December 31, 2016

This is the end before the new beginning. The year 2016 is closing and tomorrow the year 2017 has its beginning. It is a little odd that there is so much attention given to the tick of a clock that translates into a change of a day once a year. What if we placed as much attention on the tick of a clock each day of the year? How would our life change if we considered the concept of each day bringing the opportunity to start new and fresh? Consider the possibility of each today providing the chance to create a new page in your terrific life. Place an emphasis on the expectation that something wonderful will happen today and then look for it to appear. Watch for the positive, “golden” moments to appear to bless and benefit your life.

When something happens that does not necessarily appear to be good, remember the story of the Chinese man many years ago who was able to catch a wild horse. All his friends congratulated him on his good success. His response was “Maybe it is good, maybe it isn’t.” A little while later his son fell off the horse and his friends said, “This is bad.” His response was, “Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t.” The next day the army came to his village and conscripted all the young men and took them away. The Chinese man’s son was not taken because he could not walk with the broken leg. His friend’s said, “This was good.” His response was, “Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t.” And so the story goes on. Understanding and implementing the principle expressed by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” brings foundational stability to life whatever may happen.

You have a choice every day whether you will drag the stress and problems of yesterday into your today, or whether you will lay them aside and face the challenges of a new day with optimism and faith that things will come together and work out. Allowing the baggage of the past to control your present will not help you now or in the future. Sow the seeds today that will bring a harvest in the future you really desire. That is my hope and dream for you as you start a new day.

December 30, 2016

The basic principle of who do you listen to is incredibly important. I wrote previously about the importance of your decision as it relates to a YES or a NO answer to a specific relationship. The actual answer impacts not just one relationship, but a series of relationships which extend into the future. Understanding the implications of this principle holds great power and influence in regards to what your life will look like down the road.

I have been reflecting on this in relation to the equation, “Your network equals your net-worth.” Those people who you choose to include, or exclude, from your relationship, based upon your YES or NO action will provide the resources, or lack, related to your goals, dreams and the final outcomes in your life.

I have watched a variety of people turn away from or continue to support organizations, groups and even churches to which they had belonged. Not always, but often, the change from a YES to a NO in the relationship involved a matter of personal ego. The individual decided they had been hurt, deceived, manipulated, or in so way wrongly treated and so a choice was made to end all the relationships, present and future, connected to that collection of people.

I stopped in the middle of writing this article to listen to a training call with an organization I am blessed to have been a part of for over six and a half years. The speaker was talking about the riches we have in our relationships. In the time I have been associated with this club I have gotten to know many people. Some have said NO and broken off their relationships, others have said YES and become part of the “family.” I am grateful and appreciative to all those who are impacting and influencing my life as we journey together to become the best version of ourselves we can be.

There was a day when one brother said to another, I have found someone and I would like you to meet Him. That day Andrew took his brother Peter and introduced him to Jesus. When that happened, Peter responded by saying YES to the relationship and it changed his life forever. You can read about this in the Gospel of John, chapter one, verse forty. Have you found the answer to radical transformational in your life? Who can you share it with and guide them to the place where they will say YES to the relationship? The principle of who do you listen to will determine who you build relationships with.

December 29, 2016

What you say matters because it reflects what is contained in your heart. You can learn a lot about a person by listening to what they say and how they speak to and about themselves and others. In our digital world where so much is recorded as video and audio, it really is important to consider what we say before we say it, because if it is negative, those word can come back to bite us in the future. Matthew records the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:34-37, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. {35} The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. {36} But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. {37} For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Apostle Peter warns in1 Peter 3:15-16, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, {16} keeping a clear conscience.”

When someone asks you the question, “What do you do?” what is your response? Can you identify the result you are seeking to achieve in your dream or passion in life? Are you prepared to express the reason for the hope you have in a way that creates curiosity and interest so the person asking will invite you to tell them more? Can you do this in regards to your spiritual faith as well? The words you use will either attract or repel people. The words of the Apostle Peter apply here.

