March 14, 2019

Build Your Vision Board Now! Create the Reality You Desire!

When we visit my mom we are forced to deal with a television which is turned on first thing in the morning and off, last thing at night. As a viewing compromise we often will watch house/cottage (real estate) finding programs. Over the last 45 years our family has lived in church provided housing, so we have never owned our own place. Since my wife is getting ready to create a new vision board, the topic of what kind of a house would we like to have came up. Since our finances have always been based on a creatively, find a way to get through the month basis, to this point, there has never been savings to consider owning our own home.

We began to think about the features, room sizes, layouts, etc. and my daughter spent some time checking out floor plans from various sources. My mom stills lives in the house her and dad bought almost 70 years ago. So house hunting has never been something I have experienced. Having never been called upon to think about these issues it was interesting to discover that the floor plan a person really wants, likely does not exist. Certainly, not very often.

If a person had unlimited resources and the time to wait, you might be able to find an architect who could provide the exact plans you wanted and a builder who would build it with quality. Also to be considered, would the features and floor plan have lasting appeal, or would it fall short of expectations as changes came into your life?

This brought us back to the general pattern of doing what most people do, house hunting. Since we are not in the market to move, or buy at this time, we did not take the time to get involved in that focus of exploration.

When was the last time you went dream building? Have you identified goals, dreams, and activities which you would like to see become a reality in your life? In this process, remember to include those items in which you seek to benefit the lives of others. It should never be a “gimme more, just for me” mentality. Responsible stewardship of the resources God provides should be part of our thinking in this process. For me, this includes providing clean fresh water for those who do not have access to it.

I challenge you to dream and plan for what it is you are wanting God to do in your life and apply faith to believe it can happen, even if in this moment of time, you do not see how.

March 13, 2019

Discover for Yourself the Power of Character Based Energy!

I went looking though our personal library for a specific book yesterday and have not yet found it. What I did find was an old treasure. I have no idea when, or where we obtained this book, but I was fascinated with the find. The binding is not in great shape and the paper must be handled with care, but you will hear more from the content of the book in the future, because it really is a treasure. The copyright is 1896, so it is in the public domain. The title is, Wealth and Wisdom OR The Golden Key To Success. This book contains a vary large number of short stories focussing on the value and importance of developing good character from a Biblical base. Henry D. Northrop is credited with the section, “New Testament Story in Verse.”

The picture attached to this article is from the page where the story I am going to share with you was found. The title of the engraving is, “Milton dictating Paradise Lost to his daughters.” This story resonated with me as I was flipping through the book.

“Energy of character has always a power to evoke energy in others. It acts through sympathy, one of the most influential of human agencies. The zealous, energetic man unconsciously carries others along with him. His example is contagious, and compels imitation. He exercises a sort of electric power, which sends a thrill through every fibre, flows into the nature of those about him, and makes them give out sparks of fire.

Dr. Arnold’s biographer, speaking of the power of this kind exercised by him over young men, says: ‘It was not so much an enthusiastic admiration for true genius, or learning, or eloquence, which stirred with them; it was a sympathetic thrill, caught from a spirit that was earnestly at work in the world – whose work was healthy, sustained, and constantly carried forward in a fear of God – a work that was founded on a deep sense of duty and its value.’

Such a power, exercised by men of genius, evokes courage, enthusiasm, and devotion. It is this intense admiration for individuals – such as one cannot conceive entertained for a multitude – which has in all times produced heros and martyrs. It is thus that the mastery of character makes itself felt. It acts by inspiration, quickening and vivifying the natures subject to its influence.”

As I was retyping this short story I experienced something very interesting. I could literally feel the energy and electricity that was emanating from this book. My body felt like it was a receiver of something very powerful and exciting. My arms and the back of my neck were literally covered with goose bumps. It is my hope and prayer that as I post this short article that energy will be transferred to you and multiplied greatly.

In the middle to late 1800’s there was a spiritual renewal within North America which was significant enough to impact the culture and strong enough to change the energy of an era. The denomination in which I have ministered in, for the last almost 45 years, came out of the American holiness camp meeting movement of that time period. It was during this time that men like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Nikola Tesla and Albert Einstein lived and were influencing the world. As the 20th century grew older, this power and energy waned as the relationship of the people with God declined.

The vision statement of the local congregation I lead declares we are, “pursuing and proclaiming the universal truth of Biblical holiness (Perfect alignment of your life with pure, selfless love) with the power of God’s Holy Spirit in the energy of a new era.”

May there be a return to personal character and our culture being founded on the foundation of God’s Word in this new era of time.

March 12, 2019

A Time for Everything and a Season for Every Activity!

