Ashlynne Rachelle was born on Thursday, March 6th @ 12:54pm. She weighed in at 7lbs 10oz and was 19 inches long. Both mom and baby are doing great. I also need to give a shout out to my oldest daughter Faith – it is her 4th birthday today. Happy Birthday Faith!!!
Have you ever said, “I just don’t have time?”
There’s no such thing as not having time. When we say “I don’t have time,” what we’re really saying is that we don’t choose to make certain things a priority right now, or, there’s something else we’d rather be doing.
Think about all the demands on your schedule and take a look at the things you spend the most time on. The truth is, we make time for the things we want to make time for. But that isn’t always necessarily what we should make time for.
Starting today, make it a priority to set aside time for things that are ultimately important… your spouse, your kids, your faith, your health.
~Excerpt from Family Minute (February 26, 2008)
Jim Elliot, was an Christian missionary to Ecuador who, along with four others, was killed while attempting to evangelize the Huaorani people through efforts known as Operation Auca. He is credited with saying the following…
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
“Wherever you are – be all there.”
At many dog races, the canines run after a fake rabbit around a track until they get to the finish line. On occasion, when there is a mechanical failure, the dogs actually catch the pretend rabbit and are ruined for the rest of their lives. They never race again because they know they are being deceived. They may even become depressed and stop eating.
We may feel for these dogs, but aren’t they like most of us? We spend much of our lives striving after the “if only’s.” If only I had a new car. If only I had a bigger house. If only I could get that promotion. If only my wife wasn’t so cranky. If only my kids were smarter. Etc. Then, if we do ever attain an “if only”, we realize it doesn’t deliver the anticipated happiness. It was a fake all along.
~Excerpt from All Pro Dad’s “Play of the Day”
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.” What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently.
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
Author Unknown
As Your Last Game…
I’ve heard that phrase repeated time and time again in the realm of sports. It amazes me how hard athletes and coaches work to win a championship when everyone knows it will be forgot in a matter of days. Months (even years) of practice, pain, and preparation produce only a fleeting moment of satisfaction. Then it’s back to business where the only thing that matters is winning games.
Less than a week after becoming Super Bowl Champs, the Giants are already yesterday’s news. After winning an unprecedented 18 straight games, the only thing the Patriots are thinking about right now is how to improve their team (I guess they aren’t really any better than the Panthers since they lost their last game).
In college hoops today, LSU fired their men’s basketball coach (John Brady) less than 2 years after appearing in the Final Four. The reason:
Skip Bertman (LSU Athletic Director) said he was concerned about falling attendance at home games, but that “the ultimate reason John was fired was not attendance. They just didn’t win enough games.” full story
In sports, all that seems to matter anymore is “what have you done from me lately”.
Verse of the Day