Previous Thoughts

Leadership Ministries, Inc.

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5/29/99 "Accountability to another is the only way to safeguard against poor judgment, unconscious motivations, and self-deception." -- Archibald D. Hart

Our accountability to God and to each other is an awesome fact. But it is also good news...through that accountability we have access to sound judgment, proper motivations and the ability to live honestly. Don't shun accountability. Look for it.

"These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the LORD. -- Zechariah 8:16-17

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Anger

5/15/99 "To build may have to be the slow and laborious task of years. To destroy can be the thoughtless act of a single day." - Winston Churchill

When tempted to retaliate, stop and consider the sound of trust crumbling around you. The momentary satisfaction of revenge can plug our ears to that terrible sound.

"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." (James 1:19-20)

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10/24/98 This coming week may include places of hurt or insult. Retaliation or some other form of relational breakdown may be our natural desire. Let's choose to act unnaturally. Keep your cool.

"Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace." Psalms 37:37

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." Matthew 5:9

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Courage

10/13/03 "Tell a man he is brave, and you will help him become so." - Thomas Carlyle

We should no more expect courage to occur in a vacuum than we'd expect a baby to become an orator in silence. Who in your world seems frozen with fear? Don't just lament the ice - melt it.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." - Ephesians 4:29

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7/6/03 "Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!" - Patrick Henry

Passionate words from a man determined to be free. The thought of spiritual enslavement ought to produce an equally passionate "Forbid it Almighty God!" in us. Don't be ho-hum about your spiritual freedom...guard it with your life.

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong." - 1 Corinthians 16:13

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3/17/03 "It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are." - Edward E. Cummings (American Poet)

Fear of rejection or disapproval can create a false self. Be courageous and take the risk...someone needs the person you really are, not the one you think they want.

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." - 1 Corinthians 13:11-12

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12/8/02 "When you stick your head above the crowd, you can expect a few tomatoes thrown your way." - Jean Paul Getty

We value courage in a business deal and will even take a hit or two to close it. Can we say the same regarding our faith?

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

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11/3/02 "The first step in solving any problem is to begin." - Author Unknown

A deer frozen in a car's headlights begins its flight to safety with a first step. What has you "frozen"? Take the first step and then another and another...

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on." - Exodus 14:15

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10/21/02 "We never become truly spiritual by sitting down and wishing to become so. You must undertake something so great that you cannot accomplish it unaided." - Phillips Brooks

Wishing wells might be fun but they don't work. What is it that you want to see happen? Turn your wish into an impossible goal and then ask for help.

"...Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the LORD Almighty. - Zechariah 4:6

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6/24/02 "Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out." - James Bryant Conant

If we stay in our shells, we have the illusion of safety and nothing more. Stick your neck out for someone - you just might make some progress.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

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6/2/02 "The Christian life is one of spiritual courage and determination lived out in the flesh." - Oswald Chambers

Be wary of the kind of faith that resides comfortably in your mind. Courage and determination find their meaning on the outside, not on the inside.

"Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" - James 2:15-16

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12/3/02 "Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation." -- Susan B. Anthony

Safe people never really know the joy of victory. The quarterback on the bench is safe but of no effect. Don't be a bench warmer.

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was." - James 1:22-24

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8/6/02 One of the bishops attending Vatican II later shared with a few colleagues a note from his personal journal: "Wisdom everywhere, courage nowhere. Dear Lord, we are dying of prudence."

Wisdom without the courage to act is powerless. Is there a situation waiting on your courage as well as your wisdom?

"Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it." -- Deuteronomy 31:7

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2/27/02 "A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are for." -- John A. Shedd

No question about it - we like the calm waters of our "harbors". But the Great Commission makes no mention of anchors. Its imperative "Go" compels us to pull up our anchors and be about the business of making disciples. That's what we are for. Who around you needs you to leave the harbor on their behalf?

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations..." -- Matthew 28:19

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1/29/00 "A hero is no braver than anyone else; he only is brave five minutes longer." -- Author Unknown

We admire heroes - those people who seem bigger than life. Heroism when viewed as something greater than ourselves seems unattainable but it becomes achievable when viewed as "longer than". We don't need to achieve greatness - we just need to persevere "five minutes longer". Quitting now may be just five minutes short of success.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." -- 2 Timothy 4:6-8

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10/23/99 "There are times when we do not know what God's purpose is; whether we will let the vision be turned into actual character depends on us, not on God." -- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

Uncertainty is a natural occurrence when we move into new territory. Resist uncertainty's suggestion to retreat. Instead, persevere until God's purpose results in His character in you. Perseverance is our part - building character is His.

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-- not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-- continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose." -- Philippians 2:12-13

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2/13/99 "Get a friend to tell you your faults, or better still, welcome an enemy who will watch you keenly and sting you savagely. What a blessing such an irritating critic will be to a wise man, what an intolerable nuisance to a fool! " -- Charles Spurgeon

Admitting our weaknesses as *we* see them may do nothing more than keep us in control of the wounding process. Can we take the step of courage to listen silently?

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)

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1/9/99 On acting now, the great hockey player Wayne Gretzky said, "You miss 100% of the shots you never take."

When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." -- Luke 19:5

How different Zacchaeus' life would have been had Jesus not "taken at shot" at him. Is there someone waiting on your shot?

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11/5/98 Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. -- Author Unknown

What action are you debating? Should the debate be over?

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." -- James 1:22

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11/15/98 "Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice." - Anonymous

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15

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Faith

1/19/04 "If I am faithful to the duties of the present, God will provide for the future." - Gregory T. Bedell

It is easier to worry about the future than it is to shape it moment by moment. Take the harder route - the payoff is worth it.

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:31-34

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3/21/04 "The only thing that can defeat the faith God has given you ... is you. You must use your faith, exercise your faith, engage your faith. Until it is pressed into service, faith is only potential. To use the old exercise cliché, you must "use it or lose it!" - Andrew Merritt

When you hear the word "faith", do you think about beliefs or does your mind go into action, transporting you from knowledge into exciting practical application? We ask for more faith...perhaps we should ask for more action.

Then He said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." - Matthew 9:37-38

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12/15/03 "Unbelief puts our circumstances between us and God, but faith puts God between us and our circumstances." - F.B. Meyer

What Meyer calls "unbelief" is actually confidence in the power of undesirable circumstances to do harm. Be smart - focus your confidence on omnipotent God who has nothing in mind that is undesirable.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

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8/4/03 "The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us." - Author Unknown

Your business's P & L, your difficult child, finding a new job - these kinds of challenges can feel overwhelming if we don't keep checking our rear-view mirrors. Who do you see in yours?

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him." - 2 Chronicles 32:7-8

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5/12/03 "Saul's soldiers thought Goliath was too big to kill. David thought he was too big to miss!" - James S. Hewett

The difference between the soldiers and David was the object of their faith...the soldiers believed their eyes, David his God. Be sure to look at your Goliaths through the right lens.

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"- 1 Corinthians 2:9

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3/9/03 "Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right!" - Henry Ford

We can talk ourselves into something as readily as out of something. Which way we go depends on what we believe. Has something got you stumped? Be sure your confidence is in the right place.

"For by You I can run against a troop; by my God I can leap over a wall." - 2 Samuel 22:30

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9/9/02 "Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein

If we live a life based only on knowledge, we are confined by what we know. But a life lived on what cannot yet be seen...that's a life without limits. Don't settle for confinement.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." - Hebrews 11:1-2

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11/25/01 "Turning intellectual faith into our personal possession is always a fight, not just sometimes." - Oswald Chambers

The intellect lives in a tidy, orderly world marked by clarity and certainty. Faith muddies things for the intellect and challenges it to own as truth that which seems unbelievable. This is the fight and the promises of God are the battlefield. Be careful about being too tidy - you'll miss out on the most unbelievable promises.

"By faith Abraham, even though he was past age-and Sarah herself was barren-was enabled to become a father because he considered Him faithful who had made the promise." - Hebrews 11:11-12

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10/7/01 "It is a good thing to feel our own powerlessness in the face of destruction; it makes us know how much we depend upon God." - Oswald Chambers, Baffled to Fight Better (1916)

Destruction backs us into the corner and God asks, "Will you acknowledge Me?" We are no less dependent out of that corner than in it - we just happen to be aware of it there. As you move out of the corner of destruction, don't leave your awareness behind.

"I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." - Psalms 91:2

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9/30/01 "Reason is our guide among the facts of life, but it does not give us the explanation of them." - Oswald Chambers

Mercifully, most of life makes sense to us but then the brokenness of the world surfaces and creates the inexplicable. A deranged zealot flies a plane into a building and the limits of reasoning become painfully clear. But we are not called to trust in our reasoning, are we?

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6

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11/21/99 "The teachings of faith are left to some other realm, separated from life and independent of it." -- Leo Tolstoy

More and more we are seeing faith shunted aside as if irrelevant. Don't buy the lie. There is nothing whatsoever irrelevant about faith in One who spoke worlds into existence. If faith becomes irrelevant it will be because we quit.

"But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." - Jude 1:20-21

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8/28/99 "Faith must be tested because it can only become [our] intimate possession through conflict." -- Oswald Chambers

James wrote that we should be joyful about difficulty (James 1:2). In modern parlance, "Oh boy! Another chance to get a better grip on the reality of my faith and enjoy its benefits!" What is challenging your faith right now? Are you able to say this right in the middle of the difficulty and mean it? It may help to keep the end in mind.

"He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before My Father and His angels." -- Revelation 3:5

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11/5/98 Do we believe that God is with us because we see Him? No, we see Him with us because we believe.

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"-- which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:23 (NIV)

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29

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9/12/98 "He who believes is strong; he who doubts is weak. Strong convictions precede great actions." - J. F. Clarke

"When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you". Matthew 9:28-29 (NIV)

The thing that staggers our imagination, God does effortlessly when we believe.

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Fear

5/10/04 "I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time." - Charlie Brown

The man who dreads only one day at a time is better off than the man who dreads all days at once. Better yet is the man who dreads none.

