Attitude

A survivor of a Nazi death camp, said, "The last of the human freedoms is to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances." I believe he's right -- we determine our attitudes in every situation, whether we know it or not. In this unpredictable and changing world, the one thing we can always control is the way we think.
While we have little control over circumstances or the actions of others, we can control our reactions to them. And anyone can learn how to operate with a better attitude, regardless of circumstances, temperament, or intellect. To have a more positive attitude and then leading your people to do the same, follow these guidelines:
ACT LIKE THE PERSON YOU WISH TO BECOME.
To have a more positive attitude, begin by acting more positively. Most people wait until they feel like it before taking action, but that's going about it backwards. Instead, you've got to act your way into thinking. By putting desires into action, you can establish a habit of thinking rightly -- and the result is a positive attitude. If you tend to think negatively, break that habit by choosing to have and exhibit a positive attitude. Besides improving your personal well-being, you'll model the actions you want your followers to take as well. As they see your commitment to being positive, they'll follow your example.
CULTIVATE A CONSISTENT POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
To reap a successful harvest, a farmer doesn't plant seeds and then just expect them to grow on their own. He must continually water, weed, fertilize and nurture the growing plants if he wants them to reach maturity. Likewise, if we want a successful life, we need to spend time every day nurturing our attitude. We must nourish the seeds of a positive attitude, or they won't grow. And if we don't pay attention to our crop, weeds of negative thinking will spring up and choke the positive plants until they die. Focus on what's right and successful. Don't feed the weeds. As it says in Philippians 4:8, "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report ... think on these things".
LOOK FOR THE BEST IN EVERYONE.
Have you noticed that whenever you buy a new car, you suddenly see others driving that same model everywhere? I'm sure you've figured out that those other cars were there all along; you just weren't looking for them before. Now that you have that particular car yourself, your eye is trained to notice it. People really do see what they're prepared to see. That's why it's so important to train yourself to look for the best in others. There is good in the worst of us and bad in the best of us, if we look for it hard enough. So whether you notice positive traits or imperfections depends almost entirely on what you choose to see. When we consciously look for the best in people, we allow their good traits to have a positive impact on our life and leadership.
LOOK FOR THE BEST IN NEW IDEAS.
You might believe that great ideas come only to the geniuses of the world. But in reality, discovering an idea is more a function of attitude than aptitude. An open-minded, creative person looks for ideas anywhere he can find them. He considers every option and doesn't reject anything until he's thoroughly examined it for any good he can find.
Many people tend to take attitude for granted. They assume that they're stuck with the attitude that they have. Yet your outlook on life, as well as that of your people, can be changed. And the impact of the right kind of thinking is so significant that it deserves regular attention. Take an attitude inventory today, and set yourself on the right track in your on thinking . Before you can change your world, you must first change the way you look at it.

A New Opportunity

A New Opportunity for A New Year
Someone once said, “Opportunities are seldom labeled.” However, I have always felt that every New Year is a new opportunity to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a new opportunity to move forward along life’s journey and to make one’s life more eternally meaningful.
Because I believe 2009 is a new opportunity for the Lord, I have spent much time in prayer, Bible reading, and goal-setting for this year. I trust that you, too, have set some goals and you are trusting the Lord to use you in a greater way!It has been said, “He who aims at nothing hits it every time!” I would rather try and fail than never try to do the things God lays upon my heart.
Let me encourage you to step out by faith in this New Year.For me and for the church family where I serve, it is my heart’s desire that everything we do will be for the honor of Christ and for the furthering of His faith in this world. We are challenged to live “for the faith” and it is my prayer that generations to come will walk in the faith because of the goals and prayers that will be established this year.

Making A Difference

Jude 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
I want so badly for my life to count and I know it will, only as I make a difference in other peoples lives. I want things to be better because I had a part. God gives to every man "potential" and as we reach that potential by His grace we can make a difference.
I. We Make a Difference by Staying Faithful
Quote – “By perseverance the snail reached the ark.” – Spurgeon
II. We Make a Difference by Planning
Quote – “Excellence never happens by accident.”
III. We Make a Difference by Participating
Quote – “It is only as we develop others around us that we permanently succeed.”
IV. We Make a Difference by Developing
Quote – “If you don’t have time to do it right, when do you have time to do it again?”
V. We Make a Difference by Caring
Quote – “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
My prayer for you and me is that we will reached the potential God has given us. So that we will make the kind of difference in someones life today that will be eternal.

