I find it fascinating how people’s perspectives are forged by their circumstances.
Take CHANGE, for example. When a person’s life is predictable, comfortable and enjoyable they hope and pray nothing will ever change. And yet that same person, when riddled with disappointment, difficulty and despair, hopes and prays every day that EVERYTHING will change.
Well, I don’t know which side of the coin you are on as you read this, but the truth is it really doesn’t matter because change is coming whether we want it or not. Change is inevitable, and how we perceive it and embrace it can often mean the difference between life and death, or failing and succeeding.
Herbert Spencer once noted that, “A living thing is distinguished from a dead thing by the multiplicity of the CHANGES at any moment taking place in it.” In other words, CHANGE is the evidence of life. Growth is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
God solved the behavior riddle centuries ago when he said, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.” See, you are what you think, not what you think you are. I’m not trying to confuse you in some maze of circular logic, I’m trying to reveal an incredible truth. IT IS GOD’S WILL FOR US TO BE IN A PERPETUAL STATE OF MOVEMENT TOWARDS HIM. And that movement means change.
I used to fear failure, I didn’t think I did, I would have told you that I wasn’t afraid, but deep down as a young minister I think there were moments where I was more concerned with the appearance of fruitfulness and success than actually being fruitful. I think it is a journey many people have to take on the road to discovery and destiny. Unfortunately, some stall out and breakdown along the highway and never recover. Change always demands a temporary surrender of security, it is the letting go of something familiar and safe in order to embrace something hoped for and unknown.
I have noticed that every time I have changed, my oppurtunities have changed as well. This is a life pattern, when traditions are broken new oppurtunities always emerge. ALL PROGRESS IN THIS UNIVERSE HAS TAKEN PLACE ONLY BECAUSE SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE WASN’T SATISFIED TO LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE. I want to be a dreamer and see visions of what can be and then run, leap and believe that all things are possible. I grow restless now when things aren’t changing now that I have embraced it as my friend and not my enemy.
The greatest promise of change in our life is that with it comes hope, and as long as hope lives we will always have strength to make it another mile. There is a scripture in Job 14 :7-9 that demonstrates the power of hope, it says, "There is hope for a tree, that even after it is cut down, simply at the scent of water it will bud and bear fruit again."
A study was done at Northwestern University several years ago that revealed some fascinating results concerning the power of hope. They took two lab mice and placed them in an aquarium of water. After 23 minutes they finally could tread water no more and drowned. They then took two more and placed them in the aquarium but this time, just before they were about to go under, they rescued them, placed them under heat lamps, fed them and let them rest. After they were well rested, they then placed them back in the aquarium with two other mice that had not been in before. The results? The two mice that had been previously rescued swam for 44 minutes, a full 21 minutes longer than the other mice. Why?...... HOPE! It was the hope that something good was coming. The belief that things were about to CHANGE!
The irony of all this is that the Bible says that God is immutable, or in other words, He does not change. But the reason why is because he is the only one who is truly complete. The rest of us are still under construction and as is in any construction project, as you add material all the different elements come together and a metamorphosis and a CHANGE occurs. What was once just a bare-bones structure becomes a beautiful piece of architecture.
So until next week remember, He who has started a great work in you will complete it in the end. (Philippians 1:6)
All for Christ,
J. Mark
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tenacity of a Weed
I never cease to be amazed at where inspiration can come from when your open to God’s voice and your hungry for his leadership. Case in point, years ago my wife and I purchased a home in Lake City, FL and began to remodel this old home site. Around this home were monster azalea bushes that obscured the view of the house and needed to come out. One of these beasts was right next to our carport. We eventually had them removed but where the one had been by the carport became this huge hot spot for wild weeds.
Now, I don’t like to use the word “hate” because it is very strong language but I have to say that my DISTASTE for yard work is extreme. And one day as I walked around the corner with my freshly fueled weed wacker, I said to myself, “I can’t believe how often I have to do this and how fast these crazy weeds grow back!” Now, this is where you may think I’m a little off but I promise you something in my spirit at that moment prayed to God and said, “ LORD, GIVE ME THE TENACITY OF A WEED.”
