I WISH I could...

We as a people have some really bad habits that we need to break.

One of many, is the habit of always saying "I wish..."

I was taught some time ago that there is a huge difference between a wish and a want.

What we really want, we make a way to get. What we wish for, is actually more of a fantasy.

How many times do people say things like, "I wish I could lose 10 pounds" or "If only I could get a better job" or "how I wish I had this or that". All the while they do absolutely nothing to make it happen. So do they really, really want to have that? Of course not! Because if they wanted it, they would be doing more to make it happen.

What they really need to say is, "It would be nice to have this, but honestly, I am not going to move a foot to make it happen". These are the ones who are full of excuses, why they can never have this or that. But they fail to look in the mirror and see that if they really wanted what they are saying they wish they could have, they would be out doing something to make it happen.

But of course, that would be too much like right.

If you want something, you have to set your mind on it and go after it. You want to lose weight, great. But you need to change your diet and exercise. You CAN do it. You just need to decide on it, and go after it. If you want a better job, who says you can't have it. But what are you doing to find one, or prepare yourself for when an opportunity arises?

What you really want is shown by what you do. Not by what you say.

It's like a wise man once said, "people who want make a way, people who don't want make excuses".

Gotta watch those "little" foxes!

I was reading the bible this morning, just looking for a passage that I had heard some time ago. But what I ended up stumbling across got me to thinking. Here is the passage I found:

"Catch the foxes for us,

the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—
for our vineyards are in bloom." (Song of Solomon 2:15)

What I find the most interesting is, the way it is stated. Not only catch us the foxes, but catch us the "little" foxes that ruin the vineyard. It's like the writer is saying, I'm not so worried about the big foxes, because I see them coming. But help me to see when the little sneaky ones are trying to get in.

Let's look at this from another point of view. In life, there is always something trying to destroy us or bring us down. Sometimes there are big threats that come right up to our face and try to break us. Other times they are smaller threats. But which are the most dangerous?

I think the "little foxes" are more dangerous to the farm than the big ones. Why? Because you see the big ones coming. And even if you don't see them, they have trouble getting through the fence. But the little foxes creep in through the holes in the fence, and they destroy everything.

Now let's think about life. It is the "little" sins that really destroy us. We see the big threats coming and quickly say no. Those who have been in the church or in the youth group for awhile are not going to just jump up one day and say, "God is not real", or go and kill someone, or rob a bank. So those bigger mistakes are not the ones that get you easily. But the ones that do get to you are the little things. A "little" pornography, a "little" lie, a "little" gossip. The small things that sometimes seem so harmless, but later become much bigger. It is the little things that we have to watch out for. Those are the sins or mistakes that really pose a threat. Because they sneak in unnoticed and plant themselves in our hearts and destroy us little by little. So watch out! You may not see a big fox with fangs dripping with saliva ready to pounce, coming at you. But that sure doesn't mean that the little foxes aren't creeping in. In fact, they may already be in the vineyard (your head) destroying all the good things that are there.

Let us pray daily for God to help us protect ourselves from the little foxes that creep into our lives to destroy us.

Give me a Man of God

Give Me A Man Of God

Give me a man of God - One man!

Whose faith is master of his mind.

And I will right the world of wrongs,

And bless the name of all mankind.

Give me a man of God - One man!

Whose tongue is touched with heaven’s fire,

And I will flame the darkest hearts

With high resolve and clean desire.

Give me a man God – One man!

One mighty prophet of the Lord,

And I will give you peace on the earth

Bought with a prayer not a sword.

Give me a man of God - One man!

True to the vision that he sees,

And I will build Your broken shrines

And bring the nations to their knees.

The day after tomorrow...

What's the most common, yet weakest, most pitiful statement you've ever heard from someone, who doesn't want to do something? Can't think of the answer?

How about, "I'll do it tomorrow".

This is the biggest load of garbage that can ever be stated. If you really want to do it, then why wait until tomorrow? But the funny thing is, we hear this so much that we even become numb to it. When a person says, " I need to go on a diet. You know what, I'm gonna start on Monday." But today is Thursday, so why are you waiting four days to start? No one really believes that they will follow through with this sudden declaration. And why? Because if they were serious they would start immediately. If you see you need to do it, why not start today, or tomorrow at the latest.

The truth is we say these things to comfort ourself. We want to convince ourselves that if we just have a few more days to prepare, then we will finally be ready to make a change. But that is not how it works. Change comes when we decide on something and act. Once I know I need to do something, then the next step should be to start on it right away. I myself have been a victim of this excuse, "it's no point in starting in the middle of the week. I might as well start afresh next week." But normally, when Monday comes, then you say Tuesday, then on Tuesday you say Wednesday. Then on Wednesday, you say there's no need to start in the middle of the week, I will start on Monday. And the vicious cycle continues.

The point is a procrastinator will go nowhere, because he is always finding a reason why not to go. Action is the only remedy. When you think it, if it's right and you know you need it, then do it. Don't let time slow you down. Momentum is so important. Many times a person has a great idea, but lacks the go ahead to get it done. If you truly believe in it, then go ahead and jump in. The attitude of a winner is simple," I'd rather live with failure than to die knowing I never tried." But the funny thing is, if you give your best everyday, and don't procrastinate when action is needed, I have a hard time believing you will fail.

As long as you keep learning...

You know, I really believe that we should not be afraid of making mistakes.

Of course, no one wants to mess up. And when we do, it feels really crappy. But no matter how hard you try, you will always mess up sometimes. The truth is, no one really knows how to get it right all the time. You can be the nicest person in the world, but you will offend someone. And even if you speak the truth to everyone, there will be someone who doesn't like it, and it may even make you rethink how or why you said what you said. The point is whether intentionally or accidentally, we will all mess up.

How many times have you promised yourself that you would never do something again? Then after a short time, you fall right back into it. Sometimes not even on purpose! It seems like problems just come to us, there's no need to go looking for them. On the other hand, how many times do you set goals for yourself, saying "I will accomplish this, by this time", etc? But close to the alloted time, you see that you are far from the goal you set. And why? Normally because you feel off the wagon along the way.

I think the biggest problem is that when people mess up, when they let themselves or someone else down, they get so discouraged that they fall into a rut. And that doesn't solve anything.

What we should do is learn from our mistakes. But I mean really learn from them. We need to think about a few things, like; What was wrong with what I did? Why did I do it? What lead to me doing it? What can I do to ensure that I don't do it again? Is there something or someone I need to let go of in order to steer clear of this mistake? And so forth and so on. You have to see what was wrong and fix it. And even when it is not fixable, at least see what was wrong and take note of it so that you can avoid it next time.

If we are not getting better, then we are surely getting worst. So learn from your mistakes and look forward.