Author: Merlin Erb

If you would, consider these words from our Divine Coach through Paul to Timothy taken from I Tim. 6: 6-21 from the Oct 21 NT reading in my One Year Bible.

Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage all to obey them. Some may deny these things, but they are the sound, wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and are the foundation for a godly life. Anyone who says anything different is both proud and stupid. He is quibbling over the meaning of Christ’s words and stirring up arguments ending in jealousy and anger, which only lead to name-calling, accusations, and evil suspicions. These arguers – their mind warped by sin – don’t know how to tell the truth; to them the Good News is just a means of making money. Keep away from them.

Do you want to be truly rich? You already are if you are happy and good. After all, we didn’t bring any money with us when we came into the world and we can’t carry away  single penny when we die. So we should be well satisfied without money if we have enough food and clothing. But people who long to be rich soon begin to do all kinds of wrong things to get money, things that hurt and make them evil-minded and finally send them to hell itself. For the love of money is the first step towards all kinds of sin. Some people have even turned away from God because of their love for it, and as a result have pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Oh, Timothy, you are God’s man. Run from all these evil things and work instead at what is right and good, learning to trust him and love others, and to be patient and gentle. Fight on for God. Hold tightly to the eternal life which God has given you, and which you have confessed with such a ringing confession before many witnesses.

I command you before God who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a fearless testimony before Pontius Pilate, that you fulfill all that he has told you to do, so that no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ returns. For in due season Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only Almighty God, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who alone can never die, who lives in light so bright that no human beings can approach him. No mere man has ever seen him, nor ever will, Unto him be honor and everlasting power and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Tell those who are rich not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone, but their pride and trust should be in the living God who always richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give happily to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up real treasure for themselves in heaven – it is the only safe investment for eternity! And they will be living a fruitful Christian life down here as well.

Oh, Timothy, don’t fail to do these things that God entrusted to you. Keep out of foolish arguments with those who boast of their “knowledge” and thus prove their lack of it. Some of these people have missed the most important thing in life – they don’t know God. May God’s mercy be upon you.

No further comments . Go forth now enlightened and encouraged. Duplicate prolifically as the descending darkness is both oppressive and suffocating >>>>> merlin

Below Are My Ten Eulogy Words As I Developed Them As Instructed By My Coach. You May Choose Your Own Descriptive Meaningful Words And Then Write Your Personal Focus For Each. I Suggest You Read Them Daily When You Rise. Sharpen Your Focus. Share. Revise Again. Focus Continually!    

1.    I Choose to Be Kind & Considerate.

                My goal is to be like Jesus. I desire to leave everyone I meet better off than when first encountered/intersected.

2.    I Choose to Model Integrity.

                I choose to model the integrity authors Henry Cloud and John Townsend encourage in their three books titled “Boundaries”, “Integrity”, & “How People Grow”; as modeled by Jesus in the four Gospels and as written about throughout both the Old & New Testament.

3.      I Choose to be a Truth Facilitator & when Asked Why I Do Not Value Much of Mainstream Media

                I attempt to respond with proven timeless scriptural and historical wisdom to make sense of our world’s decades of lies and the ensuing “PlanDemic’s chaos.” But please understand, the church has failed historically and even today, we each are guilty of tarnishing Christ’s message in the marketplace of life.

4.    I Choose to be a Faith Facilitator.

                I anticipate and enjoy being approached by persons also struggling to find their life’s purpose and meaning through the forgiveness of their sins by Jesus Christ.

5.    I Choose to be Respectful of Others.

                I understand only God can judge, BUT He has equipped & empowered we as Christ Followers, if we are so invited to evaluate and encourage others, to do so, in a spirit of humility, forgiveness, and loving correction. Healing only comes when the spirit of judgement leaves.

6.    I Choose when Possible to be Practically Inventive.

                I gravitate toward situations where I detect a stalemate in choosing an appropriate decision or action. I depend on the Holy Spirit to interject His perspective into the mix.

7.   I Choose to be a Finisher.

                As in cricket and baseball, each team has members especially skilled for those moments in a game when either the “Finisher” as in cricket; or as the “Closer” in baseball, is summoned to work his “magic” and strategically, win the game! When the chips are down, I choose to dispense hope and the appropriate encouragement from scripture and other wisdom writings to transition well, or to win the game.  

8.    I Choose to Invest my Resources by paying forward.

                I am keenly aware that even before creation, God has plans for his children. I desire to both discover and utilize my accompanying innate and acquired resources whether opportunities, skills, intelligence, money, discretionary time, relationships, etc., ultimately for His good and His glory.

9.    I Choose to be Enthusiastic about Living Out my Allotted Days on Planet Earth.

                Since I now realize enthusiasm is a gift from God and the publicly visible flowering expression on our faces of His love to me and others, I choose to honor his Son Jesus by finishing well enthusiastically. “He who endures to the end shall be saved.” Matt. 10:22, 24:13, and Mark 13:13. “We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.” Heb. 3:14. Christianity is not a sprint but an endurance run. Our finish is determined by the choices we make as they are formed from the patterns we develop in route. Choices or patterns are another of those chicken or the egg situations! Loving enthusiasm is the flag flying high from the castle of my heart when King Jesus is in residence!

10.    I am a Child of God.

                Not only am I created in the image of God, but as a Christ Follower, I am also one of his children with eternal value, an heir, endowed and enabled by the Holy Spirit to be fruitful in kingdom work by assisting others to first discover and then nurturing their satisfaction of worthiness in His kingdom.

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IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO GOD DAILY. MY PERSONAL EXAMPLES FOLLOW BELOW. PERHAPS YOU’LL DESIRE TO WRITE YOUR OWN.

I Daily Express My Gratitude to God For These Blessings and Gifts….

1.) I am especially thankful for the Breath of Life.

2.) I am thankful for the vertical spiritual relationships I enjoy with the Trinity and the gift of salvation .

3.) I am thankful for horizontal spiritual relationships I enjoy with my spouse, close friends, family, church, etc. to perfect my salvation in community relationships.