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” - Jeremiah 29:11-12

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2/10/03 "If your knees are knocking, kneel on them." - Author Unknown

We don't need to pretend that we have no fears. We don't even need to overcome them. We just need to take them to someone who knows what to do with them.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." - 1 Peter 5:6-7

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2/3/03 "No problem is so big or so complicated that it can't be run away from!" - Linus

If we look at the problem, we'll think like Linus. If we look at the Problem Solver, we'll think like Him.

"Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other." - Isaiah 45:22

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9/16/02 "Worry is the interest we pay on tomorrow's troubles". - E. Stanley Jones

Falling stock values, terrorism, moral decay in corporate leaders. These things are worthy of our concern but not our fear. The rate is just too high.

"Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" - Luke 12:24-26

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4/7/02 "The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety." - George Muller

Faith or anxiety. It's a binary deal and our choice stands between the two. Where are you anxious? There's another option.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

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1/20/02 "Fear doesn't want you to make the journey to the mountain. If he can rattle you enough, fear will persuade you to take your eyes off the peaks and settle for a dull existence in the flatlands." - Max Lucado

Settling in with fear is an aberration in the life of a Christian and so is settling for the flatlands. Never settle - it leaves you flat.

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14

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11/15/98 If we worry, we can't trust; if we trust, we can't worry.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me." John 14:1

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Forgiveness

2/2/04 "Bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die." - Ron McManus

Bitterness uses your soul as fertile soil, then leaves you parched and dry. Plant seeds of grace this week...you will produce a healthier crop.

"See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." - Hebrews 12:15

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10/6/03 “Every person should have a special cemetery lot in which to bury the faults of friends and loved ones." - Anonymous

When we bury the dead, we do not dig them up again. Treat the faults of others with equal respect - bury them and then leave them there.

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." - Ephesians 4:32

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11/24/02 "See everything, overlook a lot, correct a little." - Pope John XXIII

Ever had a friend who seem to reverse Pope John's equation? They notice little, overlook nothing and have a solution for each of your failures. Never be such a friend.

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." - Ephesians 4:32

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9/24/00 "It's better to sleep on what you plan to do than to be kept awake by what you've done." - Author Unknown

We are strange creatures, willing to toss and turn in the guilt of the past as if it can and must be changed. What's keeping you up? Give it a rest.

"He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; so far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." --

Psalms 103:10-12

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11/15/98 "If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything will look like a nail." (Author Unknown)

Hammering a nail makes sense but looking at others as if they are nails doesn't.

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:31-32

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Friends

2/16/04 "Candor is a compliment; it implies equality. It's how true friends talk." - Peggy Noonan

Our sense of civility would rather that we lie to each other than ever risk a disturbance. Never talk down to a friend that way.

"These are the things you are to do: speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the Lord. - Zechariah 8:16-17

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7/28/03 "I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better." - Plutarch

Sentimental friends say and do what feels right; real friends say and do what is right. Who needs your real friendship? Go be one quickly - they need you.

"Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." - Proverbs 27:6

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2/17/03 "It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it." - Lena Horne

Don't be a Superman or Superwoman...you'll crack under the strain. Let the way you are carrying your particular load be a joint effort. Get under someone's burden and be sure to let them get under yours.

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." - Galatians 6:2

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1/19/03 "Kindness will influence more than eloquence." - James S. Hewett

It is easier to tell a friend about his mistake than it is to continue with him while he discovers it himself. Don't take the easy route of declaration - take the more satisfying route of observation.

"If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" - Ecclesiastes 4:10

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5/5/02 "There can be no friendship without confidence and no confidence without integrity." - Samuel Johnson

Cutting corners on small things can seem insignificant but when those same things are seen as confidence killers, they loom large and ominous for your friend. Protect your friend's confidence in you - live with integrity in all things. Do it for your friend.

"And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them." - Psalm 78:72

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6/25/00 "Real friends are those who, when you make a fool of yourself, don't think you've done a permanent job." - Author Unknown

Most anyone can spot and condemn foolishness in another person. But true friends empathize -- they understand that your present foolishness may only be a reflection of theirs of the past. Whose foolishness is bothering you? Think before you act -- it may be only a reflection.

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you." -- Ephesians 4:31-32

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3/26/00 “The main business of friendship is to sustain and make bearable each other's burdens. We may do more of that as friends than we do anything else." -- Eugene Kennedy

We moderns misuse the word "friend", thinking it is akin to "buddy". Don't be a buddy to those who need you - be their friend. Get involved. And don't be surprised if it costs you something.

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." -- John 15:13

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11/15/98 "Expecting the precise scalpel of correction, we can get the blunt ax of criticism." -- Larry W. Osborne

In our zeal for or frustration with another person, we can do more damage trying to help than good. Select your "surgical" tools carefully.

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over." Matthew 18:15

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Happiness

6/7/04 "Gratitude is the touchstone of all happiness." - G. K. Chesterton

The quality of gold was once determined by rubbing it against a hard black stone. Genuine gold would create a visible mark on the harder surface. If you want to be marked by genuine happiness, be sure to rub yourself often against the gratitude stone.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

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7/20/03 "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." - C. S. Lewis

The source of our desires dictates which world satisfies them. Is the stuff of this world your primary satisfier? If so, it's time to switch sources.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4

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5/22/99 "Many persons have a wrong idea about what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratifications, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose." -- Helen Keller

We were created for something bigger, something worthy. When Jesus said, "Go and make disciples", He gave us that bigger thing, that worthy purpose. And we don't have to go to Africa or Russia; we just need to look around us in our everyday world to do the work of happiness.

"While Paul was waiting for them [Silas & Timothy] in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there." Acts 17:16-17

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5/1/99 "The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse." -- Helen Keller

We are never told to deny the valley's existence but we are told to rejoice. If you only rejoice on the hilltop, you may not handle the valley very well. Rejoicing only when we've had a "hilltop experience" denies the reality of valleys. We must learn to rejoice -- period.

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

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Holidays

12/22/03 “Some businessmen are saying that this could be the greatest Christmas ever. I always thought the first one was." - Art Fettig

Those businessmen have had a "priorities crisis". Let's keep our Christmas priorities straight this year, not only in our minds and hearts but, importantly in our words and actions.

"Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." - Isaiah 7:14

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12/22/02 "'Twas much, that man was made like God before. But, that God should be made like man, much more." - John Donne

We can get so comfortable with our Christian faith that the miracle of Emmanuel - God with us - fails to captivate our hearts and minds. Don't ever let that happen - it will rob you of a Merry Christmas.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6

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3/31/02 "Easter is the New Year's Day of the soul." - A. B. Simpson

The formal observance of Easter comes only once each year but the impact of what we celebrate occurs daily. Is Easter more than an annual event to you? Take time to reflect on how radically different your daily life would be had there been no resurrection.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." - 1 Peter 1:3

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5/27/01 "When self-denial goes out of fashion, self-fulfillment takes its place." - Kitty Muggeridge

We hear much about self-actualization these days but little of self-sacrifice. Many men and women made the ultimate sacrifice and we celebrate their lives this weekend. When you and I are gone, what will our children have seen more of...actualization or sacrifice?

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers [and sisters], in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship." - Romans 12:1

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12/24/00 Do not limit Jesus Christ. Reflect on His names and determine to know Him as more than a Child.

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." - Isaiah 9:6-7

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11/19/00 Bible commentator Matthew Henry said upon being robbed, "Let me be thankful first because I was never robbed before; second, although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because, although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, and not someone else."

While it is good to give thanks for our turkey and dressing, Mr. Henry shows us a better way. It's the way of complete thanksgiving. Give thanks, to be sure, for those things for which we are naturally inclined to be thankful. Then add to that, thankfulness for the things in life that we don't understand. Then thanksgiving is complete. What are you tempted to leave out of your thanksgiving this week?

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." -- 1 Thessalonians 5:18

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7/2/00 "God who gave us life, gave us liberty. Can the liberty of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever." -- Thomas Jefferson

Our American liberty did not come cheaply, nor did our spiritual liberty. There will be fireworks, cookouts and block parties to celebrate our national freedom. We should be celebrating spiritual liberty with at least the same enthusiasm.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

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3/19/00 "But this I know for certain, that in fact before I was humbled I was like a stone lying in deep mud; and He that is mighty came and in His mercy lifted me up..." -- St. Patrick's Confession

Patrick's very early years were spent as a pagan - the stone lying in deep mud. If you, like Patrick, have been retrieved from the mud by He that is mighty, you will agree with him that "...I ought to shout out loud to render some thanks to the Lord for His great benefits here and forever, benefits which the human mind cannot assess." It's not about green beer and parades -- it's about benefits.

"I called on the LORD in distress; The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place." -- Psalms 118:5

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12/24/99 "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." -- Isaiah 9:6

The Prince of Peace has bridged the gap between us and God. Christmas is a merry time indeed for those who have crossed that Bridge!

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7/3/99 "So God created man in His own image..."

We readily associate Adam with this verse but leave ourselves out. We are no more independent of our creator than was Adam. A paradigm of independence leads us to relegate God to Sunday mornings and, even in that, we may maintain our independence by choosing the time and place.

As we celebrate national independence, are we able to live in the reality of our personal dependence?

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36)

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1/2/99 "I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You." Psalms 119:11

Our hearts - the inner person - will always "hide" something; it's just the way we are. God's Word inoculates us against offending Him. All other "hidden" things, even the noblest of thoughts, eventually lead to offense.

Starting with this new year, be very picky about what you hide.

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11/5/98 Give thanks, to be sure, for those things for which we are naturally inclined to be thankful. Then add to that, thankfulness for the things in life that we don't understand. Then thanksgiving is complete.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

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Humility

9/15/03 "It is impossible for that man to despair who remembers that his Helper is omnipotent." - Jeremy Taylor

Despair comes when we refuse to admit the limits of our power in the face of the unsolvable. But the issue is not the unsolvable nor is it our limitations. It is our refusal. Do yourself a favor - own up to your limits so that you can remember something else.

"Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. The Lord sustains the humble
but casts the wicked to the ground." - Psalm 147:5-6

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6/20/03 "Remember, if everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane." - James S. Hewett

We naturally want our own way and find all sorts of reasons to justify it. Don't get run over by selfishness. Choose to do something good for another person, something they need...do it this week.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." - Philippians 2:3-4

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1/27/03 "The bigger a man's head gets, the easier it is to fill his shoes." - James S. Hewett

Had any successes lately? Be careful not to let them go to your shoes.

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." - 1 Timothy 6:17 "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" - 1 Corinthians 10:12

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8/11/02 “No man was ever honored for what he received. Honor is the reward for what he gave." - Author Unknown

The man who is proud of his possessions deludes himself with imagined honor. The man who is "proud" of what he gives away deludes no one. Give yourself away and be "proud".

"Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor." - Proverbs 18:12

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6/9/02 "Grass at eye level is taller than the trees half a mile away." - Author Unknown

A myopic view of other people obscures your view of who they really are. Who needs you to take a few steps back?

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?" - Matthew 7:3-4

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8/5/01 "The most important thing my dad ever taught me is that there are more important things than me." - John Ashcroft

Little children scream, "Me first, me first!" We expect this of children but we adults have left these childish ways behind. Or have we? Do yourself a favor and make someone else first today.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." - Philippians 2:3-4

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6/20/01 "Stop having a measuring stick for other people. There is always at least one more fact...in every person's situation." - Oswald Chambers

Each of us has at least one person in our life who gets on our nerves. We can evaluate them and conclude they are "wrong" or we can get another fact. Who needs you to be more factual with them? Do it for your sake and theirs.

"Judge not, that you be not judged." - Matthew 7:1

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7/23/00 "I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty and joy to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble." -- Helen Keller

We prefer the noble deeds of Joan of Arc or Harriet Tubman but the reality is that Ms. Keller got it right. For the Christian, there is no task so obscure to deserve our contempt. Are you thinking there is? Go do it as "great and noble".

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ." - Colossians 3:23-24

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2/13/00 "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." -- Eleanor Roosevelt

It is a sobering thought to realize that we are accountable for how we see ourselves. Some of us will tend towards self-deprecation while others will soar to heights of delusions of grandeur. For the Christian, both are aberrations since neither is reality. Reality is...

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -- Philippians 4:13

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9/11/99 He who says, "I'm a self-made man," simply demonstrates the horror of unskilled labor. -- Author Unknown

The American hero climbs to the top by his or her own wits and does so to the applause of the culture. Such climbing is an aberration for the Christian, who, unlike the hero, understands the depth of his or her poverty and is thus able to be built up by the Master Builder Himself. With which do you identify?

"Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." -- Psalms 127:1(a)

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11/5/98 God - the One Who calls Himself "I AM" - came to us as a servant. In doing so, He raised the role of servant to its highest possible level. What an honor He gives us by making us like Himself - servants!

"...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matt 20:26-28 "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master." Matthew 10:24

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Integrity

7/6/04 “Do now what you will have to do someday.” – Oswald Chambers

Procrastination is more than just ignoring something – its goal is to sidestep commitment. What are you putting off?

“Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.” – Deuteronomy 23:23

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2/23/04 "If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself." - D.L. Moody

Our reputations are a reflection of what we care about, what we focus on. Focus on money and you'll earn a reputation in terms of money. Focus on power and you'll earn that reputation. Focus on character and you can peacefully forget about reputation.

"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us." - Titus 2:7-8

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1/6/03 “We mold our faces to fit our masks." - Paul Eldridge

Our culture says that "image is everything". Don't buy it - image is only image. Where are you tempted to be what you aren't?

"Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place." - Psalm 51:6

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4/21/02 "Life is the art of drawing without an eraser." - John Christian

We have only one canvas and we paint indelibly. Treat it carefully today and tomorrow and the next day and the next...

"Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:15-16

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3/17/02 "Integrity is keeping my commitments even if the circumstances when I made the commitments have changed." - David Jeremiah

Each commitment we break adds a stone or two to the pile that finally breaks loose as a landslide and crushes someone. The change in our circumstances will not matter to the one under the rocks. If you're vacillating...don't.

"It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the messenger, "My vow was a mistake." - Ecclesiastes 5:5-6

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2/17/02 "Anything that does not strengthen me morally is the enemy of virtue within me." - Oswald Chambers

There's a war going on and virtue fights for its life. Make no room for degrees of right and wrong for yourself - it'll take the fight right out of you.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Proverbs 4:23)...because..."A little leaven leavens the whole lump." - Galatians 5:9

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3/11/01 "If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?" - Abraham Lincoln

"Image is everything!", says the camera commercial. No, image is image and nothing more. We don't need to build an image - we just need to wear a genuine face. Be genuine this week.

"These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; and do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,' says the Lord." - Zechariah 8:16-17

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1/30/99 "If we have integrity, we don't hide our stumble; we don't act like we didn't." -- Chuck Swindoll

We know that trying to hide our errors from God is silly -- He already knows. But we will go to great lengths to hide those same errors from other people. Pretense at the human level will introduce it at the spiritual level and we cannot afford that. We need to be real because God is real. Who needs your "reality"?

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift." -- Matt 5:23-24

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Leadership

10/6/02 "Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example." - Mark Twain

Irritating people with words is one thing but irritating them with a life lived well is something else altogether. Is your life saying what you want to be heard?

"For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men." - 1 Peter 2:15-16

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9/2/02 The world will not care what we know until they know we care." - Gene Barron

It is easier to condemn the sinner than to lead him to the truth. Take the harder route - it works better for everyone.

"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." - Luke 6:36

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3/10/02 "I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way." - Edgar A. Guest

Holy words are good but a holy life is more powerful. Take the time this week to walk with someone so that they can see the way, not just hear about it.

"...let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:16

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2/24/02 "A man [or woman] who is continually criticized becomes good for nothing, the effect of criticism knocks all the gumption and power out of him [her]." - Oswald Chambers

A great test of leadership is whether we will substitute encouragement for criticism. Discernment about another person's faults is only half the story...the other half is knowing what to do about it. Encouragement is a great place to start.

"Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." - Romans 15:2-4

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12/30/01 "Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for, for unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything." - Peter Marshall

Vision works for the one who has it and for those who have none of their own. It may be your vision that keeps others from "falling for anything". Don't start the new year with mere desire - bring it out in the open for others to see.

Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." - Habakkuk 2:2-3

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9/9/01 "A good example is the tallest kind of preaching." - African chief

St. Francis of Assisi once said to his disciples, "Always preach the Gospel, use words if you have to." No words we say will ever be as influential as how we live. How tall is your preaching?

"You are the light of the world... let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." - Matt 5:14 &16

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8/26/01 Referring to a piece of string, General Eisenhower said, "Pull it and it'll follow wherever you wish. Push it and it will go nowhere at all."

When it comes to people, we sometimes ignore Isaac Newton's third law of physics, thinking that if we push people, there will be no "equal and opposite reaction". Be a realist - develop the skill of pulling your flock (family, employees, clients...)

"Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers-not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." - 1 Peter 5:2-3

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8/19/01 "A pat on the back is only a few vertebrae removed from a kick in the pants, but is miles ahead in results." - Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

Encouraging a friend helps the friend and then does miracles in the heart of the encourager. Do yourself a favor - ease an anxious heart somewhere.

"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up." - Proverbs 12:25

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8/12/01 "For the watching world, we ourselves serve proof that God is alive. We form the visible shape of what He is like." - Philip Yancey

If our lives distort God's shape, the watching world is done a huge disservice.

"...let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:16

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8/5/01 "Do to others as you would have them do to you." - Jesus Christ

We don't argue the truth of the Golden Rule - we just want someone else to be first. Don't get caught waiting.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." - Matthew 5:7

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4/22/01 "It's a temptation during crisis to become a fixer rather than a builder." - Bob Rhoden

A repaired foundation is never as good as something built from the ground up. Don't fix people, give them a new foundation.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." - Ephesians 4:29

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4/8/01 "Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it." - Winston Churchill

The kite flown with the wind slams quickly into the ground and is broken. This is what "going with the wind" of the culture does to us. Don't get slammed - keep your head against the wind and help lift the culture up, not down.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16

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2/11/01 "God will look you over, not for medals or degrees, but for scars." -- Edward Sheldon

If anything ever impresses God, it will not be valor or knowledge. It will be the vulnerability of His people to the wounds of those He is pursuing. Who needs your vulnerability?

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." - Galatians 6:2

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8/13/00 "The easiest things to decide are what you'd do if you were in someone else's shoes." -- Author Unknown

Be wise with the one you would help, being sure to offer something that can be received. Anything else comes back marked, "Return to Sender".

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you." - Proverbs 4:7-9

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1/9/00 "Peace is not made with friends. Peace is made with enemies." -- Yitzhak Rabin

Peace is a natural characteristic of friendship but wholly unnatural with enemies. Anyone can be an enemy - it takes real depth of character to make peace because it is done with people who oppose you. Take the high road and be a peacemaker today.

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." -- Matthew 5:9

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1/2/00 "When men speak ill of you, so live that nobody will believe them." -- Plato

Living according to truth turns up the volume from those who won't. As we enter a new century, determine to let the fiction of what others say be silenced by the truth of what you do.

"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." -- Philippians 2:14-15

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8/14/99 "The true function of a preacher [shepherd] is to disturb the comfortable and to comfort the disturbed." -- Chad Walsh, Leadership, Vol. 3

Adding the word "shepherd" above should remind us that we should all be disturbing the comfortable and comforting the disturbed -- it's not just the preacher's job. Who are the sheep in your world? What's their comfort level?

"Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood." - Acts 20:28

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4/24/99 My job is to make others do what they don't want to do in order that they can do what they've dreamed about doing all of their lives." -- Tom Landry

The hard work of pursuing a dream can steal a person's vision for the very thing they want. We should each be a "Tom Landry", so to speak, to at least one other person so that their vision stays clear. Who needs your encouragement to do something they are reluctant to do?

"Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have." -- 2 Peter 1:10-12

"Good leaders have a vision; better leaders share a vision; the best leaders invite others to join them in spreading the vision." - The Leadership Lessons of Jesus, Bob Briner & Ray Pritchard

Do you have a vision for yourself and others -- for what you and they can be when truth integrates itself into life? Do you know of a direction worth taking? If so, write it down and invite others to go with you. Undisclosed vision is lost opportunity.

"Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." - Habakkuk 2:2

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Love

7/19/04 "Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care." – Theodore Roosevelt

It is not enough to be right about what we know – we are called to the higher standard of being right and loving those who are wrong.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” - 1 Corinthians 13:1

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1/26/04 "It is easier to stay out than to get out." - Mark Twain

The essence of the Great Commission is involvement. Don't take the easy way out - get involved with someone who needs what you have and stay that way until they get it too. Anyone come to mind?

"When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." - Matthew 9:36

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9/9/03 "Love is not an emotion. It is a policy. " - Hugh Bishop

If love is an emotion then we am free to hate when we do not feel loving. But we know we are not free to hate so we must be bound to love. Who needs you to love them on purpose?

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:34-35

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10/21/01 "The sign of dishonesty in a man's creed is that he finds out defects in everyone but himself." - Oswald Chambers

When the President barks a command, people jump to. Yet when the Creator commands that we love one another we act as if He said to fix one another. If criticism is your creed, change the command you are following.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:34-35

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9/16/01 "Hate is born when men call evil good. And like an infant serpent bursting from its small, confining shell, it can never be cased so small again." - Calvin Miller

Evil men call the events of this past Tuesday in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington good. It is tempting to hate them. But hate is no respecter of people - it destroys all of its proponents. Pray that our nation and our leaders can execute justice without hate.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." - Matthew 5:43-45

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8/12/01 "The test of love is in how one relates not to saints and scholars but to rascals." - Abraham Joshua Heschel

Even pagans love the lovely. But we are called to a higher standard. Choose to ace the test with whoever is being a "rascal" to you.

"You have heard that it was said, `Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:43-45b

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7/1/01 "...the outward life of loving one's neighbor and the inner life of loving one's God belong together, in such a sense that failure in either inescapably weakens the other." - J.I. Packer, Rediscovering Holiness

We delude ourselves if we think we can serve God while simultaneously demeaning other people. Is there a point of anger or unforgiveness with someone near you? Go repair the breech before it becomes one between you and God.

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift." - Matthew 5:23-24

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4/22/01 "Technology is so far ahead of human relations! Why do we human beings learn so much, so soon, about technology, and so little, so late, about loving one another?" - Henri Nouwen

The "Information Age" is no match for the age that began with three little words -- "Love one another." If you think it is, the next time you're hurting, go spend a little time with your computer.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." - John 13:34

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3/6/99 "Anyone can love the ideal church. The challenge is to love the real church." -- Bishop Joseph McKinney, Leadership, Vol. 6, no. 3.

The ideal church is very appealing because we can control it -- if we don't like the way it works, we can just imagine a new one. The real church is different though...it's us! This is why Jesus said...

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:34-35

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12/5/98 "People need love, especially when they don't deserve it." -- Author unknown

It is easy to love a person who lives in a way that we approve. It is something else to love someone who doesn't. Who is receiving your disapproval? How can you demonstrate that you love them anyway? (See 1 Corinthians 13) Will you show them something of your Family's values?

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven..." Matthew 5:43-45

Dostoevsky said, "To love a person means to see him as God intended him to be."

It is easy to see a person in terms of what he isn't. It is something else to see him through God's eyes. Are you seeing others as you have been seen? Who do you need to see differently?

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

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Marriage

6/30/02 "Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks commensurate with your strength. Pray for strength commensurate with your tasks." - Phillips Brooks

We men have been given the great privilege of loving our wives (not to mention the privilege of being loved by them) but sometimes we act like it's a job. Pray today about your marriage and ask for strength commensurate with the privilege, not the job.

"Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers." - 1 Peter 3:7

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8/26/01 “Try praising your wife even if it does frighten her at first." - Billy Sunday

If we husbands laugh at the great evangelist's humor, it's only because we sense his truth. Would your wife be frightened by your praise? Do it anyway and help her get use to it.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself." - Ephesians 5:25 & 28

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6/10/01 “Marriage is adventure, not an achievement." -- David A. Seamands

The wedding is over and the man puts a notch in his gun, thinking it's over. But women know the truth - it's just beginning. Men, throw away your gun and join your wife in the adventure.

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." - Ephesians 5:25

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12/5/99 "Keep your eyes open before marriage; half shut afterwards." -- Benjamin Franklin

Mr. Franklin's admonition to keep our eyes half shut isn't a recommendation for denial. It's an exhortation to forgive. The reality of marriage is that offenses can be taken but the beauty of it is that they don't have to be. How wide are you eyes towards your mate?

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." -- Ephesians 4:32

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Money and Wealth

3/1/04 "We are stripped bare by the curse of plenty." - Winston Churchill

Our culture says that we can have it all. We can try, but the cost is far higher than the cash we pay.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21

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2/9/04 "We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill

Having been made in God's image, we are not designed to hoard anything. Stay true to your design or you'll distort your image.

"But just as you excel in everything-in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us-see that you also excel in this grace of giving." - 2 Corinthians 8:7

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12/29/03 "How little a parcel of earth will hold us, when we are dead, who are ambitiously seeking after the whole world while living!" - Philip of Macedon

Our natural fear of looking bad protects us from gross expressions of greed - it's our silent grip on our possessions that trips us up.

Then He said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." - Luke 12:15

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11/17/03 "The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it." - William James

The greatest legacy ever created was left by a Man who gave himself away. What's driving your legacy construction project?

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21

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10/27/03 "Contentment makes poor men rich; discontentment makes rich men poor." - Benjamin Franklin

If the object of our focus is our balance sheet, we will inexorably move to a place of imbalance. There is only one balance sheet we need to be concerned about and it's not the one with money in it. Which one has your attention?

"...give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ''Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God." - Proverbs 30:8-9

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10/20/03 "God wants us to have wealth. We must be careful not to settle for money." - Max Anders

Yogi Berra, in the AFLAC commercial says, "They give you money and that's just as good as cash." We laugh at Yogi's confusion but isn't it true that we can get just as fuzzy in our thinking about money? What kind of wealth are you going for?

"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless." - Ecclesiastes 5:10

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4/7/03 "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - Albert Einstein

Counting sets limits and limits make us feel safe. No wonder we count so many things! But the ultimate question is not "How much?" or "How many?" but "Where?"...you can count on it.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21

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"Prosperity depends more on wanting what you have than having what you want." - Geoffrey F. Abert

Promises of the "good life" blur our vision for a truly good life. Be careful about what you want...it could end up owning you.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21

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12/9/01 "The meaning of earthly existence lies, not as we have grown used to thinking, in prospering, but in the development of the soul." - Alexander Solzhenitsyn

You've heard it said that poverty is no virtue. The same can be said for wealth.

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?' - Hebrews 13:5-6

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11/4/01 "It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference." -- Tom Brokaw

The difference is in the place of our focus. Making money focuses on us. Making a difference focuses on others. Which one has your heart?

"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." - Philippians 2:4

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12/10/00 "A budget is a theological document. It indicates who or what we worship." - Author Unknown

The relative omnipotence of money in financial matters is no reason to treat it that way in ourselves. Money belongs in the wallet, not the heart.

"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." -- Luke 16:13

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9/3/00 "The joy is not always in getting what we want but in letting go of what we don't need." -- Author Unknown

Delayed gratification has been reduced to a four-letter word, thus equating want with need. We have very few real needs but many, many wants. Be sure you know the difference - confusing the two leads to fear of loss and fear of loss leads to trouble.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." -- Matthew 6:33

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4/2/00 "He who marries the spirit of the age will soon find himself a widower." -- William R. Inge

The spirit of our age is materialism. It drives us to work harder to get more of what we really don't have to have so that we can sit in the resulting comfort to rest up for the next go-around. A divorce from a marriage to materialism is one divorce that God does not hate.

"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing,

and I will receive you." - 2 Corinthians 6:17

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2/27/99 "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." -- Sir Winston Churchill

Today's culture would reverse Churchill's thought by saying, in effect, that we make a life by what we get. We are not immune to the culture of acquisitiveness so let us remind each other that we are not here to consume but to be consumed.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

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11/15/98 "Abundance, like want, ruins man." -- Benjamin Franklin

When we are comfortable, it's easy to be detached from another's lack. When we are in want, it's easy to be obsessed with another's abundance.

"Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God." - Proverbs 30:8-9

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Motivation

7/12/04 "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's way." - Viktor Frankl

What choices are your circumstances handing to you? What is your attitude and, importantly, what way will you go? Take the high road in every case.

“All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

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5/27/04 "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar." - Helen Keller

The everyday events of living can turn us into turtles. It’s up to us to remember to move like eagles.

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” - Isaiah 40:31

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6/14/02 "Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." - Jim Ryun

When Jim Ryun broke the 4-minute mile mark, it was the natural outcome of practice. Had he got up the day of the race with only a desire to win, we would be asking, "Jim who?" How are your habits?

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." - 2 Peter 1:5-9

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4/28/02 "The way we deal with failure can determine how we sustain motivation." - Wayne Pohl

We all learn from mistakes but sometimes we forget the greatest lesson of leaving them behind. Don't drag dead weight around - it's a motivation killer.

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14

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9/23/01 "If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito." -- Betty Reese

The mosquito never looks at himself - only his goal. If you're feeling insignificant, maybe you're looking at the wrong thing. Where's your focus today?

