storms

Good stuff from my reading by Rick Warren:
3 kinds of storms:
1. storms we bring on ourselves
2. storms God causes
3. storms others bring upon us

What not to do when in a storm:
- Don't drift - from what you know is right
- Don't discard - your values and truth
- Don't despair - or give up hope.

- Our test of our faith is in times of crises.

From another book this morning:
"The hotter the fire, the stronger the steel."

look and find

It's amazing how we usually find what we are looking for. This is true for so many areas of our lives. If your are looking for good in me, you will probably find it. If your looking for negatives in me, I'm sure you will find as well. We find what we are looking for. So much everyday is oblivious to us or we pass by unnoticed, simply because we are not looking. It is true, when you seek, then you will find. You know what your seeking....by what your finding.

don't run

Rick Warren said; "It is never God's Will for me to run from from a difficult situation."
Think about it, when we do run, we will still have to face the situation. It may only look different, but it will be the same. We have to realize that God is trying to do something IN us. He is wanting us to learn to trust Him that He is more than enough for any problem. Are you running from something?

fear

Fear has a way of disabling us. Fear forces us to shrink to inactivity and crushes any faith to take a risk. I make my kids face their fears all the time and push through them. I also personally try to intentionally run into my own fears. May we never allow fears to hinder what God wants us to accomplish and ultimately become.

equation

Event + response = outcome.

We may not be able to control all the things that happen to us or around us, but we can control our response. We are the only ones who can ruin our lives. It is our choice how we allow things to affect us. It may be the same event in two peoples lives, but how they respond to it, makes all the difference.
Is there an area of your life you are not taking control of, but rather allowing it to control you?

ambition

We all have ambition. Some have more, some have less. Ambition is what pushes people to achieve amazing things or the lack of, which keeps people from ever even attempting anything. The key about ambition, is the motive behind it. Motive is what makes ambition either good or bad.
On a scale of 1-10, what is your level of ambition and how are your motives?

kalahari

My family and I just got back in from our yearly ministers retreat / pastors kids retreat at Kalahari indoor water park. We get a rate under $100 and water passes for the whole family. It was a blast. The time together as a family is priceless and it is good to get away and be refreshed personally. The drive back was a little dicey. We went from snow to freezing rain and ice to just plain rain. It took a little longer to get home, but we made it home safely. Thank-you Jesus. I can't wait to work my first day in my new office tomorrow.