4.) I am so very thankful in these days and times for the amazing gift of health I do possess.

5.)  I am thankful for the vision of distribution God has given me to both invest and share of my talents and gifts.

6.) I am increasingly thankful as I age for the vast array of resources available to me including:

              A.  Rudimentary intelligence to perform and enhance everything on this page.

B. God’s written Word in all its forms including all the wisdom writings accumulated to date.

C. Satisfying relational opportunities.

              D. Skills (both innate & acquired) to be enjoyed personally and shared by blessing others.

             E . Discretionary time and funds to be enjoyed personally and invested in kingdom endeavors as prompted by the Spirit.

7.) I believe we are about to experience a new level of thankfulness for life’s necessities as we enter a ‘Dark Winter’ wherein some may experience shortages of food, water, and adequate shelter.

8.) I am thankful to have experienced the ‘techie’ advancements even though they may have contributed to our civilization’s ‘undoing’…

Complaining & gossiping is nigh impossible for a Christ Follower

while in worshipful praise & thanksgiving!                 

Summarized from Matthew Kelly’s book The Seven Level’s of Intimacy:

The Art of Loving and the Joy of Being Loved. Pg. 174-185

Knowing the dreams of the people you love and helping them fulfill those dreams brings a certain dynamism to relationships that is both energizing and inspiring. Few things energize an individual like the passionate pursuit of a dream, and few things can infuse a relationship with such energy and enthusiasm as the pursuit of dreams. Whether revealing or chasing your dreams, both can have a very powerful impact on any relationship. Our dreams are the vision that shapes both our lives and our relationships.

When it comes to the pursuit of dreams, the first question to ask yourself is, are you willing to delay gratification? If you answer no, you are not ready for relationships, and any worthwhile dream will evade you. Our present culture proposes that life is all about getting what you want, when you want it, and is propelled forward by a constant need for gratification and a contempt and disdain for anything that would delay gratification. Now even instant gratification isn’t fast enough. As a result, we are now witnessing the rise of entire generations who possess no patience, little self-control and an almost complete inability to discipline themselves.

The reality is that success in any field, whether it is business, career, sports, investing, inventing, health and well-being, spirituality, or relationships, requires delayed gratification. You cannot be successful without delaying gratification – unless your goal is instant gratification. And if this is your goal, you may experience some temporary success but you are doomed to fail sooner or later.

Our ability to delay gratification determines our success in a great many areas of out lives.

Personal finance is a great example, perhaps one many of us will be able to relate to a little more closely! Millions of Americans retire each year with little or no net worth. Having given the best forty years of their life to work, they have frighteningly little to show for it. They will collect their Social Security and they may marginally survive but a great many of them will spend the rest of their lives watching pennies. Is there an alternative?

Absolutely. If you saved $1 a day for 55 years you would have $20,000 in savings. You may say, so what? Well, if you invested your $30 at the end of each month in government bonds at a return of 5 percent, after 55 years you would have $101,000. Still not convinced that you should delay your gratification? Invest your $1 a day at a return of 9 percent, and after fifty-five years you will have $481,795. Is it unreasonable to expect a return of 9 percent? You decide, but the S&P has averaged a return of 12.4 percent since 1925.

Still not convinced? Save an entire $3 a day for fifty-five years and invest at 9 percent and you will walk away with $1,445,385. That’s right, almost $1.5 million in return for a $3 a day delayed gratification. Increase your savings to $5 a day and you will amass $2,408,975. Why do most people retire with little or no net worth? Two reasons. They are unwilling to delay gratification, and they never really took the time to develop a financial dream.

On the other hand, the average household in the US that carries a credit card balance has more than $7,000 of credit card debt. (likely more today!)

Consumer debt is at record levels as is instant gratification. Coincidence? I think not. Is the battle between saving and spending? I don’t think so. The battle more than ever, is in your mind debating instant gratification versus delayed gratification.

I am certainly not suggesting that wealth is the be-all and end-all, but when given a choice between riches and poverty, I would choose wealth every time. And I’d encourage you to do the same. The reality is that most of us in America up until now at least, could be argued, have actually been given the choice between riches and poverty.

Now, may we kick up the stakes a notch and consider our relationships rather than merely money? First think about the people you know who have failing relationships or who cannot keep a relationship together. Are they willing to delay gratification? Do they see relationships simply as a source of pleasure? Do they hold the unreasonable expectation that a good relationship should not have problems? Are they willing to put the relationship ahead of their personal agenda and pleasures?

Every worthwhile dream absolutely demands delayed gratification, and the dream of a great relationship is absolutely no different. The very nature of relationships is strategically giving, continually giving, and seldom if ever, getting; it is helping someone else in their journey to become their best possible version of themselves.

While building such encounters, we must be willing to delay our own personal gratification. There will be times in your primary relationship when you will be required to delay gratification (individually and as a couple) if you wish to live the dream of a great relationship, and if you wish to achieve some of the other dreams you as a couple have identified and are committed to achieving.

So how do people who delay their gratification do it? They keep in mind the future gratification and in relationships, that is so critical! When we love someone, we think about building a life with that person and about all the exciting possibilities the future holds. Dreams extend our time horizon beyond the self centeredness of instant gratification and into a future filled with the love, intimacy, and mutual respect for which we all yearn. Dreams, a common essential purpose, and the willingness to delay gratification will ignite your relationship like no pleasure the world has ever offered or prescribed.

Building future relationship together by knowing what awakens the passion, energy, and enthusiasm in the lives of the people you love is crucial if you are going to develop a deep level of intimacy. The reason it is so important for us to know the dreams of the people we love is that they view their lives in relation to their dreams. In fact, did you realize how our dreams are the lenses through which we view everything.

