Maximize Your Day

Nip It In The Bud

Good day, All,

 

"The great defense against the air menace is to attack the enemy's aircraft as near as possible to their point of departure."

 

Sir Winston Churchill said this while Great Britain stood firm against the onslaught of Nazi invasions during World War II. Britain's air force was highly effective. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, they bombed our naval fleets and airfields, doing an incredible damage to our forces while they were at "their point of departure." It took the U.S. years to gear up and build enough new ships and planes to mount an effective campaign.

 

If you study military warfare tactics, especially guerilla-type operations, you find this same principle  lavishly applied. Terrorists attacked us at home, while we were sleeping, and three planes had barely left the city their flights originated from. Pick a war or a skirmish, any major successful battle and you find that the victor rarely waited for the enemy to come to him...he took the fight to the enemy, at his home. Why is that? It works. Notice that besides the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, the U.S. has never fought a war on our own soil. It's much easier to win when the enemy is cornered on his own turf. It demoralizes him and he must fight the battle in a weakened state.

 

Of course there are exceptions to the rule....there always are. But more often than not, if you want to "defend against the air menace," it's most effective to blow up their planes at their airfields. Again, as proof, I would point to Pearl Harbor. It's the military version of "let's nip this in the bud."  Okay, so what? Are we at war or in danger of being attacked soon?  Yes. But don't worry, it's only a threat every day. Not from enemy planes.

 

The threat is from the devil and he's attacking our morals, our families, anything to do with our belief in God...you name it, the enemy is attacking all of us, all the time, in some way and he's doing it in your house, in your eyes, in your mind, in your heart, in your children, in your relationships, in your workplace......right at your "point of departure."  So what to do?

 

First, take heart. Jesus also used this effective tactic and went to Hell wherein He conquered the enemy and death and successfully overcame the world. Second, your best weapon is prayer....feel free to use it all the time. Third, you have a free will, courtesy of God Almighty, with which you have the power and might to say "no" to whatever the devil throws at you. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." James 4:7.... I'm suggesting we resist him early on...."don't give the devil a foothold." Eph. 4:27 Start with prayer and in so doing, resist the enemy, attack him by binding him away in Jesus' name, and don't even give him a chance. Walk in victory from the very beginning!

 

"This is the day the Lord has made.  Rejoice and be glad in it."  Smile - All big problems began as small ones. Solve the small ones fast so they can't get big. Now get out there and maximize your day.

 

In His Service,

 

Jeff

Why Settle For Less?

Good day, All,

The story is told of a man who had two sons.  The man had never been poor but neither had he ever been rich so his sons never really had any new toys to play with. A lot of what they had were castaways from other people, homemade toys, and so forth. There came a day when the man decided he had to better himself and he undertook to learn all about investing.  When he had learned enough, he began to actually trade on the market and, while there were the expected occasional setbacks, overall, he began to prosper with his newly learned skill. In time, he amassed a sizeable fortune.

It was at this point the man could finally do something for his sons, as a gesture of love, because he wanted them to be blessed and happy. So he took them to a very nice toy store and told the boys, "Sons, you may enter this store and pick out anything you want, as much as you want!"  The boys were elated. They had never experienced anything like this and they were so excited as they entered the store. The younger son ran up and down each aisle with a basket and whatever caught his eye, he grabbed it and put it in the basket. When the basket was full, he quit and went back to his father, grateful, happy, and anxious to go home and play with all the new toys. "Are you sure that's all you want?," the man asked. The little boy was certain!

The older son took his time. He walked from one end of the store to the other, front to back, searching, examining, as if trying to make sure that what he chose was just the right thing.  Finally, he went to his dad and said, "I've made my choice, Dad."  And the father, true to his word, bought his son exactly what he wanted.  The younger son left the store with a basket full of toys. The older son left as the new owner of the entire store.

Let me tell you, in case you didn't know it already....God went to a lot of trouble to be able to give you a life of abundance, filled with countless blessings, incredible hope, filled with truth, and stocked full with love, mercy, and infinite grace.  What God wants to give you is huge. So many of us are like the younger son in the story, settling for a basket full of toys.  God wants to give us the whole store. The only questions you have to answer for yourself is this: Which one will you settle for?  Will you rush in and grab and be done...or take your time and make good decisions? Your choice!

"This is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice! And be glad in it."  Smile - Never settle for less than all of what God has for you.  Now get out there and maximize your day!

In His Service,

Jeff

Change - It Should Happen.....Sometimes!

Good Day!

 

Henry David Thoreau said, "Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new."

