Who would like to do this?

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Steps Toward a Rich and Meaningful Life

What are the basic building blocks of a rich, meaninful and fullfilling life?

In his new book, Flourish, Martin Seligman asks the above question.

Four building blocks are:

1. Having good relationships with others.
2. Being engaged by what you’re doing.
3. Having a sense of meaning or larger purpose in your life.
4. Feeling that you are achieving your goals.

Do you agree? What makes your life “flourish”?

Family

Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family that live about 12 hours away.

Market Reminders for Stock Traders

If  you don’t see your way clearly, do nothing. In the stock market you can’t create opportunity. You can only take advantage of opportunity. Also remember it is better to lose opportunity than to lose money. There will always be another opportunity.

A Few Quotes I Found While Cleaning Out A Drawer

Birds are entangled by their feet and men by their tongues.

Reading makes a full man, conference a ready man, and writing and exact man.

Few things can help an individual more than a to place responsibility on him, and to let him know that you trust him.

All things work together for good to them that love God.

Don’t Pray for Revival

Please DON”T pray for revival!

There are four commonalities between:

Muslims in Ethiopia. Buddhists in Burma. The Chinese countryside. Communists in Vietnam.

The first is fantastic revival.

The second, the Spirit of the Lord has come upon men and women to lead their people in this revival.

You’ll have to wait for the last two…

It’s a well know fact that most of the wealth of the “North American Church Powerhouse” is directed at the likes of Guatemala, Brazil, Dominican Republic and even Sub-Sahara Africa… we can “see” – “touch” – “feel” – “visit” these countries. They have armies of western missionaries. It is safe to drop in and “kick the tires”. Bring the youth group. Build a house or two. Pass out candy and toothbrushes (a nice combo). And have a general “feel good” sense of going unto all the world.

None of that is bad, certainly. It’s good.

But the revival and the fields of “white harvest” are elsewhere. Relatively invisible. Far away. Dangerous to visit. With very few western missionaries to “tell the tale” and “sell the story”. National pastors labor between jail time. No resources, training, encouragement and certainly no money. Yet in the face of that lack of resources… thousands are placing their faith in Christ weekly.

And now the last two commonalities of these “places of revival”… One is oppressive and/or communist government the other is extreme poverty with little or no western assistance (missions or financial).

So if you want revival in North America… pray as follows (repeat after me).

Dear Lord, give our great nation an oppressive (even communistic) government. Leaders and officials who hate your name and persecute your people. Also grant us poverty. Take away all our possessions… wealth… idols. And turn the eyes of wealthy nations, those with the power to help, away from us that we might be completely alone. With You as our only hope and salvation. AMEN.

Living the Dream

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~Mark Twain

What is Earth Hunger?

I had an obstinate craving for fresh air, unimpeded movement, outdoor life. I wanted the earth, and I wanted to live in the close embrace of the earth. Some ancestor of mine must have been a hermit on a mountain, a gipsy, or a peasant: I know not which, but something of the temperament of all three was within me. The smell of fresh-turned earth was a smell that revived in me a part of my nature that had seemed dead; a flower set me dreaming of solitary woods; and I found myself watching clouds and weather-signs as though my bread depended on their favor. The first time I saw a mountain I could not speak. I could offer no explanation of my conduct, but I felt as though the mountain called me. I said to myself, ‘There is my home, there is the earth from which my physical body is fashioned; it is there that I should live and die.’

A Father’s Death Bed Wish

As I lay on my death bed, my fear is that I will face these regrets and it will be too late…

“I regret that I didn’t watch more television. Those shows are so funny and entertaining. I wasted so much time doing other things”

“I really wish I hadn’t been so healthy. All those workouts, all that health food… ugh. It was the biggest mistake of my life.”

“I wish I had went ahead and sprung for a faster computer and internet connectivity so that I could have spent less time with my friends and family in person and more time sending halarious chain emails to my email list.”

“I wish I spent more time cultivating my ‘friend” list on Facebook, instead of drinking a non-virtual beer with my buddy at the pub or throwing my kids around in the pool.”

“I wish I would have spent more time a work, and less time with my boys. That way, when I’m gone, they can really cherish all the stuff I was able to buy them from the dollar store.”

Creating A Mountain

Imagine someone so powerful that they could make a small mountain out of a slightly larger mountain with only the flick of a switch on the dashboard of their bulldozer.

Tribute to Barbara Arrington

Last evening as family and friends surrounded Barbara at her bedside, we could almost hear her whisper the words of the apostle Paul,

The time of my departure has come.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith…

Barbara Arrington slipped through Heaven’s Gates on April 15 into the arms of her Lord.  She was confident

…to be absent with the body is to be present with her Lord.

Barbara loved life and people.  Her friends and family were so important to her, especially her grandkids!  Their photos and artwork surrounded the proud “Grandma.”

Her Inspirational Elegance Ladies Boutique was a mission field to our community and the world.  She allowed her business to be an opportunity of outreach for many Christ-centered events and activities. Through the years she sponsored many programs for the Kingdom.  Barbara spread God’s love by donating outfits for missionaries and others whom she knew could use some encouragement.

What a joy it was to see her faithfully serve in her Church Home at FBIR in the taping ministry. Her cheerful dedication was rock solid.

While we rejoice in Barbara’s promotion to her eternal home,  we miss her.  We take heart in knowing that one day, precious Barbara will be on the welcoming committee, when we, too, enter those pearly gates.

(Written by Carolyn Reynolds)

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Please feel free to leave your comments, stories or thoughts below… we would love to read them.

More Photos of Barbara

Crisis = Danger + Opportunity

If you turn on the news media we hear the word “crisis” everywhere. Take your pick — Financial Crisis, Banking Crisis, Global Crisis, Housing Crisis, etc. But anyone who has invested for at least ten years knows that a crisis presents the chance to take advantage of new, emerging trends. It reminds me of a quote I’ve seen often.

“When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters – one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.” — Saul David Alinsky

Some will get their wealth taken away…

But somebody else is gonna get rich!