Let me give you a quick example. Your wife says to you, “I saw a beautiful dress at the store today. I think I’ll go back and buy it tomorrow.” You may ask how much it costs, to which she replies, “Two hundred and fifty dollars.” It is an arbitrary amount and many people could justify the expenditure. But you may become upset because you see this expenditure as frivolous. As you see it, you wife already has fifty dresses she hardly ever wears. But this is not the point; you are not upset because your wife wants a new dress. The real point is that you would rather see this money used for something else – that is, for one of your dreams.

Your dream may be to retire early and travel with your wife while you are still young enough to enjoy it. You may be saving relentlessly to make this dream come true, but you haven’t told your wife about it. You may have alluded to it, but have you sat down together, done the math, and determined what you both need to do to make the dream a reality? Let’s face it: if you gave your wife the choice between a handful of new dresses and traveling together after your early retirement, I think she would pick the latter. If she wouldn’t, you got bigger problems than whether or not she buys the dress.

Dreams do bring clarity and focus to our relationships. If you are going to build a future together, you have to know each other’s dreams. Too often, we live in the miscredited fantasy that one day we will wake up and everything will be exactly as we have always wished it would be. It won’t. Seriously now folks, somewhere deep down inside of you, you know that is pure fictional fantasy, And that dear reader, is precisely the difference between a wish and a dream.

If you want to be intimate with the people you love, you need to know what drives them. In different stages of our lives, we are driven by different things, different values. For example, if you asked your spouse what his or her dreams were when you first started dating and you haven’t spent much time on the subject since, you will likely discover that he or she has a whole new set of dreams now. If this is the case, may I suggest you ask this question first of your spouse or significant other as a starting point for likely the much needed renewal in your relationship: Which of your dreams got lost along the way while I was too busy pursuing my own?

It is never too late to make such corrections! Go forth rejoicing enjoying your needed renewal and your scheduled carefree timelessness, while you can! merlin

How To Pray

By R A Torrey

Summarized by merlin

Ch 1. The Importance of Prayer

Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. (note the alls)

But why is this constant, persistent, sleepless, overcoming prayer so needful?

1. Because there is a Devil…. Cunning, mighty, never rests, ever plotting..  “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

2. Prayer is God’s appointed way for obtaining things, and the great secret of all lack in our experience, in our life and in our work is neglect of prayer. James 4:2 “Ye have not because you ask not.”

3. Those men who God set forth as a pattern of what of what He expected Christians to be – the apostles – regarded prayer as the most important business of their lives. Acts 6:2-4.”…it is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; “but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” We now see and understand better Spirit and wisdom, but we need to absorb the rest of the verse, such as with the book, Start With Why.

4. Prayer occupied a very prominent place and played a very important part in the earthly life of our Lord.

5. Praying is the most important part of the present ministry of our risen Lord. Hebrews 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.  Jesus is able to save us to the uttermost, not merely from the uttermost, but unto the uttermost, unto entire completeness, absolute perfection. The purpose for which he now lives is “to make intercession for us,” to pray. Praying is his principal activity he is doing since he returned, for it is by his prayers that he is saving us. Nothing challenges me more to pray than the thought that prayer is the principal occupation of our risen Lord.

6. Prayer is the means that God has appointed for our receiving mercy, and obtaining grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Mercy is what we need and grace is what we must have, or all our life and effort will end in complete failure. Prayer is the only way to get them. Understand there is infinite grace at our disposal, and we make it ours experimentally by prayer. Oh, if we only realized the fullness of God’s grace that is ours for the asking, including its height and depth and length and breadth, we would spend more time in prayer.

7. Prayer in the name of Jesus Christ is the way Jesus Christ Himself has appointed for His disciples to obtain fullness of joy. John 16:24 “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name (shame on us!); ask, and ye shall receive , that your joy may be full.” And when our joy is full, it makes God real, not merely an idea. There is no greater joy on earth or in heaven than communion with God and prayer in the name of Jesus accomplishes that! Do you take enough leisure for prayer to actually get into God’s presence. Do you really give yourself up to prayer in the time in which you do take?

8. Prayer, in every care and anxiety and need of life, with thanksgiving, is the means that God has appointed for our obtaining freedom from all anxiety, and the peace of God which passes all understanding. See Phil 4:6-7. Time spent in prayer is not wasted, but time invested paying compounded interest and even sign-on bonuses!

9. Prayer is the method that God Himself has appointed for our obtaining the Holy Spirit. Doubtless many have received the Holy Spirit at their moment of their surrender to God before there was even time to pray; but how many more are there who know their first definite baptism with the Holy Spirit came while they were on their knees or faces before God, alone or in company of others, and who again and again since then have been filled with the Holy Spirit while in prayer! We must continually spend much time on our knees before God, if we are to continue in the power of the Holy Spirit. Too often a person who ministered unmistakably in the power of the Holy Spirit is now filling the air with their empty shouts, and beating it with their meaningless gestures, because their precious prayer time was simply crowded out and intimacy with the Spirit has departed, only hype remains.

10. Prayer is the means that Christ has appointed whereby our hearts shall not be overcome  or be weighed down with carousing and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that Day of Christ’s return come on you un-expectantly. Luke 21:34 NKJV Verse 36 continues “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Counted worthy to even escape all the things currently being concocted across this planet surely diminishes the presence of fear among Christ Followers. Consider also Paul’s words in Phil 1:21-29 NKJV.  “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain…… For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you ….. Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way be terrified by your adversaries, which is to them proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake”… I suggest you may read these verses from The Message if you have access.

The coming of Jesus Christ is awakening much interest and discussion today; but it is one thing to be interested in such, and to talk about it, and quite another thing to be prepared for it. We live in an atmosphere that has a constant tendency to unfit us for Christ’s coming. There is only one way by which we can rise triumphant above these trials and tribulations – solely by constant watching unto prayer, even to loose sleep while preparing.

11. Because what prayer accomplishes!

A. Prayer promotes our spiritual growth as almost nothing else, indeed as nothing else but Bible study; for true prayer and true Bible study go hand in hand. It is through prayer that my sin is brought to light,, my most hidden sin. “Search me O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me.” Ps. 139:23-24.

