Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book, Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God (p. 160). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I know, I know you’ve probably heard that thought before but did you really hear it? Mark says, “The status-quo bias is a major impediment to spiritual growth. And if we aren’t careful, it’ll keep us from discerning God’s promptings. “In computer science, default settings are automatically assigned to software applications, computer programs, and smartphones. Those out-of-the-box settings are called presets, and their purpose is to establish a protocol to optimize performance. “In much the same way, we all have default settings that dictate a lot of what we do. From the way we wake up, to the way we eat, to the way we interact with others, so many dimensions of our lives become patterned. A handful of default settings dictate our thoughts and actions. And the good news is

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book, Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God (p. 153). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That is such a good thought.    Well, at least in some areas.   Mark says, “God has a good memory. He doesn’t forget His people, and He doesn’t forget His promises. The only thing He forgets is the sin He forgives.”   And, that is a very good thing, isn’t it? Mark continues, “Can I suggest that God has done some things in your life for the sake of someone else? “I know He has for me. I had a praying grandfather in Elmer Johnson. At night he would take off his hearing aid, kneel next to his bed, and pray. He couldn’t hear himself, but everyone else in the house could. Those are some of my earliest memories. My grandfather died when I was six, but his prayers did not. There have been distinct moments in my life when I’ve received a blessing I know I didn’t deserve, and the H

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book, Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God (p. 152). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I know, I know.  We want things to happen right now.  I don’t like to go to the Doctor’s office because you have to wait in that waiting room.  But to the kid playing over there with the toys, waiting is fun.  Time is relative. Mark says, “Parents of toddlers, you know this. To two-year-olds, next week might as well be next year, and next year might as well be never. Why? Because one year represents 50 percent of their lives. If you’re fifty, a year represents 2 percent. To children, one day can feel twenty-five times longer than it does to their parents, and it might be even more pronounced for the children of God.  With God, ‘a thousand years are like a day’! (2 Peter 3:8) With us, a day can feel like a thousand years!” Mark goes on, “Those of us who were born a

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book, Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God (p. 142). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I know, I know, this loving my neighbor can be a turn-off.   But here is the problem, Jesus has asked us to.   It may be a small thing but it all starts with a small thing like just being aware of them.   But they are not my family, I’m only a family person.   I understand but Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”   Mark says, “No one is in your life by accident; everyone is there by divine appointment. It’s your job not just to notice them but to care for them. And that goes for introverts, extroverts, and everyone in between. The most caring thing you can do is talk to God about them and listen to Him regarding them.” Later he says, “When we hear the word vision , we tend to think of some grand objective, such as putting a man on the moon. And that is one type of vis