"With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall." - Psalms 18:29

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Parenting

10/13/02 "Small boys learn to be large men in the presence of large men who care about small boys." - Phyllis Therous

Whether your son is at home or on his own, be sure to let your him see your "largeness"...anything less leads to smallness.

"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?" - Luke 11:11-12

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6/18/00 "A child is not likely to find a father in God unless he finds something of God in his father." -- Austin L. Sorensen

If you had a godly father, give thanks. If you didn't, give forgiveness. In either case, never make your own child have to forgive -- make him or her thankful for you.

"And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." -- Ephesians 6:4

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2/20/00 "The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." -- Theodore Hesburgh

Our children are like sponges, soaking up most everything they see. They don't know not to soak up anger or indifference - they just soak it up. What kind of "puddles" are you leaving around the house?

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her." -- Ephesians 5:25

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Patience

6/1/04 "Consider the postage stamp, my son. It secures success through its ability to stick to one thing till it gets there." - Josh Billings (1815-1885, American Humorist)

A stamp doesn't define the destination nor does it try to control the route; it simply sticks to its job until the journey’s end.

“Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.” - Hebrews10:36

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10/28/02 "Criticism comes more easily than craftsmanship." - Author Unknown

A good potter doesn't blame the clay on his wheel if it collapses. He simply picks it up and begins again. Don't take the easy way out...be a good potter and keep on "crafting".

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." - Ephesians 4:29-30

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8/25/02 "Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly." - Thomas Jefferson

Most of our complaints are born in the will and not in circumstances. What's bugging you these days? Maybe it's time for an adjustment in the "birthplace".

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." - Colossians 3:23-24

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8/19/02 "The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure but from hope to hope." - Samuel Johnson

Our culture praises instant gratification, telling us that pleasure and comfort are paramount. Don't buy the lie...practice the art of holding out for something better.

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." - 1 Peter 1:13-14

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2/18/01 "You never know how far up the wall they're going to drive you." - An unknown parent

Maybe it's a co-worker or a family member or the next door neighbor. You see them coming and you get out the climbing gear. Don't get geared up - stay on the floor and love them instead.

Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." -
Matthew 18:21-23

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11/12/00 "The secret of patience is doing something else in the meanwhile." - Author Unknown

Impatience is demanding now what may or may not come later. What's got you tapping your foot? Let it go for something better.

"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." - Ecclesiastes 7:8

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3/5/00 "Your temper is one of your most valuable possessions. Don't lose it." -- Author Unknown

"Count to 10! Bite your tongue!" Familiar phrases, maybe too familiar. While there is nothing really valuable about our tempers, the point is well-taken. Hold on to it as if it were of great value so that it doesn't become garbage to someone else. And while your holding, count and bite!

"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." -- James 1:19-20

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2/6/99 "Then there was the woman who prayed for patience and God sent her a poor cook." -- Henry Ward Beecher

Patience comes through patient responses to that which cries out for impatience. Who or what is the "bad cook" in your world?

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” - James 1:2-4

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11/15/98 "There is always one fact more in every life of which we know nothing, therefore Jesus says, 'Judge not.'" -- Oswald Chambers, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount.

"Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God." 1 Corinthians 4:5

Choose to wait.

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Personal Growth

3/29/04 "Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Feelings can be stretched too but, unlike the mind, they snap back into place, leaving a person unchanged. It is the mind that holds the potential for transformation. Stretch your mind this week with the Scriptures and let your feelings tag along for the exciting ride.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

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1/12/04 "Habit, if not resisted, soon becomes necessity." - Augustine

Successful resistance is achieved not so much by refusing to do bad things but by practicing good things until we cannot live without them. Which type of necessities are you creating?

"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us." - 1 Peter 2:12

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1/5/04 "God reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow security in the present." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

As you think of how the past year could have been better, take the lessons learned into the new year but leave the "baggage" of guilt or loss behind.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:12-14

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11/10/03 "What you are is God's gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God." - Danish Proverb

With Christmas gifts, it makes sense to keep them for yourself. It does not make sense, however, to keep yourself for yourself. We give ourselves back to God by serving others - who needs that gift of yourself back to God?

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

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8/17/03 "My interest is in the future because I'm going to spend the rest of my life there." - Charles Kettering

Everyone has a future so the issue is who or what will shape it. Don't let the prevailing winds of the culture shape yours as if you were a tumble weed. Live intentionally today and you will shape your future instead of just ending up somewhere in it.

"Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:15-16

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4/21/03 "If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough." - Mario Andretti

Those who press beyond their natural limits are the ones who understand victory. Don't lag behind in matters of the spirit - stretch yourself.

"Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire. " - Mark 14:54

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1/12/03 "Character is the accumulated confidence that individual men and women acquire from years of doing the right thing, over and over again, even when they don't feel like it." - Alan Keyes

"I wish I could do better." Those words sound nice but lack power. Wishful thinking leads to more wishes...action is the key to power.

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." - Titus 2:11-14

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12/29/02 "When a thing is done, it's done. Don't look back. Look forward to your next objective." - George Marshall (US Army General, retd)

The choice is always ours. We can fritter away today regretting yesterday or we can use today to shape tomorrow.

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14

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9/22/02 "The Lord gives us friends to push us to our potential--and enemies to push us beyond it." - Jim Vorsas

We let a trusted friend wound us but not those who oppose us. But it might be the wound of your opposition that has the greatest potential. Don't be too quick to resist...you might just grow under the pressure.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:43-45

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8/25/02 "We must be the change we wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

There's much to complain about in this world. But only one thing improves the way it works and that is changed hearts and minds. What change would you make in the world? Are you that way yourself?

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

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7/28/02 "The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism." - Norman Vincent Peale

Praise feels like aloe and criticism feels like a hot iron. But some things in us do need to be burned off - it's part of the process of becoming genuine human beings. Be bold enough to wound a friend and courageous enough to receive one yourself.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." - Proverbs 27:17

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7/2202 "Ten rules for getting rid of the blues: Go out and do something for someone else, and repeat it nine times." - Author Unknown

Life not working like you think it should? Do the practical stuff you have to do to survive but also go invest in a friend or even an enemy. It will change your life.

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." - Matthew 7:12

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12/23/01 "'Twas much, that man was made like God before. But, that God should be made like man, much more." - John Donne

The poet's "much more" changed the course of human history. And it reaches into our personal history to change us. Let Him change you as He will.

"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." -- Matthew 1:23

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12/16/01 "We would rather be ruined than changed..." - W. H. Auden

If the British-born poet overstates the case it is only slightly. Each of us has some point of change that we refuse to embrace, holding on instead to what will later be seen as nothing more than junk. What a great thought that, if we let Him, God will change us so that we are not ruined.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

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12/2/01 "One does not surrender a life in an instant. That which is lifelong can only be surrendered in a lifetime." - Jim Elliot

Microwave popcorn, broadband Internet connections, fast food, instant grits. Everything in a hurry. Some things are suited for being in a hurry, others aren't.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-5

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7/8/01 “Growth in holiness cannot continue where repenting from the heart has stopped." - J.I. Packer in Rediscovering Holiness

The metaphorical heart can no more afford to stop repenting than the physical heart can afford to stop beating. Be sure to keep your account cleaned up.

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:8-9

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6/17/01 "The things we are going through are either making us sweeter, better and nobler men and women, or they are making us more critical and fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way." - Oswald Chambers

We insist on our own way because we trust ourselves more than anyone else. If we are to become better men and women, we have to choose to trust on a higher level - we must choose to trust the goodness of God without regard to what we experience. Which camp are you in with your particular difficulties?

"How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You." - Psalm 31:19

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5/13/01 "When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us." - Alexander Graham Bell

Anyone who claims to have had no losses has surely lost at least his memory. What lost opportunity is blinding you to the one standing there in front of you?

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14

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3/18/01 "Although I am imperfect in many things, I nevertheless wish that my brethren and kinsmen should know what sort of person I am, so that they may understand my heart's desire. - Saint Patrick

Are you feeling a little misunderstood? It could be that your desires are hidden. Pull back the curtains.

"Therefore, putting away lying, 'Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,' for we are members of one another." - Ephesians 4:25

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2/4/01 "You and I choose what will hold us hostage." -- Chuck Swindoll, Joseph - A Man of Integrity and Forgiveness

It's not a matter of being a captive or not being one - we are all subject to one thing or another. The critical thing is deciding whose chains we will wear. Are there any that need to come off?

"For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." -- Romans 8:15

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10/15/00 "We cannot make a tiger eat grass by removing his teeth or turn a lamb into a bull by tying horns onto his head." - Paul Eldridge

The accoutrements of religion can be easily strapped on but genuinely new creatures appear from the inside out. Reversing the process creates only a bizarre illusion so...stay out of reverse.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." - Romans 12:2

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9/17/00 "...we cherish the hope that through our Bible reading, we shall be comforted; we have no wish to be disturbed." -- John R.W. Stott

We are comforted by the truth of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ but disturbed by His sermon given on the mount. The same One who comforts us, also calls us to the uncomfortable and often disturbing task of growing. Never hold so tightly to being comfortable that you miss the opportunity to grow.

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." -- Galatians 6:9-10

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12/19/99 "The chief reason why people do not know God is not because He hides from them, but because they hide from Him." - Between Two Worlds, John R.W. Stott

The world of time and space makes us think sequentially. We therefore forget that knowing God is not a one time occurrence but a continuing coming to Him. In what way are you "hiding" from God? We "hide" until we are found but, thankfully, being found is only a call away.

"Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near." - Isaiah 55:6

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10/9/99 "What you are is God's gift to you. What you make of yourself is your gift to God." -Author Unknown

Can you picture yourself handing God a gift? It's not the wrapping that counts but the contents and the contents are what you are becoming. What kind of gift are you preparing?

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship." - Romans 12:1

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9/17/99 "When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." - Helen Keller

If God leaves us in our current comfort zone, we never grow. The door that has been closed is not loss but, rather, the chance to move through the next open one. What door are you seeing as closed? Is it time to move on?