B. Prayer brings power into our work.

C. Prayer avails for the conversion of others.

D. Prayer brings blessings to the Church

It was so in the days of Wesley and Whitfield, it was so in the days of the great revival of 1857 in this country and of 1859 in Ireland. And it will be so again in your day and mine. Satan has strategized his forces. Many are making great pretensions of apostolic methods, but covering the rankest dishonesty and hypocrisy with these pretensions, speaking even with loud boisterous assurances. Even Christians equally loyal to the great fundamental truths of the Gospel are glowering at one another with a Devil-sent-you suspicion. Our world of contrived chaos, the flesh and its carnality, and the Devil are in full exhibition, celebrating in full bloom. It is now a dark day, But  – now  “it is time for thee, Lord, to work; for they have made void thy law” (PS. 119:126).

And He is getting ready to work, and now He is listening for the voice of prayer, our prayers. Will He hear it? Will He hear it from you? Will He hear it from the Church as a body? I believe he will.

This is only a quick summary of the first chapter of twelve, which spoke loads of encouragement to me this evening considering the journey we are on. I marvel at the appropriateness of the message for today though I did add a few sentences that you’ll easily spot.

RA Torrey lived from (1856-1928), the son of an affluent banker and lawyer, was extremely shy, graduated from Yale in 1875, Yale Divinity in 1878, and his first pastorate was in Garrettsville OH at the Congregational Church. He joined Dwight L Moody in 1889 and in ’94 began as pastor at Moody Church on Chicago Avenue. In 1912, he was persuaded to build another institution like Moody Bible Institute, and from 1912 to 1924, he served as the Dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (now Biola University). He preached around the world and authored more than 40 books.

Copies are abundantly available online. I found this book and another Moody Bible short novel similar actually to Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) Berlin OH book I use as a tract by Gary Miller, How Can Anyone Say God Is Good? Loretta’s mother has several boxes of books in storage in our barn we need to go through yet and this evening while I was moving them and I spotted these two laying on top, so I took them into Eileen and asked if she remembered being given them on Dec 26, 1937 as written on the fly as a Christmas gift from her first cousin and SS teacher at Crown Hill Mennonite, Mrs. Lester Geiser (the former Grace Brenner). She did and so we talked about that era and its significance. I told Loretta later I think I’ll read the short novel to her next week as she enjoys Audible books and see how well at 95 years old she connects with its message.

 In ’66 while at Hesston College, Lester and Graces son Alfred (Al to us) was a year ahead of me but resided in the same mod and we spent Christmas ’66 together as he was a welder at Excel and I worked on campus. We were invited for Christmas dinner to Leo & Dorothy (Aunt Dorothy was my mother’s youngest sister) Miller’s at 440 S Knight St in Wichita KS where Leo served as pastor at the Eureka Gardens congregation just around the corner.

After HC I spent the ’68 summer building silos for Mast-Lepley and the fourth silo I helped build was on the Lester Geiser farm during wheat harvest and the Mennonite conference at Central Christian High School. Even though Al was in Asia on a MCC assignment, I met his younger brother Roland who was 11 or 12 at the time. And of course, the rest is history. Roland and I intersected frequently both of us servicing the dairy industry nearly 40 years, in Ohio and even in Kosova with a dairy mission project and I even helped him teach our SS class. Al and Gladys spent Al’s final years in Afghanistan where he and his business partner were murdered. Before that assignment however, Al installed an Autoclave  in my lab. Mitch Steiner had sales connections and found out the Joel Pomerene Hospital was getting a new one so I bought their old one.

So that folks, is the rest of the story as the mural is continuing to be drawn out on the canvases of our lives, never knowing exactly where opening a little coverless beat up book might take you; perhaps even impact you forever. Time is always of the essence. Invest wisely for eternal joy.

Great leaders – great achievers – are rarely realistic by other people’s standards. Somehow, these successful people, often considered strange, pick their way through life ignoring or not hearing negative expectations and emotions. Consequently, they accomplish one great thing after another, never having heard what cannot be done. This is precisely why one should never tell a young person that something cannot be done. God may have waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing!

Your success with the other six Decisions (RESPONSIBLE, GUIDED, ACTIVE, CERTAIN, JOYFUL, COMPASSIONATE) rests on your ability and willingness to embrace and master the Persistent Decision. To persist without exception means to ultimately ensure success in your endeavors.

The following is verbatim from Andrew’s 2008 book The Seven Decisions: Understanding the Keys to Success, page 146-148.  

I WILL PERSIST WITHOUT EXCEPTION

“Knowing that I have already made changes in my life that will last forever, today I insert the final piece of the puzzle. I possess the greatest power ever bestowed upon mankind, the power of choice. Today, I choose to persist without exception. No longer will I live a dimension of distraction, my focus blown hither and yon like a leaf on a blustery day. I know the outcome I desire. I hold fast to my dreams. I stay the course. I do not quit.

I will persist without exception. I will continue despite exhaustion.

I acknowledge the fact that most people quit when exhaustion sets in. I am stronger than most people. Average people accept exhaustion as a matter of course. I do not. Average people compare themselves with other people. That is why they are average. I compare myself to my potential. I am not average. I see exhaustion as a precursor to victory.

How long must a child try to walk before he actually does so? Do I not have more strength than a child? More understanding? More desire? How long must I work to succeed before I actually do so? A child would never ask the question, for the answer does not matter. By persisting without exception, my outcome – my success is assured.

I will persist without exception. I focus on results. To achieve the results I desire, it is not even necessary that I enjoy the process. It is only important that I continue the process with my eyes on the outcome. An athlete does not enjoy the pain of training; an athlete enjoys the results of having trained. A young falcon is pushed from the nest, afraid and tumbling from the cliff. The pain of learning to fly cannot be an enjoyable experience, but the anguish of learning to fly is quickly forgotten as the falcon soars to the heavens.

