Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, (2006-11-14) from his book, Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (p. 226). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. That is so true for me.   I’m afraid I got what I wanted this weekend and I am feeling it this morning.   My daughter and her family were in this weekend from Las Vegas so there were nine of us in our apartment.   And before church yesterday we all of course had to eat so I brought home two dozen donuts from Winchell’s.   I love donuts. Now I don’t eat them very often because it is one of the worst things for me to eat.   I can’t just have one so I just have none.   Y ou might say, “But you are an adult and you can have what you want” and that is true.   But I also want, really want to be healthy and live a longer life so I just don’t get all I want. Now, we are free moral agents.   We have the freedom to do what we want but we are not free from the consequences of our choice.   I chose yesterday to eat a bunch – not on

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 57). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. To realize that from God’s perspective life is a test goes a long way in determining how you handle your life.   It is important to see that in testing your character is both developed and revealed.   Rick goes on to say that “even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.” So there is a God purpose behind each situation in your life.   Even the bad ones are there to strengthen you and develop you.   You see those bad situations are really good ones because they are there for your good. I start each day with a reminder that God is good.   Not every situation that is going to come in my day is good but because God is good He will use e

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, (2006-11-14) from his book, Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (p. 215). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. When you have lived life for any amount of time there is always a chance that you will go through a time that life doesn’t make sense.   Maybe that is where you are today. I have been fortunate to have lived with a father that I could trust.   I knew I could trust what my dad said, what he believed and what he taught.   I knew he wasn’t perfect but I trusted him.   And that was so important as a son living life.   I wasn’t ready to take on all the responsibilities of life but I knew I could trust my dad. Some of you haven’t had that privilege.   You had a father that couldn’t be trusted so in life’s not making sense times you can have real trouble.   H aving had someone you trust is so important in living through those times. Now my dad wasn’t perfect in all things but he did lead me to someone who was perfect, som

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, (2006-11-14) from his book, Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (p. 192). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition . I was reading this morning in the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament and I came across something that Jesus said that I underlined.   He was talking about someone who He had just healed who had come back to thank Him and He said, “ And he was a Samaritan. ”     Now the Samaritans were a people that the Jews looked down on.   In other words, they were prejudiced against them.   And here Jesus it seems was highlighting their prejudice.   Over and over He did this in the Gospels.   And Peter, Paul and James did the same throughout the rest of the NT.   One of the first great battles in the new Church after Jesus’ time here on earth was over whether they were going to accept Gentiles into the Church.   A Gentile was someone who wasn’t a Jew.   But Peter and Paul showed that to follow Jesus was to let go of our prejudice

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, (2006-11-14) from his book, Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (p. 189). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. We somehow have come up with the idea that we can change the world.   I’ll be honest I am having some problem with the two side’s views of the outcome of the trial in Florida.   It seems to all revolve around the issue of whether I’m a caring liberal or a conservative who cares.   But in looking at this situation of a white older man killing a young black man it never comes down to the fact that God loves them both and He hurts for them both. Now we even as Christians are quick to get on Facebook or Twitter and let the world know what we think but never seeing how what we think has some real animosity and even hatred toward the opposite view.   That is not the way Christ works.   Change to Him doesn’t come from power but from forgiveness.   And so much of how we respond must break His heart.     You see the answers to

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, (2006-11-14) from his book, Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (p. 82). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition . I have had a dream to live in California for over 30 years.   I did everything I could to make it happen but it didn’t happen until this past year.   I look in my wallet at my driver’s license and look at the plates on both our cars and realize that I am now living in California and so does my son and his family. Now they have moved here from Colorado for him to go to law school and they have dreamed to live in the little town of South Pasadena.   They have great schools for their girls, it is close to the train for Brett to take to his law school in downtown LA and it is such a great place to raise their family.   It was their dream but up until last Sunday it didn’t looked like it was going to happen.   Well today they are putting their security deposit down on their new apartment in South Pasadena.   Their dream has co

A thought by Bill Hybels, (2009-08-20) from his book, Too Busy Not to Pray (p. 18). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition. I was reading this morning in Luke about Jesus.  There in chapter 12 it showed of a time that He went off to a mountain to pray and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.   His human part was convinced to the core that connecting with His Father through prayer would make a difference in what He was going through.   He showed us what we need to do.   Now I’m not really going through any difficult time in my life right now.   In fact I am going through a very good time but I do want to know more about God and to connect more with Him.   The reality is even on the good times I need His strength and it is through prayer that it is available to me so that He will make a difference. What are you going through?   So many people are just being thrown around by life and they feel all alone.   Maybe that is the way your feel.   You are going through a difficul