Image courtesy of dentedup on flickr.com

I was listening to an Andy Andrews podcast the other day, he was talking about how every choice that we make is a product of our thinking. So I got to thinking – what to do when challenges threaten to take us off the path?

We all have challenges in our day-to-day lives. I’m no exception, but I do make a choice in how I manage them and how that choice as well as my manner of thinking affects me as a person. The perspective we glean from our challenges shows up in how it shapes us, and our heart. It helps to define our character.

What to do when adversity appears? How can we overcome the difficulty of staying true to the path? The apostle Paul comes to mind…

– Paul knew what his calling was. This is the first step. He connected with the Holy Spirit. We can as well. So we don’t have to write the majority of the New Testament to enjoy a connection the Holy Spirit. Have you ever felt connected? This is essential to finding our calling, and God’s will for us. Granted, Jesus paid Paul a personal visit to deliver “the message.” That may never happen in our lives but we can connect with the Holy Spirit, and discern God’s will for us. Here’s a post that I wrote a while ago about finding God’ s will. I continually read about how people are troubled by not being able to identify their calling. We don’t have to all go to work at the church to fulfill our calling – God needs us out and about. He needs us to be everywhere.

– Paul was determined to stay on the path. This is a conscious decision; a recurring theme as we follow Paul on the journey through the book of Acts. Continually under attack by religious people who claimed him to be at fault or charged him with this or that crime, Paul repeatedly listened to the voice of God: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” (Acts 18: 9-10). In fact, even when they became abusive to Paul in this chapter, he “shook out his clothes,” making the statement that he had done all he could for them. Then what? Trifling snag or extreme hiccup, keep on, keeping on…

– Paul was a smart man and influential leader. He knew when and how to call people out that were intent on diverting him from the path God had clearly laid out for him. He knew when to stand up for himself, and when to just preach the Gospel. I admire that about Paul. We shouldn’t be afraid to take a stand for the sake of doing what is right, and doing what God has called us to do. We have better things to do with our time… think about it this way: Gump didn’t know diddly about shrimping (aside from what Bubba had told him), let alone piloting a boat. God showed up and the rest is history…

Sometimes Paul’s way didn’t make a lot of sense to the people around him, but that’s just the point of sticking to our calling and the path: It’s all about obedience. Paul transformed many lives though his influence and imagination. That’s it. If we’re obedient everything else falls into place. 🙂

How can you use your influence this week to draw people closer to the Lord?

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My sweet daughter Rachael graduated from UF Health Jacksonville! She worked hard and earned it, so excited for her!!

I just finished this way cool book by Andy Andrews called “The Noticer Returns.” Since I don’t write book reviews here any more please feel free to follow this link over to Amazon.com where you can read my review and those by many other people who also love this book. I was pretty stoked when I started reading “The Noticer Returns” and realized that we’ve been thinking in parallel, surely moved by the Holy Spirit in some very similar ways recently. All this year I’ve been thinking more and more about having influence beyond what we typically consider traditional boundaries. From everyday heroes to participating in a Disciple Group that is the truest slice of community that I’ve ever seen in a church, I am inspired to say that for the sake of unity and furthering God’s kingdom, change is taking place in our community. Those that matter are making a difference. Andy’s book left me with the usual warm and fuzzy feeling, and it tied up some loose ends for me, providing wisdom and understanding.

Developing a better understanding of culture was one outcome of reading this title for me. Andy’s character Jones states, “If you are ever going to change a culture, you have to understand how it was created in the first place.” He shows us how it all starts with our thinking…

• Thinking determines choices.
• Choices create actions.
• Actions yield results—good or bad.
• Results determine reputation—collectively resulting in a culture.

So it really does all go back to how we’re thinking. If we are focused on our entitlements or enforcing our values on other people, we’re not thinking clearly and in a way that will create cultural change. The how of thinking is the thought process of creating change through influence. It starts at home or in a small circle of close friends, and radiates out from there. Sounds pretty simple, right? It gets messy when we don’t all agree on every issue. It’s sort of like a dysfunctional family, or even within a congregation at a church. I’m not even referring to the variety we see when we visit a different church, or when we look up a different denomination or religion on Google to see what they’re all about. Goodness, to think even further, what about different political affiliations or even the variety of opinions we see across the globe on cultural issues. And so we do tend to congregate, or circle up the wagons in groups of people who are similar to us. Do you know the most segregated day of the week? For most people, it’s Sunday, of course, the day when we spend the most time with our family, at our church and in our close circles (key word here being most).

