I recently purchased the book "Quiet Strength" and gave it to my father-in-law for Christmas. It is a great inspirational book about Tony Dungy and the principles he shares about faith, family, leadership and life. It is a tremendous book and a excellent read. I have always had great admiration for Coach Tony Dungy as a football coach. Now, having read this book, I have an even greater respect for him as a man of faith and character and integrity. He truly lives out the scripture in Proverbs 20:7 which says, "A righteous man walks in his integrity.." If you have the opportunity to read this great book, I encourage you to pick one up at your local book store. It will bless your life.
Monday, December 31, 2007
A Great Book
I recently purchased the book "Quiet Strength" and gave it to my father-in-law for Christmas. It is a great inspirational book about Tony Dungy and the principles he shares about faith, family, leadership and life. It is a tremendous book and a excellent read. I have always had great admiration for Coach Tony Dungy as a football coach. Now, having read this book, I have an even greater respect for him as a man of faith and character and integrity. He truly lives out the scripture in Proverbs 20:7 which says, "A righteous man walks in his integrity.." If you have the opportunity to read this great book, I encourage you to pick one up at your local book store. It will bless your life.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Having the Right Priorities
Matthew 6:21 (NKJV) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Recently, while watching television with my wife, I noticed our dog Sparky sitting next to Stephanie and curled up on her lap. Sparky's body language demonstrated his complete trust, as well as a sense of safety and peace. He just had this incredible look of contentment on his face, and I thought, "Sparky has it right. This is what it's all about. He has a better sense of priorities than most human beings do. He knows that what it boils down to is love and relationships." What are your priorities? Most of us would automatically say "family and friends." But do our actions match up with our words? What do you spend most of your non-working hours thinking about? What do you spend most of your time doing? Who do you spend the majority of your leisure time with? Look at your checkbook entries for the last couple months. It's been said that one can tell one's priorities by observing where the money goes. Do you live for work, or for your Lord and loved ones? I know that we all have to have money to put food on the table, but do you work longer hours than necessary? Do you shut out your family when your favorite TV shows are on? An occasional uninterrupted show is fine, but if there's a pattern of neglecting your family because of sports or another television broadcast, you need to rethink your priorities. As Barbara Bush (wife of former USA president George Bush) said (and I am sure I'm not getting this exactly right), she puts her family first, because no one ends up on their deathbed wishing they had spent more time with their work, but many wish they had spent more time with their families. I encourage you to ask God to show you where your priorities need to be realigned with His.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Putting the Past Behind You
One of my favorite movies is Forrest Gump. The beloved fictional story of a small town boy from Greenbow, Alabama named Forrest Gump who despite an I.Q. of only 75 manages to live a life that few dream of living. He meets three Presidents, is a Vietnam War Hero, an All American collegiate football player, and eventually becomes a millionaire and doesn't even realize the extent of his life's success. My favorite part of the movie is when Forrest decided to go for a little run. Forrest said, "That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of town. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd just run across Greenbow County. And I figured, since I run this far, maybe I'd just run across the great state of Alabama. And that's what I did. I ran clear across Alabama. For no particular reason I just kept on going. I ran clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on going. When I got to another ocean, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on going. " He ran clear across the country three different times. He states that while he was running he "put the past behind him" which means that all of the negative and bad things he had experienced in life, he was finally able to put to rest. I think sometimes we as Christians, need to hear the words of Forrest Gump who said it best, "sometimes you gotta put the past behind you." The Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3:13-14-"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Paul had a horrible past to live down. He was a man who persecuted and sought to kill early Christian believers. It wasn't until he met Christ on the road to Damascus that he was saved and his life was transformed. He said these words in Colossians to show us that he wasn't going to let those things of his past keep him from going forward and fulfilling God's plan and perfect will in his life. Paul also tells us in Romans 8:1-"There is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." We shouldn't live under condemnation if we truly have been saved and born again by the Holy Spirit our past is in the past. We have a bright future in Jesus Christ, so put the past behind you and look unto Jesus.
Friday, December 28, 2007
God's Word for Today
Hebrews 12:1-2
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..."
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..."
Good News For the Coffee Fanatic
I have been watching and waiting patiently for our new Starbucks Coffee shop to open here in Lebanon. The sign out front says "opening soon" I can't wait. Now some people may like to drink coffee, but I am a COFFEE FANATIC. I dont' care what hour of the day it is, I can always enjoy a good cup of coffee and one of my favorites is Starbucks. This new shop will be good for our community and the change will be nice. You know, change is a good thing and sometimes we need to remind ourselves of this. I am just glad that God doesn't change. He stays the same. God bless everyone and have a blessed day.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Thinking Heavenly
Colossians 1:5- "because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel."
I do not think that we think much about heaven. I am not sure that we need to think about heaven all the time either, but we should to some degree. We know very little about heaven and it is out of our realm of experience. Everything with which we have experience is earthly. It is only natural to have a desire to live, and to live long lives. We ought to seek to live productive, fruitful lives as long as God spares us. But while we live here, we ought to be in preparation for living in Heaven. There is, as the above verse from Colossians says, hope laid up for us in Heaven. Hope is like faith; it is a look forward to something beyond what we can see. Hope is that anticipation that my six-year-old child has when he sees those wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree. He knows that under the paper, and in the box, there is something, something he will like, but he is not sure what it is, just that it is a good thing. That is hope. It is much like Scripture says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1 Such is, really, our hope of Heaven. Again, I think it is only natural for us to be about the business of life and lose sight of heaven. It is easy to do, but I am not recommending it. We ought to be Heavenly-minded. Our life here is but a vapor, and while we are in this vapor it is easy to focus on the moment and lose sight of the future outcome. In many way this is justified, but it is also proper, good and needful that we retune ourselves from time to time and focus Heavenly. Such a tuneup will effect our conversation, mindset, actions, and dispositions, and these are good things to have tuned up from time to time. "But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 11:16 A poor man was once reported to have said to his minister that the way to Heaven was short, easy, and simple. It only has three parts, "out of self, unto Christ, into glory."
I do not think that we think much about heaven. I am not sure that we need to think about heaven all the time either, but we should to some degree. We know very little about heaven and it is out of our realm of experience. Everything with which we have experience is earthly. It is only natural to have a desire to live, and to live long lives. We ought to seek to live productive, fruitful lives as long as God spares us. But while we live here, we ought to be in preparation for living in Heaven. There is, as the above verse from Colossians says, hope laid up for us in Heaven. Hope is like faith; it is a look forward to something beyond what we can see. Hope is that anticipation that my six-year-old child has when he sees those wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree. He knows that under the paper, and in the box, there is something, something he will like, but he is not sure what it is, just that it is a good thing. That is hope. It is much like Scripture says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1 Such is, really, our hope of Heaven. Again, I think it is only natural for us to be about the business of life and lose sight of heaven. It is easy to do, but I am not recommending it. We ought to be Heavenly-minded. Our life here is but a vapor, and while we are in this vapor it is easy to focus on the moment and lose sight of the future outcome. In many way this is justified, but it is also proper, good and needful that we retune ourselves from time to time and focus Heavenly. Such a tuneup will effect our conversation, mindset, actions, and dispositions, and these are good things to have tuned up from time to time. "But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 11:16 A poor man was once reported to have said to his minister that the way to Heaven was short, easy, and simple. It only has three parts, "out of self, unto Christ, into glory."
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