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." - Matthew 7:7-8

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7/31/99 "Don't let yesterday use up too much of today." -- Will Rogers

God dealt effectively with the past some 2,000 years ago so who are we to keep holding on to it? What old stuff are you dragging around?

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14

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7/23/99 "The thought manifests as the word. The word manifests as the deed. Deeds form into habits. And habits harden into character. So watch your thoughts with care." -- Thomas Merton

At the heart of living Christianly is the quality of our thoughts. What habits are you thinking yourself into?

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things." - Philippians 4:8

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7/17/99 "When a man is getting better, he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse, he understands his own badness less and less." -- C. S. Lewis

When you blow it and realize it, give thanks for your awareness. When you blow it and blame others...well, you've got some work to do.

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:8-9

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6/5/99 "The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." -- Chinese proverb

We look forward to the day when we are perfect but we rarely look forward to the process of getting there. We wish God would just zap us with perfection but He takes the slower route of the polishing wheel. Avoid the wheel, remain a stone. Embrace the wheel, become a gem.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4

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5/7/99 "What would a violin solo sound like if the strings on the musician's instrument were all hanging loose, not stretched tight, not "disciplined"?" - A. W. Tozer

Are you feeling stretched lately? When the instruments are in tune is when the music is best. Don't be loose or you'll miss the music.

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1/23/99 Philosopher John Locke said, "Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours."

Fan or not of John Locke fan, his point is well-taken. It is easier to store up knowledge than it is to be changed by it. Our challenge is be changed by what we know. Are you taking on the challenge?

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12/19/98 "Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." - Henry Ford

Christians are called to right living but the call is not to go from failure to perfection with nothing in between. We are being transformed over time and, because we *are* imperfect, failure is built in. Never be blasé about failure but do not be harder on yourself than God is.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- His good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2 "The LORD will perfect that which concerns me: Your mercy, O Lord, endures for ever: forsake not the works of Your own hands." - Psalm 138:8

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12/12/98 "It is a wretched taste to be gratified with mediocrity when the excellent lies before us." - Isaac D'Israeli, 1834

Mediocrity isn't always readily apparent. It may take the subtle form of the status quo.

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11/15/98 "What really matters is what happens in us, not to us." - James W. Kennedy

Our natural tendency is to control the external at the expense of the internal. Can we shift our focus?

“All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean.” - Mark 7:23

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11/5/98 "Progress always involves risk; you can't steal second base and keep your foot on first." - Frederick Wilcox

First base is safe but second is closer to home.

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10/17/98 "A man has to know his limitations." - Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry

There are things that we can do and that we must do. But we have our limits. In our frenetic attempts to control everything, we eventually find ourselves "out of gas" and when we stand at the edge of our limits, we see clearly the truth and comfort of...

"The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him." - Psalms 37:39-40

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9/19/98 "A man can't be always defending the truth; there must be time to feed on it." - C. S. Lewis

The culture is hostile to Truth so opportunities for its defense are not lacking. Defend it, yes, but don't forget to feed yourself.

"Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding." - Proverbs 23:23

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Prayer

"Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance; it is laying hold of His highest willingness." - Archbishop Trench

The pattern in business is that of adversarial negotiation - of settling for less than you want for the sake of the deal. Be sure to turn that pattern off when you pray - you are not dealing with an adversary.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

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11/27/99 “The paradox of prayer is that it asks for a serious effort while it can only be received as a gift. We cannot plan, organize or manipulate God; but without a careful discipline, we cannot receive Him either." - Henri Nouwen

Strangely, we'll do everything but pray. Could it be that prayer seems too pedestrian? Perhaps it lacks the element of valor? Or maybe we shy away from its solitude? If so, reconsider - prayer is God's opportunity to hear our hearts and ours, His.

"Pray without ceasing." - 1Thessalonians 5:17

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10/30/98 "Get into the habit of dealing with God on everything." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

"Everything" includes those things which we are prone to control -- the direction of our careers, that critical project, the development of key customer relationships, the lives of our adult children. Don't leave anything out.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." - Philippians 4:6

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Preparation

"If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The poet's words are true when it comes to other people. But there is one enemy whose history is our basis for total hostility. Always be hostile to the interests of Satan in your life...his only interest continues to be your destruction.

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." - 1 Peter 5:8-9

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5/12/02 "What we do in the crisis always depends on whether we see the difficulties in the light of God, or God in the shadow of the difficulties." - G. Campbell Morgan

The critical thing is not really what we do when a crisis comes. The critical thing is what we do before it arrives because our action in the crisis is shaped by our perception - we will not do in a crisis what our mind has not already envisioned.

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." - 1 Peter 1:13

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2/3/02 "To be wise is to know reality and then accommodate yourself to it." - Cornelius Plantinga

The great point of reality is more than simple facts. The great point of reality is God. Let's be realistic and get to know the Ultimate Realist better.

This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. - Jeremiah 9:23-24

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4/29/01 "You no more need a day off from spiritual concentration on matters in your life than your heart needs a day off from beating." -- Oswald Chambers

Vacations give us a relaxing break from the intensity of daily living. But don't get too relaxed - pack your spiritual concentration when it's time to go.

"Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." - Hebrews 4:11

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3/25/01 "It doesn't depend on size, or a cow could catch a rabbit." - Pennsylvania German proverb

The rabbit is safe because the cow has no heart for the race. We can be like cows sometimes, settling for the ease and comfort of cud chewing. Stay in shape for the race and leave the cud to the cows.

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." - 1 Corinthians 9:24

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3/4/01 A man and his young son were climbing a mountain. They came to a place where the climbing was difficult and even dangerous. The father stopped to consider which way he should go. He heard the boy behind him say, "Choose the good path, Dad; I'm coming right behind you!" -- Author unknown

Whether your child, a friend or a stranger, there is someone who needs you to choose the good path so that they can see their way through also. Get ready beforehand - study the Map.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” - Psalm119:105

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1/21/01 "Following the path of least resistance is what makes people and rivers crooked. People seldom drift to success." - Author Unknown

Start this year off right - be sure your rudder stays attached.

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." - Joshua 1:8-9

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1/14/01 My friend left only hours ago. He is gone and in his place there is a hole in the world. There is a dividing line that I cannot cross, cannot touch my friend or hear him speak. I cannot see his smile or wince at his tears. He is now with his Friend and so I must wait.

Death always seems to happen to others. But death comes to us all. Are we really ready? Can we truthfully say with the Apostle Paul and, now, also with my friend...

"So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?" -- 1 Corinthians 15:54-55

In memory of our friend, Adrian Bulman.

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7/30/00 "He is most fatigued who knows not what to do." - Nicolas Boileau

Christians are an odd sort, living in the world yet getting signals from heaven. Just knowing what to do can wear us out...unless, of course, we keep our antenna plugged in to the right source. Are you staying wired into the Source?

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

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11/14/99 "People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out. But in the darkness, beauty is seen only if there is a light within." -- Author Unknown

Be sure to keep your batteries charged unless you want to be invisible. What's your voltage level?

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." -- Matthew 5:16

PS Don't forget who gets the praise.

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Simplicity

3/8/04 "Give me 100 preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; they alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the Kingdom of Heaven on earth." - John Wesley

The message of the Kingdom does not get its power from the speaker - it only needs workers who care enough to speak up. Who needs to hear from you about the coming Kingdom?

"As you go, preach this message: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is near.'" - Matthew 10:7

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3/31/03 "God does not ask about our ability, but our availability." - Author Unknown

The great enemy of God's work is not a lack of ability but busyness with other matters. What could you trim away to be more available?

Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." - Matt 8:21-22

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1/27/02 "The busyness of things obscures our concentration on God." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Have you noticed that the more you have, the busier you are caring for it all? Too much stuff will turn you into a full time caretaker. Take the smart route and simplify.

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." - Isaiah 26:3

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11/18/01 "God wants me to be with Him, not to do things to prove I'm valuable." - Henri Nouwen

The Cross settles the issue of our value to God. Let that be enough and enjoy His friendship today.

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." - Micah 6:8

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8/20/00 "The loudest sound known to man is the first rattle in a brand new car." - Earl Wilson

Each of us can be spiritually deafened by a "rattle" in some material thing. And a loose nut or two in our plans can send us into a panic. The Great Physician's prescription? Keep your priorities straight without regard to the rattles around you.

"You shall have no other gods before Me." -- Exodus 20:3

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3/12/00 "I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to satisfy them." - John Stuart Mill

Mr. Mill, a nineteenth century British philosopher, would clearly not nave been welcomed on Madison Avenue. Unlimited desire, a symptom of misplaced priorities, has no chance at all of being satisfied (think about it). Are you being sucked into the vortex of desires? If so, rebuild your boundaries.

"Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4

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12/12/99 "Mercy imitates God and disappoints Satan." - St. John Chrysostom

If you want to disappoint the enemy, act like God. If you want to disappoint God, act like the enemy. Mercy towards others always disappoints Satan and pleases God. We show mercy to others not to be good but to please God. Who needs your mercy?

"And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you." - Ephesians 4:32

Sin

8/24/03 "He who reigns within himself and rules his passions, desires and fears is more than a king." - John Milton

The reign of a king is watched by millions and his kingdom is thus regulated. But no one sees the reign of a man's spirit except the man and his God. It is up to us to reign ourselves in.

"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires." - Romans 6:12

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1/6/02 "There can be no small sins against a great God." - J. I. Packer

We're only human, right? Yes and God is "only God". It's tempting to confuse God's patience with indifference. Stay sharp and avoid the confusion - start the year off right and practice the lost art of repentance.

"...do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?" - Romans 2:4-5

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7/29/01 "The trouble with trouble is that it usually starts out as a whole lot of fun." - Anonymous

Our modern culture offers much that starts as fun. Some of it also ends as fun but much of it can end in real loss. Are you doing something that might be too much fun?

