
I believe this is the greatest thought I have ever had and ever will.
I believe this is the greatest thought I have ever had and ever will.
God is so awesome
Wow, after posting this blog….I find this in my facebook group posted 7 hrs ago. God is good!
So I am still thinking about Abide and Optimize. I was up early this morning with lots of thoughts rolling around in my head. I like the concept of Head, Heart and Hands. Thoughts come in, they are analyzed for validity and congruence. The good ones are filtered to the heart to see if they resonate, of virtue and feel right. Thought experiments are made. Then the refined are sent to hands for execution. To work them out in reality. The ones not ready for timing’s sake are logged and pondered.
Then I began my morning devotional time and bam!
Keep it coming Lord. Like drinking from a firehouse or a gushing rock in the desert.
For me personally:
I started doing the One Word thing two years ago
in 2019 it was BELIEVE
in 2020 it was PERCEPTION
for 2021 this year, I am expanding and going with two,
One for my outer man:
OPTIMIZE – (making the most of my Time, Talent and Treasure)
And one for my inner man:
ABIDE – (Resting and Trusting in God)
21 Tips for 2021
To have a PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!
BONUS for 2021
21. Partner up! Partner with God as your CEO. Involve Him in everything as He wishes to. There is no one greater. It is impossible to out give God. Forget man’s religion and develop a relationship.
I am going to put #1-21 on my calendar to pop-up daily. Share and let me know if you do the same.
I encourage you to explore this free Life Assessment Guide by my friend Mark Winebrenner.
And if you have a solid tip, please share here in the comments.
PONDERING LIFE : PURSUING SUCCESS
The guy who produced this documentary gave his testimony at a church in Indy Sunday night. How he came to the Lord is amazing! He was one of the most successful stunt men in Hollywood but gave it all up to follow God.
Before that, he was living the American Dream. Lucrative career, beautiful home with pool in Southern California, was friends with the most successful producers, directors and actors in Hollywood. When he visited their houses, he started noticing a lot of occult symbols. It started him on a path which resulted in uncovering the connections between Hollywood and Washington, DC, and to the occult and child trafficking. This is not a Republican or Democrat thing. This is long, but worth the watch. He used his own money to produce this, with some donations. He is not making a profit from this.
“But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’
So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.””
Luke 10:29-37 NKJV
When Jesus asks the question, “which of the three had mercy on the man?” we logically assume He is referring to the Priest, Levite, or Samaritan. But there is one other character often overlooked in this story – the innkeeper, a Jewish businessman running a hotel on the Jericho Road.
It’s easy to miss that the innkeeper made a decision to care for the injured man and engage with the Samaritan in a way that clearly was not good business. Jews hated Samaritans. They considered them “half breeds.” If people learned of what the innkeeper did, he’d develop a reputation that he and his inn welcomed “those hated people.” Certainly, his business would have gone down the drain.
And yet something motivated him to use his business as a platform for mercy and justice. There was no indication that he resisted; rather, he welcomed them. This time we see an innkeeper had room in his inn!
How can you use your work as a platform for justice?
David Spickard is the CEO of Jobs for Life based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Connect with David on Twitter at @davidbspickard.
My quick take: This is so true. I had never thought of the Innkeeper being part of this story. The Good Samaritan was so kind but so was the Innkeeper. He could have easily said, “There is NO ROOM” or “This isn’t a hospital”.
As a business owner or worker, we have plenty of opportunities to live out our faith; to be generous and compassionate while maintaining our focus. We aren’t a charity but that doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t be charitable as the Spirit leads and makes available.
Ponder this: Jeremiah 7:28
“So you shall say to them, ‘This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the Lord their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.”
I prefer not to come off negative but is this not the path a large portion of our nation is on today?
The ‘Reality of Truth’ must triumph over ignorance but too many people are willfully choosing self over God; those looking backwards and down. I sense this quite prevelantly more and more
This passage was originally directed to the people of Judah. Unfortunately (for the hating disobedient stiffnecked amongst us it affects everyone), it is applicable today for we remain under Heaven ruled by the same God.
So then what?
Shall we continue to backslide or be bold?
Shall we hide or speak truth?
Shall we ingore or share love?
May God empower us to ‘boldly live and speak truth while we love God and share our love’.
If you find yourself going backwards down the dead end stinky street of life, simply call out to God for help and read the Bible as your life depends upon it BECAUSE IT DOES.
While working as an entrepreneur (and among other entrepreneurs), I’ve noticed being ambitious and goal-oriented for the sake of producing great results in the marketplace can sometimes hinder us from honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ in the process. My hope is to further equip you for success, through the strategic application of the following two points:
You must have a team of smart, God-fearing people to guide you in His direction. Why? Because not every idea is the right one at the right time. Your ideas may need to be modified, postponed, or dropped entirely in order to fit the needs of your mission: “The words of the wise are like cattle prods–painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep.”
Christy Becker is the founder of His Daily Dose, a blog community offering daily inspiration from God’s Word.
My take: As a business owner, I couldn’t agree more with the nuggets of wisdom she shared: Trust in God more and truly seek and act upon team power.
WITHOUT GOD… our week would be:
Sinday, Mournday, Tearsday, Wasteday, Thirstday, Fightday, Shatterday.
Seven days without God – Makes one Weak!
Let’s not judge by the color of their skin, but by their actions and character. Let’s see individuals not group of colors.
Happy Martin Luther King Jr Day!