Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by T. D. Jakes, from his book,  Don't Drop the Mic  (p. 26). FaithWorks, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) That is so true. J. D. says, " You are a result of who you listen to most often, engage with consistently, and spend time around socially! Who are you listening to? And did you ever realize that simply listening to them and dialoging consistently with them is programming you even after you walk away?" He goes on, "Sitting in counsel with those who communicate the way we wish we could can often improve our speaking styles. This sharpening can ultimately improve your economic bottom line, result in invitations to new opportunities, and enhance the number and quality of your relationships. Just as dogs hear high-pitched whistles that fall silent on human ears, our communication style will attract some and be ignored by others. All the more reason to be heard by those whose success you wish to emulate!" He the

A thought by T. D. Jakes, from his book, Don't Drop the Mic  (p. 5). FaithWorks, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And that is so true. T. D. says, " We had no vaccine or distribution plans for vaccinations. No one knew what to do, where to turn, or exactly what to believe. A reporter interviewing me from a well-known conservative station asked how I prayed for our nation. Another journalist from a liberal news outlet engaging me on the pandemic asked if I would pray for our nation and our world on the spot. "Feeling a responsibility to use my platform to combat the contagion, I invited doctors, scientists, medical experts, and the surgeon general from our state to address my online viewers with critical information about how to prevent the spread of the virus and how to proceed if they had been exposed or were experiencing symptoms. I also asked psychologists, counselors, and therapists to advise us on how to maintain our mental

A thought by Zig Zigler, from his book,  Better Than Good   (p. 65). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) This is so important to understand and live out. Zig says, " Responding is positive; reacting is negative. Think of the word reactionary . What image does it bring to mind? It’s someone with his heels dug in, someone in a defensive posture, someone who strikes back. But a responder is one who engages, one who takes the offense, someone who reaches out rather than striking back." He goes on, "Responders don’t have their heads in the sand, living in denial. They recognize the seriousness of some of life’s events, but they see them as things that simply alter their course, not close it down. Everyone knows that life is not lived in a straight line from womb to tomb. Life is a series of adjustments, always keeping the goal in view. Something negative happens? Fine, we’ll respond by believing there is a divine purpose

  A thought by Zig Zigler, from his book,  Better Than Good   (p. 64). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Yes it is but the but is very important. Zig says, " But the greatest races in life are not those where we run, skate, sprint, throw, or sell more than the next guy. Those are circumstances—some wins, some losses—that serve as mile markers to tell us how we’re progressing in the real race: that of developing the kind of character that will produce the 'better than good' life." He goes on, "It’s a mistaken notion to believe that happy people are those who experience one success or victory after another while unhappy people experience just the opposite. Research shows that happy people and unhappy people tend to have very similar experiences in life. The difference is perspective: unhappy people spend more time thinking about life’s unpleasant events; they become introspective and self-centered in their th

A thought by Zig Zigler, from his book,  Better Than Good   (p. 57). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) So very true. Zig says, "Think what the world might miss based on what you’re filling your mind with. We pore over the newspaper every day like it has the secrets to life in it. Most people would say they aren’t inspired to be a better person by reading the paper, yet they do it. They’d also say they are inspired to reach greater heights by reading the Bible and other great books—but they rarely do. Why do we spend more time reading what won’t help us than reading what will? "I read the paper nearly every day because it provides information that helps me in my work (stories, facts, trends, and the like). But I don’t read it at the expense of reading and studying my Bible. I read each daily so I know what both sides are up to!" He goes on, "I love the story of the Eskimo who used to pit his lead sled dogs agai

A thought by Zig Zigler, from his book,  Better Than Good   (p. 55). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And that is what we need and want, isn't it? Zig says, "The pen has always been mightier than the sword and can move people to action like nothing else. In my Sunday school class there was a young woman who was struggling with several critical issues in her life. She told me later how a few simple things I said in that class—'Failure is an event, not a person'; 'Yesterday really did end last night'; 'God not only permits U-turns in life, He encourages them'—opened up whole new vistas of possibility for her. Simple words, profound impact. He goes on, "If words have that big an impact on our lives, why don’t we work harder to fill our minds with the most profound words we can? The Bible says we ought to dwell on (think and meditate on) things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of g

  A thought by Zig Zigler, from his book,  Better Than Good   (p. 50). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And it is our choice. Zig says, " Is it wrong to say, 'I’m doing better than good' all the time? Is that disingenuous? Absolutely not! Through the prophet Joel in the Old Testament, God called His people to prepare for battle, telling them, 'Let the weak say, '"I am a mighty man"'" (Joel 3:10). Is it wrong for one who is weak to say he is strong? Not if he has every expectation of becoming strong, which the people of God did when they had God on their side in battle. That’s exactly how I look at life—that God is on my side when I live my life in a way that honors and pleases Him." He goes on, "When Jesus said, 'With God all things are possible' (Matthew 19:26), that means things are 'better than good.' When the apostle Paul says, 'I can do all things through