Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Henry Cloud, from his book,  The Power of the Other    (p.7). Harper Business. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) This is so important for us to know and understand. Henry says, “This invisible power, the power of the other, builds both the hardware and the software that leads to healthy functioning and better performance. For example, research shows over and over again that people trying to reach goals succeed at a much greater rate if they are connected to a strong human support system. Similarly, research shows that elderly who have suffered heart attacks or strokes fare much better, with lower incidence of recurrence, when they join a support group. Other research has shown that people who tap into the power of the other have stronger immune systems, tend to get sick less frequently, and recover faster when they do. Even if you eat an unhealthy diet but are part of a close-knit community, you will live longer than

A thought by Ed Young, from his book, The Fear Virus: Vaccinating Yourself Against Life's Greatest Phobias (p.80). Creality Publishing. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) We really do need each other. Ed says, “When we do not take those risks, when we hide behind our fears, we are disobeying God. Now when I say relational risk, it might not be the kind of risk you are thinking of. It’s not about adventurous and dangerous ‘James Bond’ kind of stuff. No, what I mean by relational risk is the boldness of being friendly. Although it might not seem like it on the surface, if you really think about it, friendliness is a very vulnerable and bold action. Proverbs 18:24 says, ‘A man who has friends must himself be friendly’ (NKJV). We all want friends. And if you want to have friends, you need to ask yourself a couple of questions. What kind of friend would I like to have? Am I willing to be that kind of friend?” He goes on, “I

A thought by Ed Young, from his book, The Fear Virus: Vaccinating Yourself Against Life's Greatest Phobias (p.79). Creality Publishing. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I need love, I really, really do! Ed says, “An intentional decision to love God with all of your being comes first. And an intentional decision to love others as yourself comes second.” He goes on, “The Bible never tells us to love ourselves. That is a given. I love myself. You love yourself too. But when I am asked to love my neighbor as myself, that is a tall order. You might say, ‘I want to have deep relationships. I really want to connect with others.’ Many of us say that, but in reality, we don’t mean it. The truth of the matter is that most people, including Christians, have surface-level relationships. We may have known people for a long time, but we are still talking about the same stuff: the weather, sports, and current events. We are fearful

A thought by Ed Young, from his book, The Fear Virus: Vaccinating Yourself Against Life's Greatest Phobias (p.77). Creality Publishing. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) It really does! Ed says, “It is our loneliness that motivates us to become Christ followers. Talk to people who have been followers of the Lord for years and years. They will tell you that they felt lonely—a gnawing sense that something was wrong. They had holes in their hearts that brought them to a place of receiving Christ. Maybe you are there with that same gnawing feeling at the core of your being. You can satisfy your spiritual longings only by establishing a personal relationship God, and it all begins by placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ.” He goes on, “What if you’re a believer? What if you are like me and you know Christ personally, but now and then you still feel a sense of loneliness?... What do we do with those feelings when lone

A thought by Ed Young, from his book, The Fear Virus: Vaccinating Yourself Against Life's Greatest Phobias (p.73). Creality Publishing. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Maybe you're one of them or you know someone who is. Ed says, “Ironically, we are not alone in feeling alone, but when fear comes in and whispers, ‘You are alone, no one cares, no one has experienced what you’ve been through,’ we feel utterly isolated. ” He goes on, “In the midst of the pandemic, we were told to self-quarantine. For a lot of people this made their fear of loneliness rise to the surface. God made us to be relational; He put those longings in us. While desiring relationships is good, fear of loneliness can cripple us and cause us to act in unhealthy ways. When our hearts feel broken with longing and fear of loneliness, we must remember that with God, we are never truly alone. He understands us better than we understand ourselves, He

A thought by Ed Young, from his book, The Fear Virus: Vaccinating Yourself Against Life's Greatest Phobias (p.59). Creality Publishing. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) It really can, can’t it? Ed says, “It can keep us from what God has for us, it can make us stagnant in our faith, our relationships, our careers, and our goals. When the fear virus attacks our hearts and starts whispering about failure, we have to fight back. We must remember that God is with us, guiding us, helping us finish the work that He started in us. God is a God of victory. He never lets it end with failure if we turn to Him; He always redeems, always loves, always lifts us up. Undoubtedly, you have some dreams that have not been realized, and we have to ask ourselves: What is the blockage? What is holding you back?” He continues, “I believe the answer is fear. Specifically, we have paralyzed our own hopes and dreams by our own fear of failure.

A thought by Ed Young, from his book,  The Fear Virus: Vaccinating Yourself Against Life's Greatest Phobias    (p.34). Creality Publishing. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That makes sense, doesn't it? Ed says, “Have you ever tried to move the steering wheel of a car that is not moving? The friction of the rubber against the pavement resists the guidance from the steering wheel. On the other hand, when the vehicle is in motion, you can steer the car with your pinkie finger. I wouldn’t recommend this as a rule, but you can do it. Vehicles were designed to be steered on the go. ” He goes on, “Likewise, people were created by God to be guided on the move as He often illuminates one step at a time. I wrote earlier of how Proverbs 3:5-6 has been a guiding verse for my family. It promises that God will make our paths straight if we trust Him one step at a time. Another one of my favorite passages in Scripture is Psalms