counting blessings keeps me encouraged.   It’s all in the focus.   Sol...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 132). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. So many think it is the opposite of that.   My life is totally what happens to me and I have no control over it.   I am a victim.   But it is so liberating to believe that that isn’t the case. I mean so many sit and dwell upon their past and live in such a helpless, depressing way in their life.   I can’t be happy, I can’t make a difference, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t but the truth is they are saying I won’t because they have given into their circumstances.   But God didn’t create us that way.     Of course there is a part of our life that is controlled by what happens, 10 perfect.   But most of it is controlled by how we respond to it.   Do we give in or get up and do something?   Jackie Robinson was born black.   He couldn’t change th...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 92). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. When our kids were young and still at home, when they were sick or had been hurt they would naturally run to mom.   I have spent many nights in a bed by myself because the kids wanted to sleep with mom when they were hurting.   She was great in giving comfort and nurture in their time of need.   I also had my place in those times too. But have you noticed that society takes over as we get older and says that you need to hide your pain?   You don’t need anyone.   I know that one of the reasons for this is the fear of rejection when we get older.   But the truth is we are not weaker because we need help but we become weaker when we don’t ask for it. Here is the point, God doesn’t want any of us to be alone in our pain but Satan wants you to be.   Satan wants to put f...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 57). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. Now most irrational beliefs are negative and they come from a false idea.   I hear so many of them and I see how they control people. I can’t do anything. I’m too short. Nobody will ever love me. I’m not smart. I’m ugly. I have problems taking tests. Nothing ever goes right for me. What about a rational belief… I can do all things through Christ. God created me exactly the way He wanted.   He doesn’t make junk. God loves me.   Everybody is smart in some area.   I am smart at… I think my smile/hair/eyes/friendliness is my best feature. I have studied and I can do this.   I know I can. All things work together for good. There is a rational belief that counteracts each irrational belief.   So the choice is which belief you will dwell on whi...

A thought by Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 16). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. This can and has been a problem for me.   It is so easy to have a problem and overanalyze what to do.   Too many times I would think it to death. Sometimes analyzing needs to be done but sometimes we need to just do what our heart and mind is saying we are to do, to not overthink it. I remember the day that I knew Margaret was the one I was going to marry.   I didn’t need to solve all the problems.   I just needed to ask her and then go from there.   I’m glad I didn’t overanalyze it and do it.   There were a lot of things that would have said we shouldn’t do it.   One was, I was 27 and she was 17.   One was, her father was a Cincinnati Red’s fan and I was a LA Dodger’s fan.   Our first fight was over that.   I have come a long ways since those days. ...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 22). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition . I love legal pads.   When there is a problem to be solved I many times write down 10 solutions on a legal pad  and then go from there. It can be so easy to fill your mind with so much stuff though that you can’t solve the problem.   Have you found that so?    But Dr. Parrot is saying here that there is a need for us to clear our mind so that God’s wisdom can be shown. We spend so much time in the rational mind – write down ten solutions – and not enough in the intuitive mind where God’s wisdom comes through.   Sometimes we need to take that legal pad or an iPad and find a quiet place and just clear our mind and then just start writing what comes to us.    To just let God’s wisdom speak into our situation. Yes, He does use our rational mind.   He created...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 76). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. Who me?   I don’t have an anger problem, What do you mean I drink too much?   I can stop any time I want too. What do you mean I’m too negative?   I’m a realist. What do you mean I don’t spend enough time with the family?   Who is going to pay for all of this? What do you mean I need to get up and make getting a job my job?   There just isn’t anything out there. What do you mean I’m too friendly with that girl at work?   I still always come home to you. What do you mean I’m too friendly with that guy at work?   But my husband never listens to me. What do you mean I’m always depressed?   You would be too if you lived my life. What do you mean I am too difficult to live with?   If you would do what I want there wouldn’t be any problems. What do you me...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 88). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. We really do need each other in good times but especially in difficult times.   The good times are made better when we have someone to share them with and the same with difficult times.   Now the answer to this is not whether you are married or single.   There are so many lonely married people and there are also so many single people that aren’t.     It is your feelings of loneliness that matter. Now the fact may be that you have been married for 20+ years or the fact may be that you have never been married.   The fact does not control the feeling.   Fact, God is everywhere so you are never alone.   Fact, there are people all around you who want to be your friend.    Fact, there are people all around you who need you to be their friend.   B...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 72). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. There is something to be said about self-awareness that shows us that we may need to change some areas in our self.   I had just turned on my laptop to start writing and looked away and then looked back and it was shutting down.   I then realized that is was updating some program and it needed to shut down for a moment in order for the change to happen.   Last night as I was plugging in my iPhone before going to bed I saw that it had a couple of apps that needed to be updated.   So I took the time to do it.   The laptop and the smart phone have within them the capacity to get better. But we as humans believe that we have arrived and don’t need to change.   I mean we don’t even want to be honest enough to believe we may have weaknesses and therefore need to do something...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 57). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. Dr. Parrot is dealing here with the strength and power that comes from expectancy in your mind.   And one way to start this is to make a list of ten things that you hope for.   It is all about focus.   Have you ever thought about the power of light?   A light bulb turned on has the power to light a room but when it is focused into a laser it has the power to cut through steel. God has given our mind the potential to accomplish unbelievable things.   But we don’t use it the way He has created it to be used.   We fill it with so much useless negative self-talk that it loses its ability to accomplish anything.   Somehow we need to fill it with the hope of expectancy. After I read this thought this morning I stopped and took out my iPhone and went to the Notes app...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 55). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. There are things in our past that keep us from really being focused and being successful in the present.   Somehow we need to tie up those loose ends so that we don’t struggle with thinking for the solution for our present situation. God has given us a tremendous tool to help us in solving life’s problems.   It is our mind.   But when it is cluttered with so much stuff it can get stuck and one of the things that keep it cluttered is unfinished things that we need to take care of. For example, I had set aside this afternoon to write this blog.   That is what I usually do but I had some unfinished business that was getting in my way of writing today.   It was a Spring Training game between the Dodgers and the Giants.   I started listening to it and I then set it aside to ...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (pp. 39-40). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition . Does that make sense to you?   it does to me?   The way I handle the situations of today comes from my belief that my best days are ahead.   I live that way. Let’s say I am going through a very bad situation right now.   My faith says that God is out ahead of me working things out for my good.   Because He is so good He will make good out of all things that I face no matter what they are.   They may not be easy to handle but they are for my good.   I believe that and I have experienced that.   Now I wake up every day with that optimism.   Life is good because God is good.   He is not only working on my life here on earth but He is also preparing me a place in Heaven.   That helps me face each day with a hope-filled optimism.   To me to...

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (pp. 21-22). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. I know what he is talking about. That happens when my mind is cluttered with overthinking, when I am facing a writing deadline and I am feeling the pressure.   So many ideas are going through my mind but none of them really grip me and the pressure is building.   It is so easy to rely on our own ideas, our own abilities and for the most part it is the reason why God gave them to us.   But sometimes all of that gets in the way and we need to stop and ask God for wisdom in the midst of all the clutter.   He said if we ask Him, He would give it to us. So in that situation that you are facing right now, how’s it going?    Are you getting confused and desperate?   Do you have so many thoughts running through your mind but none of them make sense?   So why don’...