Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) in his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival (p. 10). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. My wife, Margaret has changed jobs and in that we have changed locations.   Now for some the thought of changing jobs and then changing locations brings great anxiety into their life.   They will do everything they can to make sure they don’t have to change.   They haven’t found yet that change can be their friend, not their enemy. I’m reading right now though the Gospels in the New Testament and I was reading today an amazing story in Luke.   Jesus was walking in a crowd and a woman touched Him and she was healed of a physical problem she had had for 12 years.   She decided she was tired of the problem and she wanted a change.   Jesus knew something had happened and He asked, “Who touched me?” and with fear she told Him and all those people what had happened.   Jesus then said, “Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Perso n (Kindle Locations 2083-2084). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. It is so easy for us to believe that we have arrived.   For some after they have finished their level of education they think they have learned all they need to learn so now they are to do.   Margaret this week went to see a new Doctor here in Pasadena.   With her being a diabetic she needs to see a doctor on a regular basis so there we were.   This man was an old 66.   Now in a little over 5 months I will turn 66 but I don’t think I am an old 66.   I love my computer and my kindle and my iPhone but this guy didn’t even have a computer.   He didn’t believe he needed it.   That was just one area that showed he was living in another century.   Needless to say we are looking for a new doctor. There are a lot of Christ followers like that.   They can point to a day when they were saved and sa

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Person (Kindle Locations 780-781). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. I have just come to really realize this fact.   Margaret and I are in a new city and we are in the process of making some new friends; I in my Starbucks world and she in her work world but not in our church world.   We have been driving 60 miles to attend one of the greatest churches in the world and sitting and being taught and challenged by one of the great pastors of our day but we have made no new friends.    And he challenged us this week to the fact that this is wrong. On our drive home from church Saturday night, Margaret and I both agreed that we needed to find a church closer to where we live.   Pastor Rick said that each one of us would go through this year some kind of crisis where we would need a support group.   We thought about the fact that if something happened to us, we wouldn’t

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Person (Kindle Locations 1691-1692). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. There is a great desire for many to have God speak to them.   The surest way to do that is to read His Word, the Bible.   If you do you will hear Him speak to you.   The Bible is the living word of God. I love to read.   I have over 75 books on my Kindle right now.   I have read or am reading over 50 of those.   I read two newspapers every day.   I have over 45 columns that I read every day on Google Reader.   I have made a commitment to read the four Gospels 13 times this year.   I love to read.   I want to learn and to be entertained but the most important reading that I do is my quiet time every morning.   This is the time when I am seeking what God wants to say to me every day through His Word and then writing it down in a journal.   Do you do that?   Do you take time to read the Bi

A question by Mark Batterson, (2011-12-13) from his book, Be a Circle Maker: The Solution to 10,000 Problems (Kindle Location 161). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. The answer to that question is determined by how you and I deal with the difficult circumstances in our lives.   Is His power limited only by what you and I can do and what those around us can do?   Is He someone we only worship but don’t depend on in these impossible circumstances in our lives?   There is a circumstance right now that I am striving to not limit His power.   God’s power is greater than any circumstance and I am striving to believe that right now, not only in my head but in my heart and through my prayer.   It is a battle.   But I don’t want to in any way limit Him in His power in this particular circumstance in our life.     What about you?

A thought by John C Maxwell, (2012-10-02) from his book, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential (p. 24). Center Street. Kindle Edition. I feel at this time of the year it is important to do some reflection, reevaluation and then some refocus and repentance before the New Year starts.   If I am living for the right reason then I can face anything.   The right reason gives me confidence. You see, if you are doing something from a wrong motive there is an undercurrent of guilt which causes me to believe that I don’t deserve any good to happen in my life.   So when things go wrong I believe that it’s because I am being punished.   I don’t deserve anything good so I am always waiting for the bad things to happen.   But with right motives I see the things that will go wrong as learning times or strengthening times that will eventually help me to reach my goal.   The wrong things are not enemies but friends.   Wrong reasons can breed discourage

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) in his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Person (Kindle Location 1562). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. We are headed into one of the most positive days in the world.   It doesn’t matter your belief in what it stands for or your understanding of it, is a great day because of all the gifts.   It is a day that we are the most like God because God is a giver. Now one of the greatest gifts He gave you and me was our opportunity for life.   We are a new telling of God’s unending love story.   He gave us the potential of life because He loved us.    This past year has been an unending story of God’s love for Margaret and me.   I mean, we got to live on Long Island, New York, then Seminole, Florida and now Pasadena, California.   It has been unbelievable.   And we also added a new member to our family, Harper Olivia Cole.   Over and over, God has weaved His love story in our lives.   And if you looked a