Wayne Stiles's Blog, page 59
July 26, 2016
Quote by Fried and Hansson on how to get something done you want done. [Quote]
When you want something bad enough, you make the time—regardless of your other obligations. The truth is most people just don’t want it bad enough. Then they protect their ego with the excuse of time. Don’t let yourself off the hook with excuses.Keep reading this post. Better still, get my full posts the easy way when you SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG. When you do, I’ll also send you my FREE e-book!
David Heinemeier Hansson, Jason FriedRework (Crown Business, 2010), Kindle L...
July 25, 2016
The King’s Garden in Jerusalem: A Lesson in Futility
Solomon’s experience shows us how not to waste our lives.
Some folks love gardening. For them, nothing compares to the joy of creating and appreciating beautiful landscapes and gardens. It provides them hours of relaxation and satisfaction. Me, not so much.
(Photo: The King’s Garden began in the Kidron Valley beside the City of David. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
I guess it’s because working with plants requires continual maintenance. Mowing, pulling, watering, trimming—t...
July 22, 2016
3 Ways to Conquer Complaining and Keep Positive
How focusing on the other half of the truth can help.
Sometimes the new life God is leading you toward doesn’t seem as great as the one He has redeemed you from. When that happens, complaining often creeps in.
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
Remember thecomplaining of those redeemed from slavery in Egypt?
We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic. —Numbers 11:5
We all struggle with complaining. But in those m...
July 21, 2016
Quote by Atul Gawande on what matters in the end [Quote]
A seemingly happy life may be empty. A seemingly difficult life may be devoted to a great cause. We have purposes larger than ourselves. Unlike your experiencing self—which is absorbed in the moment—your remembering self is attempting to recognize not only the peaks of joy and valleys of misery but also how the story works out as a whole. That is profoundly affected by how things ultimately turn out. Why would a football fan let a few flubbed minutes at the end of the game ruin thr...
July 20, 2016
A Lesson from Anathoth: Why Our Best Efforts Don’t Hold Water
Jeremiah reminds us we never outgrow God
It’s tough to work hard at something, only to see your efforts eventually leak out through life’s cracks. Sometimes, however, that frustration can turn into a surprising blessing.
(Photo: Anathoth looking east toward the wilderness. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Standing in his hometown of Anathoth on a wet, wintry day, the Prophet Jeremiah could look east and see grain fields lush with life. But just beyond those fields stretched t...
July 18, 2016
When Struggles Strain Your Relationship with God
Here’s what to think and what to do.
You will face disappointment today. I will too. Honestly, when these frustrations and discouragements come barging in as unwelcome guests, the promise of God’s presence with us often feels thin.
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
Frequently, we respond to these disappointments like Gideon did:
If the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? (Judg. 6:13).
We say this (or think it privately) because we have a firm opinion of what God being “with us” look...
July 15, 2016
The ReWired Brain: Free Yourself of Negative Behaviors and Release Your Best Self [Book]
The ReWired Brain: Free Yourself of Negative Behaviors and Release Your Best Self by Ski Chilton, Margaret Rukstalis, A. J. Gregory (Baker, 2016) The strength of
The ReWired Brain
is on understanding how the brain works and why we make the decisions we do. Better still, with this knowledge is the realization that although we have “System 1” part of our brains that is more automatic, we also have a “System 2” mind that can override it—hence the hope we have for change, he...
What You’ll See in God’s Surprising Plans for You
God wants to use you to change the world, but first He wants to change you.
Whenever I have a doctor’s appointment, I always request the first appointment of the day. I figure the earlier my appointment, the less time I sit in the waiting room counting fish in the aquarium. But it isn’t so.
(Photo by Photodune)
I may have a time scheduled, but it’s entirely the doctor’s discretion when I see him. I find the same true with Dr. God.
Dr. God fills our lives with waiting rooms:
Your car in a tra...July 13, 2016
Joppa’s Greatest Export May Actually Surprise You
God's compassion to Gentiles launched here in both Testaments.
One of the best parts of going to Tel Aviv is strolling down the beautiful seaside boardwalk to ancient Joppa. Amazingly, very little remains visible to speak of Joppa’s significance. But history tells a different story.
(Photo: Joppa’s modern port, courtesy of Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Only a few fishing boats float in Joppa’s modest harbor today, hardly representative of its significant past. Beyond goods and trade, Jopp...
July 11, 2016
Jesus Has Many More Eye-Opening Truths to Teach You
A lesson from Bethsaida shows us how far we have to go.
Many people have never lived a day without knowing the name of Jesus. They grew up with the hymns and knowing the gospels. Others have taken their knowledge of the Savior further through intensive study, Bible school, or even seminary.
(Photo: The Plain of Bethsaida. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Although many years of knowing Christ often carry with them the danger of familiarity—i.e. complacency—not everyone falls p...