"By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." - Hebrews 11:24-25

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6/3/01 "Flee temptation and don't leave a forwarding address." - Anonymous

We mistakenly think that temptation is to be wrestled to the ground with a shout of triumph. The better strategy is to run like the wind.

"Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." - 2 Timothy 2:22

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1/28/01 "You cannot play with the animal in you without becoming wholly animal, play with falsehood without forfeiting your right to truth, play with cruelty without losing your sensitivity of mind. He who wants to keep his garden tidy doesn't reserve a plot for weeds." -- Dag Hammarskjold

We grab the Round-Up at the sight of weeds in the yard, yet think nothing of nurturing them in our lives. Is there a weed plot in your "garden"? Get out the Round-Up.

"A little leaven leavens the whole lump." -- Galatians 5:9

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11/26/00 "The beauty of the tiger's skin does not lessen the sharpness of his teeth." -- Paul Eldridge

"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate." -- Genesis 3:6

What "good" thing are you going after? Be careful -- it might be a tiger.

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4/9/00 "A good God and a good heart are good company at any time." -- Matthew Henry

We don't have to worry about God -- He will always be good. It is we who must attend to our heart to enjoy His good company. What kind of house cleaning do you need to do?

"Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life." -- Proverbs 4:23

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10/2/99 "When God buries our sins in the deepest sea, He posts a sign which reads: No Fishing!" - Author Unknown

Don't hold on to guilt - it leads to fishing around in what God has resolved. It is true that some sins are "worse" than others in terms of their obvious damage. But those sins are no less buried than the "minor" ones. If you've got the fishing pole of guilt in your hand, put it back where it belongs.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." -- I John 1:9

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8/7/99 "It isn't the things that go in one ear and out the other that hurt as much as the things that go in one ear, get all mixed up, and then slip out the mouth." -- Author Unknown

What we do with what we hear (especially about others) matters. Choose to be one of those whose tongue doesn't slip and if there is an unreconciled slip, go fix it.

"...take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark." -- James 3:4-5

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6/12/99 "Always do right. This will gratify most people, and astonish the rest." -- Mark Twain

Life appears complex but it really comes down to just doing right. And that is where the battle lies -- right between doing the right thing and our thing. The secret of winning the battle is making the right thing our thing.

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." -- James 4:17

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10/23/98 "Keep short accounts with God." -- Dwight.L. Moody

Confession eliminates guilt. Use it frequently despite its difficulty.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

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11/5/98 A woman told the evangelist, Billy Sunday, that she had a bad temper, but that it was all over in a minute. He replied, "So is a shotgun; but it blows everything to pieces."

Where do we tend to rationalize? Are we courageous enough to stop?

"If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse." Job 9:20

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10/30/98 None of us would go to our backyards and erect a physical idol...we are to sophisticated for that. Instead, we are prone to take the things we value and deify them by erecting internal idols.

Let's be bold enough to be honest about our idols and give thanks that God will take them down. What do you value too much?

"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord." Jonah 2:8-9

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Standards

7/22/01 "Don't imagine that you have got to go into a cave to be consecrated and stay there all your life. Whatever you take up, take it up with all your heart." - Dwight.L. Moody

Menial things lack nobility so we think we must do something grand for God. The grand things may need to be done but so do the daily things that nobody notices. If it's yours to do, do it well.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." - Colossians 3:23-25

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5/19/03 A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Privileges are not free. They are purchased and the cost is paid by the principled lives of us all. Be sure to pay your part of the price today - the payoff is worth it.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." - Philippians 2:3-4

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2/10/02 "We cannot live with the chaos that inevitably results from choice divorced from morality." - Chuck Colson

Individual rights! Freedom of choice! The price of both is remaining "married" to moral absolutes. Never quit being an outspoken advocate for morality - it keeps down the chaos.

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?" - Matt 5:13(a)

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6/8/03 "The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good." - Samuel Johnson

We throw away what is of no use to us so never use "usefulness" as your standard for people. The standard is far higher than that. Who needs that standard from you?

"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." - Genesis 1:27

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9/30/02 “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Justice is what we want for our enemies yet mercy is what they need. Who is opposing you? Give them what they need, not what they deserve.

"If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it." - Exodus 23:5

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7/14/02 "He who aims at excellence will be above mediocrity; he who aims at mediocrity will be far short of it." - Burmese proverb

We proudly pursue excellence in the thing that excites us. Excellence in the humdrum is another story...there we are willing to be mediocre. Identify your "humdrum" and excel anyway.

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..."Ecclesiastes 9:10

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8/7/98 "You cannot have your F sharp and I have my F sharp." (Ravi Zachrias, Just Thinking, Spring/Summer, 1998)

Truth is truth. Many people today claim truth to be relative -- dependent upon a person's point of view or the circumstances. That's because they see truth as primarily information. We know truth to be far more. Truth is a Person Who does not change.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8

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10/3/98 Martin Luther said that our conscience "is inexpliable in the absence of God and inconsolable apart from His grace."

The issue is not whether we have a conscience that we must follow but, rather, the contents of the conscience that we do follow.

As to the contents..."Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." Psalms 119:11 As to consolation..."If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

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10/10/98 "Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth you will get neither."

- C. S. Lewis

A continuing challenge of the Christian life is choosing. Choosing between obvious good and obvious evil is simple enough but choosing between what is good and what is best can be a different story unless we have the right target in our sights. Choose the right target.

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33

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3/13/99 "He is not truly patient who will suffer only as much as he pleases or from whom he pleases." -Thomas a Kempis

When we measure our own patience, we go to the limits of what we can endure. When we measure the patience of others, we go to the limits of what we imagine they can endure. The standard for patience is not what we can endure but what others need. Are we other-oriented to the point of true patience? If not, what should be done?

"But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." James 1:4

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6/26/99 "If you wish to enrich days, plant flowers; If you wish to enrich years, plant trees, If you wish to enrich Eternity, plant ideals in the lives of others." -- S. Truett Cathy

Don't just plant nice things...plant the best things too. In whose garden should you be cultivating ideals?

"Do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled." -- Deuteronomy 22:9

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10/30/99 "When a society abandons its ideals just because most people can't live up to them, behavior gets very ugly indeed." - Judith Martin

Remaining loyal to high standards can seem ridiculous when all around you people are abandoning ship. But as the "jumpers" increase, those who stand firm must stand firmer still. Absent that, the boat will sink.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

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11/6/99 "We have become so obsessed with facts that we have lost all touch with truth." - Ted Koppel

Mr. Koppel was addressing the state of journalism in America but his comment has broader application. The modern trend is towards information as supreme. Truth only is supreme because the truth is a Person, the King of Kings. Beware of the trap of information; it can obscure the King.

Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." - John 8:31-32

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1/23/00 "Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth you will get neither." -- C. S. Lewis

The dailyness of life pulls our vision down and never up. We are responsible for placing the right thing in our sights, so keep your focus in the best place.

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." -- Colossians 3:1-2

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4/16/00 "Conscience is, in most men, an anticipation of the opinion of others." -- Henry Taylor

Living according to opinion polls makes no sense...we all end up in a staring match, waiting on each other to create the answers. Whose opinion are you following?

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." -- John 10:27

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1/14/01 "To sensible men, every day is a day of reckoning." - John W. Gardner

Do not think of eternity as a future time and place. It is here today and we are in it. How will you live this part of eternity that we call today?

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." - Luke 9:23

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11/11/01 "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried." - G. K. Chesterton

The ease of living at the lowest common denominator is tempting. Keep on resisting the easy stuff - live at the highest possible standard and achieve the rewards of the difficult.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9

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1/13/02 "Without a mission, people live by reaction rather than initiation." - Gordon MacDonald

When you do something, you must know to what end or there is no point. Mission defines the point and frees you from the tyranny of reactionary living. If you are a reactionary, it might be time for a mission tune-up.

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14

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4/15/02 "Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least." - Goethe

We know Goethe's statement is true. The real issue is what we use as our standard for categorizing things as "most" or "least". What's yours?

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:33-34

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Success

11/24/03 "Never allow the thought, 'I am of no use where I am.' You certainly can be of no use where you are not." - Oswald Chambers

Our sense of the heroic and our penchant for success creates thoughts of doing great things for God. But God alone does great things - we are called to simple faithfulness in the moment. Be great where you are.

"...when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" - Luke 8:18

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9/22/03 "What God expects us to attempt, He also enables us to achieve." - Stephen Olford

We have this pernicious tendency to get things backwards and think that what we expect to achieve, God will attempt to make happen. Where are you being backwards?

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." - Proverbs19:21

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9/2/03 "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with dust and sweat..." - Theodore Roosevelt

The sidelines are safe but you will find no victories there. Don't play it safe; stay at the "dirty" business of spiritual combat - the payoff for persevering is worth it.

His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' - Matthew 25:21

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8/10/03 "It's always easy the night before to get up early the next morning." - Author Unknown

Good intentions are good but, by themselves, lack power. This is true in matters of faith as well as matters of daily living. Don't be satisfied with good intentions. Intentionally add the necessary ingredients and watch your good intentions become reality.

"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity." - 2 Peter 1:5-7

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4/28/03 "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas Alva Edison

Experimenting to find the truth is fine for science but when it comes to living, there's a far better way.

"I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word." - Psalm 119:14-16

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11/11/02 The Roman scholar Cato started to study Greek when he was over eighty. When asked why he tackled such a difficult task at his age, Cato said, "It's the earliest age I have left."

There's a 100% certainty that something never started will never be completed. Remember, age is no respecter of time.

"Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:15-16

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5/27/02 "The modern lie is that we can have success without difficulty. How absurd! It's overcoming difficulty that is success." - Anon

How do you see success? Is it getting what you want? Or, perhaps, getting through to what you need?

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4

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3/24/02 "The man who keeps busy helping the man below him won't have time to envy the man above him." - Henrietta Mears

Climbing the ladder of success creates envy towards whoever is on the next rung. Descending the ladder is the better way - it stops envy dead in its tracks. Who's "beneath" you? Reach down, not up.

