Thank you for the encouragement. I do not really have the time for an extra activity but I know I need to make the time.

Luckily none of my daughters like ‘scream-o’ music or there would be a problem, lol.

Thanks for the comment.

I’ve been contemplating lyrics ever since.

I want my kids to be honest and my kids REALLY need me to do what I say I will do. They are aware of the quality of my ‘doing’ as well, lol.

One other and related vital rule is:

Do what you say you are going to do.

Everytime that I have violated this rule, either in business or my personal life, it has caused serious problems.

Now before I promise to somebody,that I am going to do something I ask myself: Am I going to say this just to temporarily appease somebody or am I really committed to doing it?.

Quite often I determine that my promise would be either appeasement or procrastination. Then I keep my mouth shut. Wish I had learned this earlier in my life.

Dave

Glad to see my web guru already had “full text” in my WordPress options.

Congrats on the increase in traffic. I’ve enjoyed the more expanded subject matter on the site.

Thanks for adding your comments and I love your addition to point number one.

If I were really disciplined I would get up early enough to exercise as well as read and pray.

Maybe some day, lol!

Actually I would add to your number 1 point that not all benefits of spiritual activities are ONLY spiritual. I think the whole thing is cyclical and interrelated. I believe those benefits like more family time or any other benefits in the physical realm also benefit us spiritually and that each just build on the other. Your point is so true. We not only get more benefits out of putting God first and out of obedience than we would initially think but those benefits spill over into each part of our lives. It is an awe-inspiring thing to have those moments when we realize and truly “get” that we are spiritual, physical and mental/emotional beings and that these things are so tied together. The new-agers get it partially right although they miss the mark. There is a benefit to having balance between the parts of our being as God created them all, but we get that balance through putting Him first and embracing all the parts of our lives.

Isn’t it great when you don’t try to lead by example and then actually lead by example? Too cool.

I started my own morning routine today which involves getting up and doing just a bit of exercise plus breakfast to start my day. I’ve once again went through the try meds and then have to get off meds for my cholesterol. Each time the doc puts me on something she has to take me right off because my lipid levels spike. So now I need to try to get this under control by nutrition and exercise. Went to bed at 10:30 last night (early for me) and got up an hour early this morning. I feel great. I’ll try to remember this feeling for days when it is rough.

And before I sign off, I wanted to share this link with you. Your evangelism has spread once again:

http://www.dream-stuff.com/2012/01/total-money-makeover-by-dave-ramsey.html

I like the concept!

This morning I thought of one more line I should have added to my post.

“Although, there is this one thing….”

Like a good sci-fi there is a nasty sting at the end. I just love is!
Yes, if everything just went perfect, where would science be? It is exactly because of so many mistakes that there are so many new inventions and progress!

God bless!

Herman.

I was thinking yesterday. The phrase: “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” does not really apply to churches. We should be constantly fixing and working on our ministry. It should never grow stagnant. Especially in a society that gets bored easily.

I try to shoose images that have some kind of symbolic meaning.

Sometimes I feel like a rusty pipe that doesn’t want to move. It takes a strong arm and a tough wrench to get me moving.

James, this is a very simple yet profound statement. Most of the problems in the world are caused by people who are not “correctable”.

I wonder if you chose the picture of the pipe wrench because it simply looked cool or it was somehow symbolic of how ‘wrenching” it is for some of us find it to be corrected or to correct ourselves.

Its quite a deep blog….I think there may be a poet/philospher inside of you trying to emerge!

Dave

thedailyretort.com/the-difference-between-monotony-and-boredom

Thanks for the email too!

“…He who loves discipline loves knowledge, he who hates correction is stupid…” PROVERBS 12: 1

I like the idea of a yearly get away better! lol

I knew you would have some good ideas!

Seems like a really cool idea to me!

How do you guys keep track of your goals day to day? Online? Paper? Something else?

We talked about the ‘pray without ceasing’ idea and how it is easy to use that concept to neglect intimate one-on-one prayer time with God.

Yes, I can pray while driving my car down the road but I should never consider that as a replacement for quiet prayer in a room alone.

The more I find my prayer time being while I drive down the road the lower my bible reading time gets. In my life prayer and bible reading to together.

I commend you on your goals, I’m trying to do the same my friend.

I would like to think that any long term goal could be started on the 90 day HWN list. I am using the power of our community to get myself started on this new habit. I certainly plan on continuing the habit for a long time; I won’t quit just because it is off the list after 90 days.

Some items, like your doors, naturally fall off any and all lists once they are complete.

In my mind long term goals change with our lives. I want to get my master’s in nursing but I am open to the idea that life changes and it may never happen. Still, the idea is out there ‘in the clouds’ as a possibility. All the steps in between will most likely make it to my HWN list.

Brent Green is awesome at this kind of stuff. I’m going to drag him in here to give us his feedback!

This morning felt great. I even had time to sit with my youngest before leaving for work.

I started a 21 day study on Character using Youversion. Pretty good so far.

It will be fun to see all of these lists get accomplished.

God’s best to you and yours in this new year.

We are years overdue for some family time out of town. I am thankful that we will be able to do that this year.

I used to use the big box stores as my show room, just to spite them. Worked pretty well!

Love your comment about being a specialist in a world that wants cheap. Made me think of big box stores. Nobody wants one pair of high quality shoes that fit well and will last; they want a closet full of crappy shoes from Mega-shoe-mart. Wal-Mart is the crowning glory of a nation that wants a whole lot of cheap: quality and price.

Best of luck to you!

Happy New Year to you too!

Happy New Year to the Dibben’s family!

We decided to do what Christie and Derek wanted us to do.

I am so glad we did. It was a great time!

Happy New Year to you too!

Happy New Year to you guys!

Sometimes it’s a bit like an intervention. Other times, it is just because we’ve both been too busy to spend much time together.

I usually think of waiting for a table to be part of the dining experience. Why do you have to wait to be seated to engage in the conversation? It’s a missed opportunity.

I’m glad it has served a good purpose!

What a tough environment to pastor in!

I had a similar experience with depression when I had been severely under attack while pastoring a church in an extremely racist town in the high days of “apartheid” in the eighties.
Looking back i can only thank God for healing me from depression in such a way that I could help many others afterwards.

Your three stages are so important and true!

God bless

Herman

In my life I have experienced so much of what you wrote about, especially stereotyping people. It is quite an alarming discovery to make in one’s own life. Here in South Africa where I grew up during the extreme years of segregation with a policy of Separate Development, commonly known as “apartheid” all different groups were stereotyped, the Greeks, the Italians, the Portuguese, the Afrikaners and the nine different African nations all living apart from one another in one country! Even today it is difficult to rid oneself from such ideas. But I am working on it. Your post gave me some hope again and led to new introspection. Thank you.

God bless, and have a Christ-filled 2012!

Herman.