I stopped for a moment and took inventory. I cut these stupid things down to the dirt every week and no matter how I destroy them and cut them down, they never stop growing. They keep coming back no matter what extreme measures they go through.
Their determination is noteworthy and impressive. On the journey of purpose and destiny, tenacity is not a luxury or accessory one can afford to not have. Living out the purposes of God in your life require time and persistence. Harriet Beecher Stowe once said, “A mighty oak was once just a little nut that held its ground.” I love that, it makes me laugh and yet it’s so true.
One of the reasons giving up has always been so hard for me in life is because I was always haunted by the thought, “What if I’m only one more attempt from breakthrough, one more prayer from victory or one more shot from winning?” I was plagued by the thought that success was only one more reach away.
People are not judged by what they start, only for what they finish. The reward for those who persevere far exceeds the pain that must precede the victory. But make no mistake, it is not success that God rewards but always the faithfulness of simply doing his will.
I read just the other day about Johannes Brahms who composed the famous Brahms lullaby. It took him 7 years to complete. (I wonder if it was because he kept falling asleep?) Just a thought.
Sports is one of my passions and I have often recognized in watching athletic events that in many cases the difference between winning and losing simply boiled down to one teams ability to hold on one second longer than their opponent. The scripture is full of instruction and encouragement concerning determination. So if you’re a husband or wife struggling in your marriage, or you’re a professional person dealing with extreme downtime, or maybe you’re a Pastor fighting through the difficulty of establishing a work for God or maybe you’re just a person overwhelmed by the temptation to throw in the towel and walk away. I’ve got a prayer for you that God gave to me in a moment of yard maintenance. LORD, GIVE ME THE TENACITY OF A WEED.
There will never be a shortage of “weed wackers” in life but if you just keep coming back, you will eventually come out on top.
So until next week, bloom where your planted.
All for Christ, J.Mark
Now, I don’t like to use the word “hate” because it is very strong language but I have to say that my DISTASTE for yard work is extreme. And one day as I walked around the corner with my freshly fueled weed wacker, I said to myself, “I can’t believe how often I have to do this and how fast these crazy weeds grow back!” Now, this is where you may think I’m a little off but I promise you something in my spirit at that moment prayed to God and said, “ LORD, GIVE ME THE TENACITY OF A WEED.”
I stopped for a moment and took inventory. I cut these stupid things down to the dirt every week and no matter how I destroy them and cut them down, they never stop growing. They keep coming back no matter what extreme measures they go through.
Their determination is noteworthy and impressive. On the journey of purpose and destiny, tenacity is not a luxury or accessory one can afford to not have. Living out the purposes of God in your life require time and persistence. Harriet Beecher Stowe once said, “A mighty oak was once just a little nut that held its ground.” I love that, it makes me laugh and yet it’s so true.
One of the reasons giving up has always been so hard for me in life is because I was always haunted by the thought, “What if I’m only one more attempt from breakthrough, one more prayer from victory or one more shot from winning?” I was plagued by the thought that success was only one more reach away.
People are not judged by what they start, only for what they finish. The reward for those who persevere far exceeds the pain that must precede the victory. But make no mistake, it is not success that God rewards but always the faithfulness of simply doing his will.
I read just the other day about Johannes Brahms who composed the famous Brahms lullaby. It took him 7 years to complete. (I wonder if it was because he kept falling asleep?) Just a thought.
Sports is one of my passions and I have often recognized in watching athletic events that in many cases the difference between winning and losing simply boiled down to one teams ability to hold on one second longer than their opponent. The scripture is full of instruction and encouragement concerning determination. So if you’re a husband or wife struggling in your marriage, or you’re a professional person dealing with extreme downtime, or maybe you’re a Pastor fighting through the difficulty of establishing a work for God or maybe you’re just a person overwhelmed by the temptation to throw in the towel and walk away. I’ve got a prayer for you that God gave to me in a moment of yard maintenance. LORD, GIVE ME THE TENACITY OF A WEED.