A sailor who fearfully watches stormy seas lash his vessel will always steer an unproductive course. But a wise and experienced captain keeps his eye firmly fixed upon the lighthouse. He knows that by guiding his ship directly to a specific point, the time spent in discomfort is lessened. And by keeping his eye on the light, there never exists one second of discouragement. My light, my harbor, my future is within sight.

I will persist without exception. I am a person of great faith.

In Jeremiah my Creator declares, “For I know the plans I have for you … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (29:11 NIV). From this day forward, I will claim a faith in the certainty of my future. Too much of my life has been spent in doubting my beliefs and believing my doubts. No more! I have faith in my future. I do not look left or right. I can only persist.

For me, faith will always be a sounder guide than reason because reason can only go so far – faith has no limits. I will expect miracles in my life because  faith produces them every day. I will believe in the future that I do not see. That is faith. And the reward of this faith is to see the future that I believed.

I will continue despite exhaustion. I focus on results. I am a person of great faith. I will persist without exception.”

The following is verbatim from Andrew’s 2008 book The Seven Decisions page 151-153. The letter below also reminds me of Paul Harvey “and here’s the rest of the story for these two unnamed Football Hall of Famers.” Enjoy! merlin

I, Andy Andrews, have a friend with whom I have lunch occasionally. He’s a little older than I am, but he played football as a kid too. He was better than I was, and his dream was to play professional ball. He was a quarterback through high school, and he even got a scholarship to play college ball.

But his dream of playing in the NFL, did not look promising when he injured his back and didn’t play in his senior year. By the last round of the NFL draft, the anxiety and disappointment were just crushing. Finally, the phone rang. One team had made him their choice in the final round .. and at that time the NFL drafted 17 rounds!

 He was so happy; he would have signed for practically nothing. And, in fact, he did – $6500. Of course making the team was going to be the toughest challenge. He was competing against four other quarterbacks, but he wanted this more than anything in the world.

He spent the weeks before his first training camp getting into shape and refining his passing skills. He  threw thousands of balls through an old tire hung from an A-frame at his in-law’s house. And although his friends and family were proud of him, they didn’t really expect him to make the team.

In July, when he reported to camp, he was ready but scared to death. It was obvious the coaches really didn’t expect him to make the team. When the jerseys were given out for the first photo session, they didn’t even give him a quarterback’s number. (In fact if you get a rookie card of this guy, it shows him wearing number 42.)

Training camp was tough, and the competition was fierce, but his early preparation paid off. His confidence helped him perform well in scrimmages and preseason games until, with the final reduction of the squad, he was given a new jersey – number 15. He’d made the team!

Over the next three years, he sat on the bench and watched the team struggle through three of the most dismal years in the history of the franchise. They went through two coaching staffs; morale was horrible.

In his fourth year, in a bold move, the team hired a little known assistant coach to be the head coach of the team. Nobody had ever heard of this guy. It turned out this new coach had traveled a similar path as my friend. He had come up through the ranks. He had never been a good player, but he loved the game so much he wanted to coach.

Some people thought this new leader was too volatile for the coaching profession. Many people said he couldn’t relate to the players because he was wound too tight.  He was given the opportunity to coach fairly late in his life, and then only because the team was so bad. My friend recalls, “If I thought it was tough to make the team, proving myself to this coach was even tougher.”

My friend was a quiet guy, and the coach wasn’t impressed with him. But he was impressed with work habits, his stability, his confidence, and his ability to persist without exception. The coach saw a little of himself in my friend – not the greatest natural talent, but he had an innate inability to back down or quit.

In my friend’s fourth year, the starting quarterback went down with an injury. My friend was ready. This was what he had worked so hard for! He went into the game and brought the team back from behind. After that game, Bart Starr became the running back for the Green Bay Packers.

Vince Lombardi, that little known coach, and Bart Starr led the Packers to one of the greatest all-time records in the history of the NFL. At one point they won five championships in seven years, including the first two Super Bowls, and Bart was named Most Valuable Player in each of those games. Bart was named the Player of the Decade in 1970, and has also been inducted, along with Vince Lombardi, into the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

Today Bart lives in Birmingham with his wife Cherry, and his children and his children’s children. He’s been just as successful in business and his personal life as he ever was on the football field. Bart will tell you that a large degree of success has come developing the habit of persistence without exception.

FAITH  OR  FEAR?

So what is the difference in people? When faced with struggles, why is it one person quits and another keeps going?

As Gabriel asks in the Traveler’s Gift, “Does faith guide your everyday actions and emotions? Or does fear guide what you do?”

One or the other drives us, and both emotions are an expectation for an event that hasn’t come to pass, or a belief in something that can’t be seen or touched. To have faith is to believe in the hopeful potential of what one has not seen, and the reward of faith is to have the potential manifest. The emotional energy of faith is uplifting. Fear, in contrast, is also to believe in the dark potential of what one has not seen, and the only reward of fear .. is more fear. The emotional energy of fear is life draining. Fear can be used as a catalyst for action, or by default, it imprisons a person in a life of mediocrity.

A man of faith reaps perpetual reward, and a man of fear lives on the edge of insanity. Fear is a vapor – a myth – and if you think fear is some kind of warning from above to keep you out of trouble, you can forget that. There is no instance in the Bible that says fear is from God. Fear disrupts you and keeps you from your goals, dreams, and destiny. Fear and worry are interest paid in advance on something that may never come to pass.

Through the years, I’ve discovered that it’s often the smartest people who are most susceptible to fear in the first place. I couldn’t figure this out until I finally realized that fear is imagination run amok. What you fear doesn’t even exist – it is the misuse of the creative imagination God has placed in you. And in the lives of these creative, intelligent people, somehow fear jumps into the mix and shuts down any possibility of moving toward their goals and dreams. It stops everything. The word worry is derived from an Anglo-Saxon term meaning “to strangle” or “to choke off.” Worry and fear choke off any creative flow or intelligent movement that people might have otherwise had.

Ignore fear. Cast it out of your life. There is no reward for fear. The reward is in faith and in seeing what you have believed come to pass.