 

It's truly incredible, isn't it, how an entire industry grew up based only on what we wear and use for accessories. Billions of dollars, schools for fashion design, manufacturing, advertising, marketing, shows, television reality contests, and so on. All of that for something people will love for a time, refer to as "ancient" within a fairly short time, and laugh at by next season. Fashion...here it comes, there it goes, here it comes again, and oops....missed it....but wait....here it comes again.

 

It's a similar situation with sports stars, CEO's, musicians, actors, and politicians, and sales people. Every one of those professions share a common trait - they're only as good as their last victory, big hit, or great sale. When they do well, they're golden. But let 'em slip or, heaven forbid, fail and you'd think they were public enemy # 1. Maybe you've watched local sports where in one game the star player was cheered and praised for his great skill and in the next game, when he tripped or missed a shot, it was "You Stink! You're a Loser!" and worse. Funny how the fans yelling such insults make it sound like they are more skilled at the sport than the pro. What if they had to get out there and perform to the expectations of someone just like themselves?  Would they become fans of a different sport? Just a thought...

 

Fashions come and go. It's an industry that gives purpose and life to many people and it helps our economy thrive. It's a good thing. No one likes to look the same all the time and there's nothing wrong with that, per se. But you can't really count on fashion, now, can you? What's cool, hot, and 'in' today will be passe tomorrow. That mindset can even be found in relationships. Fewer and fewer seem to be seeking Mr./Ms. Right in favor of Mr./Ms. Right Now. Many claim relationships never last. I beg to differ and point out the milions of marriages that have lasted for 20, 30, 50 years or more. 

 

My point is simply this: There's nothing wrong with change in proper circumstances. For all the good that can be found in the world of constant change it's good to know there are some things....valuable, precious, wonderful things that never change. They don't need to change because they're perfect just as they are. There's no way to improve perfection, despite the best efforts of some. Our nation's constitution should never change. The Bible will never change. God's love and mercy and indeed, God Himself, is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. That's very good. High moral standards. A good work ethic. My momma's pecan pie....oh my gosh! That's the cool thing about God, Christ and Christianity, though. We can stand firm and secure on what cannot and will not change in order to find what needs to change and do our part. 

 

"This is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice! And be glad in it."  Smile - God's stability makes our improvement possible. Now get out there and maximize your day.

 

In His Service,

 

Jeff

He Couldn't Stop Us!

Hey There!

There are a couple of things people told me some time back about our Christian walk that have stuck with me because they're true.  One was that "the devil never attacks those he already has" and the other was that "if everything is going well and you aren't having any problems, there's a good chance you left God behind somewhere."  Matthew 6:34 has Jesus reminding us that "Each day has enough trouble of its own."  If you're walking the Christian walk....He's not lying.

I can't speak for everyone but I know in my life and in the lives of my family...stuff goes on all the time. Mostly, it's just one little thing after another. Sometimes, there are big deal events but for the most part....Satan like to dig and pick and try to slowly grind away at us in an attempt to make us stumble and fall. But so far, despite the bumps and bruises and all the trials and the tears and everything the enemy has thrown at us, he couldn't stop us. And that's not because we're such strong believers or are special or due to anything we've done.  The devil couldn't stop us because God is our fortress and shield.

One thing the devil hates is the unity, love and close relationships of family. This week, family come in from out of town. You would think that would be relatively easy. Oh no...bad flights, delays, mis-direction, cancellations, arriving in the wrong town and having to drive hundreds of miles to actually meet up. Then one person was ill and that caused more issues. Luggage had to be re-directed and in the process was damaged. But you know what? The enemy couldn't stop us. Why not? We prayed and asked God for His help.  Today, we're together and enjoying each other's company and having a good time. The luggage got through okay, the sick are healing nicely, and our time together is a blessing. For that, all glory to God.

Every day does have its own ups and downs but the key is to remember God, and who He is, and how much He loves His people. If we let the enemy use those things that disrupt and irritate us to get us down, he can get a foothold and Scripture tells us to avoid allowing that to happen.  How? Lay everything at the foot of the cross. Give it all to God....even the things that seem trivial and small and make you wonder, "Should I really bother God with this tiny thing?"  YES! 

God is far more powerful and mighty than the devil. God never leaves and never forsakes His own. So - no matter if the day's trouble is big or small, important or trivial, cheap or expensive, mildly irritating or enough to make you see red....go first to God and give it to Him.  He will help.  Maybe He'll give you an idea or tell you to stop worrying or push you forward or bring someone into your life who can help you or give you extra courage...whatever it takes to help you.  Your job is to have faith, do your part, stay calm, and pray.  If you do that, you can always point at the enemy and say, "Because of God, he couldn't stop us." Go forward today...encouraged and ready to be the victor God wants you to be.

