Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book,  Win the Day   (p. 27). The Crown Publishers Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)   And they had an interesting accomplishment. Mark says, "I’m fascinated by an ancient group of archers from a tribe known as the Benjamites. Their ambidextrous ability to shoot arrows and sling stones sounds like it’s right out of a Marvel movie." 1 Chronicles 12:2 (NLT) says, "All of them were expert archers, and they could shoot arrows or sling stones with their left hand as well as their right. They were all relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin." Mark goes on, "Their ability to use both hands equally well raises a few questions. Switch hitters are commonplace in baseball, but there is only one switch pitcher in Major League Baseball! I’m going to make an assumption that the Benjamites were not born this way. Only 1 percent of the population is born ambidextrous. In other words, thi...

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book,  Win the Day   (p. 24). The Crown Publishers Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) No, there are aren't! Mark says, " When you’ve been enslaved for centuries, it takes time for your identity to catch up with your new reality. The battle is against the people and the powers actively working against your freedom—and the voice of doubt that calls your God-given dignity and identity into question. In the case of the Israelites, it took forty years. There are no shortcuts. There are no cheat codes. What God says about you has to become your signature story. It wasn’t until the Israelites possessed the Promised Land that they finally saw themselves for who they really were—not slaves but God’s chosen people." He goes on, "Many of us see ourselves or see others the same way, according to some old code. There are plenty of people who want to remind us of those old narratives. You’ve got t...

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book,  Win the Day   (p. 23). The Crown Publishers Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) No we don't and yes we do. Mark says, " We don’t see the world as it is . We see the world as we are . If you want to win today, you’ve got to start by rewriting yesterday." Earlier Mark said, "The story of the Exodus is Israel’s signature story. It defined their identity as a free people. Even their calendar revolved around the day God delivered them. The anniversary of the Exodus, the Passover, was a day celebrated unlike any other. God delivered Israel in a single day, but they didn’t possess the Promised Land until forty years later. Did you know that the entire journey from Mount Sinai to the Promised Land was supposed to take eleven days? (Deuteronomy 1:2) But they traveled for forty years ! That’s 14,589 days longer than their original ETA. What the heck happened?" He goes on, "Gett...

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book,  Win the Day   (p. 21). The Crown Publishers Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Yes, we better! Mark says, " Especially if it doesn’t fit within your natural gifting! It’s like tilting the treadmill to a steep incline. You’ll have to work a little longer, a little harder, and a little smarter than everyone else. It will be harder than you hoped and take longer than you imagined. So be it. If you keep walking in the right direction, you’ll get where you’re going sooner or later!" He goes on, "History is replete with people who have defied incredible odds to accomplish unbelievable things. If you’re one of those long shots like John Bertrand or Bo Eason, this book is for you. The stories I share and the studies I cite will redefine what is and what is not possible. But winning the day starts with redefining who you are and, more importantly, whose you are. "For better or for wor...

  A thought by Mark Batterson from his book,  Win the Day   (p. 19). The Crown Publishers Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) So what does he mean? Mark says, " The day God healed my asthma is one of those ever-after days. A signature story usually centers on a day that begins like any other day; then that day rewrites the rest of your life. I actually keep a running tally, numbering the days I’ve been inhaler-free." He continues, "I have no idea how your story reads right now. I don’t know whether it’s comedy, drama, or action and adventure. If you don’t like your story line, God can change it. He can redeem the loss, recycle the mistake, and rewrite the pain. He can do so in a single day, no doubt. That said, don’t wait until your circumstances change to start living your best life!" He then says, "Despite suffering from severe asthma for forty years, I have biked century rides and run in triathlons. Did I menti...

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book,  Win the Day   (p. 16). The Crown Publishers Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) So what are the dots? Mark says, " You are capable of more than you imagine, and I wrote this book to help you prove it to yourself. Your brain has no idea what your body is capable of, and your body has no idea what your brain is capable of. Once you connect those dots, all bets are off. Following Jesus is less about minding your p’s and q’s than it is about taking your cues from Christ. What did Jesus say? 'With God all things are possible.' (Matthew 19:26) When you give complete editorial control of your life to Him, possible becomes the plotline." He goes on, "I’d better offer one disclaimer to my hypothesis. Please note the word almost . If you’re five foot seven, genetic factors call into question your dream of playing in the NBA. Be that as it may, may I remind you that Spud Webb won the ...

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book,  Win the Day   (p. 15). The Crown Publishers Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Yes it is. Mark says, " God doesn’t waste days, especially bad days! My life coach helped me identify forty-four defining moments. Some were as dramatic as the day I almost died from ruptured intestines. I was surprised, however, at how many defining moments were as subtle as the subconscious. Identifying those subplots is one key to flipping the script, so I’ll share a few of mine." He shares, "When I was kid, I was playing Kick the Can with my friends when my mom rang the dinner bell. That’s how we texted before cell phones! We sat down at the dinner table, and I remember saying, 'We’ve got to hurry up and eat because my friends are waiting.' I wasn’t having a panic attack, but my sense of urgency was acute. We couldn’t eat fast enough! Why? I didn’t want to keep my friends waiting. I wish it ...