There will never be a shortage of “weed wackers” in life but if you just keep coming back, you will eventually come out on top.
So until next week, bloom where your planted.
All for Christ, J.Mark
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
What are You
Have you ever noticed that there are people you know who are literally at the same place today as they were 5 years ago? The same place mentally, emotionally and spiritually. They still have the same dreams, the same problems, the same excuses and ultimately the same way of thinking. They haven’t moved an inch forward in years. It’s as if they’re stuck in some time warp where everything has stood still and they are frozen in a fixed moment.
You don’t have to read very far into the Bible to realize that God is constantly challenging his people toward growth. In fact, I can go so far as to say that it is his perfect will that we grow and mature and evolve from one place of faith to another.
I have often said that you can never expect anything AROUND you to change if nothing INSIDE you does. The moment of truth for you this week is this, YOU DON’T GET IN LIFE WHAT YOU WANT, YOU GET IN LIFE WHAT YOU ARE. Whatever you are producing or not producing right now is merely a reflection of who you really are.
So what is the answer? GROWTH. It begins with the decision to change and become. It means you have to break out of ruts and old ways of thinking that hinder you from embracing new possibilities. Only hungry minds grow... and that’s a fact.
One of my favorite quotes came from famed basketball coach John Wooden who said, “It’s what you learn after you know it all, that counts.” Brilliant. What he’s saying is it’s the new information you reach out to acquire after you have become comfortable with a certain body of information that makes the difference between excellence and mediocrity. Too many people gain a certain level of knowledge or experience and then that’s it, they quit growing, stretching and learning.
Goethe once noted that, “Everyone wants to 'be' but nobody wants to grow.” He’s right, and do you know why? Because its work and sometimes it hurts. It has a price tag associated with it that for many is simply too high. But as a great man once said, “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”
I can look back over 16 years of ministry and tell you beyond the shadow of a doubt that ignorance will cost you more than education. Educating oneself is simply acquiring necessary knowledge one needs to move forward and progress. So education happens on many, many different levels. An important way to keep growing is to never stop asking questions. The person who is afraid of asking is ashamed of learning.
John Maxwell has often said, “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” The word of God spoke to me early in my life and when I read Proverbs 4:7 it affected me profoundly. It says...Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you will ever do and whatever you do develop sound judgement. Timothy was instructed to study so as to show himself proven and tested so others would know his ministry could be trusted and strong.
Never stop learning. Feed your spirit and cultivate a hunger for new information. Be teachable and open to fresh ideas and watch the Holy spirit bring you into contact with people and things that will change your life.
In April I am taking a 7 day journey to Prague in the Czech Republic to teach leadership to 100 Pastors from Poland, Hungary and Budapest. I have never been to this region of the world but my excitement level is high because I cannot wait to encounter something new and to see things that will deepen my life experience. I know, in some way, I will come back changed.
My question for you this week is this, are you growing? What significant change has happened in your life in the last five years? Have you changed for the better? Are you more mature now than then? How has your thinking improved? These are all great questions that I hope you will take the time to reflect upon.
So until next week remember... you are what you THINK, not what you think you are.
Peace.
All for Christ,
J.Mark
You don’t have to read very far into the Bible to realize that God is constantly challenging his people toward growth. In fact, I can go so far as to say that it is his perfect will that we grow and mature and evolve from one place of faith to another.
I have often said that you can never expect anything AROUND you to change if nothing INSIDE you does. The moment of truth for you this week is this, YOU DON’T GET IN LIFE WHAT YOU WANT, YOU GET IN LIFE WHAT YOU ARE. Whatever you are producing or not producing right now is merely a reflection of who you really are.
So what is the answer? GROWTH. It begins with the decision to change and become. It means you have to break out of ruts and old ways of thinking that hinder you from embracing new possibilities. Only hungry minds grow... and that’s a fact.
