Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus (2003-09-04) from his book, Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul (Kindle Location 2979). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. Who are you?   Really, who are you?   If all you’ve gone through are the blessings of life then you may not really know the answer to who you really are.   Who you really are comes through in the struggles of life. Oh it is great to share about your faith through the good times of life.   You may say that all the good stuff is because of your faith but you may have a different story when life isn’t so good.   Margaret and I have had the privilege to sit under the ministry of both Erwin McManus and Rick Warren.   They have been two men who have had a great impact on my view of life.   They are both men whose faith has been tested through great struggles.   Margaret and I sat Tuesday night and listened to Rick and Kay tell Piers Morgan on his CNN program of their immense struggles after their son’s suicide this past sum

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus (2003-09-04) from his book, Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul (Kindle Location 1808). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition . Margaret and I were talking about some people we know and the horrible life they have.   Life can be tough.   But some people are miserable in their tough lives and even their good lives while others live with an anticipation and hope.   Why is that? What do you see in your life?   Do you see despair or do you see joy and inspiration.   How grateful you are goes a long way in determining your perspective.   Another way to say it is, what glasses you see through determines what you see. Think of the statement, “I don’t deserve this.”   There are two ways you can say that.   I can say it with the idea in mind that I am better than this.   No way should I be going through this.   I DON'T DESERVE THIS!!!   It is with a haughty feeling sorry for my-self attitude.   God will not reward that attitude.   You will be misera

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus (2003-09-04) from his book, Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul (Kindle Locations 1827-1828). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. I am right now reaping the benefit of someone’s worst of circumstances.   I have been reading the New Testament book of the Acts of the Apostles.   I just finished it yesterday and have now started reading the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans.   I have just been reading of the difficulties of Paul and of how he finally is put in a prison in Rome.   And from that prison Paul wrote a big portion of the New Testament including his letter to the Romans.   Here is the point.   If Paul with all his energy, his devotion, his drive had not been put in prison a big portion of the New Testament would never have been written.   God saw Paul’s life differently than even Paul saw it. Oh that we could see our worst of circumstances through God’s eyes.   He sees it all. God is good and He is right and He is faithful and He

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus (2003-09-04) from his book, Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul (Kindle Locations 2650-2651). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. We say some statements that if we would stop and think don’t make any sense.   We want so much to be and sound humble.  But putting our self down is a reflection on God.   He doesn’t make junk and He created us with a purpose in mind and He gave us the talents and abilities to do it. Now saying that we don’t have any talents could also be an excuse to not be all that we were created to be.   Who we are is God’s gift to us and what we do with it is our gift and responsibility to Him.   Erwin says, “All of us are complex and represent a composite of intelligence, passions, personality, skills, talents, and gifts. The dynamic interaction of all of these are the material from which we draw our potential.”   God has called us to realize that potential.   What is the talent that God gave you?   Do you know?   Are you u

A thought Erwin Raphael McManus (2003-09-04) from his book, Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul (Kindle Locations 1722-1723). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. This is totally different from where I have been reading.   Where I was reading today in this book was for me in my life and I then felt I needed to go back and I found this thought.   This thought is for you.   You must be living in a life of no hope, living a backward focus life of despair, of bitterness and of deep pain.   Just like all of those people in the Gospels who were damaged when Jesus passed by who were healed when they reach out to Jesus and He then stopped and touched their hurt.   Jesus wants to do the same for you today. So what situation in your past are you focusing on which produces your bitterness?   Are you tired of living with no hope, living in pain, living with such bitterness?   Then you are going to need to let go of your past and look to God for your hope for your future.   It is a total change

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus (2003-09-04) from his book, Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul (Kindle Location 2350). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. Generosity is the opposite of greed.   But some people have the mistaken idea that it is connected in the CHRISTian life with what we get in return.   They don’t say that but they believe it and live it.   They give to get.   Erwin goes on to say though that “God’s goal for all of us is not that we become affluent.   God’s goal is that we become generous. When your pursuit is for wealth, you leave generosity behind.” Do you remember the parables of the talents?   Three servants were given varied amounts of money by their master and they were to make more.   Two of them doubled theirs but one hid his and that one wasn’t rewarded but punished.   Do you realize that what they were doubling was not for them but for their master?   It was his money.   Their reward was in the deep satisfaction of being faithful to their master.

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. 77). Center Street. Kindle Edition. I think for the most part GOD has put within us the need to know why.  It is what motivates us.    I know as a parent it gets more difficult to keep answering the why questions of our small child or to give them the why for what we want them to do but it is so important in there growing to become who they were created to be.   I like what John said about his mom. He said, “When I was a child, my mom continually gave me whys to keep me going. She would say things like, ‘If you eat your vegetables, you can have dessert.’ She knew I needed to know the benefits of eating vegetables when I didn’t want to do it. That kind of training set me up for success, because I started to learn the relationship between motivation and discipline.” I have seen so many adults who have quit asking the why questions and have lost th