"This is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice! And be glad in it."  Smile - "seek first His kingdom..." and you just cannot go wrong. Now get out there and maximize your day!

In His Service,

Jeff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good day,

 

Robert Louis Stevenson is quoted as saying, "Keep your fears to yourself but share your courage with others."  

 

It would be worth our time to notice something important about Mr. Stevenson's comment. Namely, he's not talking about being afraid or courageous.  He knew, as we all know, that all people have their own fears and experience moments of courage. He was talking about setting an example and being a positive influence in the lives of others.

 

You know, of course, that for the most part, a person has to be taught to fear. Fear doesn't come naturally. If it did, God would have given it to us but the Bible tells us, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7  We learn through various life situations to fear whatever it is we're afraid of.  Some of those lessons are rooted deep inside and we may never fully get rid of them. Hence, the need for courage to come into play. Courage is not the absence of fear but our control over it.

 

But we're talking about setting a good example for others. If a parent, for example, shows fear in front of their children in any given situation, the children will remember that and when they are faced with similar circumstances, their first response will be fear.  On the other hand, if the parent demonstrates courage - they will imitate courage. It is likewise with anger or calm, doubt or faith, impatience or patience, compassion or ruthlessness and so on. People will react in the same way they see others react to things.  A crowd can be happy and having fun but it can easily be transformed into a dangerous, fearful mob pretty fast.  They don't have to see what you see or hear what you hear....they just have to see and hear you.

 

It's pretty amazing the influence we have over other people. Words and actions have an incredible effect and a mighty impact. "For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." 1 Cor. 10:33- 11-1.

 

So, Super Christian...you've been given the Spirit of God...the same power that raised Christ from the dead is in you...a spirit of power and love and self-discipline. Jesus said His followers would do even more than what He did while He was on earth. That's a lot of power residing in you.  You have the power to influence and impact people. Don't influence them to be fearful....but courageous. Use your Super(natural) powers for Good...and for God.

 

"This is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice! And be glad in it." Smile - Your example can change the world! No pressure! Now get out there and maximize your day.

 

In His Service,'

 

Jeff

Happy Father's Day!

Good day and Happy Father's Day to all you dad's out there!

I got up early this morning to enjoy some quiet time and just reflect for a bit on the "dad" part of my life.  I've been a dad for 30 years now. It thrills me to no end to say that in those 30 years, I have two sons, two daughters, two sons-in-law and two daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren with more to come.  That's a true blessing from God and all these "kids" are what I would immediately point to if anyone were to ask me what made my life worth the living. Right after I pointed up at God and across to my wife, that is.

I have been blessed in my life to have had the opportunity to do a lot of things so far and I look forward to what is yet to come.  However, of all the things that I've ever done, bar none, I love most being a dad and a grampa. It has taught me a great deal about God and His heart. It has taught me much about human nature and the so-called "human condition."  Being a dad has afforded me an awesome education in who I am and what I can be. Sometimes, the lessons were very hard and I didn't like what I learned but I eventually learned and grew from them. Being a dad has made me a better person.

What did I learn from being a dad?  A lot but what I think is most important are these things: Responsibility must be accepted and acted upon because lives depend that. There's no room for arrongance and pride but plenty of opportunities to be understanding and humble. A real dad is a servant leader who actually leads by serving....it's not just a title. False kings fall fast and they fall hard. Good kings grow up and stand tall and never waiver.  It's okay to say, "I'm sorry. I was wrong."  It's better to say, "Please forgive me."  It's even better than that to say "No, you may not" whenever you have to.  It's good to set rules and boundaries and enforce them because you're not stifling your kids, you're doing them an enormous favor.  Just don't smother them and never miss a chance to tell your kids you love them, you're proud of them, and they are doing good things.

Being a dad has been the most rewarding thing I can think of in my life. I am happiest to know that all my kids have a relationship with God and the grand-kids are being led by godly parents. All my kids have jobs that allow them to serve others and make a worthy contribution to their families and their communities. My kids pray. My kids love.  My kids understand commitment and have no problem standing up for what they believe. They serve God, their families, their nation, and they love doing that.

