Note: I usually preach three times in any given week and write a Pastor’s Column for several newspapers. So, to say the least, I am constantly in acquisition mode for fresh material. This material can come from anybody, anywhere, anytime, and in the most unexpected ways. I learned long ago not to trust my memory. So, I use my iPhone's “notes” feature to jot down things as they come my way. Often, one or more of the things I gleaned along the way will make it into a sermon, or as is the case today, they will comprise the bulk of a Pastor’s Column. Today, I am simply sharing things from my iPhone notes that I gleaned from others while on my way somewhere else. I claim no originality to the material. I am just one who gleaned it and is sharing it. I hope it blesses you. Brother Aaron
- Everything in life happens for me, not to me. Shift from a victim mindset to a growth mindset by seeing challenges as opportunities.
- We don’t realize how wonderful today is – until tomorrow.
- Some people are hurting so bad you must do more than preach a message to them. You have to be a message to them.
- I am in control of my thoughts, actions, and reactions.
- A worker at a frozen fish factory got locked inside a freezer. When there seemed no hope, the security guard opened the door and freed him. The next day, the manager asked the guard how he knew he was still inside the freezer and hadn’t left with the others. The guard replied, “Out of all the workers, he was the only one who greeted me every day. He always smiled at me and asked how I was doing. That night, I noticed his absence. I hadn’t heard his voice or seen his smile. I knew something was wrong, so I searched for him and found him.”
- In nature, there are no rewards or punishments. There are only consequences.
- You only have one birthday; the rest are congratulations for surviving.
- My battle scars from yesterday remind me of where I should be today.
- My past does not define me; my present actions do.
- The seats you choose in class decide your life.
- The number of people older than you never goes up; it only goes down.
- Small daily improvements lead to massive success over time.
- Consistency beats intensity; progress compounds.
- Confidence is not “They will like me.” It’s, “I’ll be fine if they don’t.”
- Failure is not the opposite of success; it’s part of it.
- The world wasn’t better when you were young: You were just too young to notice its flaws.
- There are too many people in the world who don’t know they’re bad guys.
- It is one thing to have faith to escape; it is another to have faith to endure. It’s one thing to be sick and have faith to be healed; it’s another thing to be sick and not healed and still praise God. Faith is not primarily receiving from God what you want; it is accepting from God what He gives.
- I attract what I focus on, so I choose to focus on the positive.
- Serve God long enough, and you’ll have stories.
- Disqualification isn’t always permanent. Just because one person disqualifies you doesn’t mean everybody disqualifies you, nor does it mean God disqualifies you.
- Grandchildren fill a place in your heart you never knew was empty.
- Trust God with your whole heart and embrace joy along the way.
These are just a few things I gleaned from others while on my way somewhere else. I hope they have blessed you.
I encourage you to go on Facebook to Fresh Fire Ministries, Hogansville, and “follow” us. Also, check us out on the web at: www.freshfireministries.com
Brother Aaron