Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus (2003-09-04) from his book, Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul (Kindle Location 1408). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Editio n. Wow.   The potential that is available through us is astounding and also the potential to stop from happening because of us is overwhelming.   I am reading right now daily of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament and specifically right now about God’s moving Paul from Jerusalem to Rome where God had a great plan for Paul.   Now he is in the middle of being taken to Rome by Roman soldiers.   The Jews in Jerusalem are trying to kill him.   But  God wants Paul to write a big part of the New Testament.   During this difficult process to get him there Paul doesn’t know God’s full plans but he was just following one step at a time. Now from that background, what if during one of those times of Paul’s standing up with Christ’s story and bringing out great hate from the Jews, what if he had said, “Enough is enough, I am

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. 75). Center Street. Kindle Edition. This is it.   Today is Friday.   I have never lived today before and I will never live it again.   The way I start it has a lot to do with how I make use of it.   My expectations go a long way with my effectiveness. Now I, personally, start my day in the Bible.   Today I read Psalm 106.   It showed the importance of following Him and what happens if we don’t and what happens when we do.     It ended with “Praise the Lord.”   Good reminder to start the day.   Then I read the last part of Acts 22 and of how God was moving Paul to His desired destination.   It showed how each incident had a part in moving Paul to Rome where He wrote a big part of the New Testament.   Each incident in the day is important to God.    John Maxwell also says, “And the small steps you take today will lead to the bigger steps you take

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 147). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition . Love is a commitment not a passion.   I should say authentic, true love is a commitment.   In so many areas culture has changed the definition but not the reality.   Now commitment does lead to passion. Some in this day would say its passion then commitment.   As long as the passion is there then the commitment but that is where the till death do we part comes in. The commitment is what has kept Margaret and I together now for nearly 39 years.   To be honest we have had 36 great years together but there have also been three bad ones.   Commitment kept us together through the three bad ones.   Now I love the passion.   I deeply love my wife but I also know the importance of the commitment.    We made a covenant on November 9, 1974 in Maud Wesleyan Church for better or worse, richer o

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus (2003-09-04) from his book, Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul (Kindle Locations 1334-1335). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. The promise that God gave to this Old Testament character, Joshua was, "You will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give to them." There is the promise but there is also the task.   He is saying, Joshua, “I’m going to give you the opportunity to lead these people but then you must lead them.”   Along with opportunity goes responsibility. God has given me the desire and the opportunity and the passion to encourage people through blogging.   Now I know He will give me inspiration in what to say but it will go away if I don’t sit down and start writing.   Sometimes it doesn’t even start coming until I have set down with my laptop and looking for a thought and then start writing. To be honest, today I was tempted to not write but the opportunity to encourage someone toda

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. 70). Center Street. Kindle Edition. After I get off the scale every morning I am motivate to either make the added effort to lose the weight I’ve gained or lose more weight.   That should be enough but when I am standing before that Oatmeal Scone at Peet’s the self-discipline must take over.     Now the motivation has a way of getting our attention.   For John his heart attack motivate him to be more health conscious but for some that could be too late.   The discipline is the key. I have done a good job of losing weight until the last month or so.   The scales are showing me I need to start saying, “no” to some things and “yes” to others.   That is where the success is.   It is in the daily actions that I do that leads to my success. My desire on writing my blogs is to encourage and motivate people to become what they were built to be.   I

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. 61). Center Street. Kindle Edition. I totally agree with that thought. Whenever some negative situation comes into my life these self-pity thoughts race into my mind.   If I stop and repeat them to someone then I am in for a major battle but if I don’t rehearse them and repeat them then they just become passing thoughts. I am a born pessimist or as some would say a born realist and I have made it a lifetime task to not let that view of life take control of me.   I read the newspaper from the back, I read a Psalm every day, I step away from negative conversations, I stay away from talk radio/TV and I don’t get into controversial conversations.   There is a problem with this, though.   When I am fighting a negative reaction inside of me and someone in my family is reacting from the negative, I tend to attack them and preach at them.   I am l

A thought by Leonard Sweet (2012-03-13) from his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Person (Kindle Location 155). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. That is so true in our homes with people we love.   We all need each other.   The reason why we were created was to love God which in turn means loving others.   You cannot love just God. I am finding it interesting that people who are so-called Christians seem to be leading the effort to protect our borders as a nation against outsiders coming in.   That doesn’t really jive with our message of loving God and loving others.   We seem to be desirous of protecting our individualism.   What if that was true of God and His message wouldn’t have been shared with the Gentiles?   He created us all and He loves us all and we are to in turn love all.   Christians should be at the front of welcoming those who are not like us to come to live in our Christian nation.   God is bringing them here so we can share