One of my favorite quotes came from famed basketball coach John Wooden who said, “It’s what you learn after you know it all, that counts.” Brilliant. What he’s saying is it’s the new information you reach out to acquire after you have become comfortable with a certain body of information that makes the difference between excellence and mediocrity. Too many people gain a certain level of knowledge or experience and then that’s it, they quit growing, stretching and learning.
Goethe once noted that, “Everyone wants to 'be' but nobody wants to grow.” He’s right, and do you know why? Because its work and sometimes it hurts. It has a price tag associated with it that for many is simply too high. But as a great man once said, “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”
I can look back over 16 years of ministry and tell you beyond the shadow of a doubt that ignorance will cost you more than education. Educating oneself is simply acquiring necessary knowledge one needs to move forward and progress. So education happens on many, many different levels. An important way to keep growing is to never stop asking questions. The person who is afraid of asking is ashamed of learning.
John Maxwell has often said, “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” The word of God spoke to me early in my life and when I read Proverbs 4:7 it affected me profoundly. It says...Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you will ever do and whatever you do develop sound judgement. Timothy was instructed to study so as to show himself proven and tested so others would know his ministry could be trusted and strong.
Never stop learning. Feed your spirit and cultivate a hunger for new information. Be teachable and open to fresh ideas and watch the Holy spirit bring you into contact with people and things that will change your life.
In April I am taking a 7 day journey to Prague in the Czech Republic to teach leadership to 100 Pastors from Poland, Hungary and Budapest. I have never been to this region of the world but my excitement level is high because I cannot wait to encounter something new and to see things that will deepen my life experience. I know, in some way, I will come back changed.
My question for you this week is this, are you growing? What significant change has happened in your life in the last five years? Have you changed for the better? Are you more mature now than then? How has your thinking improved? These are all great questions that I hope you will take the time to reflect upon.
So until next week remember... you are what you THINK, not what you think you are.
Peace.
All for Christ,
J.Mark
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Impossible is Possible, Part 7
I’m back and ready to give you a shot in the arm of truth. As you can see we have changed our format to a blogspot so you can conveniently peruse past evotionals as well as comment and give me some feedback as to whether any of these concepts are inspiring and helping you.
Sorry for missing you last week but we were all running crazy trying to finish last minute details to move into our new multipurpose facilities here on Main Street in downtown Alachua. While there are still some things left to do, our offices are set up and we are open for business, PRAISE THE LORD.
Now, let’s get to it! We have been building our thoughts around the concept that is taught in virtually every book in the Bible, THE IMPOSSIBLE IS POSSIBLE. The Word makes it clear that there are many pitfalls to our destiny and that the road to purpose is full of potholes and dangers along the way. Too often we look for these dangers as outside influences or heat seeking missiles shot from some far away base attempting to derail us and shoot down our vision and dreams.
The moment of truth for you this week is that many times its not those things from without that truly threaten our future but often it is that from within that truly does the greatest damage and sabotages our lives. Here’s a landmine that will blow a hole in your spirit faster than anything, COMPLAINING. The truth is…..the more you complain the less you’ll obtain. The person who is always finding fault seldom finds anything else.
I’m going to be straight with you, I can’t be around these folks for long, they make me itch. Pessimists will always tell you that success is nothing but luck, that those who have walked in great significance are just fortuitous and were simply standing in the right place at the right time. The reason for this is that it’s a far easier explanation to swallow than the truth which is that success is the result of time, tears, trouble and unstoppable tenacity. Things of which the complainer knows nothing of nor has any interest in obtaining. I am convinced God births us into this world as natural optimists and the world slowly tries to educate us out of our “delusion.” God’s Law is slowly replaced with Murphy’s Law and our faith is strangled out by fact. God’s Word constantly instructs us to fight the pull of the world and refuse to allow it’s power to minimize our God.
A life of complaining is the ultimate rut, and it has been well said that a rut is merely a grave with both ends knocked out. Be very careful, misery wants your company. Every time God wants to bless you, He doesn’t send complainers into your life, He sends people full of faith, boldness, and love.
