Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Andy Stanley, (2009-04-23) from his book, The Best Question Ever (p. 33). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Now we all want so many different handles that we can use to become better at what we do and to live a happy fulfilling life.   Now in that happening there will be many difference decisions that need to be made.   Those decisions will affect our here and now and they will affect many different people and they will affect our future.   And this thought is more than a handle it needs to become a way of life.   In looking at every decision that we are to make Andy says that we are to make it based on The Best Question Ever . Andy says, “Like a good father, God wants what’s best for each of us. So He has given us a standard that goes beyond the cultural norms. He has given us a question that enables us to live out the values that lead to what Jesus referred to as an abundant life

A thought by Andy Stanley, (2009-04-23) from his book, The Best Question Ever (p. 20). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. I have always had a problem with my weight.   The last three to four months I have seen it slowly go back up to where I didn’t want it to go.   In the last few years I had lost around 50 lbs. but little by little I was gaining it back.   Poor planning was taking me where I didn’t want to go.   So I set up a plan to do something and I have been seeing good results.   But I had to have a plan and to stick to it. Andy says, “Having watched dozens of people methodically waste their lives, potential, and money, I’ve concluded that while nobody plans to mess up his life, the problem is that few of us plan not to. That is, we don’t put the necessary safeguards in place to ensure a happy ending.” I have found that not eating anything that has wheat in it makes a big difference for me.   I would do a good job of diet and walking during th

A thought by Andy Stanley, (2009-04-23) from his book, The Best Question Ever (Kindle Locations 120-121). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition . I found out earlier this week that I made a decision five years ago that is affecting me right now.   I t was something I let someone else do for me and it is affecting me today and I have a decision to make today.   One do I play the blame game and throw them under the bus or do I do nothing or do I accept responsibility for the problem and do today what I should have done back then? It is so much easier to play the blame game and feel so sorry for yourself than it is to take responsibility isn’t it?   It was my fault.   I should have thought the situation through and made sure that they knew everything so they could do their job.   I blew it not them.   I assumed they knew more than they did. Now another decision I made was more far reaching.   It is still affecting us today.   I stuck my head in the sand un

A thought by Stan Toler (2014-01-28) from his book, The Buzzards Are Circling But God's Not Finished With Me Yet (Kindle Location 407). Beacon Hill Press. Kindle Edition. Oh I wish that we all really understood that. Last night I went to Stables to buy something I needed.  I was not in one of the best of moods.  I bought it and I thought I had put the sales receipt in my pocket and then I went home.   When I realized that I had bought the wrong thing I started looking for the receipt and when I couldn’t find it I started becoming very upset and in no way does that help.   I just couldn’t find it so I got in the car to go back to the store to see if they would exchange it without the receipt.   I got out and was walking up to the store but I decided to go back to the look in the car again and I looked down and there was the receipt on the ground where I had dropped it earlier. I then picked it up and went in and exchanged the wrong thing for something that was better and t

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2012-09-04) from his book, Greater: Dream Bigger. Start Smaller. Ignite God's Vision for Your Life . (p. 153). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book Have you found yet that the Enemy is constantly trying to get us off track to living the adventure that God has given to each one of us?   He tried two times with me within a last 2 hour period last Friday. The first time was in the bank.   I was there writing a check and for the first time that day I realized it was Friday the 13 th .   I went up to the teller and said that I had been having a very good morning but I just had found out that it was Friday the 13 th and I wasn’t sure how the rest of the day was going to turn out.   But I said it with a smile but the truth is a lot of people and some of them are Christians are lost their momentum in life las Friday by this superstition. But I reflected on the fact that “Th

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2012-09-04) from his book, Greater: Dream Bigger. Start Smaller. Ignite God's Vision for Your Life . (p. 162). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. Back when I stepped out of pastoring into the adventure of retiring I knew there would be some difficult challenging days. Any new adventure no matter how great it is has some daily struggles.   Steven says it this way, “Life’s daily demands exert a strong downward pull into the tyranny of the ordinary.”   And that was true for me in those beginning days of retirement.  I no longer was a Pastor but to God retirement wasn't to be ordinary for me. We had moved to Long Island in New York State so I went looking for a set a friends who would be a new group of friends.   I found my Starbucks close to home and then started making friends.   I don’t always tell people that I am a minister or now a retired minister.   That always gives them a different way they look at me.   Well w

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2012-09-04) from his book, Greater: Dream Bigger. Start Smaller. Ignite God's Vision for Your Life. (p. 156). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I know.   It is those daily struggles that can rob you of your passion as a Christian.   They seem to rob you of your joy, your confidence, your perspective.   They have a tendency to get you to the place you even wonder if what you have is real.   Are you at the place right now? I like what Steven says, “The next time you lose your momentum in daily life as you’re chasing after God’s best for you, don’t give up and conclude that it’s over. The greater life hasn’t ended for you. It’s only out of sight under the waters of the ordinary. And God can resurface it, supernaturally, as many times as it takes. As many times as you’re willing. Cry out to God. Ask yourself, “Where did it fall?” Then go back to that place, pick i