NowTHINK!AboutIt

“Talent” Is The Starting Point

June 13, 2014 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Never Waste Talent
And Never Assume
It’s All You Need

Talent is inborn. Everyone has it but not in the same way.

One person can run fast. Others, to big to run well, can move heavy weights around. And others have no physical talents to speak of but they can draw or paint incredibly well. All of them, however, have limits.

It’s easy for a naturally fast runner to beat average runners in a foot race but that doesn’t guarantee they’ll be the fastest runner in the big races, e.g., the Olympics. Earning that label requires hard work. It’s an achievement. It won’t happen only with raw, undeveloped talent. Those who can run fast must develop that ability if they are to run faster than all other naturally fast runners.

But what must one do to reach that goal? The most talented runners, the ones allowed to compete in the big races, are those who develop nonheritable qualities, like determination, patience, discipline and more. Raw talent alone just isn’t enough.

THINK!AboutIt

“Christian” Is Not Synonymous With “Godlike”

June 11, 2014 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Becoming Godlike
Is The Aim
Not The Assumption

Never assume that “WWJD” is the same as “What Would A Christian Do.” Christians don’t always think, speak or act like God. Becoming a Christian requires nothing more than repentance and faith, and changes nothing but your heart (nature). The next step is learning to allow the new nature to speak more loudly than the old – becoming Godlike – but that requires an intentional effort over an entire lifetime.

God is out partner in that process and He never stops trying to move us in the right direction, but He doesn’t force the issue. Sadly, some Christians continue to foster the same attitudes after salvation that they displayed before. And this makes one thankful that God isn’t a Christian.

2 Great Examples Of Motherhood

May 13, 2014 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

A Great Mother
Need Not Be
A Perfect Person

There are many great examples of motherhood in the Bible. Sara, Jochebed and Hannah always come to mind but what made them notable was their great faith.

Not faith in the general sense of the word. It was the faith associated with Motherhood. The faith required to become a mother, i.e., get pregnant, or to be a mother. Some struggled with both kinds of faith but all of them wrestled with the kind of faith it takes to shape the life of a child.

The distinction is important. Faith isn’t the same for every person.

But, here is the question. We can make endless observations about the Motherly skills of these ladies from what we read in the Bible but what would be interesting, is to know what their children might say about them.

For example: [Read more…] about 2 Great Examples Of Motherhood

10 Testimonials To “Mom”

May 13, 2014 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Mom Is Your First
Main Person

Usually, when we talk about Mom in church it’s from an outsider’s perspective. The focus is on some Mom in the Bible or what the Bible says about motherhood.

All of that is good but it’s a little far removed from where we are now. Relevant, yes, but only in a distant sort of way.

To make Mother’s Day a little more personal, I asked people to write down a few thoughts about their Moms and share it with us. They were given three guidelines to help inspire thought. They could share:

A word characterizing some special trait of their mother. (Insistent, Understanding, tough, undaunted, etc.)
Or a short phrase or line describing what she taught them to do or what they learned from her example. (“She taught me to” . . . or “always talked about” . . .)
Or a short paragraph sharing some memorable moment – humorous or serious. (“Once my mother did or said or tried” . . . )

And following is what they wrote: [Read more…] about 10 Testimonials To “Mom”

4 Ways Motherhood Is Unique

May 12, 2014 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Mom’s Voice Is Always Heard
Even When She Is Gone

We celebrate “Mom” only one day a year but her influence is evident every day in the lives of her children. Through them she’s everywhere. She rubs off. Her influence is subtle but the effects are very real. Sometimes she’s intentional and sometimes not, but she always leaves a mark.

For those who doubt this, the following observations are offered as proof that Mom really gets into your head.

Mom Is Universal, Timeless and 24/7

Mom is not a localized concept or historical trend. She doesn’t come and go. She is everywhere and for all time.

There’s never been a generation where Mom-hood wasn’t relevant. There’s never been a person who didn’t have a Mom. There’ never been a person who didn’t love a Mom. If not their own then another.

The only two people who didn’t have a mother were the first man and the first woman. Mom is the soil in which every life germinates, literally. She is the first person we touch and through that touch we share feelings, nutrition, experiences – both good an bad, and if science is correct, she shapes our taste for food and music even in the womb. And all of that before we are born. [Read more…] about 4 Ways Motherhood Is Unique