My prayer for you today is that you will examine yourself. Have a moment of honest reflection and think about how much you may give in to the temptation to complain, it may be more than you think. And finally, when you feel like complaining, BRING GOD INTO THE SITUATION. His presence has a way of changing our hearts and minds and causes us to see things in an entirely different light.
Until next week remember, He is not just LORD over the difficult, He is Lord over the impossible.
All for Christ,
J.Mark
Sorry for missing you last week but we were all running crazy trying to finish last minute details to move into our new multipurpose facilities here on Main Street in downtown Alachua. While there are still some things left to do, our offices are set up and we are open for business, PRAISE THE LORD.
Now, let’s get to it! We have been building our thoughts around the concept that is taught in virtually every book in the Bible, THE IMPOSSIBLE IS POSSIBLE. The Word makes it clear that there are many pitfalls to our destiny and that the road to purpose is full of potholes and dangers along the way. Too often we look for these dangers as outside influences or heat seeking missiles shot from some far away base attempting to derail us and shoot down our vision and dreams.
The moment of truth for you this week is that many times its not those things from without that truly threaten our future but often it is that from within that truly does the greatest damage and sabotages our lives. Here’s a landmine that will blow a hole in your spirit faster than anything, COMPLAINING. The truth is…..the more you complain the less you’ll obtain. The person who is always finding fault seldom finds anything else.
I’m going to be straight with you, I can’t be around these folks for long, they make me itch. Pessimists will always tell you that success is nothing but luck, that those who have walked in great significance are just fortuitous and were simply standing in the right place at the right time. The reason for this is that it’s a far easier explanation to swallow than the truth which is that success is the result of time, tears, trouble and unstoppable tenacity. Things of which the complainer knows nothing of nor has any interest in obtaining. I am convinced God births us into this world as natural optimists and the world slowly tries to educate us out of our “delusion.” God’s Law is slowly replaced with Murphy’s Law and our faith is strangled out by fact. God’s Word constantly instructs us to fight the pull of the world and refuse to allow it’s power to minimize our God.
A life of complaining is the ultimate rut, and it has been well said that a rut is merely a grave with both ends knocked out. Be very careful, misery wants your company. Every time God wants to bless you, He doesn’t send complainers into your life, He sends people full of faith, boldness, and love.
My prayer for you today is that you will examine yourself. Have a moment of honest reflection and think about how much you may give in to the temptation to complain, it may be more than you think. And finally, when you feel like complaining, BRING GOD INTO THE SITUATION. His presence has a way of changing our hearts and minds and causes us to see things in an entirely different light.
Until next week remember, He is not just LORD over the difficult, He is Lord over the impossible.
All for Christ,
J.Mark
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Make a Move
Have you ever walked into a Wal-mart or a Sam’s Club and marvel at the enormity of the buildings, the number of employees or the amount of stores they have nationwide? I know I have. In fact I recently saw a program on CNBC that went inside the operational division of Wal-mart and revealed a web of organization that is quite staggering. For example, Wal-mart has a weather division that tracks weather patterns around the world in order to forecast where trouble spots will be. Why, you may ask? Because it increases sales.
Case in point. Through studying retail trends Wal-mart discovered when hurricanes pound the eastern seaboard people prepare for the oncoming storm by filling up on food and supplies in order to hunker down and wait out the impending threat. One of the products that seems to be high on every persons list is …….Strawberry Pop-Tarts. Apparently, they're easy, last forever, require no cooking and frankly, there delicious. So when Wal-mart spots a stirring in the stratosphere off the coast of Africa they mobilize for action and ship 5 times the normal amount of Strawberry Pop-Tarts to the east coast.
I know… you’re wondering where I’m going with all this. I sat there thinking, how did one man’s simple idea and dream of opening up one little store transform into this raging monster of a cultural phenomenon? Well, you can analyze, scrutinize and philosophize all you want but there is no way to get around this one fundamental truth. WINNING STARTS WITH BEGINNING. Everything big starts with something small. Nothing great is created suddenly. Never decide to do NOTHING just because you can only do SOMETHING.
