Thankful

Surfing the net today I came across another moral failure of a man I much admire and have looked up to for several years. The public acknowledgement occurred several months ago. I'm just a bit behind, maybe it's because I don't go around looking for that type of news. Still, today I found out and again I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving for my dear wife. Oh, how much she loves me and takes care of me. I'm very thankful for her.

My prayer continued with a cry to God to continue protecting me and alerting me of dangers in my own life so I will not ease down the path of self-interest, finding myself sliding down the very slippery bank of self-gratification into the pool of an unclean and deceptive life-style, displeasing my Lord and King, bringing pains of disappointment and discouragement to my friends in Christ and feelings of disillusionment and deception to those that haven't yet chosen to walk the "way less traveled".

Lord, keep me pure. And thanks a million for Bev. I love her so!

Caught

I guess you gotta get caught smiling sometime! Thanks Cheree for the privilege to smile with you at your YWAM, PCYM graduation party. Love ya lots.

An uninvited, but welcome visitor at the pool party. I think iguanas are beautiful reptiles; God has did an awesome job in creation.

Walk, Follow, Live

• Walk by the Spirit - what we do and dedicate ourselves to
• Be lead by the Spirit - who we follow... the primary influence in our lives
• Live by the Spirit - Who and how we are
  

to live - to have and enjoy, without end, the true, genuine and authentic life of the Kingdom of God that activates and blesses our life

"My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence? Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives."

The Message Galatians 5:16-18,25

A Jumble of Thoughts and Ideas

Our [mine and Bev's] call is to establish five self-sustaining, self-governing, Christ-centered, worshiping, transformational, discipling, reproducing churches; not to form a new denomination. Instead, we are to plant autonomous churches that work and fellowship together for a common cause: discipling of the nation through the renewing of minds and transformation of lifestyle lived Monday through Saturday and Sunday. The relationship should be more like a family than a business. As children grow there comes a time to cut the apron strings. That is not easy. Our children are to make their own decisions and establish their own lives. Parents must let go and let them walk alone.

It is time to take new risks.

All are ministers of reconciliation; there is no separation of sacred and secular in our lives. Living according to God's direction, all is sacred. The supernatural is natural and daily for all the children of God. We must develop a personal and intimate relationship with God. Our call is to go into all areas and influence all the world.

People are unique and special through their own personality, giftings, family influence, national and cultural background, and God-given destiny. That uniqueness must be valued and enjoyed: first, by the person himself; second, by those closest to him (family, friends and team); and finally, by those around him in his neighborhood, church and workplace.

I enjoy who I am and what I do. For me living life is a pleasure and all I do is sacred and holy, blessed and prospered, enjoyable and to be pleasurable. I believe God wants me to enjoy what I do in life as I live for Him.

Who are you?
What do you enjoy doing?
How are you preparing yourself to do what you do best and enjoy most?
How are you preparing to do what God has made you to do?
How are you preparing to be a city on a hill, a light to the world?
How are you preparing for the next step in your life to take the next risk God calls you to?

Whatever God calls us to is seldom easy and might not be exactly what we would like to do or are called to ultimately do, but it should always be done with pleasure, joy and excellence. It will prepare us and mature us to enter into the destiny and design God has for our lives: to live life at its fullest, being light, giving testimony, transforming lives through who we are and what we do as we feel God's pleasure being who we are and doing what we do.


These thoughts are a combination of my own with those of The Shaping of Things to Come, Frost and Hirsch; Discipling Nations , Darrow Miller; The Old Testament Template, Landa Cope; and Chariots of Fire ["When I run, I fell God's pleasure"].

Taking a Risk

"If at first you don't succeed... so much for skydiving." - Henry Youngman

How to Learn

"When one teaches, two learn." Robert Half

Influence...

"The less you talk, the more you're listened to."

Abagail Van Buren

Another thought on Hope

"Patience is the art of hoping." Luc de Clapier de Vauvanargues

Faith, Hope and Love - 2

Faith is willing to take action no matter the risk. - Romans 4:17, 21
Hope is willing to believe no matter the impossibility. - Romans 4:18
Love is willing to give no matter the cost. - Song of Sol. 8:7

Other thoughts at Faith, Hope and Love - 1

2 Quotes - Bondage / Truth

“Bondage is...subjection to external influences and internal negative thoughts and attitudes.”

"Truth will always be truth, regardless of lack of understanding, disbelief or ignorance."

William Clement Stone

More on Trust

"A person who trusts no one can't be trusted." Jerome Blattner

"It is an equal failing to trust everybody and to trust nobody." English Proverb

"A man who doesn't trust himself can never really trust anyone else." Cardinal De Retz

Perfect Confidence

Considering all the problems Paul had with the Corinthians, what he says in 2 Cor. 7:16 is amazing. "I rejoice, because I have perfect confidence in you."

From my own experience I have to say it is difficult to have perfect, complete confidence in somebody, even the best and the closest there are. Paul had experienced major problems with these people and here he expresses, total confidence. Wow! Amazing! How could he do that?

A different way to look at it is: God places his complete confidence in us, even with our faults and errors, failures and sins; he still trusts us with His authority, gifts of the Spirit, the ministry of reconciliation, and more. Wow! Amazing! How can He do that?

Trust and confidence is a gamble. It's a risk. It requires faith. Faith requires action, trust and confidence. We must be people of faith; faith in God, others and even ourselves. We've got to take the risk.

"I rejoice, because I have perfect confidence in you."

2 Corinthians 7:16

Mediocrity

"Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius."

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, (Sherlock Holmes) Valley of Fear, 1915 British mystery author & physician (1859 - 1930)

Influence

I posted a thought this morning on A Look in the Mirror that dealt with influence. Later I saw this quote and, in a different way, it deals with how to increase influence.

"Write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow." - Lawrence Clark Powell

...good thought!