Date Archives → December 2014

Question & Thought for the last day of 2014!!!

Question & Thought for the last day of 2014!!!
Good Morning on the last day of 2014!
1. Question – Thanks for all of the encouragement to continue this blog. What stories would I give to you about how it is and how perhaps we should look at 2015?
2. Two Thoughts:
This is wonderful!
Again, it’s written by my favorite author – anonymous. And it says this,” If people are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered – have the courage to love them anyway.
And if you succeed, you’re going to win false-friends and true-enemies – have the courage to succeed anyway.
And honesty and frankness and forgiveness are going to make you vulnerable – have the courage to be honest, and frank and forgiving anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow, have the courage to be good anyway.
I love this, the biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shut down by the smallest people with the smallest minds, have the courage to think big anyway.
The hell with all of them!
What you spend years building can be destroyed overnight, that’s the vulnerability of life, but have the courage to build anyway.
Give the world your best and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. How often have you heard that? Well, have the courage to get kicked in the teeth anyway.
In essence, have the courage to be courageous!
Everybody here has known sadness. But some of us have known joy, and rapture too! That’s incredible!
Many of us have made others sad – been cruel – intentionally or unintentionally,
if only you can forgive what has been done to you. (Spoken by Leo Buscaglia)
​Spoken by an 85 year old man who was going to die.

 

If I had my life to live all over again, I’d make more mistakes.

 

I’d try not to be so damned perfect.

 

We have a fetish for perfection.

 

I’d relax more, I’d limber up, I’d be sillier than I’ve been on this trip.

 

In fact, I know very few things, I’d take so seriously.

 

I’d be crazier and I’d certainly be less hygienic.

 

Hygiene has got us in a trap. When I was growing up, ​everything that was done for personal hygiene was done with one bar of Ivory Soap.

 

Now we have a little squirt for this and a little squirt that, shampoo and conditioner, female deodorant and male deodorant and body deodorant.

 

We spend an hour in the bathroom getting ready for the day, and we spend an hour at night doing everything in reverse.

 

These hygienists are so clean we don’t even know what we smell like anymore.

 

Human odors are offensive to us – We’re alienated from ourselves.

 

Just once – go 24 hours without washing yourself!

 

I’d take more chances!

 

I’d take more trips!

 

I’d climb more mountains!

 

I’d eat more ice cream and less beans!

 

Everything is NOW! It’s happening NOW!

 

Buddha said something I’ll never forget. He said:

 

“When you have nothing – you have nothing to worry about.”

 

If I had my life to live all over again,

 

I’d hug more children, and

 

I’d tell more people I love them.”

 

Love ya all!

 

Continued in 2015!

 

 

​mark​

 

Question & Thought & ANDs…

Question & Thought for the last Tuesday in 2014!!!

Question & Thought for the last Tuesday in 2014!!!
Good Tuesday Morning! I started reflecting on 2014 around mid-nite after coming home from watching Unbroken with the family. Maybe I’ll put something together for the 31st. You all have helped in ways unknown!!!
1. Question – When you really get down to knowing your thinking pattern, are you and I guilty of constantly looking for faults in everything? Do we need to thrive in fault-looking here? News? Politics? Family? Work? Friends? Enemies (easy one)? Leaders? Churches? Co-workers? Other drivers? Cultures? Genders? Schools? Books? Stores? Automobiles? Governments? Relatives?
2. Thought – “The scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely, to see if He would heal on the Sabbath, so that they could find a charge against Him.” (Luke 6:7)
Please note this sad fact: those who look for reasons to accuse will undoubtedly find some.
In my own life and ministry, I’ve accepted the fact that anyone looking hard enough to condemn will sooner or later be accommodated. I really do believe that more people in the body of Christ are generally accepting than accusing, but one mean-spirited person is practically enough to ruin anyone’s day.
I encourage you to break free from the traps set by approval and accusation.
When the man with the shriveled hand stood before Him on the Sabbath, Jesus knew the Pharisees and teachers of the law were looking to accuse Him. But He did not allow Himself to be controlled by potential accusations nor even by the law that He Himself instituted.
And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” (Beth Moore – Jesus 90 Days With the One and Only)
3. Question – In the movie Unbroken, when Louie was in the “Bird’s quarters” and he was leaning up against the wall, what was he thinking when he looked at the small picture of the Bird with his father?
Rem

Question & Thought & ANDs…

Question & Thought for the last Monday in 2014!!!

Question & Thought for the last Monday in 2014!!!
Good Monday Morning!
1. Question – “What have you found to be the worst side-effects of sin?”
2. Thought – I can remember being so devastated over a sin I had allowed to ensnare me that I repeatedly begged God to forgive me. I confessed my sin with great sorrow and turned radically from it. Still I continued to plead for forgiveness. Then one day in my Bible reading, God revealed these Scriptures to me from Luke 5. He spoke to my heart and said: “Beth, my child, you have an authority problem. You think you can do your part, which is repent. You just don’t think I can do My part, which is to forgive.” (Beth Moore – Jesus – 90 Days with the One and Only)

“What have you found to be the worst side-effects of sin?”

M

Question & Thought & ANDs…

Question & Thought for the last Sunday in 2014!!!

Question & Thought for the last Sunday in 2014!!!
Good Sunday Morning!
1. Question – 2015 around the corner!!! Yes I know, exercise more, eat healthier, read more, do more humanitarian work……So, do you have a landmark word or an action verb you would like to embrace for the next year? I discussed mine with Kath yesterday and told her every time I break it I was going to give her a dollar. She said she’s looking forward to becoming rich!
2. Thought – You see, over and against the noise cacophony of human moaning and whining and complaining that has polluted the earth’s atmosphere since time immemorial, there stands alone the simple quiet figure of Jesus Christ. And Christ has one message for humanity, one message of “tough love” for all of us. And that message is this: Enough! “My grace is sufficient!”
So you’re down and out and can’t take it anymore? You’re tired of problems. You’re tired of bills. You’re tired of fighting with your spouse and with your kids. You’re tired of being misunderstood. You feel you’re at the end of your rope. You just want to crawl into bed, pull the covers over your head, and sleep for a hundred years.
Okay, great, says God. Now we can start!
That’s right. When you’re weak and spent and feel you have nothing left – no energy, no resources, no pride, no nothing – then God can finally begin helping you in a serious way. As St. Augustine once said, when your hands are full – full of pride and strength and self-love—-God can’t really give you anything. But when your hands are empty and outstretched and utterly powerless – ah, then God can give you all the help you need
“But no!” you shout. “My family is falling apart. I just lost my job. I’m filling for bankruptcy. I’ve just been embroiled in a huge scandal and my reputation is ruined. I’m done with false hope.”
“Enough!” God says. “My grace is sufficient!” (A Travel Guide to Life by Anthony DeStefano)
My action for 2015: Stop complaining & embrace, “My grace is sufficient!” What’s yours?

—

Mark

Question & Thought & ANDs…