What Will You Do With Tomorrow?

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow. You're only a day away."

Most of you probably know that line comes from one of the main songs on the movie "Annie." Tomorrow allows freedom. Freedom to start over. Freedom to have a new set of 24 hours. A new set of 1440 minutes. A new set of 86,400 seconds.

How we use each "tomorrow" is up to us. Most days "tomorrow" is something I look forward to because I enjoy my job. Only a few days, job or otherwise, do I not look forward to its coming. Either way, it is still a day that is going to be a new day, and you can do with it however you wish. This brings us to this week's quote...

Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or to lose. ~ Lyndon B. Johnson

Tomorrow is not here yet. Yesterday has already past and you cannot change that. Now is present and you can choose how you deal with the choices you face. However, what will will you do with tomorrow? How will you make it a great day? How will you make someone else's "tomorrow" great? What will you do? Wave, smile, buy lunch/dinner, etc.???

Go and make someone's tomorrow great!3;">

Prayer: Where's the Power?

Why pray? That is a question many wrestle with...are you one of them? We feel that sometimes our prayers are just going out into existence and no further. Often we presume that a person who holds those views is a non-Christian. However, even Christians will go through this struggle sometimes.

Maybe that feeling is because we really don't believe that God exists - He might "kind of" exist, but still you're not convinced. Or the feeling comes from lack of any "answered prayers." You've prayed for certain things to happen and they just do not happen the way you want them to turnout.

Those kinds of situations can make it challenging on our faith. It takes some maturing to realize that every prayer is not going to turn out the way you desire it. Instances like that make it challenging to see any power in prayer.

As we ponder the power of prayer, here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Examples ~ Ponder or investigate people who have prayed for things to happen (maybe that shouldn't have happened naturally) and they did, seeming like it was a miracle. If you would look into the prayers that have had "miraculous" results, it may convince you into the power of prayer. One biblical example is about King Hezekiah (II Kings 2:1-11) where the sun goes back ten steps...only through God.
• Maturity ~ You pray in instances such as a loved one who is dying, making the final shot, improving your grades, meeting "Mr./Mrs. Right," or the storm to not harm your house and in all the cases they don't turn out the way you want them to. No power in those prayers or possible something else? To see that prayers are not going to always be affirmative takes maturity to realize that. Just because God does not answer the way you would like doesn't mean there is no power in prayer.
• Trust ~ We must trust that God will take our prayers and do with it what He deems best. Cast your cares on Him (Philippians 4:6-7). We also must trust that God's timing is perfect. We sometimes have a difficulty waiting for God to "respond" and we can become frustrated. Let Him work things out...Trust in Him! Lean not on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

There is a lot of power in prayer if we will simply open our minds and eyes to see it! May we see that as we go into our immediate future.

Have a great week!

Blossom First

Each of us has reasons we pursue the things we pursue. There is some sort of a gain that we are all trying to reach. It could be personal fulfillment to job promotion or a host of other reasons. All in all, we still have a reason.

Some reasons may be with a hopefulness that will never turn out like we would hope for. For example, the job promotion doesn't come after achieving the goals we were working toward.

Could it be that what we are "hoping" for is actually not what we should have been hoping for in the first place? With that in mind, here is this week's quote...

The flower doesn't dream of the bee...It blossoms and the bee comes. ~ Unknown

Most are probably familiar with the cliche that comes from the movie "Field of Dreams" that goes "If you build it they will come." This phrase is occasionally overused and people are overly optimistic in their endeavors to "build" so as to have people come.

When we are pondering the goals we are trying to reach in life, we should not be trying to accomplish them to attract the bees. We should be trying to reach our goal to fulfill something within ourselves. When this is done, the bees will most likely come.

Whether you are writing a book or furthering your education or doing something nice for a friend/neighbor, the underlying reason should be to cause your flower to bloom, after that look for the bees!

How Do You Paint Your Dad?

What are some of your positive memories of your father?

Father's play such an important role in the development of a child. I can see that first hand in the development of my children. Father's naturally tend to be the "rough" parent. They tend to wrestle more and do some of the more risky things. They like to say "rub some dirt on it." Whereas the mom will tend to shy away from some of those things. Single parents have to adapt, but as much as they try, cannot substitute for the two-parent families.

I think most will agree they don't appreciate their parents as much until they become parents themselves. With that, we don't appreciate our fathers as much until we leave. Sunday, we focused on the idea of how do we "paint" or honor our fathers? What color do we paint them in so that it positively affects the way our friends and family see them?

