A United States Marine was attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist and a member of the ACLU.
One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes." The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop.
Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am God. I'm still waiting." It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him, knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold.
The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence.
The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, "What the heck is the matter with you? Why did you do that?"
The Marine calmly replied, "God was too busy today protecting America's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid stuff and act like an idiot. So, He sent me."
THIS IS GOOD. KEEP IT GOING
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Stay focused (Conclusion)
Focused people do not hide their weaknesses or excuse them, instead they focus on their strengths. There is a story about a couple who decided to build a farm. They began to argue. The wife wanted to build the house first. The husband wanted to build the barn first in order to house the animals. They went back and forth until finally the man said - "Look, we have to build the barn first-because the barn will enable us to build the house, the garage, the silo, the kids swing set, and everything else." When you focus on putting first things first, every thing else is more likely to fall into place. (The moral of this - the farm was a working farm where the animals were the main source of money. By building shelter for them, their feed, the equipment needed to and meeting the needs of the animals - the farm would prosper.)
What you commit yourself to, will change what you are and make you a completely different person. The future conditions you, not the past. What you commit yourself to become, determines what are you are - more than anything that ever happened to you yesterday.
What are your commitments? Where are you going? What are you going to be? Anthony Campolo says "Show me someone who hasn't decided and I will show you someone that has no identity, no personality and no direction." Focusing on our weakness instead of our strengths is like having a handful of coins, a few made of gold and the rest of tarnished copper. We set aside the gold coins and spend our time shining the copper ones in hopes of making them more valuable. No matter how long you spend removing the tarnish - they will never be as valuable as the gold ones.
bbl later on how to apply this to your every day life........
What you commit yourself to, will change what you are and make you a completely different person. The future conditions you, not the past. What you commit yourself to become, determines what are you are - more than anything that ever happened to you yesterday.
What are your commitments? Where are you going? What are you going to be? Anthony Campolo says "Show me someone who hasn't decided and I will show you someone that has no identity, no personality and no direction." Focusing on our weakness instead of our strengths is like having a handful of coins, a few made of gold and the rest of tarnished copper. We set aside the gold coins and spend our time shining the copper ones in hopes of making them more valuable. No matter how long you spend removing the tarnish - they will never be as valuable as the gold ones.
bbl later on how to apply this to your every day life........
Monday, April 21, 2008
UNITED STATES MAP
A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl, Shelby. She wanted to know what the United States looked like. Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to Shelby and said, 'Go into the other room and see if you can put this together. This will show you our whole country today.'
After a few minutes, Shelby returned and handed him the map, correctly fitted and taped together. The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly. 'Oh,' she said, 'on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together.'
After a few minutes, Shelby returned and handed him the map, correctly fitted and taped together. The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly. 'Oh,' she said, 'on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together.'
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Stay Focused - Continued
When it comes to staying focused, keep in mind:
1. Focused people always look for a better way. What got you where you are most likely will not get you where you need to be, A family who moved into a new neighborhood got a late start one morning, As a result the 6 year old missed the school bus. Though it would make him late for work, the father agreed to take the child to school if she gave him directions to get there. After 20 minutes of going in circles, they finally reached the school. By this time he was angry and the dad asked why she drove him all over the place when the school was so close to their home. She replied " We went the way the bus does - that's the only way that I know how to get to school".
2. Focused people concentrate a little harder and a little longer. Hall of fame baseball player Hank Aaron said "What separates a superstar from the average ball player is that he concentrates just a little bit longer." Focused thinking is the ability to remove distractions and mental clutter so that you can concentrate with clarity.
3. Focused people make COMMITMENTS, not excuses. A sign on the desk of an officer in the Pentagon reads "The secrecy of my job does not permit me to know what I am doing." Its a cute joke, but not so cute when its true. When you don't know why you're doing, you become frustrated and end up failing.
