twenty dollars

A $20 BILLA well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill.
In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this."
He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.
He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty.
"Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value in God's eyes.
To Him, dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to Him.
Psalm 17:8 states that God will keep us, "as the apple of His eye."
THOUGHT: The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we are but by WHOSE WE ARE!
You are special - Don't ever forget it

Silence

Normally, you don't want to be on the receiving end of "the silent treatment"-its a punishment.  But God has a different spin on the silent treatment.  When we set aside silent time to seek God and listen to him, its more like a spa treatment.  I can think of many things i should be working on, these are important tasks, but the list of them grows faster than a zit on prom day.  Our only hope is to start each day in silence, or make sure we take time each day just for quiet-just as you are doing right now.  You can do anything during your silent time, except for non-silent things.  The point is to still your soul and listen.
Q.-How have my silent times with God in the past impacted my relationship with him, and others?

Its beeen a while

Excited to be blogging once again, I am beginning to find the balance of family and work and the things we call life.  Blogging took a back seat and is now a possibility again.  I plan to keep blogging on a regular basis, I am planning to keep you posted on my blog.  I was wondering if i could come up with a clever way to repeat myself...Really i want to share a thought from one of my friends.  When we play the game of golf we have an idea where we want the ball to go.  The general direction and trajectory are of utmost importance, when the actual swing is analyzed mechanics are key.  Too much speed too little speed, over swing and grip all play factors, thus drastically affecting the club face.  The club face if not square when striking the ball will have adverse affects, trust me i know this from experience.  Thus, the direction and trajectory is determined by the effectiveness of our swing,which can lead in several different directions.  In the same way our life is filled with decisions and how we make those decisions will affect the rest of our lives positively or negatively.

really...

As this new year has begun, I find it easy to get back into the "Rut" of everyday life.  Remember, a "Rut" is a grave with the ends removed, lets continue to be intentional and have a laser focus on what God has called us to do for the Kingdom.  Lets be bold and understand that if we walk in faith we cannot disappoint God.  Walking in faith is the part that can trip us up, lets continue to pray for each other and make a difference.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me  Philipians 4:13

Fear n Trembling

Webster defines Fear as:  to be afraid or apprehensive.  Synonyms are bother, worry, fret, fuss, stew, stress, sweat, and trouble.  What are some of your fears?  What makes you sweat and worry?  Do we understand fear and the existence of fear itself.  Have you seen fear?  Have you felt fear?  Answer this question, where does fear originate and where does fear exist?  One of my mentors recently told me fear exists in one place and one place only...IN YOUR MIND.  Wow, this is truly a steeping stone for me in my life, fear is started by doubts and is grown in our minds because we want to control everything around us.  Remember 2 timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of love, and self discipline.  Lets help each other truly live by this verse and understand we have the power to reduce the level of fear in our lives and multiply our zeal for life.  Lets walk in power and faith, lets put fear in our rear-view mirror and keep our eyes focused on the road ahead.

 

“Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.”

Excited

I am excited to take on the new year.  Anticipation and a new beginning are key factors in the excitement of new years celebrations.  I am excited to see who, what , where, when of the new year will take place.  I am also excited to see what God has planned for me and my family.  I hope you can enjoy the excitement and understand the plan that God has for you.Psalm 77:14 reads "You are the God of Great Wonders"  that is exciting to me. I am claiming this verse in the coming year