I don't have a lot of material wealth but I do okay.  What I have, though, are a lot of kids, grandkids, and sons and daughters-in-law who are priceless treasures.  I'm the richest man on the planet.  God gets all the glory for all of it!  Praise Him and thank Him for family. He's the best Dad of all.

It is my sincere prayer that each of you dads can, and will, say likewise.

"This is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice! And be glad in it."  Smile - being a dad is a gift....relish it.  Now get out there and maximize your day.

In His Service,

Jeff

Look! It's God!

Good day,

 

Give some thought to this verse today: "The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, 'Look, the Lamb of God!' " John 1:35-36

 

I know this is slightly out of context but when I saw this verse, an idea popped into my head so that's the lead I'm going to follow. Twice in the verses from John 1:29 - 36, John says, "Look, the Lamb of God...." Okay. So what?  So...the thought that came to mind was simply this: how often are we out and about and notice something and react by saying something that sounds even remotely similar to, "That's God! How cool! Thank you, Lord, for showing me that." 

 

People often talk in Sunday school and church and small group studies about how God is in everything and is everywhere....but how often do we actually notice? Twice...twice....while John was doing his work of baptizing and preaching and ministering to people in two days - hmm, 'every day' maybe? - John stops what he's doing because he's noticed God and tells all those near him, "Look! There's God! Pay attention...He's the One you've been needing. That's the Truth....right there....LOOK!" 

 

Okay, I paraphrased "a little" but can you feel and understand the excitement John had? "Look! The Lamb of God!" When you're out with your family or friends do you randomly notice things and point them out and tell those with you, "Look! There's God!"? I have to admit I haven't done that too often lately. Not at all qualifies as 'not too often', wouldn't you agree? Yeah, we're all nodding our heads.

 

So...short and sweet....today and this weekend, maybe let yourself be more aware and take notice.

When you see things that the Holy Spirit reveals to you, share that with those around you. "Look! There's God!"  Even if you don't know those around you....now that could be interesting. Point God out to your kids. Share Him with your friends and co-workers.  Bet you'll have a very interesting weekend. 

 

"This is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it."  Smile - It's exciting to see God in what's around you. More so to share that. Now get out there and maximize your day.

 

In His Service,

 

Jeff

Good day!

 

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”  Matthew 5:14  I recently read a short article that said a scientist spent a decade studying what makes “lucky” people “lucky” and others not so lucky.  Personally, I don’t believe in luck or that things that happen unexpectedly are all that random.  There’s usually a reason for everything that happens…it’s just that sometimes, those reasons are hard to find.  

 

After ten years of study, this scientist concluded that “lucky” people tend to pay closer attention to what’s going on around them and thus are able to take advantage of more opportunities.  Wow! Now there’s a revelation! A whole decade of study to find out that if we just pay attention, we gain knowledge which grows to wisdom which can lead to greater prosperity. This is “luck,” according to this scientist.  No doubt, our tax dollars funded the grant that paid for this earth-shattering bit of enlightenment.

 

I don’t know about you but my dad taught me inside of 5 minutes that if I paid attention to what he said and obeyed him and to what was going on around me, not only did I not get in trouble, I avoided getting spanked. If I didn’t pay attention, it was guaranteed I would find myself in some sort of trouble. Sometimes I was “lucky” - because I paid attention - and sometimes I wasn’t - because I didn't. That was over 50 years ago….and it was F-R-E-E!!! And my dad never finished college, either!

 

Someone once said, “I find the harder I work, the luckier I get.” Another 'hmmm.'  Okay, so what does all this have to do with Matthew 5:14? Here’s your chance to get “lucky” – God style:  God calls us to a life of holiness. We cannot attain holiness on our own. Therefore, we must rely on God to give us the grace and the tools and the skills we need to achieve His holiness for our lives. God Himself must give us the light in order for us to be the light of the world. You with me? The only way we can do that is accept the gifts He gives us…and the only way to do that is to pay attention so we don’t miss the gift; focus our efforts on that gift; and work to develop it.  Want to be saint?  Luck has nothing to do with it - just pay attention!

 

"This is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it."  Smile - ever notice that people on top of the hill, whose lights shine, all paid attention and worked hard and that the rest, down below, are stil waiting for that one "lucky break"?  You go out there and maximize your day!

 

In His Service,

 

Jeff

 

 

 

God Given Dreams Build Our Faith!

Good Day!

Do you have a dream on your heart?  Of course you do.  It's probably the one God put there and if He gave you that dream, He had to give you the way and the means by which you can, by doing your part, make the dream become a reality in your life.  Let's face it, God isn't going to give you a dream for your life and then make it impossible for you to attain it.   On the other hand, it's not going to be easy, either.  Why not?

