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Showing posts from December, 2012

“When you do things for the right reason, it gives you inner strength when things go wrong.”

A thought by John C Maxwell, (2012-10-02) from his book, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential (p. 24). Center Street. Kindle Edition. I feel at this time of the year it is important to do some reflection, reevaluation and then some refocus and repentance before the New Year starts.   If I am living for the right reason then I can face anything.   The right reason gives me confidence. You see, if you are doing something from a wrong motive there is an undercurrent of guilt which causes me to believe that I don’t deserve any good to happen in my life.   So when things go wrong I believe that it’s because I am being punished.   I don’t deserve anything good so I am always waiting for the bad things to happen.   But with right motives I see the things that will go wrong as learning times or strengthening times that will eventually help me to reach my goal.   The wrong things are not enemies but friends.   Wrong reasons can breed discourage

“Each one of us is a new telling of God’s unending love story.”

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) in his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Person (Kindle Location 1562). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. We are headed into one of the most positive days in the world.   It doesn’t matter your belief in what it stands for or your understanding of it, is a great day because of all the gifts.   It is a day that we are the most like God because God is a giver. Now one of the greatest gifts He gave you and me was our opportunity for life.   We are a new telling of God’s unending love story.   He gave us the potential of life because He loved us.    This past year has been an unending story of God’s love for Margaret and me.   I mean, we got to live on Long Island, New York, then Seminole, Florida and now Pasadena, California.   It has been unbelievable.   And we also added a new member to our family, Harper Olivia Cole.   Over and over, God has weaved His love story in our lives.   And if you looked a

“Christian love is a form of plagiarism: We repeat and copy God’s love.”

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) in his book, What Matters Most: How We Got the Point but Missed the Person (Kindle Location 597). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. This is a form of plagiarism that we don’t seem to be using.   Notice how we respond when someone wants to wish us a happy holiday instead of a merry Christmas.   Or how we’ve handled the just past election and those who were on the other side.   Or those who are on one side or the other on the gun issue, or those who love Fox News and those who don’t.   I’ve just noticed that I’m not showing much of God’s love in what I just wrote.   It had a judgment tone to it, didn’t it?   The truth is, love shows its truest form in dealing with someone who disagrees with me.   Didn’t Jesus say something in His hillside sermon about loving your enemies? Our stands that we make in Jesus name goes a long way to show how weak or strong our relationship is with Jesus.   They show how much we really know Him.

“Healthy doses of fear can serve to propel us out of binding circumstances and into positive action.”

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13), from his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival (p. 29). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. From what I gather, we are headed into a very fearful time for our nation.   It is some kind of a cliff or something.   And it seems like those who are CHRIST followers are some of the most outspoken and the most fearful. I wonder if God may allow it to happen so we would quit putting our trust so much in our government, our economy, our jobs, our political party, our circumstances and more in Him.   He has a plan and He wants to fulfill it through us.   And fear can be one of His means of waking us up to His plan and His possibilities and to wake up our creativity to solving the mess we in our self-centeredness have gotten us into. What do you think?