Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Andy Stanley (2009-08-22) from his book, It Came from Within!: The Shocking Truth of What Lurks in the Hear t (p. 55). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition. That is so true isn’t it?   Now how we view the action that brings us that shame has so much to do with how we deal with it. Back when I was in ministry I did something that brought so much shame on my life and I stepped out of ministry.  Margaret and I moved to another town.  I knew that I had blown it and I started selling Insurance.  The shame changed the direction of my life.  That is until I went to a church in that town and God sent a Godly Pastor into my life who took the time and patience to bring me out of my shame.  You see my sin action didn’t make God turn His back on me.  He pursued me and won me back. Now if my shame would have kept me from seeking out God then I would have had scars forever but my shame drew me to God and He in turn through it changed me for all time.  He used my shame to deepen

A thought by Leonard Sweet (2012-03-13) from his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Reviva l (Kindle Location 143). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. Have you ever watched The Voice on NBC on Monday night?  If you haven’t, there are 4 celebrities who have their backs to a person who is singing and if they want that person to be on their team they push a button and then they are turned around to see what the person looks like.  They make their choice just on their voice not on their looks.  You wonder sometimes if they wouldn’t have made their chose if they would have seen what they looked like.  In our need to connect so much is based upon our appearance.  I think that is why in many cases social media has been such a success.  We may have more confidence to connect with someone because they don’t know what we look like.  I know the danger in that but I also know the deep loneliness and to many it is worth the risk. We really do need each other, we

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus from his book, Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Momen t (Kindle Locations 671-672). Kindle Edition . It is so true that a lot of the circumstances of our life are out of our control.  I don’t have control over the fact that I am getting older every minute but it is also true that I do have control over my activity, my attitude and my focus. I got on the scale this morning and I had gained some weight.  I got off track yesterday but I had been faithful in my walking.  Now I do not walk because I love to do it, I walk because my health demands it and I have to hold myself steady to do it no matter the results.  I do not have total control over my success but I do have control over my activity and attitudes. Now this whole activity of walking is composed of a lot of different elements that will affect my day.  It is exercise, it is listening to positive thoughts from podcasts and it is a time of meditation and prayer.  So if I do

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus from his book, Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Moment (Kindle Location 443). Kindle Edition. There is word that has been going over in my mind this morning as I have been walking and praying.  The word is steady, to hold steady.  Now to hold steady doesn’t mean to me to be passive.  Steady means to keep doing, to hold steady at doing what you are doing.  To be passive means to do nothing.  That is different. As I walk I see a lot of squirrels.  It is great to see them holding steady at the tasks that God has placed within then to do every day for their sustenance for their survival.  They could be counted faithful.  They are not tempted to say, “Well, I know that God has said that He will provided for me my daily bread so I am just going to sit idly by and trust God to take care of me.”  If they did that then they would starve.  Something inside them drives them to be faithful at finding food for this day and the days ahead.  God

A thought by David Stoop in his book, You Are What You Think (Kindle Locations 211-212). Kindle Edition. I too believe this is the key to happiness in our lives.  But the change must happen inside our heart and inside our mind.  The Apostle Paul while in prison said it this way, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”  So it must not be a changing of circumstance but a changing of your outlook and it can be learned. Someone has asked me where was my favorite place to have lived?  I have lived a lot of places and I said, “Where I am living at the time”.  Now I didn’t enjoy the snow on Long Island but I loved living close to my kids and I enjoyed the exercise I got when I shoveled the snow.  I hear so many people say, “I don’t like where I live” and I say, “Then why don’t you move?  And they say, “We can’t afford to move.”  Then I say, “Then chose to be happy where you are. The reality is after a short time you won’t be happy where you move too becau

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. 11). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. That is so true.  We sometimes get into situations that we know are wrong.  We know the solution - quit the relationship, lose 50 lbs., change jobs, move away, go to church, get counseling.  We know what needs to be done but we don’t know what to do. The problem is not the solution but the direction.  When a person is lost they need to change their direction but we too many times keep going in the same direction thinking we will get to a different location.  Now we know why we are overweight – lack of exercise and eating the wrong food – but we keep doing the same thing and believe that the result will be different.  It never will be until we change what we eat and getting up from the couch and exercising. We may be having major financial problems but we keep doing the same thing with the same res

A thought by Miles McPherson (009-11-01) from his book, DO Something!: Make Your Life Count (p. 76). Baker Books. Kindle Edition. Now Satan understands this and he does everything to appeal to our selfish nature by having us gripe and moan and be discouraged.  But what would happen to our view of each day if we saw it as God sees it? Have you ever thought that what you look at as negative from your self-focus could be ideal from a God’s focus?  That the circumstance that you are going through is setting you up to do what He has created you to do?  I mean that disappointment that has come into your life may be an ideal way to show those around you how Christ is making a difference in your life.  If our reactions are the same as those who don’t know Him then how are we any different?  Oh we may pray before our meals or go to church every Sunday or pay our tithe or hate abortion or the gay lifestyle but we react to the negatives of our lives just as a non-Christian would.