"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." - Philippians 2:4

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Tolerance

9/25/99 "I find it impossible to avoid offending guilty men, for there is no way of avoiding it but by our silence or their patience; and silent we cannot be because of God's command, and patient they cannot be because of their guilt." -- Martin Luther

Our culture demands "tolerance" and condemns Christians as being intolerant. If it is intolerant to be bold for the truth, then so be it. Don't buy the culture's lie that we are to avoid "offense" at all costs - the cost of silence is too great.

"How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" -- Romans 10:14

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Trials and Difficulty

5/3/04 "Since it is God we are speaking of, you do not understand it. If you could understand it, it would not be God." – Augustine

When life is difficult, we ask God why. A better course of action is to persevere in getting to know Him – it’s there that things make sense.

”Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." - Psalm 46:10

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3/15/04 "Security is our nearness to God, not our distance from danger." - Kenneth R. Hendren

Daily battles must be fought or the enemy wins...just be sure you're in the right fighting stance.

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." - Psalm 91:1-2

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11/3/03 "Sometimes it's a little better to travel than to arrive." - Robert M. Pirsig

Our spiritual journey is stressful - people fail us, institutions let us down, confusion sets in - and so we are tempted to take shortcuts or even get off the bus. But the stress of traveling gives meaning to arriving. Stay on the bus and keep moving towards your destination.

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

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4/14/03 "If you are going through hell, keep going." - Sir Winston Churchill

Sometimes hell seems to bubble up out of the ground and grab us. When it does, remind yourself that it has no real grip on you and then ride it out.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4

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9/5/98 "Do not weigh highly who may be for you or against you. But take thought and care that God be with you in everything you do. Have a good conscience, and God will defend you well." - Thomas a Kempis

Support and opposition, though important, are not the deciding factors. The deciding factor is with Whom we partner. Keep your partnerships in order.

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" - Romans 8:31

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11/5/98 Alexander Whyte, the Scottish preacher, always began his prayers with an expression of gratitude. One cold, miserable day his people wondered what he would say. He prayed, "We thank You, O Lord, that it is not always like this."

Do we have this same "the glass is half full" attitude? What glass seems half empty right now?

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

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3/27/99 "There is nothing so easy but that it becomes difficult when you do it with reluctance." -- Anon.

Many of our "difficulties" are the result of simple inertia. What are you making difficult that really isn't?

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:17

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2/6/00 "When you are face to face with a difficulty, you are up against a discovery." - Lord Kelvin

When we get eyeball to eyeball with things that are hard, our proximity to the difficulty makes it nearly impossible to see anything else. The cure? Change the object of your focus - it's a choice we can make.

But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." - 1 Corinthians 2:9

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10/8/00 "When golf balls were first manufactured, they had smooth covers. When it was discovered that a roughed up ball would give more distance, the covers were changed from smooth to dimpled. So it is with life; it takes rough spots in your life to make you go your farthest." - Author Unknown

If you want to be a long-distance runner, don't be too quick to smooth out the rough spots - they may be the very thing you need.

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." - James 1:2-4

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4/1/01 "Opposition is a fact. The Christian who is not conscious of being opposed had better watch himself for he is in danger." - J. I. Packer from Knowing God

The idea that religion should not create opposition is illogical, if not down right silly. Refuse the culture's offer of "milk toast" faith - wet bread is good for nothing and falls apart if used.

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

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5/6/01 "He knows not his own strength that hath not met adversity. Heaven prepares good men with crosses." - Ben Johnson

We aspire to strength but have little taste for the exercise required to achieve it. If we want physical strength, we have to accept that exercise is required. So it is with spiritual strength. Are you in a hard spot? Don't be too quick to leave it.

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:17

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3/3/02 "We fight for lost causes because we know that our defeat and dismay may be the preface for our successor's victory." - T. S. Eliot

Each person's "lost cause" is different...a wayward child, a marriage on the rocks, a broken relationship. These things can take the fight right out of us but we have an option - we have the option of hope. If you're thinking of quitting, please - think again.

"Without weakening in his faith, [Abraham] faced the fact that his body was as good as dead-since he was about a hundred years old-and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised." - Romans 4:19-21

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5/20/02 "Suffering can never ultimately be meaningless, because God himself has shared it." - Philip Yancey

Personal suffering softens our theories about life and makes us actually useful to our friend. If you are suffering, you're in good company. Follow God's lead and let it shape your help into something meaningful.

"For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because He himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted." - Hebrews 2:17-18

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Wealth

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11/5/98 When we are comfortable, it's easy to be detached from another's lack. When we are in want, it's easy to be obsessed with another's abundance.

What’s your view of wealth?

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Wisdom

5/17/04 "The essence of genius is to know what to overlook." - William James

Anyone with half a brain can condemn the fault of another - it takes a real genius to walk away, leaving the pleasure of being right behind.

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” – Colossians 3:13

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12/8/03 "Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time." - Teddy Roosevelt

Everything we do occurs in time. We wear watches to track it, set alarms to obey it and then, strangely, ignore it through the art of procrastination.

"Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:15-17

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5/5/03 "You can only find truth with logic if you have already found truth without it." - Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Is there a thorny problem that won't go away in your world? Don't overly rely on your own logic...it has its limitations and is only as good as the truth it finds.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." - James 1:5-8

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12/16/02 "The man who blames others for his problems hasn't begun his education. The man who blames himself has begun his education. And the man who blames no one has finished his education." - James S. Hewett

The smartest people blame no one. They have graduated to a higher level where it is accepted as a fact of life that everyone falls short and is therefore imminently unqualified to place blame anywhere. What grade are you in?

"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." - Romans 15:7

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12/2/02 "If your mind should go blank, don't forget to turn off the sound.' - Author Unknown

Nobody enjoys "awkward silence" but, better awkward silence than foolish noise.

"Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord." - Psalm 139:4

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7/7/02 "Don't bother to give God instructions; just report for duty." - Corrie ten Boom

God is not a student yet we sometimes treat Him as one. Be sure to keep your roles straight.

"Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise." - Proverbs 19:20

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11/5/98 All gods are understood to be "larger" than the worshippers. Therefore, it is illogical to devise our own independent ideas of God, for we would have to be the "larger" one to define Him correctly. Instead, we must search for His revelation of Himself to us - on His terms. Until a man gets to this understanding, he will ultimately deny those characteristics of God which trouble him and embellish those that comfort him.

"You shall have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:3

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1/16/99 On analyzing details, General Colin Powell said, "Experts often possess more data than judgment."

The prospect of being an expert appeals to our ego but the greater need of others is that we exercise judgment. Judgment may require us to appear "incompetent" (through our silence or asking questions) so that others will grow.

"Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding." - Proverbs 4:7

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4/10/99 "Wisdom is the ability to interpret today in terms of tomorrow." -- Anonymous

What we do in the present determines tomorrow. Only God knows tomorrow well enough to make the call of what today should be. Who's making your calls?

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." -- Proverbs 3:5-6

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9/4/99 "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And that which I can do, by the grace of God, I will do." - Dwight L. Moody

Attempting everything leads to discouragement. The wise person understands that doing what he or she can and doing it well is better than attempting much, only to leave it half done. Who needs you to do what you can do?

"Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act." - Proverbs 3:27

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10/16/99 "God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on Him." - Hudson Taylor

The real work of being a Christian is learning to work out of weakness. Working the other way puts all the responsibility on us. We can prop ourselves up or we can learn to lean. How's your lean angle?

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:29-31

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"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." -- Author Unknown

If we intend to be "salt and light", our success will be due, in part, to connecting effectively with those we intend to reach. Add the lost art of civility to good theology and doctrine, particularly with those who are "difficult" (as if we are not!)

"Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." -- Colossians 4:5-6

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Words

12/1/03 "To live without listening is not to live at all; it is simply to drift in my own backwater." - Joan Chittister

Backwater has no redeeming qualities - it tends to get stagnant and polluted and it impedes the normal flow of things. Not a very good place to be.

"Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few." - Ecclesiastes 5:2

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8/27/00 "Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip." - Will Rogers

Be careful with words...sticks and stones may indeed break bones but that part about "words will never hurt" just isn't true.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." - Ephesians 4:29

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"The unspoken word never defeats one. What one does not say does not have to be explained." - Sam Rayburn

Do you find yourself having to explain too much? Maybe it's not the clarity of what you say but that anything was said at all. Our virtually unlimited supply of words does not require that they all be used. Keep the word count down this week.

"In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise." - Proverbs 10:19

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2/25/01 One day a young mother and her 5 year old son were driving down the street. The inquisitive little boy asked, "Mommy, why do the idiots only come out when Daddy drives?" - Author Unknown

A child trusts his parents words. Be careful about the words you give them to trust.

"With it [the tongue] we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so." - James 3:9-10

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Work

11/5/00 "Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon." - Susan Ertz

Dreams of the future are safe places to hide from the reality of the present. What needs to be done today?

"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:15-16

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10/14/01 "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison.

When it comes to people, the "work" is long-term and rarely glitzy but the payoffs are huge. Who needs your long-term investment? Write their name here: __________________________ Now, go do some investing.

"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." - Galatians 6:10

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10/28/01 "The average layman has the idea that his vocation is his penalty." - Howard Hendricks

We should not view our work as anything other than good. After all, it was God who invented the idea.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." - Colossians 3:23-24

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Wounds

2/23/02 "Keep your heart right, even when it is sorely wounded." - J. C. Macaulay

Justice may satisfy our mind's need for retaliation but only mercy keeps our hearts right. What justice are you looking for? Give it up for the benefit of your heart.

"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another." - Zechariah 7:9

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7/15/01 "I can forgive, but I cannot forget," is only another way of saying, "I cannot forgive." - Henry Ward Beecher

Justice remembers long but forgetfulness is the mark of mercy. Are you holding a hurt? Be merciful instead..

"I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake and remembers your sins no more." - Isaiah 43:25

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