I have learned that small oppurtunities can often be the beginning of great enterprises. In fact, I pray for small oppurtunuties because I know that if I am faithful with small things, bigger things are sure to come. IT IS A BIBLICAL CERTAINTY (Matthew 25:21). You will never do great things if you can’t do small things in a great way. What many people call impossible is really just the untried. You wiil never succeed at something you never attempt, and that’s a fact. Worse than a quitter is one who allows fear to prohibit him from ever trying. You can travel distance a lot farther and faster than you think by just consistently putting one foot in front of another, but if you never take a step your destination is already established. And the truth is the first step is always the hardest but it is the one most necessary in order to create momentum.
A great Pastor I know in Arizona once told me something I can’t shake, he said, “You may be disappointed if you fail, but you’re doomed if you never try.” He’s right. My question to you this week is, what do you have a dream of doing that makes you fearful? What should you already have done? Don’t be discouraged and dare to begin. I think what you are going to find is that most of the things you end up doing, you didn’t know you could do, until you did it. You may want to read that again. God doesn’t begin to bless until you move and then and only then do you find strength you never knew was available before.
So until next week remember, you will never make your mark if you never make a move.
All for Christ, J.Mark
Case in point. Through studying retail trends Wal-mart discovered when hurricanes pound the eastern seaboard people prepare for the oncoming storm by filling up on food and supplies in order to hunker down and wait out the impending threat. One of the products that seems to be high on every persons list is …….Strawberry Pop-Tarts. Apparently, they're easy, last forever, require no cooking and frankly, there delicious. So when Wal-mart spots a stirring in the stratosphere off the coast of Africa they mobilize for action and ship 5 times the normal amount of Strawberry Pop-Tarts to the east coast.
I know… you’re wondering where I’m going with all this. I sat there thinking, how did one man’s simple idea and dream of opening up one little store transform into this raging monster of a cultural phenomenon? Well, you can analyze, scrutinize and philosophize all you want but there is no way to get around this one fundamental truth. WINNING STARTS WITH BEGINNING. Everything big starts with something small. Nothing great is created suddenly. Never decide to do NOTHING just because you can only do SOMETHING.
I have learned that small oppurtunities can often be the beginning of great enterprises. In fact, I pray for small oppurtunuties because I know that if I am faithful with small things, bigger things are sure to come. IT IS A BIBLICAL CERTAINTY (Matthew 25:21). You will never do great things if you can’t do small things in a great way. What many people call impossible is really just the untried. You wiil never succeed at something you never attempt, and that’s a fact. Worse than a quitter is one who allows fear to prohibit him from ever trying. You can travel distance a lot farther and faster than you think by just consistently putting one foot in front of another, but if you never take a step your destination is already established. And the truth is the first step is always the hardest but it is the one most necessary in order to create momentum.
A great Pastor I know in Arizona once told me something I can’t shake, he said, “You may be disappointed if you fail, but you’re doomed if you never try.” He’s right. My question to you this week is, what do you have a dream of doing that makes you fearful? What should you already have done? Don’t be discouraged and dare to begin. I think what you are going to find is that most of the things you end up doing, you didn’t know you could do, until you did it. You may want to read that again. God doesn’t begin to bless until you move and then and only then do you find strength you never knew was available before.
So until next week remember, you will never make your mark if you never make a move.
All for Christ, J.Mark
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The Impossible is Possible, Part 6
Remember, the impossible IS possible, so let’s continue. We are talking about components necessary to achieve and fulfill your God-given dreams. Helen Keller was once asked, “Is there anything worse than being blind?” “Oh yes,” she said. “It is to have your sight and yet have no vision.”
To one person the world is desolate, dull and empty, to another the same world looks rich, interesting and full of meaning. The difference? VISION. Eyes that look are common, but eyes that truly see are rare. How we see determines how we position ourself, and how we position ourself determines ultimately how we receive. You will never see the power of the sunrise if you get up and only look west. Life is the same way, many people never fully appreciate it’s indescribable beauty or it’s incredible oppurtunities, not because there not there but because they never see it.