Notice too:
1. Focused people don't live in the past. Too many of us yearn for the past and get stuck in it. Instead we need to learn from the past and let go of it, Elbert Hubbard wrote "A retentive memory may be a good thingm but the ability to forget is a token of greatness." Successful people forget they are running a race. They can't afford to look behind. Their eyes are on the finish line. They're too big to let little things disturb the,. If anyone does them wrong, they consider the source and keep cool. Its only the small people who cherish revenge. Be a good forgetter.
2. Focused people don't think about the difficulties, but the rewards. If you dwell on the difficulties for too long, you'll start to develop self pity instead of self-discipline. As a result you will accomplish less and less. By focusing on results you will stay encouraged.
3. Focused people choose their friends carefully. There are 5 types of people you will encounter in your life:
(a) refreshers - these are people who strenghten and energize you.
(b) refiners - these are people who sharpen you and clarify your vision.
(c) Reflectors - these are people who mirror your energy, neither adding or subtracting from it.
(d) Reducers - these are people who try to diminish your goals and efforts to their comfort level
(e) Rejectors - these are people who don't understand you or what your can do.
So our goal is to remain focused and you will stay grounded. The praise of others is less likely to go to your head and the negative impact of your critics will be minimized.
1. Focused people always look for a better way. What got you where you are most likely will not get you where you need to be, A family who moved into a new neighborhood got a late start one morning, As a result the 6 year old missed the school bus. Though it would make him late for work, the father agreed to take the child to school if she gave him directions to get there. After 20 minutes of going in circles, they finally reached the school. By this time he was angry and the dad asked why she drove him all over the place when the school was so close to their home. She replied " We went the way the bus does - that's the only way that I know how to get to school".
2. Focused people concentrate a little harder and a little longer. Hall of fame baseball player Hank Aaron said "What separates a superstar from the average ball player is that he concentrates just a little bit longer." Focused thinking is the ability to remove distractions and mental clutter so that you can concentrate with clarity.
3. Focused people make COMMITMENTS, not excuses. A sign on the desk of an officer in the Pentagon reads "The secrecy of my job does not permit me to know what I am doing." Its a cute joke, but not so cute when its true. When you don't know why you're doing, you become frustrated and end up failing.
Notice too:
1. Focused people don't live in the past. Too many of us yearn for the past and get stuck in it. Instead we need to learn from the past and let go of it, Elbert Hubbard wrote "A retentive memory may be a good thingm but the ability to forget is a token of greatness." Successful people forget they are running a race. They can't afford to look behind. Their eyes are on the finish line. They're too big to let little things disturb the,. If anyone does them wrong, they consider the source and keep cool. Its only the small people who cherish revenge. Be a good forgetter.
2. Focused people don't think about the difficulties, but the rewards. If you dwell on the difficulties for too long, you'll start to develop self pity instead of self-discipline. As a result you will accomplish less and less. By focusing on results you will stay encouraged.
3. Focused people choose their friends carefully. There are 5 types of people you will encounter in your life:
(a) refreshers - these are people who strenghten and energize you.
(b) refiners - these are people who sharpen you and clarify your vision.
(c) Reflectors - these are people who mirror your energy, neither adding or subtracting from it.
(d) Reducers - these are people who try to diminish your goals and efforts to their comfort level
(e) Rejectors - these are people who don't understand you or what your can do.
So our goal is to remain focused and you will stay grounded. The praise of others is less likely to go to your head and the negative impact of your critics will be minimized.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Stay Focused
Philippians 3:15
You become effective by becoming selective. Its human nature to get distracted. We are like gyroscopes, spinning around at a frantic pace but not getting anywhere. Without a clear purpose or goals you will continue to change direction, jobs, relationships, churches, friends, etc., and all the while hoping that each change will settle the confusion or fill the emptiness in your heart. You think “this time it will be different.”, but it doesn’t solve the real problem – lack of focus.
