50 Thoughts To Live By (Part 3)

50 Thoughts to Live By (Part 3)

35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.


36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.


37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.


38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.


39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.


40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.


41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.


42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.


43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.


44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.


45. The best is yet to come.


46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.


47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.


48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.


49. Yield.


50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

50 Thoughts To Live By (Part 2)

50 Thoughts to Live By (Part 2)

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.


17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.


18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.


19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.


20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.


21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.


22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.


23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.


24. The most important sex organ is the brain.


25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.


26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years will it matter?”


27. Always choose life.


28. Forgive everyone for everything.


29. What other people think of you is none of your business.


30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.


32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your family will. 


33. Believe in miracles.


34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

50 Thoughts to Live By (Part 1)

50 Thoughts to Live By (Part 1)

1. Life isn’t always fair, but it’s still good.


2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.


3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.


4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.


5. Pay off your credit cards every month.


6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.


7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.


8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.


9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.


10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.


11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.


12. Its OK to let your children see you cry.


13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.


14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.


15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

When Quitting Is An Option (Part 2)

When Quitting Is An Option (Part 2)

James 1:19 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath..."

Arguments start when people have opposing viewpoints.  Rarely do people get involved in an augment that they do not intend to win.  The one key point that we often overlook in the heat of a dispute is that agreeing to lose can actually lead to winning.  If both people stick to their guns, neither will ever take a breath long enough to seriously consider the other person’s position.  It is only when you agree to step down and except an initial loss that you will be fully capable of comprehending the opposing argument.  Once you understand where the other side is coming from, you can speak their language.  If you don’t understand the language, you can’t communicate effectively. I'm not talking about compromise, but I am talking about listening. Sometimes it's our quietness that turns the tide.

2 Timothy 3:14 "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

Learning is the means by which we enrich out minds with an understanding of our surroundings.  You should always be eager to learn, but you should also limit your intake of new information to allow your mind to fully digest one piece of information before feeding it the next.  Too much at once only leads to indigestion and waste.  In a world where multi-tasking is all the rage, information is coming at us faster than ever, creating armies of people who understand a little about a lot.  Instead, take it slow and become an expert.  Learn the material for real.  Remember, to eat a sandwich, you take one bit at a time. Too much planning and dependency on little information will lead to inaccurate results.

When Quitting Is An Option (Part 3)

When Quitting Is An Option (Part 3)

2 Corinthians 6:1 "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain."

There is a big difference between using someone and abusing someone.  The latter is always uncalled for, but the former allows you to work smarter instead of harder.  By using other people as resources you get to sample multiple minds filled with different experiences, ideas, and points of view.  Once you compile and properly analyze all the data you’ve gathered from the other people you will have a great pool of knowledge from which preliminary judgments and decisions can be derived.  Add this pool of knowledge to your own personal intellectual capacity and you begin to experience the truth in the old saying, “two minds are better than one”.  As long as your intentions are good and the other people are aware of it, you should never have to worry about crossing the line from using to abusing.  Most people actually enjoy lending their expertise to a good cause. Take it from a victim of a stroke because I took on too much as a pastor. I saw my dad do it, so I figured I could. I forgot that my dad passed away at 57, and part of that was because he took on too much himself. The power of delegation is the second best Savior for any pastor anywhere.

1 Corinthians 1:27 "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty..."

Some of the smartest pastors I know seem weird to the world.  Many of the most successful publicly known pastors seem kind of weird in their approach of the gospel to the world. What we don't like, we disagree with.  Yet, he funniest comedians always seem to be really weird (who could forget Andy Kauffman?).  My best friends are sometimes a little weird to me just as I am to them.  Don’t limit yourself by trying to fill someone else’s shoes or copying another's methods or approach. Be yourself as God intended you to be and experience life without unwarranted restriction.  You will be most productive in life when you are comfortable in your skin.  Be alive.  Be yourself.  Be free. 

When Quitting Is An Option (Part 1)

When Quitting Is An Option (Part 1)

1 Corinthians 16:13 "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong."

Quitting is usually thought of as a negative conclusion.  If someone quits it must be because they are weak or incapable, right?  Wrong!  Some of the most successful ministries were started by people who quit several times before they finally got it right.  Quitting allowed those ministers to avoid wasting time when the realization or hunch of a dead end drive became clear in their minds.  Their decision to quit the project that they felt wasn’t working gave them the groundwork to execute on the project that eventually led to success.  There is a big difference between quitting and giving up.  Every so often you should quit, but you should never give up.

There are times when you should be productive and there are times that you should be relaxed.  In my relatively short existence on this planet I have noticed a subtle truth about productivity and relaxation:  There are thousands of people who seem highly productive and thousands who seem outright relaxed to the point of no return, but I’ve only met a select few who successfully balance the two into a lifestyle that seems worthwhile.  It’s important to be productive, but it’s equally important to kick back and relax.  Happiness and success are found between the two extremes. Ministers need to remember the two lest they win the masses and lose their family.

I know, it’s important to plan for the future.  But you know what?  You are alive right now and time is slowly expiring from your overall life expectancy.  It’s okay to plan ahead, but not at the cost of continually ignoring the present moment.  When I was a kid I was always in a hurry to be somewhere else.  My dad used to tell me to “be here now”.  Over time I have come to appreciate the importance of his message. The memories of a man in his old age are the deeds of a man in his prime.  Make sure you don’t get so consumed with planning for the future that you forget about the life you a living right now. The ones you love will only be with you for a short while. Make a difference NOW while you can.

Failure Is Not The End (Part 3)

Breaking The Bonds of Depression (Part 4)

Breaking The Bonds of Depression (Part 4)

Psalm 119:116 "Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed." 

I want to mention an emerging field of psychology called Post-Traumatic Growth which has proven that we as human beings are able to use various forms of hardships (including those that lead to severe heartbreak and even mild to moderate depression) for substantial intellectual development over the long-term.  Specifically, researchers have found that hardships can help us grow our contentment, emotional strength and resourcefulness.  When our view of the world as a safe place, or as a certain type of place, has been shattered, we are forced to reboot our perspective on things.  With the right support and healing practices in place, we gradually gain the ability to see things with a fresh set of beginner’s eyes again, which can be extremely beneficial to our personal growth.

I read this quote recently in a book:

“We need to remember that all of us can heal through hardships, and many of us are even catapulted onto a more meaningful, motivated path after experiencing one.  Growth through hard times is far more common than most of us realize.  The challenge is to bring awareness to the opportunity presented by these kinds of unexpected and undesirable events.  Afterward, we need hope.  In the aftermath of intense pain, we need to know there is something better and there almost always is.  A traumatic experience is not simply a painful experience to be endured.  Instead, it can be incredibly life changing by motivating us to evolve in the best ways possible.

It isn’t an easy journey, but most of us have the mental and emotional capacity to emerge from our hardships—even severe ones—stronger, more focused, and with a better perspective on life.  In numerous psychological studies of people who have suffered traumatic hardships, about 50 percent of them report positive changes in their lives as a result of their negative experiences.  Some changes are small (more appreciation for the average day, for example), while others are so seismic that they propel them onto totally new and rewarding life paths.  The bottom line is that the most painful things that could possibly happen to us can be pivotal circumstances of great opportunity.  Hardships often push us to face the reality of life’s impermanence, to appreciate our limits, and to find more meaningful understandings of who we are and how we want to spend the rest of our lives.”

Romans 15:4 "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." 

Verse 13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."