Just Continue That Thought...

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 v...

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus (2003-09-04) from his book, Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul (Kindle Location 1741). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. What a great thing to be, a safe place to fail.   I have within me the perfectionism of a melancholic.   That is where God has been working on me all of my life in my relationships.   The success of dealing with it started with me failing and needed His forgiveness.   I think it has helped to make me a safe place to fail. Are you hard on people?   Are you quick to be hurt by them and then holding a grudge, never forgiving them?   Then you are a very lonely person.   Then you are not a safe person to be around because none of us are perfect, we all fail. Have you ever been forgiven?   How did it make you feel toward the person who forgave you?    I mean you hurt them and they forgave you.   For one it freed them from the act of you hurting them.   They were free of...

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus (2003-09-04) from his book, Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul (Kindle Location 1691). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. I asked Jesus to come personally into my life at 5.   To be honest, there weren’t a lot of sins for me to confess at 5 so I didn’t for a lot of years appreciate what forgiveness was all about.   But in my thirty’s I went through what I call my jerk time.   It was basically a time of total self-centeredness and it eventually brought me to a time of resigning my staff position at a large church.   I then started selling pizzas and started falling in love again with my family and with God.    At that point I found out what forgiveness was all about.   My gratefulness and my love took on a total new dimension. God brought a very godly pastor into my life at that time who led me back to a life of wholeness and healing.   God forgave me and Margaret forgave me and those relationships took on a...

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus (2003-09-04) from his book, Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul (Kindle Location 1580). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. I have been having a problem this morning with finding a thought that quickens some thought in me that I pray would do the same in you.   Now the temptation is the desire to write something that has a lot of readers.   But the miracle may be in God using the thought for one reader as a defining moment in their life.   It’s in the context of sacrifice where miracles happen. What does that say to you?   Where are you having great anxiety and you need God to work?   Stop and think about what sacrifice maybe God is asking you to do.    Money is usually where we think about sacrifice but what about time?   Maybe you have no time but God wants you sacrifice some time to reach out to a hurting person.   Maybe it is money and you fear you’re not going to have enough to meet your obligation...

A thought by Greg Darley (2010-11-15) from his book, Passion Is Not Enough: Four Elements to Change the World (Kindle Locations 914-915). Backstage Publishing. Kindle Edition. People are so very important in our lives.   It is sometimes so easy to just hibernate and not let anybody in but that is not God’s plan.   He looked at Adam when He created Him and said that it was not good that He was alone so He created Eve.   But in our decision making we many times don’t want anybody to mess us up with their opinion so we isolate ourselves.   Now you don’t need a lot of people involved in this area but you do need those who are closest to be there with their experience and thoughts.   Now this is not something that I am good at.   I am good at having thoughts about other people of having a lot of options for them but I’m not real good with involving others in my own decisions.   This thought kind of hits me where I live.   I think it is a...

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 Erwin Raphael McManus (2003-09-04) from his book, Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul (Kindle Locations 1466-1467). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition . I have been going through something that I haven’t gone through for a while.   I am retired, but my wife. Margaret is still working and will probably be working for another 8 or 9 years.   Now I have usually lived with the idea that no matter what did we would make it.   I have lived really without fear but I’m not really doing so well now.   I’m having some fear of when we are both retired if we will have enough. We have moved many different times clear across the country to start a new church with no sense of fear.   We did it because we believed God was calling us to do it.   We didn’t do it for us but we did it for Him.   He has always taken care of us.   Our faith has always been rewarded. Now this blog has been a good time of reflection.   I started writing this ea...