One author defined what I’m talking about and referred to it as premeditated cognitive thought. It’s just a fancy way of saying YOU SEE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE. It’s kind of like how a twenty dollar bill can look so big when it goes to church and so small when it goes for groceries. (I know, that one stung a bit but it’s true.) Some people complain because roses have thorns instead of being thankful that thorns have roses. Any fact facing us is not nearly as important as our attitude towards it. Norman Vincent Peale once said, “You and I do not see things as THEY are, we see things as WE are.” Every person’s eyes are colored by the condition of their heart, our vision is shaped by our character.
Whenever you begin to develop the outlook that wherever you go there are wonderful ideas and oppurtunities waiting to be discovered, guess what you find? You find yourself surrounded by adventure. Why did Jesus constantly remind us that our faith was the foundation of miracles? Because faith sees things that others don’t see, it is a departure from the blinding facts that tell us why it cannot be and it is a leap to the belief that anything is possible with God. It expands our vision. Faith is expectation in overdrive. The trouble with the future for most people is that it arrives before they are ready for it. Vision allows you to dig a well BEFORE you are thirsty and plant a seed BEFORE you are hungry. Preparation is the result of vision, your view of tomorrow motivates you to make adjustments today.
So here’s my question, how’s your vision? Are you just looking or do you really see? What view of your future do you have that mandates adjustment today? I am convinced that our OUTLOOK will in many ways determine our OUTCOME. I hope these words are helping someone. I’m praying for you and your family and I look forward to next week. Until then, open the eyes of your heart you may be surprised at what you see.
All for Christ, J.Mark
To one person the world is desolate, dull and empty, to another the same world looks rich, interesting and full of meaning. The difference? VISION. Eyes that look are common, but eyes that truly see are rare. How we see determines how we position ourself, and how we position ourself determines ultimately how we receive. You will never see the power of the sunrise if you get up and only look west. Life is the same way, many people never fully appreciate it’s indescribable beauty or it’s incredible oppurtunities, not because there not there but because they never see it.
One author defined what I’m talking about and referred to it as premeditated cognitive thought. It’s just a fancy way of saying YOU SEE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE. It’s kind of like how a twenty dollar bill can look so big when it goes to church and so small when it goes for groceries. (I know, that one stung a bit but it’s true.) Some people complain because roses have thorns instead of being thankful that thorns have roses. Any fact facing us is not nearly as important as our attitude towards it. Norman Vincent Peale once said, “You and I do not see things as THEY are, we see things as WE are.” Every person’s eyes are colored by the condition of their heart, our vision is shaped by our character.
Whenever you begin to develop the outlook that wherever you go there are wonderful ideas and oppurtunities waiting to be discovered, guess what you find? You find yourself surrounded by adventure. Why did Jesus constantly remind us that our faith was the foundation of miracles? Because faith sees things that others don’t see, it is a departure from the blinding facts that tell us why it cannot be and it is a leap to the belief that anything is possible with God. It expands our vision. Faith is expectation in overdrive. The trouble with the future for most people is that it arrives before they are ready for it. Vision allows you to dig a well BEFORE you are thirsty and plant a seed BEFORE you are hungry. Preparation is the result of vision, your view of tomorrow motivates you to make adjustments today.
So here’s my question, how’s your vision? Are you just looking or do you really see? What view of your future do you have that mandates adjustment today? I am convinced that our OUTLOOK will in many ways determine our OUTCOME. I hope these words are helping someone. I’m praying for you and your family and I look forward to next week. Until then, open the eyes of your heart you may be surprised at what you see.
