December 4, 2008 at 10:59 am (Great Teaching, Lessons Learned)
I am finishing a book that was given to me to read on my flight to India. However, instead of reading, I slept! (I just love Ambien.) So, I am finishing The Last Lecture by the late Randy Pausch. In case you don’t know his story, Randy was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who died from pancreatic cancer in July of this year. He gave one last lecture in September 2007. This lecture has been put into book form. It is an inspiring book full of wisdom and common sense. I highly recommend it! Here is a short segment taken from the chapter entitled “Be the First Penguin”.
“Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.
“It’s a phrase worth considering at every brick wall we encounter, and at every disappointment. It’s also a reminder that failure is not just acceptable, it’s often essential.
“Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.”
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October 18, 2008 at 3:26 pm (Great Teaching)
September 26, 2007 I was in a planning meeting for our Women’s Ministries at our church. Somehow we got off the subject (surprise!) and began discussing how difficulties creep into our lives without us realizing it. One woman, Ann, shared how she is amazed each Fall as the leaves begin to change colors. Until then, all is green. As they turn, often a red vine is seen crawling up the trunk and onto its branches. This vine literally draws the life out of the tree as it attaches itself and steals the subsistence from which the tree grows. It was there before, but it was unseen. The vine was slowly killing the tree, but it was hidden. It was not until the seasons began to change that the life-sapping evidence was noticed. By this time, the vine is much harder to kill. It has already taken hold of the tree. It requires intentional, deliberate action to tear down the vine and kill its roots. It can be hard work and often must be repeated to make sure that the vine has not left behind some tentacles of roots.
Why do I remember so well the date of this discussion? It was the day before I was diagnosed with cancer. Since then I have considered the many principles in this teaching.
The lady who shared this with me has recently begun a difficult journey with her family. Through a tragic accident, they are walking a perilous path. They did not see it coming. It just appeared. It is requiring a lot of hard work to get through this time.
The hope that we have is that God is with us. As I did my part (going through 5 surgeries) and worked hard, God provided the healing that was necessary. As Ann and her family do what they can, God will bring about the victory!
“…Though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus is revealed.” I Peter 1:6b, 7 NIV
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February 18, 2008 at 4:46 pm (Great Teaching)
This weekend was an awesome time of ministry! Friday night Pastor Jim and Becky Leake were with us at First Assembly for our annual Sweetheart Fellowship. Pastor Leake served as the Senior Pastor at Monroeville Assembly of God for 40 years! Not only did they have words of wisdom, but they exampled for us true and enduring love! Saturday afternoon they were back with us for a Leadership Seminar for our Board and Trustees and their spouses. The “Followship” principle that Pastor Leake shared was full of insight and inspired our leadership to move forward in the Lord. Sunday morning Pastor Leake shared an anointed message concerning the “I am”. He is our “ever-present help in trouble”! I am thanking God today for the “feast of the Word” that we were served this weekend. I will be pondering and digesting it for a long time! We are so blessed to know this incredible couple, and to call them friends!
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I am finishing a book that was given to me to read on my flight to India. However, instead of reading, I slept! (I just love Ambien.) So, I am finishing The Last Lecture by the late Randy Pausch. In case you don’t know his story, Randy was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who died from pancreatic cancer in July of this year. He gave one last lecture in September 2007. This lecture has been put into book form. It is an inspiring book full of wisdom and common sense. I highly recommend it! Here is a short segment taken from the chapter entitled “Be the First Penguin”.