“I will persist without exception. I am a person of great faith.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Always do what you’re afraid to do.”

LARRY RAGLAND

I was recently asked at bedtime by my wife if I would read and evaluate this book ASAP. Before lunch the next day I said I approved and she immediately ordered a copy for her girlfriend’s husband whose life greatly resembles the authors, Larry Ragland. Pray that Larry’s message for his readers will also divinely inspire this suicidal husband and that he’ll find both forgiveness and Big Picture purpose. I personally thought the book started slow (perhaps I was tired) but Larry soon connected with me, and finished strong as evidenced in my brief summary of Ch Ten. A good read for those of us who have wandered too long in the wilderness of not forgiving ourselves.

Blessings as you inhale and consider implementing his 8 Keys to a Life of Greatness.

Chapter Ten: He Sees Greatness In You.

            It Is All about Perspective

            Learning to Live a “Big Picture Life”

            This Changes Everything

            In the Beginning

Through the Big Picture, we can see the hidden potential for greatness in everything around us. Our Creator demonstrated this at the beginning of our world.

Little Picture living is led by the flesh. Big Picture living is led by the Spirit. Holy Spirit can see the caboose of every situation; your flesh cannot. When we are led by the Spirit, w will begin to see the “good” that can come out of any situation.

            He Sees Greatness in You.

            Greatness Is Already in You.

            Keys to a Life of Greatness (Big Picture Living)

1. “Go All In”  No one has ever lived a life of greatness with a half hearted effort. “You can’t spell God without the word ‘Go.””

 2. “Live Your Life for Others”  … such is rooted in service to others. One of the biggest obstacles to a Big Picture life is selfishness. Get your eyes off yourself and your “issues” and put them on others.          

3. “Surround Yourself with Greatness”  One of the most important things you can do on your journey is to ask God to lead you to your spiritual father or mother. Find a person or a group who are already walking in the anointing that you desire for yourself. They are not your ultimate example, but God will use the testimony of others to pull your testimony out of you.

4. “Don’t Live In the Past, But Don’t Forget It.”  At some point, we must move on. We must forgive. We will never forget, but we have got to forgive. The reason you have a “testimony” is because you have been through a “test.” If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t change anything because the love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness I extend to others has been molded in the excruciating pain of my past.

5. “Be Open to Loving Criticism”  One of the hardest things for a leader to receive is constructive criticism. Greatness is not tied to you always being right. Greatness is tied to doing the right thing. Many times, our desire is to do the right thing, but we are on the wrong path.  

6. “Be a Worker”  Many pastors, leaders, and business owners teach a concept called a pyramid hierarchy; delegate…  which is important, but now we have a generation of elite people at the top who have forgotten their “why!” People will follow those who are not afraid to get their hands dirty.

7. “Never Stop Learning” If you are teachable, you are reachable. Never stop learning and growing… best served by continually reading wisdom literature. Your age, or formal education level, has nothing to do with your ability to educate yourself and grow. God’s will is for the hidden greatness within you to shine in every aspect of your life.

8. “No Time Like Right Now”  I am convinced if the greatness of God can be revealed in a life like mine, it can be revealed in any life. It is time to arise from the ashes. It is time to get off the bench. You can’t change the past, but you can change the future. You can decide to be the Big Picture. You can decide to allow the pain of the past to push you to your purpose.

Now is the time. Let this book be more than my story. Let it be your story. If not now, When? Now is the time for greatness. God sees greatness in you! It’s time for you to see it also. Do you see it?

The following is verbatim from Chapter Six in Andy Andrew’s book, The Seven Decisions: Understanding the Keys to Personal Success starting on page 123. This book continues to be the catalyst for accomplishing relational miracles among some clients and I offer it now for your consideration. merlin

Forgiveness is a secret that is hidden in plain sight. It costs nothing and is worth millions. It is available to everyone and used by few. If you harness the power of forgiveness, you will be sought after and regarded highly. And not coincidentally, you will be forgiven by others.

The Compassionate Decision changes the way most people view forgiveness. A forgiving spirit allows you to let go of the past and embrace a compelling new future. Harboring anger and resentment for others – regardless of whether or not “they deserve it” – poisons your soul and limits your growth. When you embrace forgiveness through the Compassionate Decision, your level of personal success becomes boundless.

I Will Greet This Day With A Forgiving Spirit:

“For too long, every ounce of forgiveness I owned was locked away, hidden from view, waiting for me to bestow its precious presence upon some worthy person. Alas, I found most people to be singularly unworthy of my valuable forgiveness, and, since they never asked me for any, I kept it all for myself. Now, the forgiveness that I hoarded has sprouted inside my heart like a crippled seed yielding bitter fruit.

No more! At this moment, my life has taken on new hope and assurance. Of the world’s population, I am one of the few possessors of the secret to dissipating anger and resentment. I now understand that forgiveness only has value when it is given away. By the simple act of granting forgiveness, I release the demons of the past about which I can do nothing and create in myself a new heart, a new beginning.

I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness.

Many are the times when I have seethed in anger at a word or deed thrown into my life by unthinking or uncaring person. Valuable hours have been wasted imagining revenge or confrontation. Now I see the truth revealed about this psychological rock inside my shoe. The rage I nurture is often one-sided, for my offender seldom gives thought to his offense!

I will now and forever more silently offer my forgiveness even to those who do not see that they need it. By the act of forgiving, I am no longer consumed by unproductive thoughts. My bitterness is given up. I am contented in my soul and effective again with my fellow man.

I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly.

Knowing that slavery, in any form, is wrong, I also know that the person who lives a life according to the opinion of others is a slave. I am not a slave. I have chosen my own counsel. I know the difference between right and wrong. I know what is best for the future of my family, and neither misguided opinion nor unjust criticism will alter my course.

Those who are critical of my goals and dreams simply do not understand the higher purpose to which I have been called. Therefore, their scorn does not affect my attitude or action. I forgive their lack of vision and forge ahead. I now know that criticism is part of the price paid for leaping past mediocrity.