There are no coincidences in your life, only opportunities which manifest themselves because you are living out your authenticity and integrity through what you say and do. The overflow of your heart speaks loudly in ways that you can not begin to imagine, unless you are paying attention to it. You will reap what you sow.

I have been asking for testimonials recently, from a variety of sources, on how people feel about certain things. What I have found in general is most people have difficulty in really expressing, with clarity, how they really feel about things that impact and influence their lives. I am no different. But what is important for us to realize, if we do not make the effort to learn how to be more aware of how we feel and seek ways to more clearly communicate those feelings, we will likely be hindered from being and developing into the person we dreamed we could be. Do not let limiting beliefs sell your life short and keep you from living with a heart that fully expresses itself to its full potential.

December 28, 2016

It would be a good thing for everyone to discover the power of “Yes” to those things in life which will broaden your horizons, enhance your personal growth and development and bring you closer to the fulfilment of your goals and dreams. We are closing in on the launch of a new year where the opportunity to become the best version of you awaits, if you are willing to say “YES” to the possibilities before you.

Susie Moore in a blog article titled, “9 Little Known Truths About the Power of Yes!” began her article with these word, “Yes, has magic within it. So often we are afraid of life – we fear failure, we anticipate the worst, we don’t know what to expect. In doing so and often by saying “no” to opportunities, we reject many of life’s brilliant chances. These are often disguised as a new career prospect, an opportunity to step up at work, a surprise request from a friend, or any type of unfamiliar challenge. Anything that creates a spark of curiosity within us or generates some desire that typically lays dormant within our familiar days, is often our intuition guiding us to say yes (or at least to learn more). But we let our fears, instead of our creativity and love, guide us and rationalize a ‘no.’”

You have a choice each day to get out of bed with an attitude which radiates the positive, “Yes” to life, or the negative and limiting attitude of “No” to life. If you have tended to be the type of person who chose to live from fear and never open the door to opportunity and life, then this would be a good time to consider making a different decision. Stepping out in faith may seem hard, but consider the ultimate consequences of the alternative. Saying YES to life, to love, to trusting, to being committed to a goal and dream truly is better than living in mediocrity and lifelessness.

The Apostle John recorded the words of Jesus in Revelation 3:15-16, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! {16} So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

It truly would be better to seek to achieve the benefits of the constant YES than to wallow in the misery of the ongoing NO.

Teddy Roosevelt wrote in “The Man In The Arena.” “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

In the context of the spiritual area of life, may you say “YES to the relationship with God, through Jesus” so that you “shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

December 27, 2016

As of the end of this month, I will have written a daily “Thought For The Day” article for ten months. When I started I was not sure whether I would have the disciple to be able to write something on a daily basis. I did have the desire and the intention to be able to provide a daily insight which would unite the principles of living a successful life, whatever that might be for each individual, with the universal spiritual principles outlined in God’s Word, the Bible. This is what I have endeavoured to accomplish through these blog articles. I do not make any apologies for the “Christian,” Biblical slant of my approach, because this is who I am and where I come from and have been for more than fifty years.

For those who at this moment, cannot say YES to a relationship with Jesus, but who do believe in Source, or Creator, I would encourage you to seek out truth and incorporate the universal principles of success that will allow you to become the best version of yourself you can be. I have found great value in the process of seeking to improve who I am personally so as to be a better ambassador for the God I serve.

When you have that intention for your life, I believe you will find yourself being drawn and lead, if you are willing to learn and willing to change, towards the Author of truth. Since every person has a vibrational influence and impact on others, our world is a better place when more people are vibrating the fruit of the Spirit, as identified by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:22-23, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, {23} gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

It is my hope and desire that each one who takes the time to read these daily thoughts will be blessed and benefited in some way.

I am asking you to help me, help more people who need the chance to learn about the principles of success and their connection to Scriptures by sharing “The Thought Of The Day” with your Face Book friends. Also, if you would be willing to share with others how you have been encouraged, benefited, or positively impacted in some way by these articles, please message or email me with your response. I am reaching out to you based on the principle of Luke 11:9-10, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. {10} For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

May you be truly blessed as we work together for the betterment of our world and for the Kingdom of God.