Friday, June 20, 2014

WHAT DO THESE THINGS HAVE IN COMMON?

WHAT DO THESE TWO THINGS HAVE IN COMMON?

*It's an important instance in my life, I've got some some important decisions to make, but something in the back of my mind keeps nagging me.  I feel like there is some information missing something isn't right.

*It's been a busy day, someone asks me a simple question, a simple yes/no answer should be enough.

In the first case, I have what I believe is all the right information.  I weigh that information carefully to make the right decision, but...

In the second case it is a simple question, and I answer it without much thought, but...

...FAILED
In the first instance I didn't ask the right question.  Just one question made the difference of several thousand dollars.  I had pages of information as a matter of fact, but not until later did I realize the one question I needed to ask.  All of the information I had didn't answer that one question. 

In the second instance I was busy, I assumed it was a simple question, but in the end it wasn't a good choice.  In order to make good choices it is necessary to ask the right question, maybe more than one. 

"INFORMATION IS INCREASING IN OUR DAYS EXPONENTIALLY" 
 The article boasted that we were gaining so much more information than any time in history, but...  
It might have been a clever way to catch attention, but I question its authenticity.   However, even if it were true, what good is a multiplicity of information going to do our society?  My mother used to say we were becoming a generation of educated idiots.  I don't think she meant it as a compliment.

CLOUDING AN ISSUE
Just as when I had pages of information and it just hid the question I needed to ask, so does much of the intelligence we are supposed to be gaining.  Far too many people are ignoring the important question of this life.  Instead of coming to the eternal question of 'justice, righteousness, and the judgement to come with an honest heart, they pretend it's a simple yes/no question and slough it off. 

THE IMPORTANT QUESTION NO ONE IS ASKING
Matthew 16:26  "For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?"

Don't forget to join the conversation.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Looking For Answers

The cartoon shows a modern woman sitting at a bar talking to her girlfriend.  "I just can't seem to find decent men who are looking for a committed relationship."   There are a few men sitting in the background, all of which either have crazy hair, odd piercings. or all of the above and more.
    
Many thoughts fly through my cuckoo's nest on this one, however, our lives are similar at times.  Going on with the identification process, first you start with the question 'where do I want to end up?'.  Reverse engineering is a new term that has made its way into vocabularies. 

This is a term that I gleaned from a thirty day challenge I took from Chalene Johnson.  It means decide where you want to be, then working back from that point begin to ask what would be the step before accomplishing that...and ultimately brainstorming from that point back to where you are today.  At that point you can set the goals day by day, step by step to where you want to end up.  Set the daily goals by making your lists day by day, week by week.  A person needs increment goals.  When you set up your long range goals, then each month you will be able to see progress toward those goals by the weekly steps you set up. 

What else needs to happen on this journey to self discovery?   Yes, as you start this journey you will discover much about yourself...

While setting your goals ask yourself 'what are my priorities?'
For instance my number one priority is God.  Because God is my first priority there are certain things that I hold as basic, non-negotiable, attributes, such as:

Mark 12:29  "Jesus answered, The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one: 30)  and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.  31)  The second is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

*There is one God--that means there are not many gods, and I am to listen to him and him only
*God is to be my Lord and I am to love him first, with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength
*I am to love my neighbor and myself

No, that wasn't a typo, we are to love ourselves.  It does not say, "if you hate yourself, you may hate your neighbor as well..." ~that is the way many people live today.  What God wants is for you to love yourself in a Godly manner, and love your neighbor likewise in a Godly manner.

Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan then asks this question of the lawyer:
Luke 10:36  "Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor unto him that fell among the robbers?"

The lawyer answers in verse37  "And he said, He that showed mercy on him."  Jesus replies in the same verse:  "And Jesus said unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."
What do you think?  Important questions and important answers...
Have a good day, and don't forget to join the conversation...


Friday, June 6, 2014

More Thoughts For Your Consideration

What are people thinking?  I wonder about this very thing at times.
"He works driving truck, and she works as a nurse," so the conversation goes. "Well, she took a new position.  She doesn't like it as well, but it pays better...I don't know why that makes a difference..."

It is almost a national past time the making of more money.  Couples have a baby, and almost immediately the baby is slapped into daycare so the woman can 'go back to work', because we all know you can't live on one salary...

You would expect that these people are living hand to mouth so to speak.  They must be barely paying bills, and living on beans, rice, and hot dogs, or so it sounds.  It is getting tough I'll admit making ends meet.  Prices are rising, jobs are pretty precious, but...

Here are some questions, or exercises to help you focus.  To help each person to put things into perspective.

What do you value?    What would be your list of  priorities be?  The things in your life that if the whole world fell apart you would not want to lose?  For example for myself this order would run like this:
 *God--God is the stay of my life.  Without God and Jesus nothing else makes sense.
 *Family--next to God they are the most important priorities, the most precious things in my life.
 *Home--not so much a 'house', but where and how we reside. 

You see, in the long run, even though a comfortable nest egg would be...well, it would be comfortable, it isn't the most important thing in life.  What is really important isn't the things we accumulate. It isn't the fabulous house, car, boat, flat screen T.V., satellite dish, most modern kitchen, fancy computer...that list can go on indefinitely. 

Matthew 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment?

In life, why is it we put so much value on vain things?    Leave a comment, don't forget to join the conversation.