fourth IN LENTEN SERIES (From Dreams to Deeds)

************************** IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND THIS BLOG TO A FRIEND GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG AND CLICK ON THE ENVELOPE. ************************* There are over 600 stories and commentaries on this blog that began Nov 24, 2009. It is added to daily. ************************* He was walking along the beach and every little bit he would stop, pick up a star fish and throw it into the ocean. Another man passed and said, “Why waste your time? There are thousands of star fish caught up this area between the surf’s edge and the beach. There are thousands. You are wasting your time. You can’t possibly make a difference.” As the man chastised him for such foolishness, the man knelt down, picked up yet another starfish and sent it flying toward life again in the ocean. As he did so he looked at his antagonist and said, “It sure made a difference to that one.” Lent forces us to focus on how much we really do believe in the power of God and how that power can make us better folk in this world of His creation. And how we can, yes, make a difference. Remember Joshua, successor to Moses, survivor of forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Weary and worried, more than willing to forget the whole thing, but God sitting him up straight with the words, Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9) Lent challenges us to be strong and courageous…not to kill our dreams and certainly not turn them into nightmares. Lent challenges us to chase our best rather than giving in to our worst. Lent shouts at the defeatist’s mantra It can’t be done! You’re expecting too much! with the response YOU WANNA BET! The spirit of Lent refuses to be paralyzed by pernicious paranoia but rather, by prayer, accepts forgiveness, learns from sins committed and gets on with a self-improvement programs. Lent is positive thinking, backed by the promise of God to help us to be more of light and less of darkness. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phillipians 4:13) The Apostle Paul said it and I agree. It is a top-notch statement that deserves a first class approval rating. Followed by words carried on the back of deeds. We all hope for longer periods of peace, for the ability to live with pain, to cope with problems and have a better understanding of our God. And if this hope is to be fulfilled, we all must present the signed blank check of our souls and ask that God’s printing press impress on it such Bible-stamina-thinking as: Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28) Be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. (Psalm 31:24) We all want these Bible truths to make inroads on our thinking. Lent says, get on with it. And if doubt raises its misshapen head to make fun of commitment, the Apostle Paul also reminds us, “If God be for you, who can be against you?” The Christian does not say, “I will never grow sick or die. I will have everything I want and be everything I desire.” No. Echoing the Psalmist words, In God I have put my trust, the believer warns, “Watch out world, I'm a giant. I can move mountains. And if and when I stumble and fall, I will have the greatest giant of all, my Almighty God to help me back up again and again.” “It can’t be done,” laments a man; and buries his dreams, forgets the power of his Heavenly Father, lets his talents go to waste and his life go to nothing. And yet another person says, “Maybe it can’t be done, but I’ll never know without trying.” And so by faith and hope people like Nobel prize winner Jane Adams began Hull House in Chicago, Albert Schweitzer moved through and into the wilderness of Africa, and Martin Luther King, Jr. courageously fought for Civil Rights. Lent is a reminder that will not let us forget that when God guides a person’s steps, guards a person’s dreams and controls a person’s fears, the world had best watch out. Because, give me a person whose hopes are grounded in God and I’ve got a tiger on my hands. *********************** DO YOU HAVE A BLOG OR FACEBOOK? IF YOU ENJOY THESE WRITINGS COULD YOU CALL ATTENTION TO THIS BLOG? IF YOU DO, THANKS IN ADVANCE ************************************* A QUOTE FROM TOMORROW’S BLOG … DIAL HEAVEN …A long distance call that’s free “Speaking of creation, think about the fact that the first prayers were between God and Adam. “ It was all new and bright and filled with Eden and they talked or better still God talked and Adam listened. It made perfect sense. There was a natural linkage since man was made in God's image. It's still that way. God asking "What are you doing?" and hopefully we replying "What do you want me to do?" “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” —Philippians 4:6 STARTED SUNDAY on his other blog WYRICK’S WRITINGS…MARCH 5, 2011 Serialization of another of his books SIXTY PLUS AND NOT HOLDING To read this book CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING URL http://wyrickswritings.blogspot.com +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Each Sunday there is also a serialization of his novel RUST ON MY SOUL and serialization of another of his books 60 PLUS AND NOT HOLDING MANY OF THE IDEAS IN THIS BOOK FOR BETTER LIVING ARE GOOD FOR ANY AGE. (This book is about dealing positively with the challenges of getting older and fosters the belief that “If we would have new knowledge, we must get a world of new questions.” (Susanne K. Langer) TO VISIT T Neil’s other blog WYRICK’S WRITING (A variety of serializations; a novel on Sunday and Tuesday and Thursday varying subjects) (3 times a week added to) CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING URL http://wyrickswritings.blogspot.com **************************** To view his One Man Dramas on film (see by millions, live and on film and on video)(Martin Luther, Ben Franklin, Charles Wesley, Abraham Lincoln) CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING http://www.speakerneil.com/ ******************************** To access info his other book’s and get some great used book prices, go to Amazon.com (books) and type in Neil Wyrick. BOUNDARIES UNLIMITED, RUST ON MY SOUL, POOR RICHARD’S ALMANAC, I AM SIXTY PLUS AND NOT HOLDING, THE ABC’S OF PARENTING AND GRANDPARENTING, LETTERS TO AMERICA… ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ V. Neil Wyrick’s ninth book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN and is available at MAGNUS PRESS. (For some unusual books visit their Web Site) THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM’S Kindle To visit their Web Page click on the URL below http://www.magnuspress.com/OurProducts2.html 25% off all books, buy 4 get 1 free and free shipping Winter Sale through March Phone Orders: 800-463-7818 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ To access his other book’s; BOUNDARIES UNLIMITED, RUST ON MY SOUL, POOR RICHARD’S ALMANAC, I AM SIXTY PLUS AND NOT HOLDING, THE ABC’S OF PARENTING AND GRANDPARENTING, LETTERS TO AMERICA…go to Amazon.com (books) and type in Neil Wyrick. +++++++++++++++++++++++