All for Christ, J.Mark
Monday, January 5, 2009
The Impossible is Possible, Part 5
It seems like every single week we are adding new subscribers to our e-votional list. We have added several again this week who signed up online at the website, so for those who are just joining us we are in a series of e-votionals on the topic “THE IMPOSSIBLE IS POSSIBLE.” I have been sharing what I believe to be pivotal and indispensable components to success and living out the dreams that God has placed in your heart. This week I want to tackle an issue that is an enemy to your dreams, PROCRASTINATION. Procrastination is the fertilizer that makes difficulties grow.
I want you to ask yourself this question, “If I don’t take action now, what will it ultimately cost me?” I am learning an incredible secret in researching and observing people who do great things. Success comes to the man who does today what others were thinking of doing tomorrow. By the time a procrastinator finally makes up his mind, the opportunity has usually passed him by. I recently read a quote from Miguel De Cervantes who said, “ By the street of by and by, one arrives at the house of never.” What he is implying is that whenever we say we will get around to it “someday”, we never do. Ladies and gentleman, “someday” is not a day of the week. Procrastinators never have small problems simply because they always wait until their problems grow up.
Dealing with an issue immediately and while it is in its infancy insures it will never get out of control. But allow it to go unchecked and unsupervised and a monster can emerge. The cost of growth and action is always less than the cost of stagnation. We must strive to be like the apostles, these men were not known for their policies, procedures, theories or excuses but for their ACTS. Occasionally you may see someone who doesn’t do anything and yet appears to be successful in life. Don’t be deceived. Remember, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Most people who sit around waiting for their ship to come in often find it to be “hardship.” The hardest work in the world is usually that which should have been done yesterday. Edgar Guest summed it up like this, he said, “Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.” Now, I don’t know what vision you have or what dream lies dormant in your heart or what endeavor you wish could be, but whatever it is one thing is for sure, if you never move, it won’t either. If you never try, you will never know what miracles God has placed on the path to your destiny. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 28:2 “The blessings of the Lord shall overtake you,” that means it happens in flight, while your moving and striving for the goal. The Bible promises no loaves to the loafer but His favor always finds those working diligently toward his will. Let me leave you with this African Proverb, it says, “Every morning a gazelle wakes up and knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be eaten. And every morning a lion wakes up and knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It makes no difference whether you’re a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up you better be running.”
Until next week, Get up and run.
All for Christ, J.Mark
I want you to ask yourself this question, “If I don’t take action now, what will it ultimately cost me?” I am learning an incredible secret in researching and observing people who do great things. Success comes to the man who does today what others were thinking of doing tomorrow. By the time a procrastinator finally makes up his mind, the opportunity has usually passed him by. I recently read a quote from Miguel De Cervantes who said, “ By the street of by and by, one arrives at the house of never.” What he is implying is that whenever we say we will get around to it “someday”, we never do. Ladies and gentleman, “someday” is not a day of the week. Procrastinators never have small problems simply because they always wait until their problems grow up.
Dealing with an issue immediately and while it is in its infancy insures it will never get out of control. But allow it to go unchecked and unsupervised and a monster can emerge. The cost of growth and action is always less than the cost of stagnation. We must strive to be like the apostles, these men were not known for their policies, procedures, theories or excuses but for their ACTS. Occasionally you may see someone who doesn’t do anything and yet appears to be successful in life. Don’t be deceived. Remember, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Most people who sit around waiting for their ship to come in often find it to be “hardship.” The hardest work in the world is usually that which should have been done yesterday. Edgar Guest summed it up like this, he said, “Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.” Now, I don’t know what vision you have or what dream lies dormant in your heart or what endeavor you wish could be, but whatever it is one thing is for sure, if you never move, it won’t either. If you never try, you will never know what miracles God has placed on the path to your destiny. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 28:2 “The blessings of the Lord shall overtake you,” that means it happens in flight, while your moving and striving for the goal. The Bible promises no loaves to the loafer but His favor always finds those working diligently toward his will. Let me leave you with this African Proverb, it says, “Every morning a gazelle wakes up and knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be eaten. And every morning a lion wakes up and knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It makes no difference whether you’re a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up you better be running.”
Until next week, Get up and run.
All for Christ, J.Mark
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