Be Outspoken! Be Heard! The Powerful Movement of Thoughts ...

The Good Ol' Days!

2010-03-15T17:41:00Z

Grandad was reminiscing about the good old days.....................

"When I were a lad, Momma would send me down to t'corner store wi' a
dollar, and I'd come back wi' five pounds o' potatoes, two loaves o'
bread, three pints o' milk, a pound o' cheese, a packet o' tea, an' 'alf
a dozen eggs. Yer can't do that now...Too many damm security cameras."

Live Your Life Like Rose!

2010-03-12T17:13:00Z

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

She said, 'Hi handsome.. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?'

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze.

'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked.

She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids...'

'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.

We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet.. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.
Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know..'

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, ' We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old.. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody! Can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets..

The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.'

She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose..'

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it!

These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
'Good friends are like stars....... ....You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.'

Living and Being Successful!

2010-03-10T06:55:00Z

The longer I live, the more deeply I'm convinced that the difference between the successful person and the failure, between the strong and the weak, is a dceision- Willie E. Gary

Keep making and committing to your decisions love ones! Regardless of the outcome at least YOU DECIDED!

Tears and Sweat

2010-03-06T06:40:00Z

Both tears and sweat are salty, but they render a different result. Tears will get you sympathy but sweat will get you change! Happy Monday loved ones!

Helping Haiti through Song!

2010-02-25T16:59:00Z

New Video "We Are The World 25 For Haiti'

Click Here To Watch Video

Product of Your Environment

2010-02-22T05:51:00Z

Don't just allow yourself to be a product of your environment, make your environment a product of you! Have a blessed day!

Song for the Soul!

2010-02-12T16:00:00Z

this is worth watching.......twice.

I can't imagine the work it took to pull this off.

Click on the line below, and turn on your sound:

http://www.bornagainamerican.org/index.html

Todays Battle, Tomorrow's Strength!

2010-02-09T17:21:00Z

Click Here if you would like to subscribe to the Streaming Faith Daily Devotional

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Print Article
Leave a Comment

Today's Battles, Tomorrow's Strength
Steven Furtick

One of my favorite Southern Baptist preachers, Johnny Hunt, once said that the only time he ever gets headaches is when he finds himself trying to fight today's battles with tomorrow's strength.

I think Pastor Johnny was quoting another pastor when he said it. Come to think of it, the idea originated with Jesus:

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

God supplies all the strength we need to do all that He's called us to do. But He rations this strength much in the same way He rationed manna to the children of Israel.

He provides sufficient strength each day for the challenges of that day...and that day only. This strength doesn't carry over from one day to the next. You either use it, or lose it.

And He will not give you enough strength today for the confrontations, obligations, and challenges of next week, next month, or next year. That strength will be deposited in your account precisely when you need it, and not a moment before.

If you're stressed and overwhelmed today, check your strength supply. I'll bet you have enough to get you through this day.

And that's all you need for now.

Steven Furtick is Pastor of Elevation Church, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Under his passionate leadership, Elevation Church was named one of the 10 fastest growing churches in America. A devoted husband and father of two, you can find Steven blogging at www.stevenfurtick.com

Plan B

2010-02-04T20:31:00Z

Click Here if you would like to subscribe to the Streaming Faith Daily Devotional

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Print Article
Leave a Comment

Plan B
Milan Ford

For as long as I can remember, I was taught to have one.

When selecting a certain field of study in school, have one.
When pursuing a particular path of employment, have one.
When researching a new savings or investment plan, have one.
Even when it came to deciding on the woman I wanted to marry, I was taught to have one.

(Although after seven great years of marriage, I'm glad I didn't follow that piece of advice.)

Through the sincere and heartfelt counsel of parents, teachers, friends, co-workers, and at times, even our pastors, many of us have grown up our entire lives listening to the value and importance of having a Plan B. We are often taught that it is through an abundance of options, and not the lack of, that a sense of security and self-assurance in this life can be obtained.

