Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus from his book, Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Moment (Kindle Locations 153-154). Kindle Edition. One of the things Margaret and I do when we live in an area is to do all we can to experience the area.  We have lived on Long Island in New York State now for three years and we have been to more places than most of the people who have lived here all their life.  Life is an adventure to be experienced but if we pull the shades down around us then we will miss so much of it.  Granted life can have some pain attached to it and life has some thorns in it but so does the beautiful rose.  You just need to know how to handle it to enjoy it.  Now for some it will take some help to get you unstuck from what is holding you back.  Take the risk to talk to someone about your fears, about your pain.  I know that they are real but I also know that they can be a foundation for you to stand on to make a differ...

A thought by Mark Batterson (2011-01-18) in his book, Soulprint: Discovering Your Divine Destiny (p. 140). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition . We each one have made them, haven’t we?  I went through what I call my three year jerk time quite a few years back.  I totally put what I wanted first over my family but God bought me out of that time and forgave me.  I am so glad that I am not defined by that time in my life. One way it does define us is when we relive the mistake over and over and never forgive ourselves.  That mistake can hold us emotionally captive but it only does that if we don’t let it go.  There is no do over.  If there is a confession to be made or a restitution to be done then confess and do whatever needs to be done then it is over.  We cannot do any more than that about it except to learn from it.  The key is to not make the same mistake in the present.  If you keep doing it then you will be defined by it but i...

A thought by Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson (2011-07-19) from their book, Rumors of God: Experience the Kind of Faith You´ve Only Heard About (Kindle Locations 607-608). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition . Margaret and I moved to Long Island in New York nearly 3 years ago.  We moved here for a specific reason and we were glad we moved.  But one problem with the move is that it is so expensive to live here.  God has helped us and supplied our personal needs but we have not been able to give at the level we are used to or really want to.  So what do you do?  Well what we are doing is to make some changes in our life. The main one is we are moving to Florida and cutting our living expenses way down.  We are going smaller and we are going to own it.   God has been so good to us to allow us to live in some beautiful houses but we don’t need all that space anymore now that I have retired.  Our last home we had where I Pastored in Las Vegas w...

A thought by Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson (2011-07-19) from their book, Rumors of God: Experience the Kind of Faith You´ve Only Heard Abou t (Kindle Location 1374). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. One of the greatest things that I am thankful for is His forgiveness.  I went through a three year period in my life that I call my jerk time.  I mean it a time that I should have put me out to pasture as a minister of God but He forgave me and set me straight.  Also because of that I was able to look at others in a new light.  Because He forgave me for things I did against Him I then was willing and able to forgive others for they did toward me. Asking for forgiveness is a humbling thing isn’t it?   You have to admit first of all that you did wrong, that you aren’t perfect.  That step makes you really look at yourself and to be honest of who you are and what you’ve done and that you need help.   Asking for and receiving forgiveness from...

A thought by Steven Furtick (2010-09-21) from his book. Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible (p. 63). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition. I know you have heard of the story of Charlton Heston leading the children of Israel through the Red Sea.   It really was Moses but there was another crossing of another river the again the children of Israel walked though.   It was just a little bit different. The river was the Jordan and the leader was Joshua and God gave the instructions to the priests, the religious leaders to the Ark of the Covenant, it was a kind of symbol of God’s presence, well God told them to start walking into the river.   Now the other time at the Red Sea God parted the waters right where they were walking but this time He did it up river.   Again He told them to start walking while there was still water.   They first got their ankles wet, “it’s coming, I know it’s coming”.    Then the water wa...

A thought by Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson, (2011-07-19) in their book, Rumors of God: Experience the Kind of Faith You´ve Only Heard About (Kindle Locations 539-540). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. This act of accumulation comes into reality when you are in need of getting a U Haul truck to move your stuff.  I mean when we were moving after 15 years in Las Vegas to a much smaller house on Long Island we had garage sales for three weeks straight and we had the garbage truck guys on retainer.  We gave stuff away on moving day and we had to rent the largest trailer to go behind the largest truck that U Haul had.  With two families we also drove three cars with the truck and trailer for a combined total of over 10,000 miles (2,500 + per vehicle).  We had too much stuff and we still do. We are back to the same thing.  Margaret and I will be moving to Seminole, Florida and Andrew and Stef into Manhattan the first of the year.  The U Haul truck won’t ...

A thought by Andy Stanley (2009-03-31) in his book, The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be (p. 178). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. Now I may memorize the Bible from cover to cover and it may help me in winning some arguments but if I don’t see it as God’s personal living plan for my life and do what it says then it will not make a vital, everlasting difference in my life. Now I may know how important it is for an overweight 64 year old man who wants to live a productive, long, active, healthy life to exercise and eat right and I may propagate what I know but if I don’t do what I know then I will not reap the benefit from what I know. Now I may know that people don’t want to be around someone who is argumentative, self-focused and disingenuous but if I don’t do the changes in my character to make a difference in how I act then I will be a very lonely and probably angry individual who has no meaningful, close relationships. No...