I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself.

For many years, my greatest enemy has been myself. Every mistake, every miscalculation, every stumble I made has been replayed over and over in my mind. Every broken promise, every day wasted, every goal not reached has  compounded the disgust I feel for the lack of achievement in my life. My dismay has developed a paralyzing grip.

When I disappoint myself, I respond with inaction and become more disappointed.

I realize today that it is impossible to fight an enemy living in my head. By forgiving myself, I erase the doubt, fear, and frustration that have kept my past in the present. From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny. I have forgiven myself. My life has just begun.

I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness. I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly. I will forgive myself.

I will greet each day with a forgiving spirit”.  

The following is verbatim from Andrew’s 2008 book The Seven Choices, page 140-142. I must admit after reading The Power of Positive Thinking in my 20’s, I have since succumbed to my perceived residual negativity of the evangelical community toward Peale. Perhaps I need to read the book again. The letter below reminds me of Paul Harvey “and here’s the rest of the story.” Enjoy! merlin

Real Traveler Profile: Norman Vincent Peale

Dr. Peale was an minister and an author of 46 books, which have been translated into 40 languages, including the perennial inspirational classic The Power of  Positive Thinking. Along with his wife, Ruth Stafford Peale, he started a magazine called Guideposts, which is enjoyed by more than 15 million readers. More than 31 million copies of his inspirational booklets have been distributed over the years, and he maintained a full speaking schedule until his death in 1991. Peale received 22 honorary doctoral degrees and was one of the few private citizens in history to be honored in a White House ceremony when President Reagan presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Norman Vincent Peale said, “When God wants to send a gift, he wraps it up in a problem, and the bigger the gift that God sends, the bigger the problem.” It’s easy to assume that the man who wrote The Power of Positive Thinking didn’t have to worry about positive thinking. We figure that the author of a book that has sold 30 million copies to date (2008) must have had it easy, right?

Here, then, is the great letter I received from a man whose very life embodied the Compassionate Decision. It is a story that will surprise you – and one I am certain very few have heard.

Dear Andy:

            I suffered rejection when I wrote a book called The Power of Positive Thinking. Actually, I wanted to call it “The Power of Faith”, but my publisher insistently demanded that I change the title to a phrase  … [from] the book, “The power of positive thinking.”

            It soon to my surprise, hit the bestseller list for 186 weeks, which at that time was a record. This projected me into the most vehement criticism I ever received. I considered the book a vitally Christian book, but some ministers castigated me as an arch-conservative, a tool of capitalistic interests, who was turning Christianity into a way to get rich. One bishop, a scholarly and gifted man, usually dispassionate and objective, became quite intemperate in his attacks on the book and upon me personally. Many ministers even preached against some terrible thing labeled “Pealeism.” And one distinguished pulpiteer called my work a perversion of the Christian religion.. This hue and cry became so violent that I actually wrote my resignation from my ministry, though my church stood by me valiantly. I took a train upcountry to see my aged father who perceived that something was bothering me. And he, even in that remote area, knew of the scathing attack upon me.            So my father, sitting in his rocking chair, said, you have always been true and loyal to Jesus Christ. You believe in and preach Bible truths. You have always been in the mainstream of Christianity, never following any temporary faddism. You have united the pastoral office with the best in the scientific and healing arts. You have blazed new pathways of positive thinking to counter the old destructive negatives. You are my son, and your old father who has known good men and not so good men for 80 years and more, both in and out of the church, says you are a good and loyal minister of Jesus Christ.” He was silent and thoughtful for a long minute. “Besides, and remember this, the Peale’s never quit. It would break my heart if one of my sons was a quitter, afraid to stand up and face any situation.”

My father was a gentle-spirited man and in all my life I had never heard him use any expression that included a swear word. Imagine my shock when he said, “And Norman, there’s just one thing more.”

            “What is it, Dad?” I asked.

            “Tell ‘em to go to hell,” he declared, to my astonishment.

            Stepping into another room, I tore up my resignation letter and threw it into the wastebasket. Needless to say, I came away fortified in in spirit. The book has sold upwards of 20 million copies worldwide and has become, in book statisticians’ opinions, one of the few books in American history that has sold the most. The title has become part of the language and culture not only in America but around the world.

            A lady who was at one time president of the American Council of Churches, Cynthia Weddell, meeting a friend a friend of mine, said, “How’s Norman?” And the friend replied, “He is fine.” And added, “He has outlived his critics.” “No,” said Mrs. Weddell, “he has out-loved them.”

            In every rejection you learn something, and I learned that if you go about your business and love people and not hate anyone, you ultimately gain a victory. Now it so happens that very few people criticize me, wherefrom I deduce that perhaps I am slipping!

Cordially yours,

Norman Vincent Peale

Go Forth Forgiven….

And if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36 NIV

The End

Today I am compelled to share one of my favorite recently discovered epistles with you for the comfort I derive from its words each time through, recently monthly, if not even weekly. It is not uncommon for me to listen to a book in two days, and I frequently am encouraged by friends and associates to explore books far beyond my comfort range. And of late, rather than moving on to the next book after any initial red flags, I force myself to listen attentively, even saving clips of meaningful spots for future reference, as often I am deeply challenged by their words and concepts. Though a new action point for me, I believe this openness is ultimately strengthening my faith and hopefully, meaningful dialogue at some point.

However, after such radical exposures, I find myself anticipating sliding into my recliner, turn on the lamp, and let the words of my favorite scriptures and hymns just wash over me, in, essence restoring my peace and spiritual equilibrium, perhaps even momentum, as I prepare for the next encounters.

Personally, I believe both scripture and science validate the recent exhibitions in our solar system and on and about planet earth of the eventual “end times,” however that may be defined; hence both I & II Peter provide me succinct wisdom for my focus in the swirling chaos and current clammering all about us; unless we have our heads in the sand, or are living in denial. Remember, these are Peter’s words; hot-headed, tempestuous, tumultuous, finicky Peter, but after the third rooster crow and Pentecost, he was a focused man except for that skirmish in Jerusalem when Paul had to call him out. An amazing follower of Christ. Oh, if only we could (would) hear our crowing roosters!

