Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Craig Groeschel from his book, Divine Direction: 7 Decisions That Will Change Your Life (p. 190). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) There are a lot of questions that we have about storms and troubles and if God causes them or just allows them to happen. Craig says, “Some say that God never causes anything bad to happen. Since God is a good God, they suggest that he causes only good things, and all bad things come from our evil opposition. Others argue that God is so big and sovereign that he rules the whole universe and causes everything that happens on earth and in heaven.” He goes on, “Honestly, I don’t know. I’m not God. I can’t tell you whether God causes storms or just allows them. But one thing you can count on is this: God always uses storms. When we love him and we’re pursuing his purposes, he’s always working things out for our good (Rom. 8:28). “When we recognize this truth, we can decide

A thought by Craig Groeschel from his book, Divine Direction: 7 Decisions That Will Change Your Life (p. 144). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I remember when we were living in Las Vegas and I was sitting with my kids waiting in a hospital for Cancer surgery on Margaret, my wife, and their mother and looking up and seeing a very good friend from Phoenix walking in to be with us.   I don’t think he really realized what that meant to me.   Real friends are so important. Craig said, “Who do you call in those moments? Who do you want to confide in as you enter the valley of the shadow of life’s most heart-wrenching events? “Other than family members, most people either call a close friend or wish they had someone they could call. In those moments, we desperately need each other. We need someone who cares to be present with us, someone to listen to us vent or hold us while we cry. We need trusted friends to love us and

A thought by Craig Groeschel from his book, Divine Direction: 7 Decisions That Will Change Your Life (p. 142). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Who are your closest friends?   Craig says, “When we connect with another person, we become a conduit for their values, beliefs, and decisions… In the Bible, Solomon wrote, ‘Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm’ (Prov. 13:20). If you stick close to people who are wise, you’ll become wiser. If you hang out with people who are godly, you’re likely going to grow closer to God. If you become close friends with people who make good decisions, chances are you’ll make good decisions too. ” Craig later says, “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.   Any success I have in life is the direct result of a decision that changed the story I get to tell today. With God’s help, I connected with the best, God-loving, wise people I could fin