In an effort to minimize our fear of doubt or lack, we surround ourselves with alternatives, just in case the path we have chosen for ourselves has turned out to be one with unfavorable outcome. And while for many, the ability to always have a Plan B to 'fall back on' may seem to be a wise decision, when it comes to matters of faith, it can be a very unhealthy habit to maintain.

As believers, many of us live out our lives like we have a remote glued to our hands.

As soon as we see something we don't like, we quickly reach to change the channel, simply because we believe we have an option to do so. When we encounter difficulty at our jobs, we begin looking for opportunity elsewhere. When we have a disagreement with a spouse, we begin looking for agreement elsewhere. And as soon as we think our churches can no longer 'give' us what we're looking for, we begin looking to 'receive' somewhere else.

As believers, we must be very careful when our individual pursuits of a Plan B are a direct result of not knowing or believing in God's Plan A. There perhaps is nothing that displeases God more than a believer with a closed fist - one who decides that holding onto his or her Plan B is much safer than letting go and trusting in God's Plan A.

I have always been amazed at the incredible faith Abraham displayed in Genesis 22.

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar of.

And Abraham said to this young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you." - Genesis 22:1-5

Now here is a man who God basically told to take his son, his only son, a son that he loved and cherished, and sacrifice him as an offering on a mountain. Seems like if there were ever a time someone would have had the right to ask God for a Plan B, it was Abraham.

However, instead of complaining and making some alternative suggestions to God, Abraham followed God's Plan A and took his son Isaac to the mountain as he was instructed. But check out verse 5 again.

"And Abraham said to this young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and WE will come back to you."

Now I have to admit, when I first read that passage I thought Abraham was just saying that to perhaps provide some form of comfort to the men he had brought along with him. I can only imagine how confused they had to be as to why Abraham was walking up a mountain with his son, his only son, a son that he loved and cherished, with some split wood as though he was heading to an offering...

...without a single lamb in sight.

And as we read later in verse 7, they perhaps weren't the only one confused. Isaac himself was looking for some answers from his father as well. The kind of answers many of you reading this devotional today may still be seeking God for now.

"God, where is my spouse? Where is my promotion? Where is that new business you promised me? I've followed your Plan A, but where is that lamb for a burnt offering? Where is my Plan B?"

But watch how Abraham, the father of our faith, answers his son in verse 8.

And Abraham said, "My Son, God will provide for HIMSELF the lamb for a burnt offering."

Not once in the first eight verses of this chapter did God tell Abraham that He was going to provide Abraham with a lamb to sacrifice. Not once did God let Abraham know that there was all along a Plan B that he could rely on. Not once.

So how in the world did Abraham know to tell those young men that both he AND his son would come back down from that mountain? How is that Abraham could look his son in the eyes and with unwavering faith, tell him that God will provide the answer to this test?

Simply because Abraham was already all too familiar and perhaps sick and tired of coming to God with a Plan B. Flip back and read Genesis 16 and you'll see exactly what I mean. Abraham gave up being in control, and decided to lean hard into God's Plan A, regardless of how ridiculous it may have sounded.

Are you and I really prepared to demonstrate that kind of faith today?

Remember this: Having a 'ram in the bush' is not the result of having a successful Plan B, but rather following God's Plan A. When you have no other alternatives, God then provides better choices.

Milan Ford has been a leader (and survivor) of ministry within the local church for most of his life. A lover of Red Vines Licorice and all things pointing North, Milan released his first book, 83 Things I Wish The Black Church Would Stop Doing in December (2009). You can find Milan rambling and writing at at ThePewView.com.

Actions vs. Value and Worth

2010-02-04T06:11:00Z

Accept that what you do, does not define who you are. You have to separate your net worth from your self worth. Your net worth is going to fluctuate, but your self worth should only appreciate!- Christ Gardner