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What’s Your ONE Thing

March 13, 2009 in Spiritual

Luke 10:41-42 (NLT) But the Lord said to her,My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.

There are plenty of details to worry about. Some of them are very important, but most are simply distractions.

You worry about too many things. Get upset about the details and miss the big picture.

Apparently the world is in an economic downturn…. details.archer

Don’t forget that ‘this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs’ (Phil 4:19) is the ONE thing you should be concerned about.

Mark Smallcombe tweeted this yesterday: “My latest thought! Like a bow, we sometimes have to experience retraction before the launch. Your aim is improved thru the agony of tension”

Tension, details, stress, worries are intended to drive you to the ONE thing you need to be concerned about.

Don’t stress about all the details, get firm about the ONE thing.

And that ONE thing is:  (drum roll please…….)

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

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LOOK to See Your Future All Put Together

February 28, 2009 in Spiritual

I was reading in Ezekiel the other day and something really caught my attention.

dry bones

Yaah I know… there’s a whole lot in Ezekiel that should catch my attention. It’s a book full of colourful and exciting language as well as some bizzare imagery. I’m surprised we don’t see more quotes from Ezekiel on Ed Hardy tees.

The first part of Ezekiel 37 metaphorically illustrates a very lost and defeated group of people. They are described as dry, disconnected bones. ‘dem dry bones’

Here’s what particularly caught my attention:

Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! Ezekiel 37:4-5 (Message Version)

Did you see that?

Before anything happens to this discouraged, defeated group, they had to LOOK. They had to get a vision of it all coming back together for them. (literally!)

How important is it to your future to LOOK?

Listen carefully to the messages around you. Some of those messages should be ignored, because they contribute to a picture that is not what you want to see. Other messages reinforce the picture of your future that is good, progressive and positive. Listen to those.

Observe how your perspective affects your actions. If your perspective is off, your actions will lead you no where. Dead end!

Orient yourself toward your future not your past. The past may have been dry and dead but the future is alive with possibility

Keep the vision in front of you. No matter what your current situation, if you will keep the vision alive in you, it will stay alive for you.

The remarkable thing to me is that the first step to having a GREAT life is to see it. Look at it everyday and one day you will have it.

Let me ask you this: what is the one thing right now, that makes it hard for you to see a picture of your GREAT future? Can I help?

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Dangerous Thinking!

August 21, 2008 in Personal Development

On the eve of my 46th birthday, I lay in bed unable to sleep. Not that birthdays have ever been a big deal to me but since I became a grandfather, I’m looking at life a little differently.

I started thinking about what I’ve accomplished in life. Thinking hard, trying to list off what my claim to fame might be. I thought about my kids and how I’ve had a positive effect on people. I tried to recount what contribution I had made to the human race. I kept looking back on life for some meaning.

Then it hit me!

I was thinking all wrong. In fact I had allowed my thinking to become dangerous.

I tell people to keep looking toward the future. You’ve read it here, but here I was, looking back.

Someone once said that if your future looks brighter than your past, then you have a future. (no that wasn’t me)

Spending too much time thinking about what you have done (or not done) ends up providing an excuse to do nothing. Or at least not dream about your future.

I don’t know about you, but I found that certain milestones in my life caused me to be more reflective than others. The birth of our granddaughter, death of a grandparent, graduation of a child, the fact that I didn’t have to buy school supplies this year for the first time in eighteen years. Maybe events like these cause you to look back just a little more than you should.

Here’s some ideas on how to readjust:

  • Do something you’ve never done before. Trying something new will help you change your focus from the past to future. It may be more difficult that you realize but it will be worth the effort.
  • Give yourself a mental kick in the pants. A not so subtle mental readjustment may be all you need. Be firm with yourself and get your mind back where it should be. Looking forward and upward instead of focussed on the tiny navel in the middle of your belly.
  • Dream with your spouse, friend or other significant person in your life. Sharing dreams with others is a sure way to get excited about the future again. One caveat: make sure those you dream with are encouragers.
  • Buy some new clothes. I know clothes don’t sound like an answer and I’m not encouraging comfort shopping, but it’s been said that clothes make the man. I went out and bought a new pair of jeans today only to discover that I’ve lost one waist size. Wooohoo! Feeling better about the future already.
  • Take a trip. Where have you always wanted to go? Where have you never been before? Well? What are you waiting for?
Okay it’s your turn. What tips do you have for keeping forward focussed when life turns reflective?
Let’s talk!

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