I do caution you upfront though, these are tough words from Peter, not feel good fluff. You may have never even heard these verses prior. That is why I read through the Bible each year in the One Year Bible. The gospel message though amazingly simple characterized by forgiveness, love, grace, mercy and restoration with joy is often in direct conflict with our culture’s lawlessness and open rebellion against God and His scriptural precepts. Sadly, too often today, many Christians do not even understand repentance.

I am using the NKJV. I also frequently read from James and I, II, & III John while in this neighborhood. Pray prior to reading that God will indeed open your heart and mind to his truths while you read. As always, I invite your emails.

Blessings as you go forth>>>> merlin

II Peter 1:16 to the end of this epistle

16  For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  17  For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18  And when we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.  19  We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;  20  knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,  21  for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

CH TWO 1  But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who brought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.  2  And many will follow in their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.  3  By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words, for a long time with their judgement has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.  4  For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgement;  5  and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;  6  and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those afterward would live ungodly;  7  and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed with the filthy conduct of the wicked  8  (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds) –  9  then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgement,  10   and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed; they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,  11  whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring reviling accusation against them before the Lord.  12  But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,  13  and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you,  14  having eyes full of idolatry and that cannot cease from sin, beguiling unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.  15  They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the the son Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16   but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.  17  These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, to whom the glory of darkness is reserved forever.  18  For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through licentiousness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.  19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves or corruption; for by whom a person is overcome by him also is he brought into bondage.  20  For if, after  they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are entangled in them and overcome, the later end is worse for them than the beginning.  21  For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and “a sow having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

CHAPTER THREE  1  Beloved, I now write you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder),  2  that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”  5  For this they willfully forget: that by the word of the God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water,  6  by which the world that then existed perished being flooded with water.  7  But the heavens and the earth which now exist are kept in store by the same word, reserved for fire until the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men.  8  But beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  9  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are it will be burned up. 11  Therefore, since all this will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?  13  Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.  14  Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;  15  and account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation – as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,  16  as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.  17  You therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware lest you also fall away from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;  18  but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Knowing that wisdom waits to be gathered, I will actively search her out. My past can never be changed, but I can change the future by changing my actions today. I will change my actions today. I will train my eyes and ears to read and listen to books and recordings that bring about positive changes in both my divine and personal relationships and consequently, provide me a greater understanding of my fellow man. No longer will I bombard my mind with materials that feed my doubts and fears. I will read and listen only to that which increases my belief in my Creator, myself and my future.

I will seek wisdom. I will choose my friends with care.

I am who my friends are. I speak their language, and I wear their clothes. I share their opinions and habits. From this moment forward, I will choose to associate with people whose lives and lifestyles I admire.

I will seek wisdom. I will listen to wisdom of wise men.

The words of a wise man are like raindrops on dry ground. They are precious and quickly used for immediate results. Only the blade that catches a raindrop will prosper and grow. The person who ignores wise counsel is like the blade of grass untouched by the rain – soon to wither and die. When I counsel with myself, I can only make decisions according to what I already know. By counseling with either a wise person or the Holy Spirit, I add their knowledge, experience and divine unction to my own and dramatically increase my success.

I will seek wisdom. I will be a servant to others.

A wise man will cultivate a servant’s spirit, for that particular attribute attracts people like no other. As I humbly serve others, their wisdom will be freely shared with me. Often, the person who develops a servant’s spirit becomes wealthy beyond measure. Many times, a servant has the ear of the king, and a humble servant becomes king, for he is the popular choice of the people. Realize he who serves the most usually grows the fastest!

I will become a humble servant. I will not look for someone to open my door – I will look to open the door for someone. I will not be distressed when no one is available to help me – I will be excited when I am available to help.

I will be a servant to others. I will listen to the counsel of wise men. I will choose my friends with care. I will seek wisdom.

All this above sounds so good so what’s the problem for me that I exhibit so little wisdom at times? Perhaps we too often mistake wisdom for education, like a high school diploma or a college degree. Seeking wisdom is not the same as gaining knowledge: knowledge is a precursor to wisdom. Wisdom includes a divine intuitive element, perhaps an insight gleamed from either our own or others personal experiences that heightens our awareness as we move toward making future critical life choices in our lives.

Seeking wisdom is a continual process. I have found the humility of the wisdom seeker to be a defining characteristic of not only future influential spiritual kingdom builders, but also for the purpose driven successful movers and shakers all about me, regardless of their career path or field of expertise.

Understand wisdom is available to all, waiting to be known. It can’t be bartered or sold; wisdom is a gift only for the diligent, because only the diligent will find it. Too often the lazy person doesn’t even look for wisdom. It is said God moves mountains to create the opportunities of his choosing BUT IT’S UP TO EACH OF US TO BE READY TO ENGAGE OR AVAIL OURSELVES OF THE OPPORTUNITIES!! May I just be so bold here to suggest that one such opportunity was the founding of America as the greatest experiment ever historically for effective self-governing, not to detract though, from all the events we each have experienced in our own personal lives and pilgrimages. Shame on us for being so blind and calloused to not recognize our blessings on so many fronts!

Briefly now before we close this down, there are three simple things you can do daily to start your lifelong search for wisdom: 1.) READ or listen to wisdom literature every day if only minutes, 2.) seek the counsel of the wise, and 3.) SERVE others. This may all seem to be too simple, yet tragically, much of our society is ignoring these simple, critical distinctions despite their divine availability and proliferation on multiple techie platforms. Please, no procrastination here forward.

Stimulated by and adapted from Andy Andrew’s book, The Seven Decisions Chapter Two beginning on Page 25, for your personal contemplation to add purpose and meaning to your journey of life until??>>>>>merlin