Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book,  Hope: Living Fearlessly in a Scary World  (p. 3). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) That's true, isn't it? David says, "Sometimes we’re afraid because we know what’s coming in the future. But more commonly, we’re afraid of what we don’t know about the future. We’re afraid of what might happen. For instance, the Gallup organization asked thirteen- to seventeen-year-olds what they were most afraid of. In descending order, the top ten fears of these teens were terrorist attacks, spiders, death/being killed, not succeeding in life/being a failure, war, heights, crime/violence, being alone, the future, and nuclear war." He goes on, "Notice that all these fears are future focused, and all are merely 'maybes.' These teens may encounter none of them. Whether the future is just a minute from now (you’re waiting on a doctor’s diagnosis) or five yea...

  A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book, Hope: Living Fearlessly in a Scary World (p. 2). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) That is so true. David says, "It’s not a lucky chance. It’s not ungrounded optimism. No, it’s a rock-solid belief in the character of God. That’s not to say we are guaranteed rosebushes without thorns or a life free from tragedy or disaster. But because we know that God is all-knowing and all-powerful and for us, we can face down our fears and trust the outcome of our circumstances to Him." He goes on, "Hebrews 11:1 says, 'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' The antidote to fear is faith. And faith gives us hope in the midst of whatever scary thing we face. When the apostle Paul was giving counsel to Timothy, his young protégé, he knew Timothy was afraid of something—probably of his assignment to lead the large church...

A thought by Max Lucado, from his book, Begin Again (p. 78). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Yes we do. Max says, "When God breathed into Adam, he gave him more than oxygen; he gave him a soul. He made him an eternal being. "Because of your soul, you wonder why you are here. Because of your soul, you wonder where you are going. Because of your soul, you wrestle with right and wrong, you value the lives of others, and you get choked up at the singing of the national anthem and teary-eyed at the sight of your baby." He goes on, "Your soul unites you to God. And your soul needs an anchor. Your soul is fragile. It feels the pain of death and knows the questions of disease. Your liver may suffer from the tumor, but your soul suffers from the questions. Hence, your soul needs an anchor, a hooking point that is sturdier than the storm. "This anchor is set, not on a boat or person or possession. No, this ancho...

A thought by John C. Maxwell, from her book,  Leading in Tough Times  (p. 22). Center Street, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) This is so important to see. John says, "Just because you have the right to do something as a leader doesn’t mean that it is the right thing to do. Changing your focus from rights to responsibilities is often a sign of maturity in a leader. Many of us are excited in early leadership years by the authority we have and what we can do with it. That power can be exhilarating, if not downright intoxicating. But each of us must strive to grow up and grow into a leadership role without relying on our rights. If we can mature in that way, we will start to change our focus from enjoying authority for its own sake to using authority to serve others." He goes on, "Inevitably, leaders who focus on their rights develop a sense of entitlement. They expect their people to serve them, rather than looking for ways to ser...

A thought by John C. Maxwell, from her book,  Leading in Tough Times  (p. 14). Center Street, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And we want to be successful. So, take that first step! Earlier John said, "The first step you must take as you approach tough times is to prepare yourself as a leader. You need to make yourself ready for the challenge of leading others through adversity. Of course, you must lead yourself well and make good choices. But you should also think about what kind of leader you want to be as you lead your team forward. Knowing yourself as a leader, what works best and is most effective for you and your team, is important at any time. But when you face new challenges or significant change that impacts the work environment and your goals, you need to really think through who you are going to be to your team and make sure that you remain true to your values, no matter how difficult the journey gets or how much pres...

A thought by John C. Maxwell, from her book,  Leading in Tough Times  (p. 11). Center Street, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Having hope is so powerful. John says, "John W. Gardner, former secretary of health, education, and welfare, said, 'The first and last task of a leader is to keep hope alive—the hope that we can finally find our way through to a better world—despite the day’s action, despite our own inertness and shallowness and wavering resolve.' Hope is the foundation of change. If we continue to hold hope high, and we help others to do the same, there is always a chance to move forward and succeed." He goes on, "Productive organizations led by strong leaders are hard to beat. Their effectiveness is high, and so is their morale. Former general George C. Marshall said, 'Morale is the state of mind. It is steadfastness and courage and hope. It is confidence and zeal and loyalty.… It is staying power, the spir...

  A thought by John C. Maxwell, from her book,  Leading in Tough Times  (p. 8). Center Street, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) So true, so true. John says, "One of the most challenging tasks any leader faces is being a change agent and leading people through tough times. But it can also be one of the most rewarding. Economist John Kenneth Galbraith asserted, 'All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time.' He goes on, "In tough times the people we lead find out who we are, and we also find out what we’re made of. As author Jack Kinder says, 'You’re not made in a crisis—you’re revealed. When you squeeze an orange—you get orange juice. When you squeeze a lemon—you get lemon juice. When a human being gets squeezed—you get what is inside—positive or negative.' "The best way to approach tough times is to...