Once upon a time there was a girl who had four boyfriends.
She loved the fourth boyfriend the most and adorned him with rich robes and treated him to the finest of delicacies. She gave him nothing but the best.
She also loved the third boyfriend very much and was always showing him off to neighboring kingdoms. However, she feared that one day he would leave her for another.
She also loved her second boyfriend. He was her confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with her. Whenever this girl faced a problem, she could confide in him, and he would help her get through the difficult times.
The girl’s first boyfriend was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining her wealth and kingdom. However, she did not love the first boyfriend. Although he loved her deeply, she hardly took notice of him!
One day, the girl fell ill and she knew her time was short. She thought of her luxurious life and wondered, ‘I now have four boyfriends with me, but when I die, I’ll be all alone.’
Thus, she asked the fourth boyfriend, ‘I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?’
‘No way!’, replied the fourth boyfriend, and he walked away without another word.
His answer cut like a sharp knife right into her heart
The sad girl then asked the third boyfriend, ‘I loved you all my life. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?’
‘No!’, replied the third boyfriend. ‘Life is too good! When you die, I’m going to marry someone else!’
Her heart sank and turned cold.
She then asked the second boyfriend, ‘I have always turned to you for help and you’ve always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?’
‘I’m sorry, I can’t help you out this time!’, replied the second boyfriend. ‘At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave.’
His answer struck her like a bolt of lightning, and the girl was devastated.
Then a voice called out: ‘I’ll go with you. I’ll follow you no matter where you go.’
The girl looked up, and there was her first boyfriend. He was very skinny as he suffered from malnutrition and neglect.
Greatly grieved, the girl said, ‘I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!’
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
#14 - Seek First His Kingdom
The Cure for Anxiety
25"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30"But if God so clothes the (AM)grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'
32"For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Why Seek First God’s loving rule?If we seek God’s direction in our lives as our first priority, the promise is that everything else WILL BE added to us. If we seek FIRST the good stuff: job, money, love, family – they may turn to dust and crumble in our hands. But if we seek FIRST God’s loving direction in our life, he promises to add to us all the good stuff.
25"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30"But if God so clothes the (AM)grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'
32"For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Why Seek First God’s loving rule?If we seek God’s direction in our lives as our first priority, the promise is that everything else WILL BE added to us. If we seek FIRST the good stuff: job, money, love, family – they may turn to dust and crumble in our hands. But if we seek FIRST God’s loving direction in our life, he promises to add to us all the good stuff.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
3PDL What Drives Your Life?
Chapter 3 is a good chapter to outline: The basic idea is that everyone’s life is “driven” by some underlying or guiding principle, or need. (PDL pages 27-29)
Many people are driven by guilt.
Many people are driven by resentment or anger.
Many people are driven by fear.
Many people are driven by materialism
Many people are driven by the need for approval.
For most of my adult life, I was driven by the need for approval. It drove me to be a workaholic and eventually to burn-out and clinical depression in the 1990s. It took a good deal of honesty and soul searching before I realized that my life was “driven” by the wrong things. It taken me nearly 10 years to recalibrate my life with a healthy sense of purpose and healthy motivations.
Here are some of the benefits of knowing what the purpose of your life is:
Knowing your purpose gives meaning to your life.
Knowing your purpose simplifies your life.
Knowing your purpose focuses your life.
Knowing your purpose motivates your life.
Knowing your purpose prepares you for eternity.
Isaiah 26:3, "You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you.” (TEV).
Point to Ponder: What drives your life?
Questions to Consider
- If you asked your family and friends to describe what drives your life, what would they say?
- Do know what your purpose is?
- What hang-ups, hurts, habits or fears keep you from beginning to live your life according to your purpose?
Many people are driven by guilt.
Many people are driven by resentment or anger.
Many people are driven by fear.
Many people are driven by materialism
Many people are driven by the need for approval.
For most of my adult life, I was driven by the need for approval. It drove me to be a workaholic and eventually to burn-out and clinical depression in the 1990s. It took a good deal of honesty and soul searching before I realized that my life was “driven” by the wrong things. It taken me nearly 10 years to recalibrate my life with a healthy sense of purpose and healthy motivations.
Here are some of the benefits of knowing what the purpose of your life is:
Knowing your purpose gives meaning to your life.
Knowing your purpose simplifies your life.
Knowing your purpose focuses your life.
Knowing your purpose motivates your life.
Knowing your purpose prepares you for eternity.
Isaiah 26:3, "You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you.” (TEV).
Point to Ponder: What drives your life?
Questions to Consider
- If you asked your family and friends to describe what drives your life, what would they say?
- Do know what your purpose is?
- What hang-ups, hurts, habits or fears keep you from beginning to live your life according to your purpose?
Sunday, April 13, 2008
see more crazy cat pics
The Final Battle has begun!
Seriously though....Heaven vs Hell, Good vs Evil, What do you guys think? Is there ultimately somewhere we go when we die? Do we make our own heaven and hell for ourselves? Are we simply balls of energy that continue to revisit this world time in and time out?
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
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