Maybe it is my personality type but at times I have struggled with procrastination.  Never on the big things, but on the smaller tasks that seem, well, small.  I work good under pressure but sometimes that can be a fault.  I have endeavored for years to overcome this quirk of mine, so I bought a book on procrastination.  (Eat That Frog, by Brian Tracy) The sad thing is I never finished the book on procrastination:)

Yesterday, I was reading about the great poet Coleridge.  In this writing it was describing the man’s genius but that he never reached his fullest potential because he lost focus.  Let these words sink in:  “It has been said of him: ‘He lost himself in visions and work to be done, that always remained to be done.’  Coleridge had every poetic gift but one–the gift of sustained and concentrated effort.”

We must focus on what we believe God has placed within our hearts to accomplish.  We cannot allow our vision of what needs to be done to continue to be undone.  I have determined in my life to no longer procrastinate the important things in life.  It requires discipline!  Discipline to accomplish great things for God.  Let us pursue the vision God has for our life and do it without procrastination.

Please pray for a couple named Larry and Theresa that God would bless there upcoming marriage.  They are asking for freedom from a spirit of rejection and that God would reveal to them the depths of their own hearts so that they can start their marriage off right.

Just wanted to give a shout out to my mom.  It is her 58th birthday.  I am thankful for her birthday because if she hadn’t been born, I wouldn’t be here.  Happy Birthday Mom!

I love Panera Bread! Not just the sandwiches but the atmosphere. It is a great place to eat as well as to have coffee. Last week my dad, Josh and I went to Panera Bread for lunch and ordered a sandwich and chips.  As I often do, I like to read the back of packages and I noticed something that caught my eye on the bag of chips. THE EXPIRATION DATE. The expiration date read Jan 3009. Holy Preservatives! I have seen some long expiration times but never a thousand years. I began to read the list of preservatives but I did not see embalming fluid on there. I told Josh that if those chips last a thousand years, we may never die:) I want to have whatever can make a bag of chips last a thousand years.

There is a preservative, however, that lasts longer than a thousand years. It is Jesus Christ. Eternal Life through Him. Everything in this life fades away (even Panera Bread chips) but with Christ we are imperishable. We will live forever in Christ. We may leave this life through death but He guarantees us a special preservative in Heaven. Heaven is a place where we will never die and there are no expiration dates.

Sometimes you can gain alot of wisdom from comic strips.  I am a huge fan of Charlie Brown.  As a matter of fact, I identify with alot of things he says.  Yesterday’s Peanuts Strip reveals alot of Charlie Brown’s Wisdom in dealing with conflict.

We had a great day today!  Worship went well and there was a sweet spirit in the house.  We discussed how to survive Christmas during the message today.  I shared from my heart about my struggle to be excited about the holiday season.  I love the meaning of Christmas but I despise what Christmas has come to represent. 

We looked at surviving stress, surviving our relationship, and surviving depression and loneliness during the Christmas season.  We then looked at the remedy: 1. Do not envy other people’s blessings  2. Forgive those who have hurt you  3.  Remember the true meaning of Christmas (Jesus).

After service the choir practiced for our special service next week.  They sounded great!  Make sure you are there next Sunday, it should be awesome! 

Today’s sermon is available online.  Click Here

As I was in prayer tonight, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart.  He shared with me a profound truth that I am sure I have read somewhere but I cannot recall where.  The Lord reminded me, “The ultimate pride is prayerlessness.  To think we can handle life and ministry without God’s help.  To think that our own wisdom and strength is greater than what we can find in communion with the Almighty.”

There has been a song, by Justin McRoberts, swirling in my head for a couple of days now.  The key line for the song has some incredible truth in it.

McRoberts sings, “The question isn’t are you gonna die, you’re gonna die, will you be done living when you do?”

Read that again.  There is something profound about that statement.  It is not a matter of whether or not we will die.  We are all going to die, but will we be done living when we do?

There are two things about living after death:

1.  Will it be eternal life or eternal death?  This life does not end with death.  Will you live forever with Christ?  Or will you be punished with eternal death?  The only way to continue living after you die is to make sure you have a right relationship with God and have accepted  His Son, Jesus Christ.  “The question isn’t are you gonna die, you’re gonna die, will you be done living when you do?”

2.  Will your legacy live on?  We cannot live forever because our bodies decay and corrode.  We will all die, but are we ensuring that we live on through other people?  Leaving a legacy begins with teaching our kids to follow Christ.  Jesus told us in the Gospel of Matthew how we can live on after death.  He said, “Go into all the world and make disciples.”  If we are making disciples, we will live on through other people.  What we have instilled in other people will last for generations. “The question isn’t are you gonna die, you’re gonna die, will you be done living when you do?”

Make sure that when this life is over, you are not done living.

P.S.  We are traveling to Little Rock this morning.  I have a 1:00 meeting at the District Office to do a church planting assessment.  Please pray for our safe travel.  We will return home tomorrow morning.