The power of focus can be seen in light. With a magnifying glass the rays of the sun can set paper on fire. But when light is focused even more – it becomes a laser beam, it can cut through steel. NOTHING IS MORE POTENT THAN A FOCUSED LIFE. So if you want your life to have impact, focus it! Stop dabbling. Stop trying to do it all. Do Less, Turn away even from good activities and do only that which matters most.
However, never confuse activity with productivity. The first law of success in this day when so many things are clamoring for our attention is CONCENTRATION – to bend our energies to one point and to go directly to that point, neither looking to the left or to the right. Does focus come easily or naturally? No it is a discipline that must be practiced every day.
Focus does 3 things for you.
It keeps you on target. We find ourselves pulled in a dozen different directions, spending much of our time and energy on things that we don’t really care about. Author Don Marquis put it this way – “Ours is a world where people don’t know what they want, and are willing to go through hell to get it”.
It increases your energy. Attempting everything , like attempting nothing, will suck the life out of you. Focus gives you energy. Admiral Richard Byrd, the Polar explorer said “Few men come anywhere near exhausting the resources dwelling in them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used.” One of the reasons that these wells go untapped is lack of focus. The mind doesn’t reach toward achievement until it has clear objectives.
It lifts you. It has been said that the world stands aside to let anyone pass who knows where he or she is going. Just knowing what she you want to do and making an effort to pursue it, distinguishes you from almost everyone else. Just by striving to become better than you are, you become elevated – even ig you don’t accomplish what you desire, and even if others don’t step aside for you. By trusting God and aiming higher, you move to a higher level.
More to come……..
You become effective by becoming selective. Its human nature to get distracted. We are like gyroscopes, spinning around at a frantic pace but not getting anywhere. Without a clear purpose or goals you will continue to change direction, jobs, relationships, churches, friends, etc., and all the while hoping that each change will settle the confusion or fill the emptiness in your heart. You think “this time it will be different.”, but it doesn’t solve the real problem – lack of focus.
The power of focus can be seen in light. With a magnifying glass the rays of the sun can set paper on fire. But when light is focused even more – it becomes a laser beam, it can cut through steel. NOTHING IS MORE POTENT THAN A FOCUSED LIFE. So if you want your life to have impact, focus it! Stop dabbling. Stop trying to do it all. Do Less, Turn away even from good activities and do only that which matters most.
However, never confuse activity with productivity. The first law of success in this day when so many things are clamoring for our attention is CONCENTRATION – to bend our energies to one point and to go directly to that point, neither looking to the left or to the right. Does focus come easily or naturally? No it is a discipline that must be practiced every day.
Focus does 3 things for you.
It keeps you on target. We find ourselves pulled in a dozen different directions, spending much of our time and energy on things that we don’t really care about. Author Don Marquis put it this way – “Ours is a world where people don’t know what they want, and are willing to go through hell to get it”.
It increases your energy. Attempting everything , like attempting nothing, will suck the life out of you. Focus gives you energy. Admiral Richard Byrd, the Polar explorer said “Few men come anywhere near exhausting the resources dwelling in them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used.” One of the reasons that these wells go untapped is lack of focus. The mind doesn’t reach toward achievement until it has clear objectives.
It lifts you. It has been said that the world stands aside to let anyone pass who knows where he or she is going. Just knowing what she you want to do and making an effort to pursue it, distinguishes you from almost everyone else. Just by striving to become better than you are, you become elevated – even ig you don’t accomplish what you desire, and even if others don’t step aside for you. By trusting God and aiming higher, you move to a higher level.
More to come……..
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
When your huts on fire......
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.
Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky.
He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?" Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island!
It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering.
Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.
P.S. You may want to consider passing this on, because you never know who feels as if their hut is on fire today.
Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky.
He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?" Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island!
It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering.
Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.
P.S. You may want to consider passing this on, because you never know who feels as if their hut is on fire today.
Monday, April 7, 2008
History Lesson
History Mystery Have a history teacher explain this----- if they can.
Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head Now it gets really weird.
Lincoln 's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln .
Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.
Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln , was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.
John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln , was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.
Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.
Now hang on to your seat. Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford.'
Kennedy was shot in a car called ' Lincoln ' made by 'Ford.'
Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a theater.
Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.
And here's the kicker...
A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe , Maryland
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.
Creepy huh? Send this to as many people as you can, cause: Hey, this is one history lesson most people probably will not mind reading!
Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head Now it gets really weird.
Lincoln 's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln .
Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.
Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln , was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.
John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln , was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.
Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.
Now hang on to your seat. Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford.'
Kennedy was shot in a car called ' Lincoln ' made by 'Ford.'
Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a theater.
Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.
And here's the kicker...
A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe , Maryland
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.
Creepy huh? Send this to as many people as you can, cause: Hey, this is one history lesson most people probably will not mind reading!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Devotion for the Day
There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat.
He had an old rifle and three bullets.
So, he decided that he would go out hunting
and kill some wild game for dinner.
As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit.
He shot at the rabbit and missed it.
The rabbit ran away.
Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel but missed it.
The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree.
As he went further, he saw a large wild "Tom" turkey in the tree,
but he had only one bullet remaining.
A voice spoke to him and said,
"Pray first, aim high, and stay focused.
However, at the same time, he saw a deer
which was a better kill.
He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer.
But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him
so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake.
Still, the voice said again to him,
"I said, 'Pray, Aim high, and Stay focused."
So, the man decided to listen to God's voice.
He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree,
and shot the wild turkey.
The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer.
The handle fell off the gun, hit the snake in the head, and killed it.
And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond.
When he stood up to look around,
he had fish in all his pockets,
a dead deer, and a turkey for his family to eat.
The snake (Satan) was dead simply because
the man listened to God.
Moral of the story:
Pray first before you do anything,
aim and shoot high in your goals,
and stay focused on God.
Never let others discourage you concerning your past.
The past is exactly that, "the past."
Live every day one day at a time,
and remember that only God knows our future,
and that He will not put you through any more than you can bear.
Do not look to man for your blessings,
but look to the doors that only He has prepared in advance
for you in your favor.
Wait, be still, and patient: keep God first,
and everything else will follow.
Pass this on in order that someone else might be blessed.
FROM ONE FRIEND TO ANOTHER ...
Don't worry about tomorrow, God is already there!!!
He had an old rifle and three bullets.
So, he decided that he would go out hunting
and kill some wild game for dinner.
As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit.
He shot at the rabbit and missed it.
The rabbit ran away.
Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel but missed it.
The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree.
As he went further, he saw a large wild "Tom" turkey in the tree,
but he had only one bullet remaining.
A voice spoke to him and said,
"Pray first, aim high, and stay focused.
However, at the same time, he saw a deer
which was a better kill.
He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer.
But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him
so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake.
Still, the voice said again to him,
"I said, 'Pray, Aim high, and Stay focused."
So, the man decided to listen to God's voice.
He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree,
and shot the wild turkey.
The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer.
The handle fell off the gun, hit the snake in the head, and killed it.
And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond.
When he stood up to look around,
he had fish in all his pockets,
a dead deer, and a turkey for his family to eat.
The snake (Satan) was dead simply because
the man listened to God.
Moral of the story:
Pray first before you do anything,
aim and shoot high in your goals,
and stay focused on God.
Never let others discourage you concerning your past.
The past is exactly that, "the past."
Live every day one day at a time,
and remember that only God knows our future,
and that He will not put you through any more than you can bear.
Do not look to man for your blessings,
but look to the doors that only He has prepared in advance
for you in your favor.
Wait, be still, and patient: keep God first,
and everything else will follow.
Pass this on in order that someone else might be blessed.
FROM ONE FRIEND TO ANOTHER ...
Don't worry about tomorrow, God is already there!!!
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