My current epiphany transgressed to my daughter Rachael. Last week she completed her program at UF Health Jacksonville. She worked hard and earned it, juggling a growing family that includes two little boys that I love and adore. Two of her classmates spoke at her graduation ceremony, and they both shined a light on Rachael’s personality and demeanor, saying what a joy it was to work with her and how bubbly she is even in the midst of stressful days. I told her that was a HUGE compliment to her as both of these traits will take her very far in life. Plus, it’s infectious, creating an atmosphere around her that transforms other people and their lives. Pretty sweet. And therein lies the how of changing…

• culture in our tribe…
• culture in our city…
• culture in our country.

I truly believe the next 2 decades will possibly see more cultural changes, especially in America, than we have experienced in any other time in our history. I expect this will be very unsettling to people my age and those over 35 now as their influence is eroded as a byproduct of this process of cultural change. Things that our generation thought mattered will not mean all that much to a growing population that will become our new leaders.Think of this in terms of what is transpiring in our cultural acceptance of gay rights. The idea spreads from there. Our greatest opportunity is helping to transform the “how of thinking,” and it centers on the love of Jesus.

“Rapid change sweeps aside the status quo and those that defend it (the stuck former geniuses and the stuck bureaucrats). It replaces them with those willing to leap.” Seth Godin

Our thought process and the how of thinking determines our culture. Thank you Andy Andrews.

So how do we influence thinking, as in how to think?

– We have to keep it extremely focused, simple and forward thinking.

– We have to define our core values that matter, and the process.

– We have to work from the inside out.

– We have to emulate the love of Jesus.

That one word brings it all back together. Love.

To be continued…

How would you go about encouraging someone on how instead of what to think?

The post How We’re Thinking: From Parenting To Cultural Change first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post How We’re Thinking: From Parenting To Cultural Change appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.

Andy says… “Have you  ever noticed how we judge the “bad guys” by their actions, and the “good guys” by their intentions?” He then illustrates Andy Stanley’s Principle of the Path, which states “it is direction, not intention, that determines destination” … how good choices lead to good results… and how bad choices lead to… you know.

Andrews says, “The only way we have to know a person who aspires to lead us is to listen to what he says and watch what he does.” Good advice Andy. Another excellent book from a favorite author!

What qualities do you look for when trying to evaluate a leader that you may follow?

The post Book Review: “How Do You Kill 11 Million People?” by Andy Andrews first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post Book Review: “How Do You Kill 11 Million People?” by Andy Andrews appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.

Click here to purchase The Final Summit

Yep, another Andy Andrews book… out for release TODAY. Just when you think they can’t get any better, Andy does it again!! An absolute masterpiece.

This book continues the story of David Ponder, the time traveler from Andy’s “The Traveler’s Gift.” Please read my previous review on The Traveler’s Gift. This time, Ponder is commissioned by the archangel Gabriel to lead the other Traveler’s in “examining the accumulated wisdom of the past in order to determine the future of humanity. Or if there is even to be a future on this earth–”

You see, God has decided that man has once again gone too far… as Gabriel says: “For many years, you have progressively turned away from the real truth and in its stead have attempted to create your own version of a ‘truth’ that your intellect can comprehend. In so doing, you have become increasingly hungry for the attributes of destruction – an unquenchable thirst for riches, a disdain for your fellow man, and power for its own sake.”

Ponder was chosen to lead this group of Traveler’s in making a choice… a decision of how to proceed… indeed, Ponder was chosen because “he was the ideal example of the human race… uncertain of life’s purpose, inconsistent in his actions and attitudes, and angry about it all…”

David Ponder leads us to doing the ONE THING we must do when we don’t know what to do…

The incredible story unfolds from there, a remarkable work by Andy Andrews. Andy inspired us with normal, everyday language that is engaging and keeps you coming back for more.

The Final Summit is surely heading for the top!

Any guesses on the ONE THING that we must do??