Yesterday was a contradiction in seasons. As I write this article we have more snow, with high winds and reduced visibility. The good news is the snow is predicted to stop around midnight and the accumulations are not expected to be significant. Within a couple of days the afternoon temperature is predicted to be springlike, followed with a plunge into very cold temperatures by the weekend.

Indoors the atmosphere is very springlike as my daughter has been preparing the little soil trays and planting the seeds for what she anticipates will be a heathy and fruitful harvest in a number of months. I was asked which type of tomato do I want to eat later this year, as my options were in fact numerous. In the end seven different seed types were planted. This does not include the clippings that survived to this point through the winter. We have had several years of cool wet summers, so last year my daughter changed the plant types to meet those conditions and we had hot dry weather. The yields were poor continued to be poor. This year she will be planting for both types of weather, so half of the crop should like the conditions. Either way, it is quite a difference between what is going on indoors and outdoors in this moment.

I am reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1 where we are told, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” Winter, spring and summer are all converging together today.

I think this whole concept has made me weary as I found myself needing to deal with a challenge that arose as I was writing this article. My cope level was not as high as I would like and so I finish my writing with an I Ching instrument on. Things happen. Deal with them and move on! There truly is a time for everything and a season for every activity.

March 11, 2019

Universal Character Traits for True Success in Your Life!

I had a few minutes to rest between lunch an a Nursing Home service yesterday after noon, so I picked up a book that has been sitting on the table for a week or so. The author of the book, Jamil Ben Alluch had written out of the starting gate that, “You won’t complete this course in two weeks.” In fact most people need to quit before they start.

Jamil begins with listing the personal requirements you need in order to get through the course and be successful in what he is training you to do. These personal requirements are basically character qualities and traits a person must possess. They are things that everyone ought to be working to posses and improve, but are lacking in a fairly sizable portion of Western society. I will not share his complete list,but he does include the following:

1. The first and foremost trait he says is discipline; the ability to follow a specific set of rules which other successful people have applied in their life.

2. Emotional stability. He writes, “Those who are prone to strong emotions swings will be the victim of unnecessary and irrational reactions and decisions.”

3. You need a balanced sense of self-confidence. This is critical in making quick decisions. Too little will force you to miss opportunities and too much could eventually result in significant loss.

4. A strong sense of determination. In order to truly succeed, you must possess a strong sense of determination and perseverance.

5. Accept responsibility for your choices, even when you are wrong.

6. Absolute Commitment. It is not a sprint – it’s a marathon.

Jamil’s book is titled, The Complete Penny Stock Course. But the reality is, these traits are what you must possess and implement no matter what you are looking to do in life, if you want to be successful at it. This includes your journey of faith as well. These are universal principle you will need in every area, with anything you are looking to do. To be the best version of you possible you will need to cultivate them if they are lacking in your life.

From my perspective these are things parents ought to teach and model to their children. We hope the educational system will reinforce these traits, but don’t count on it, if you want to ensure your children learn them. I pass these universal character traits for true success in your life as something for you to consider.

March 10, 2019

Jesus, the Source of Truth Has Never Failed Me Yet!

We live in a world today where it is fashionable to create fake news. It is difficult at time to determine whether what you hear, or even see is really true. Our computerized, digital environment makes it relatively easy for anyone with the skills to present what appears to be an original scenario, but is really quite different. Isn’t that what the whole movie and even televison industry seeks to accomplish. This is true also for the video games industry as well.

It would be good to remind ourselves that the attempt to blur the lines on truth is not something new. Cain tried to hide the truth of what happened to his brother, even from God. While the Roman governor in Israel, Pilate, asked the question, “What is truth?” (John 18:38) he was not really interested in determining the truth, or acting upon it. Therefore, Jesus was convicted and hung on a cross, because it was deemed politically expedient at the time.

Your belief about truth will impact your actions. The decisions you make about the source of the information coming to you will influence your willingness to accept what you see and hear regarding its truthfulness. Your convictions about source reliability and credibility will be a major component in your perceptions of what is happening and ultimately creating your reality.

Our family was having a discussion recently regarding the life long impact of a series of events in the journey of someone we knew. This individual had faced a number of significant challenges in their life. In reflection we could identify the resulting fear and uncertainty this person exhibited in their life. I think they did remarkable well, all things considered, but at the same time there were multiple indicators along their journey which hinted of the struggle that existed, as they dealt with the fear which shaped the truth of their reality.

The search for truth and the modelling of it is a challenge for many people. Either way, whether you believe Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, or not, your beliefs are determining truth in your life. For me I chose more than 50 years ago to set God as the Source of truth in my life, even when I did not understand something in a present moment. My experience is summed up in the words of a song, “Jesus Never Has Failed Me Yet.”