Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Miles McPherson, (2009-11-01) from his book, DO Something!: Make Your Life Count (p. 33). Baker Books. Kindle Edition. If we could really believe and live that but we usually whine at God and gripe at why He is letting this happen to me.  But if we really understood that God will work all the bad in a Christian’s life into good. You see, Satan throws these things at us to hurt us and to hurt Him but before it gets to us it goes through God’s love and He changes the purpose.  The purpose was to hurt us but God changes the purpose for our good.  Not all things in your life are good.  There is a lot of rotten stuff out there.  God has the power to change them, to protect you from them but He may have a different plan.  Now you can fight Him and not trust Him and it will truly hurt you.  You have a choice and God will not force His way on you but if you trust Him.  If you trust Him He will strengthen you in your area of weakness, He may move you in a total diff

A thought by Andy Stanley (2009-03-31) from his book, The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be (p. 49). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. I live by the principle of time that you are either late or on time, that being early just means being on time so I usually am early.  That way, I am always assured of being on time and not late. I wish I could say the same thing about doing things that I’d rather not do.  All my term papers in school were usually put off to the last minute.  I always said that I worked best under pressure but as I’ve gotten older I don’t think that was true.  I just think I was avoiding what I didn’t want to do and waiting till the last minute meant I couldn’t avoid it any longer so I did it.  But it would have been the wise thing to have started it earlier without all the stress, all the pressure. It’s like the person who files an extension for his income tax and finds it doesn’t get any better later so why not do

A thought by Leonard Sweet (2012-03-13) from his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival (p. 20). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. I understand the need for meditation and solitude for short periods of time.  I really do but life has so much more enjoyment and more meaning when you live it with someone else.  Now relationships are risky.  There can be pain involved but it is worth the risk.  The more pain can mean more fear and more needed courage and confidence.  Where do you get courage and confidence?  Well you get it from a good friend.   So how do you get a good friend?  You get one by being one no matter what. I love the story in the Old Testament of the close friendship of David and Jonathan.  David thought that Saul was also his friend but because of the jealousy of Saul, who was Jonathan’s father, David became Saul’s enemy.  But David and Jonathan still remained close friends.  Jonathan’s courage and commitment helped David through a ve

A thought by Leonard Sweet (2012-03-13) from his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Reviva l (Kindle Locations 136-137). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. We were created by God for relationships.  We have this need built within us to connect.  As God said when He created Eve for Adam, “It is not good for man to be alone.”    He created us for a relationship with Himself but He also knew that we would need a physical relationship with someone else.  But Satan started in the beginning to do all he could to sever the relationship of man to God and to damage the relationship between Adam and Eve.   And he has been doing his best at continuing to keep us from having meaningful relationships.  So we need to do everything in our ability to stop Satan’s plan.  As Ruben Welch in his book said, “ We really do need each other. ”  We need a relationship with God and a relationship with each other. Satan uses so many methods to keep us alone.  He uses abuse, rej

A thought by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch (2011-04-15) from their book, The Faith of Leap , (Shapevine) (p. 41). Baker Books. Kindle Edition. Have you noticed that when you are driving straight you still make small incremental changes in your direction to keep headed on the road ahead?   We do that in our lives too but we also need to be prepared for that unexpected situation or crisis that many times comes on our path which means a total directional change.  Sometimes we need to make changes in our direction that only a useful crisis with make the difference. A heart attack can be a crisis that will force us to make the physical changes in our lives that will set us on a new healthier path of eating right, exercise and learning how to handle stress.  If we would do the changes without the crisis that would be better but sometimes it only happens when we are forced to change. Sometimes we need to change jobs because we are frustrated because we are not in our gifted ar

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus from his book, Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Moment (Kindle Locations 938-939). Kindle Edition. Now some people want to say they are following Jesus but they want to know because they need security in their life.  But that is not what it means to follow Jesus.  It means that you have put your faith and your security and your confidence in Him not in your knowing.  Solomon in his Old Testament book of Proverbs in chapter 3 verses 5 and 6  (Msg) says, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.  Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the one who will keep you on track.  Don't assume that you know it all.” So who do you trust?

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus from his book, Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Moment (Kindle Location 577). Kindle Edition. That is so true.  God has really blessed Margaret and me with a beautiful place to live.  We are right across from the pool, it is bigger than we really need but it also fits our needs.  God has been so good but He also has placed us right where we are for a purpose.  God has used both of us in such a special way to elevate the lives of the people who live close to us.  They have told us that we are an answer to their prayers.  Now what if they had been praying that God would help them?  He would watch out for them. He would protect them; He would be their encouragement and their friend so He sent us to do that.  He blessed us so we could be a blessing but let’s say we would move in and decide that we were not going to make friends, not get involved.  I mean we’re retired.  We have ministered all our lives now it is time for us to rest an