As we think about that, here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Paint Positively ~ As everyone has faults, that is common knowledge, but the specific faults of others, people don't know about. Plus, when you disclose faults it can cause the receiver to have a tainted view of the person you are referencing. So, paint positively!
• Choose Your Color Wisely ~ Picking colors will affect the mood and aura of a room. As you think about your dad, choose colors that all kind of people like.
• Paint Often ~ Use days throughout the year to let Dad know how much he is appreciated. Thank him through letters, phone calls, text messages, Facebook, notes around the house or in his vehicle, etc. These will be greatly received!

Father's day, and days like it, are great to say how much you are thinking of them. However, use other times to let them know they are appreciated and speak as kind as possible in every situation about them in front of others!

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Avoiding the Bull

Demolition derbies are enjoyable to watch. There is something enjoyable about watching a car try to destroy other cars. In the meantime, the spectator is able to see all the damage that is done to the cars. It may sound a bit odd, but many people, including myself, enjoy watching these derbies.

However, many things in life are not won by trying to beat up the other person. Or another way to look at it, some sports are won by having a low score. Golf is an enjoyable sport and it takes the person with the least amount of strokes to win (aka lowest score). For me, I haven't quite mastered that, I like to get my money's worth and take a lot of strokes! :)

One, not too common sport in America, utilizes the principle of avoidance. That brings us to this week's quote...

The matador wins by avoiding the bull not colliding with him! ~ Unknown

To avoid the bull enough will grant you a victory. Too often we try to take the opposite approach. "Take the bull by the horns" is a phrase we use. That meaning is to "muscle" our way to a victory. This approach is different.

Sometimes we must avoid the issues or go around the issue to win. Maybe it is an argument where you know you're right. It may be best to avoid the idea of trying to be "right" and instead, "win" by choosing to be happy in the relationship/friendship.

May you avoid some bulls in the coming weeks, so that you can "win" in the end!

You Decide (Where You Will Go)

Choices are all around us and practically every second of your life, if you want to break it down that small. You can decide what to click on when you are on the computer. You can decide when and how often to close your eyes. You decide what path to take - driving or walking. So many choices!

What about the choice of where to go in life? Graduations have pretty much ceased for the year. From preschool to those completing PHds, people looked into the future as they received their piece of paper that said they had completed the necessary requirements to graduate.

Were you one of them? What will you do with your future? What choices will you make? Where will you go? That brings us to this week's quote...

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go. ~Dr. Seuss

"You are the guy who'll decide where to go." A powerful statement that compels me to think, it is not up to anyone else but me. Others may influence, but it is my choice on what I do and where I will go.

So, where will you go? It is an exciting mystery. I hope it is "far." Good luck!

How Can I Help You?

This blog is not just a way for me to write, but a way for me to help others. How can I help you? Answer questions you have? Encourage you? Motivate you to accomplish what you want in life? ANYTHING! Let me know your thoughts...

Prayer Life Warning

Prayer is such an amazing thing. I've seen "miracles" happen as a result of prayer. It is amazing to see such things take place!

Have you ever felt a great feeling after you pray? I love that feeling. To see your requests leaving you and going to God. He knows how to answer and deal with them in the most perfect way. However, His "perfect way" may not be our perfect way, so we must learn to submit to His decisions concerning our prayers.

In Matthew 6:5-8, Jesus warns his hearers about the showiness of their prayers. This kind of action brings the attention on you and I, instead of focusing it onto God. Here are some applications to choose from..

• Educate Yourself ~ Prayer is mysterious, when you open yourself up to it. The initial concept of "talking to God" may not be that mysterious. However, the fact that you are talking to the Creator of the universe, the Great Healer, the Great Comforter, and any other description you want to put out there is awesome. The simple idea that He allows you to communicate directly to Him is humbling. So, read, listen, and put into practice more about prayer as you live life.
• Don't Act ~ As the privilege of prayer is to talk to God, do it with all sincerity. Jesus addresses "hypocrites" and challenges his hearers not to be like them, a play actor, and really understand the importance of prayer.
• Find "Your" Place (to Pray) ~ It is advantageous to your prayer life to have a place you like to commit yourself to and pray for situations

Prayer is good in several different realms. It can help protect people, heal people, calm you, and many other potential things that we must keep in perspective as we go to God in prayer.

Step Up

How many of you have ever done something embarrassing and then looked around to see if anyone saw you?

I would bet that nearly 100% of you fit into this category. How many of those embarrassing situations had something to do with tripping or losing your balance?

Those situations are usually silly and what was tripped over or stepped in, etc. are usually little things that you could have simply stepped over or around to avoid the embarrassment. This brings us to this week's quote...

Men stumble over pebbles, never over mountains ~Emilie Cady

We often make things seem bigger than they are. May we take steps in life to get over the pebbles and on to "bigger and better things" in life! Don't let the little things slow you down from achieving goals you set for yourself!