There are five things we need to understand about God-given dreams that will help us not lose heart and to perservere until we reach our dream.  First is that any God-given dream will stir a passion within you. You may not know all the details about how you're going to get there, but you know there is a goal and you must reach it because that dream is what gives your life meaning.  What's your dream?

The second thing about your God-given dream that you must know and understand is that it is humanly impossible for you to do it.  Huh?  Wait!  Did I not just say that if God gave me a dream, He'd give me a way to do it and now I'm saying it's humanly impossible to accomplish?!  Yeah...you got it.  God gave the dream. God gives the way. God gives the tools and skills. God makes it happen.  You - I - can't do it by ourselves....it's His dream for us.  Oooohhhhh....okay. In other words, if God isn't in your dream, it'll never come to pass.

Third, this dream of yours will impress you for your entire life. It won't go away. You've always had it...from the moment you were conceived to now.  You can't escape it or hide from it.  It's part of you and an important part. Your dream...your purpose.  What's your dream?  A singer? A builder? An inventor? Have you always wanted to be a business person or an athlete or ???  Only you know what your dream is and you've known it all your life and you will never forget it or lose it.

Fourth on the list is to make it happen you are going to have to exercise strong faith.  The dream will cause you to use your faith in mighty ways.  Why? Because it's humanly impossible for you to do by yourself...you need God and if you need God...you have to exercise your faith...strongly.  If you can't or won't...your dream will remain a dream.

Finally, fifth...the two guarantees you have for your dream are that it is in fact God-given and because it is God-given, it will be attacked from every direction by the enemy.  The devil hates God-given dreams and he will do all he can to thwart you from living your dream.  You will meet with resistence at every turn.  Don't get discouraged.  Don't let the frustration get you down.  Just know that every time you run into a new barrier, that you're definitely on the right path because if you were losing to the enemy, things would be running smoothly.  It's weird, yes, but the truth is: when it comes to God-given dreams, there will be struggles...and that's how you know you're doing it right.  So embrace conflict with open arms and take it as a sign that you're making great progress and be encouraged.

What's your dream?  Feeling gutsy?  Go get your dream and don't let the enemy stop you!

"This is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice! And be glad in it."  Smile - I'm telling you, it takes guts to be Christian...but it's worth the effort.  Now get out there and maximize your day.

In His Service,

Jeff

Teach Your Children And Their Children

Good Day, All.

In recent weeks, we've been blessed to have time to spend with our grand children.  The oldest of the three is 9 and the youngest is just 4 months old. What a treasure they are! They're kids and they do kid things but what I noticed about all of them are these things.

The two older children belong to our eldest son and the baby is a daughter's daughter. All the parents of these children pray with them every day. The parents deliberately invest a significant amount of time with their kids.  They might be doing anything...reading, playing, learning something in a fun and age appropriate way. The parents talk to their children about all sorts of things....and somehow, everything they talk about is tied back to God, Jesus, and the Bible.   The parents love God and they love each other. The dads hold themselves to a higher standard in order to the kind of dad they know God would have them be.

The moms love their children deeply and are nuturing and caring and protecting.  But they don't spoil the children.  The older kids are very respectful and have great admiration for their parents....and they have no fear of them.  The children are very secure and confident around their parents. Sure, none of them are perfect and they don't always do everything exactly right....so there are times of correction and rebuking and apologizing and forgiveness and accountability but it's all done in love.

Gramma loves the little ones and she does "the grandma thing" very well.  Time is passed with joy and laughter and prayer and talk of God and life and dreams and goals.  The baby is rocked and prayed over and coo'd at and played with.

I noticed that it's all deliberate. God - Jesus - is sought after and invited in and welcomed. His example is followed and practiced.  In our children and in our grandchildren can be easily seen the love of the Heavenly Father. I have no doubt that one day....our grandchildren's grandchildren will sit with their parents and grand parents and talk of God and sing His praise and learn more of His word and know Him more deeply.  And it will be on purpose.  And that's a beautiful thing and it is the fulfilling of an important part of our Christian walk.

"Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seenor let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them." Deuteronomy 4:9.   Gramma....Grampa....if you were wondering what there was to do today....now you know. Teach your grandkids about God.  Show them His ways.  Do this in love and with gentleness and respect and I promise you will have a marvelous day!

"This is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice! And be glad in it."  Smile - "Children's children are a crown to the aged..."  Go fill your crown...and maxmiize your day!

In His Service,

Jeff