40,000 Thoughts

"Your reactions break you loose from your social inhibitions and manifest who you really are inside and what you really believe at your core level. We lose our carefully preserved 'front' when we are pressed beyond calculated thinking. Then, who we really are is made manifest.

You can control your future reactions considerably by changing the way you thinke before you are pressed into a response. The way you think every day determines the way you feel, and it will determine how you will react in stressful situations.

Researchers have determined that the average person thinks over 40,000 thoughts each day. The heart is filled with thoughts, and it is out of that reservoir of thoughts that the mouth speaks words of praise or bitterness. When the pressure is on, and the dam of reservation breaks loose, you cannot control what you say, because you will speak from the abundance of your heart-from the 40,000 thoughts you had that day, and all the days before.

'A good man out of the treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man of the of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh (Luke 6:45). 
If you, as a wife, are going to change the way you have been speaking it is not a matter of willpower; it is a matter of thought power."

~Debi Pearl, Created To Be His Helpmeet

Helpful Tip Tuesday: Preparing For Father's Day

10 Ideas For A Fabulous Unforgettable Father's Day

1.  If you can't be together, mark your calendar so you will be sure to call your father. Include comments about what he means to you as a father, mentor, and friend.

2.  Pick a photo of you and your father together and write a note to him about why the picture is meaningful to you. Send it in time to arrive a day before Father's Day.

3.  Buy tickets to a game of his favortie sport and go together.

4.  Offer to join him at his church for the Father's Day services.

5.  Write him a letter thanking him for two or more traits he taught you that really make you a more successful person.

6.  Record a cassette for him that shares a special memory of childhood that you both cherish so he can enjoy it in the car or at home.

7.  Order a beef stick and and cheese box, or some other favorite snack gift package, and have it delivered a day early. Enclose a card that says you will join him to watch a game or movie of his choice.

8.  Make a video for him of your childhood home and include a commentary on memories and lessons you really value from your childhood.

9.  Take him to a dinner place of his choice and surprise him with two or three of his friends that he may not see often. Plan this for the day before or after Father's Day so they will be available.

10.   Ask your brothers and sisters to join you in writing notes sharing how your father's influence and availability over the years benefited your family life. Include them in a memory book with a nice masculine cover.


~Daniel L. Mcauley
Father of three, grandfather of six
as quoted in Lists To Live By

Quote from Beth Moore

"Maintaining purity in ministry is the result of nothing less than deliberate devotion."

~Beth Moore

Helpful Tip Tuesday: 22 Things Kids Appreciate

What Kids Appreciate

1.  We were often spontaneously getting hugged even apart from completing a task or chore.

2.  They would let me explain my side of the story.

3.  They would take each of us out individually for a special breakfast with Mom and Dad.

4.  My mother always carried pictures of each of us in her purse.

5.  They would watch their tone of voice when they argued.

6.  My parents made sure that each one of us kids appeared in the family photos.

7.  They were willing to admit when they were wrong and say "I'm sorry."

8.  I saw my parents praying for me even when I didn't feel I deserved it.

9.  My folks wrote up a special "story of my birth" that they read to me every year.

10.  They attended all of my open houses at school.

11.  My mother and father would ask us children our opinions on important family decisions.

12.  My mom had a great sense of humor, but she never made us kids the brunt of her jokes.

13.  My parents wouldn't change things in my bedroom without asking me if it was okay with me.

14  When I wrecked my parent's car, my father's first reaction was to hug me and let me cry instead of yelling at me.

15.  My parents were patient with me when I went through my long-hair stage in high school.

16.  My mother would pray with me about important decisions I was facing, or even that I would have a good day at school.

17.  We would have "family meetings" every two weeks where everyone would share their goals and problems.

18.  Even though I didn't like it at the time, the chores my parents made me do helped me learn responsibility.

19.  When I was down about my boyfriend breaking up with me, my father took extra time just to listen to me and cry with me.

20.  My parents never acted like they were perfect, and they never expected us to be perfect either.

21.  My mother would let me explain my point of view on issues-even when she disagreed with me. She always made me feel that my opinion was important.

22.  My parents didn't compare my abilities with those of my older brother or the other kids at school, but helped me see my own unique value.

~Gary Smalley and John Trent

selected from a list of one hundred, from "The Blessing"

as quoted in Lists to Live By

Quote from Francis Chan

"We don't get to decide who God is."

~Francis Chan