I received this book for free from the publisher, and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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Father God, I choose, as an act of my will, to forgive ____________(name) for _______(specific offense). Father, I ask that you forgive them as well, and not hold these charges against him/her on my account. Father God, if there are any more stored up negative feelings in me toward _________, I ask that you cleanse me. I will be open to replace these negative emotions with the fruit of your Holy Spirit. Father, Your Holy Word tells us that we overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, and the word of our testimony. I now plead the blood of Jesus over this offense and over my unforgiveness. Lord, do not allow Satan to interfere with my testimony. Heavenly Father, I ask that you help me regain the ground that I gave up when I held onto these offenses. I ask that you take back this ground and no longer allow Satan to operate there. Give me wisdom to deal with this situation in the future. Father, I ask that you heal now the wounded places in my soul.  Heal my memory of those offenses so that I can look back on them realistically, knowing that You have healed me. Now Father, I ask that you bless ____(name) with Your abundant mercy. Prosper him/her in every way: body, soul, and spirit. AMEN.

Again from Andy Andrews’ book…

“If you’re mad at someone you have to forgive them for you. You have a choice to make, either think about them all day long and let them keep hurting you inside… or give them to God. We are products of our past but we don’t have to be prisoners to it. Practicing forgiveness is less an act than a determined way of living. True forgiveness only comes at the conclusion of an inner struggle.”

Keep on Smiling, Loving and Living 🙂

The post The Forgiveness Prayer first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post The Forgiveness Prayer appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The book centers on the history of an ancient relict, and how it has inspired the great achievements of many admired people through time – including Joan of Arc, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington Carver, Oskar Schindler and Alfred Vanderbilt.

The relict, divided into four parts early in history, empowers those who possess it. And reinforces that we all have a choice to make.

From the book…

“The Lord always provides me with life-changing ideas. Not that I am special. The Lord provides everyone with life-changing ideas. These ideas are quite literally a treasure map from the Almighty. It is up to each of us, however, to choose to dig for the treasure. Every man and woman on the planet contains within them the power to change the world, but this power is only manifested when one makes a conscious choice to use it.” George Washington Carver speaking.

The Lost Choice was very helpful to me. Sometimes I just need to take action (indeed, the dreaded indecision again!) … along with making good choices, another central theme of the book.

For me, this book was right up there with The Heart Mender and The Travelers Gift. Aside from The Bible, these three books more than any others I’ve read over the past year have helped me to be a better person and to help others as well.

What choices have you not made that you would consider “lost?”

Are there any “What If’s” in your life that you may loose due to inaction?

The post By Your Hand… The Lost Choice? first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post By Your Hand… The Lost Choice? appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The subtitle, a story of second chances, shines the light on this true story of war, faith… and forgiveness. Here’s the jist of it… Andy uncovers artifacts from the second world war in his own back yard, along the coast of Southern Alabama. Through some research, he’s able to piece together an incredible story of two people reconciling their pasts and hatred to move forward with their lives. I can’t really say much more without spoiling this tale.

From the book…

“If you’re mad at someone you have to forgive them for you. You have a choice to make, either think about them all day long and let them keep hurting you inside… or give them to God. We are products of our past but we don’t have to be prisoners to it. Practicing forgiveness is less an act than a determined way of living. True forgiveness only comes at the conclusion of an inner struggle.”

I found a forgiveness prayer not too long ago, and have experienced that forgiving someone that has really hurt you badly takes time. A lot of prayer (I’ve prayed my forgiveness prayer over 100 times!!!). And a whole lot of God’s love. And this alone frees the human spirit.

Thank you Andy once again for sharing this amazing story. I can’t wait for the next!!!

The post Having a Heart first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

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This story takes place over the period of decades, and Jones, the sage-of-a-guy, always appears the same. “A unique soul with angelic-like qualities,” no one is quite sure of Jones’ age or race. Shrouded in mystery, he casually bops in and out of the small town of Orange Beach, Alabama.

Jones has the gift of noticing things that other people miss, touching their lives by giving them a new perspective… starting with Andy himself. Andy was homeless, living under a pier, at the time Jones entered his life. Jones hands Andy a series of books to read, disappearing and then reappearing to continue to educate Andy and before you know it Andy is on his feet and shining brightly.

An amazing inspirational story, Jones touches the lives of a struggling married couple, teenagers, businesspeople facing bankruptcy, and many other people struggling through the obstacles of life. Jones teaches that no matter how bad things look, it’s all in how you look at things that helps to keep life’s many challenges in perspective.

Andy’s next masterpiece is The Heart Mender, scheduled to be out next week. This is a very powerful story of second chances and forgiveness that I believe will be his best work yet. Be sure to check this one out!

The post Sometimes All a Person Needs is a Little Perspective first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post Sometimes All a Person Needs is a Little Perspective appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.