A Little Help

Some things that will help me accomplish the will of God for my life in 2009
I. BEGIN WITH A CLEAN HEART
Examine your life; confess your sin. List the changes that need to be made. Ask the Lord to reveal unacknowledged problems (Ps. 66:18; I John 1:9).
II. ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY
Quit blaming other people, your past, or the circumstances of your life for your failure.
III. SET SOME NEW GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR
They should be challenging but practical; higher than you know you could accomplish without the Lord's help and yet consistent with the gifts the Lord has given you.
IV. PLAN NOW HOW TO HANDLE FAILURE AND DIS­APPOINTMENT
Install spiritual "handles" now, which will be within reach when dark and difficult days come. Get special Scripture verses so rooted in your heart and mind that they will automatically come to your consciousness in a time of crisis.
V. BEGIN BUILDING SPIRITUAL HABITS
Doing what you know you ought to do-systematic schedule for reading the Word of God, organizing a prayer list, establish­ing a regular time for soul winning and church visitation, and a regular commitment of service for the Lord.
VI. DARE TO DREAM
List the things you would really like to do with your life if you just had the courage to begin. Ask God to show you what oppor­tunities would be used for His glory, and then get busy!
VII. SEEK FOR GOD'S POWER TO BE OBVIOUS IN YOUR LIFE
Come daily to that point of commitment which enables you to say: "Lord, I am Yours, and I acknowledge Your right to do with me and with all that belongs to me, whatever will bring glory and honor to Your Name." Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and make your life and testimony effective in witnessing to others. Ask Him to teach you to pray in such a way that your life will be filled with answered prayers

3 New Year's Goals

PS. 65:11—DAVID SAID, “THOU CROWNEST THE YEAR WITH THY GOODNESS”

What direction will we go as a church, on this first day of 2009, let me just tell you. I don’t know! God answered your prayers and He answered ours and brought us together "for such a time as this". He will give me direction, I will follow Him by leading you, and you indicated by your vote that you will follow:
* when you understand…when you don’t
* when you trust me…and when you have to trust the God who sent me to you
* when you agree…and when you have to agree to disagree.
This is a great time to go forward!

1. Find Some Dissatisfaction
Spiritually—don’t ever be content, satisfied. Here’s the attitude to have: However much I read my bible in 2008, it wasn’t enough (or prayed, or gave, or served, or worshipped) Phil. 3:13—“brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended” (arrived) If we’re not careful, we can allow ourselves to get to the point of complacency. (beat down with the woes of life, failures of yesterday) When is a church officially dead, when can we write Ichabod on the door? When we’ve looked backward so long we can’t find it within ourselves to look up, and look ahead!

2. Find Some Devotion Phil. 3:13—“but this one thing i do…”
To the self-righteous rich young ruler, Jesus said, “one thing thou lackest”
To busy Martha, criticizing her sister Mary, Jesus said, “one thing is needful.”
Jesus healed the blind man, he said, “one thing I know…I once was blind, now I see”
Ps. 27:4 David said, “one thing I have desired of the lord.”
Paul said, this one thing I do…a statement of devotion. His Christianity was not a sideline, not a compartment of his life. A wheel has many spokes, and so do we in our lives: work life, school life, hobbies, family life, church life. Jesus doesn’t want to be a spoke at all, he wants to be the hub of the wheel out of which all the spokes grow and connect Christianity shouldn’t be a compartment of our life, it should be our life! We need to trade some commitments of this world for commitment to our lord.

3. Find Some Direction v. 14, “forgetting those things which are behind…”
Did you know that the month January got it’s name from Caesar, who named the month for the Roman god Janus, the two-faced god…one face looking backward, and one forward.
In 2009, there’s no looking back…the past is passed…no man putting his hand to the plow, looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. No looking back at past sin…He forgives it, He forgets it, so should we! It’s satan who reminds you of those past sins, not God. When you think of it, thank God for forgiving you the 1st time!
John R. Rice, “no matter what you did in the past, your future is spotless!”

Let;s Look Forward Too What God Will Do For And Through Us In 2009