Control Your Thoughts

Is the glass half full or half empty? We have all heard this analogy many times. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Are you an enthusiastic, optimistic, hopeful Christian? As a Christian and a believer, you have every reason to be all of those things when it comes to your life here on earth and your eternal life. William Ralph Inge stated, “No Christian should be a pessimist, for Christianity is a system of radical optimism.” Though his words may ring true, sometimes we are pulled down by hard times. If you’re discouraged, tired, exhausted, overwhelmed, or all of these things, it is time to ask why. What is bothering you? Why do you feel the way you do?

If you are concerned and worried about the everyday challenges of living, think about what God has done for you. The ultimate battle was won on the cross. If your life has been transformed by Christ’s sacrifice, then you, as you receive God’s grace, have every reason to live courageously. God’s grace does not turn itself on and off as you go through the trials and tribulations of your everyday life, it is like a waterfall which is constantly flowing forever. We must choose to accept this gift and let it flow upon our lives and not stand on the banks of the stream observing; but we must jump with both feet into the stream and let it fall down upon us.

As A.W. Tozer observed, “Attitude is all-important. Let the soul take a quiet attitude of faith and love toward God, and from there on, the responsibility is God’s. He will make good on His commitments.” He emphasizes that even when our daily lives are challenged and seem daunting, God remains steadfast. You should make that leap of faith and make a promise to yourself to be optimistic and a hope-filled Christian. Try thinking positively optimistic about your life, family, career, future, goals, and your basic purpose for living. Trust in your hopes and not in your fears. Take the time out to smell the roses and enjoy God’s paradise on earth. Once you have filled your life with happiness and joy share it with others and pass it around. You will bring joy and love into their lives and by doing so you will be rewarding yourself and spreading back to yourself.

Your thoughts are the determining factor as to whose mold you are conformed to. Control your thoughts and you control the direction of your life.

Charles Stanley

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise – dwell on these things.

Philippians 4:8

If ~ by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breath a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

The Other Three R's: Rest, Relax, and Rejuvenate

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "how heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. "If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on." "As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. "

So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax; pick them up later after you've rested."

You can apply this positive tip to both your personal and professional
life...

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

A special thanks to a friend of mine who sent this story to me in an email.
I added the title and Bible verse.

Wordless Wednesday 7 Oct 09

Two Quotes for Tuesday: Living Courageously

Then David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.

1 Chronicles 28:20


Faith not only can help you through a crisis,
it can help you to approach life after
the hard times with a whole new perspective.
It can help you adopt an outlook of hope and
courage through faith to face reality.

John Maxwell

Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned

Author Unknown

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.

They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”

“It was great, Dad.”

“Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked.

“Oh yeah,” said the son.

“So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.

The son answered: “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.

“We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

“We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs.

“We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.”

The boy’s father was speechless.

Then his son added, “Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.”

Sunday Song of Celebration 4 Oct 09

Hope you enjoy this music video. The photographs are phenomenal.

From One Pumpkin to Another

From one pumpkin to another!!!!!!!

A woman was asked by a coworker, "What is it like to be a Christian?"

The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin.

God picks you from the patch, brings you in,

and washes all the dirt off of you.

Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.

He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed.

Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts

His light inside of you to shine

for all the world to see."

Announcement: Today, I have started a new blog called, Oldman's Poetry Corner. I will be publishing all of my poems on it. Please stop by and take a look. Hope you enjoy.

Joy of my Soul

Joy of my soul, Joy of my heart,

You've given me love from the very start;

In you I live, I move and I breathe ~

To you my whole being does cleave.

Joy of my soul, Joy of my spirit,

Of goodness ~ may I be drawn near it

And to all that is holy, right and true,

May I ever be totally committed to you.

Joy of my soul, Joy of my life,

You are the Rock during all the strife.

Many are the benefits you freely give;

Because of you, I have the will to live.

Joy of my soul, Joy of my heart,

Let's assure one another, we'll never part.

You are my Lord, my God, my All;

I obey your statutes, I love your Law.

Joy of my soul, Joy of my spirit

Absence from you, I surely would fear it.

Never permit me to ever stray

Protect me ever and always, I pray.

Joy of my soul, Joy of my life,

Sin pierces your heart ~ like a knife.

You are The Lord of Lords and The King of Kings,

O the JOY your Salvation brings.

The battle for good and evil still wages,

But You, O Lord, are JOY for all ages.

Judgement day will soon arrive;

The goats'll die and the sheep'll thrive.

Please God ~ your faithful ones'll be alive.

O Jesus, as Groom, you'll come for your Bride

You'll draw her very close to your side

Embrace her with your arms open wide

And together in Heaven forever abide.

You, O Lord, are JOY for all ages.

JOY, JOY, JOY!

YOU are JOY for All Ages! ! !

August 20,2006

Mel (Carmela) Patterson

Forgiveness Heals the Soul

Life is an exercise in forgiveness. Forgiveness is an important step in battling hard times in our lives. However, sometimes forgiveness is difficult. Christ showed His understanding of forgiveness when He said, "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." Matthew 5:44

It is easy when someone hurts us or embarrasses us to feel the urge of revenge and want to strike back. But Christ teaches us forgiveness is God's way and mercy is part of God's plan for our lives. We are taught to weave the thread of forgiveness into the fabric of our lives.

If you feel ill will toward someone, harbor bad feelings toward another, feel anger, envy, bitterness, or regret, or just seem not to be able to let go of the past then it is time for you to seriously start thinking about forgiveness.

Really it is important for you to move on with your life. By not forgiving you become a prisoner to your bad feelings. You must make it a priority in your life and pray for the ability, courage and strength to forgive. Pray for the person that you hold these bad feelings for in your heart.

Many of us don't spend time thinking about forgiveness but instead worry and dwell on the pain and injustice we have experienced, and the people which caused our infliction. God wants us to live in the present not in the past and He knows for us to move forward in our lives we must learn to forgive.

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,

and his glory is to overlook a transgression.

Proverbs 19:11

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor,

and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

And be kind to one another, tender-hearted,

forgiving one another,

even as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:31-32