Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For ? (p. 37). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) But so many people are.   But Rick says, “God’s purpose is not limited by your past. He turned a murderer named Moses into a leader and a coward named Gideon into a courageous hero, and he can do amazing things with the rest of your life, too. God specializes in giving people a fresh start.” Psalm 32:1 in the Living Bible says, ““What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! … What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record.” David the writer of this Psalm knew what he was talking about.   He had really messed up.   He had killed a man and then taken the dead man’s wife as his own but he confessed his sin and God cleared his record.   I don’t know if there is something in your life that is holding you back.   Just confess i

A thought by Andy Stanley, (2009-01-21) from his book, Louder Than Words: The Power of Uncompromised Living (Kindle Locations 2101-2102). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) He then says, “What we do with them determines their impact. Our memories are opportunities to renew our minds to what we know is true. Our memories are opportunities to rejoice in our own forgiveness. Truly forgiving does not always entail truly forgetting. If you will renew your mind, painful memories can become reminders of God’s goodness and grace and healing power in your life. What were once negative memories can become a source of joy as you experience the healing power of the Father.” Isn’t that great?   An experience that the Enemy has set up to hurt us the rest of our life can be turned into an opportunity to once again see how great God is and how He can make such a difference in our life.   Please don’t waist the o

A thought by Andy Stanley, (2009-01-21) from his book, Louder Than Words: The Power of Uncompromised Living (Kindle Locations 2095-2096). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition . (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Andy then says, “Allow yourself to remember the incident. It’s even okay to feel the emotions those memories elicit. If necessary, be angry but do not sin (see Ephesians 4: 26). But instead of reopening the case against your offender, instead of rehearsing images of retribution and revenge, use it as an opportunity to renew your mind.” I’m not sure who it is that needed this thought today.   All I can say is that God loves you and wants to release you from your past hurts.   Go ahead and face it and then let God help you deal with it through forgiving you of the part you may have played in it and then forgiving the part that the other person played in  it.   How do you really know that you have truly forgiven them?   Y

A thought by Bob Goff, (2012-05-01) from his book, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World (p. 163). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) But Bob gives us the key, “ Not surprisingly, the way to do it best is by being secretly incredible.” To be honest that can be a problem in retirement.   It is not one that I am proud of but the problem of doing something when all through your ministry you have been the one up front, the one that people come to, and the one who leads can be difficult.   And to have that all stop, that can be an ego problem.   But therein lies a greater problem.   We get to the point that we think it is us and they are looking to us when in reality we are just the tool.   It is God who is doing it.   But He wants to trust us for greater things but our track record doesn’t prove us worthy. I wonder though what God could do through us if we were really willing to do it in secr

A thought by Bob Goff, (2012-05-01) from his book, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World (p. 166). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition . (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) He then says, “In fact, they love to fail. It’s because failing means they found the edge.” Do you see how not being afraid would give you an edge?   For some failure is a major part of the process.   They are not afraid to fail.   As Bob said, “they love to fail.”   The focus is not on them but it is on making a difference. Now another edge for the Christian is the fact that God is good.   That in our successes God is good but even in our failures He is especially good.   Everything that happens to us must go through His love and His goodness so then why not try.      In my walk time from Starbucks I was thanking God for what He has done in Margaret and my life this past week and a half.   It has been a fulfilment of doing what we needed to do after so

A thought by Bob Goff, (2012-05-01) from his book, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World (p. 124). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) 1 John 1:9 (NIV), says, “ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins   and purify us from all unrighteousness.”   Have you really messed up in your life and you finally got to the point that you confessed what you did to God but you are having a real problem believing that He has forgiven you?  That can be a problem for some. Bob also says, “When I don’t trust God’s forgiveness, it’s kind of like saying I really don’t believe He’s that good.”   So I guess it’s not your problem of messing up, we all do that but it is a trust problem.   I t is not a self-trust problem.   You are having a real problem with forgiving yourself.   But do you really trust God?   He said that if you do what you are supposed to do, “If we confess”, a

A thought by Bob Goff, (2012-05-01) from his book, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary Worl d (p. 118). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Friends and family have such an impact on us.   And it isn’t the blood that we have in common but the attitudes and view of life that makes the difference.   The key friend that I have needed and wanted to become like is Christ.   Oh I know that it sounds like one of those right things to say but it is true.   Why wouldn’t a person want to be close to the one who created you and sacrificed their life for you?   If you have really caught the truth of that then of course you would want to hang around with Him. The other deep friend that I have is my wife, Margaret.   I would die for her just as Christ died for me.   She is someone who had a choice in living in my life and she has stayed with me and sacrificed dreams for me.   Now I am able to do the same for