ABBONDANZA

(close up of my rain gauge)

Did you know that God is a God of generosity and blessing?

Last night I experienced God’s abbondanza. I had just finished mowing the lawn and coming inside our home I mentioned to Joy, “the lawn is really dry, I’m going to ask God for a half an inch of rain.”

We sat down to a tasty meal of pork rib tips, sautéed zucchini from our garden. While Joy was finishing up dinner, I caught the weather report and the forecaster said, “the rain is going to split and go north and south of Chicago. It is unlikely we’ll get any rain here.”

That evening we noticed the weather system that had hammered Iowa (hail, rain and tornado warnings) seemed to be slipping south of us. I said, “God please turn that system and give us some rain.” The longer we watched the radar, the more we rejoiced as we saw the storm literally hook around toward us.

Not too much later, I heard some distant thunder. I looked at Joy and smiled. Before too long, I heard rain hitting the deck and by the time the “non-storm” finished up, we had 8/10 an inch of rain!

Thank you God. My lawn looks lovely now and is watered for the week.

Now, if I can transfer that faith onto the sale of this home in this current drought of a real estate market we are in…. “Thank you God for showing the forecasters wrong and our house selling in a dead market.”

People of Jesus live in FAITH and HOPE.

This is why the Psalms say, "I don't care how bad it is today, I am going to sing in the morning."

Psalm 59

¹⁵ They wander about for food

and howl if not satisfied.

¹⁶ But I will sing of your strength,

in the morning I will sing

of your love;

for you are my fortress,

my refuge in times of

trouble.

¹⁷ O my Strength, I sing praise to you;

you, O God, are my fortress, my

loving God.

Decisiveness

It is amazing how a guy who is one of the most decisive on the football field is being so indecisive about signing a contract.

Brett Favre has been a great football player. He was the icon in Green Bay for over 15 years (1992-2007).

Favre is statistically one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Favre is the first player to win the AP Most Valuable Player three consecutive times (1995–97).

He led the Packers to seven division championships (1995, 1996 1997, 2002 2003, 2004 and 2007), four NFC Championship Games (1995, 1996, 1997 and 2007), winning two (1996 and 1997), two Super Bowl appearances, winning one (Super Bowl XXXI).

He holds a number of NFL records including: most career touchdown passes (464), most career passing yards (65,

127), most career pass completions (5,720), most career pass attempts (9,280), most career interceptions thrown (310), most consecutive starts among NFL quarterbacks (269; 291 total starts including playoffs), and most career victories as a starting quarterback (169). (Wikipedia stats)

When you watched Favre play football, you would have to describe him as a gunslinger. He was amazing. Snap decisions , quick judgments. He would throw the football so quick, accurate and hard that many defenders couldn’t handle it. It would blow right through their hands.

So why is the “gunslinger” having a tough time making the decision on signing on with the Minnesota Vikings. I doubt if it is any loyalty to the Packers. If you didn’t know the Vikings and Packers are rivals, only overshadowed by the rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.

It has come down to the day before training camp and the big news is… “Favre can’t make up his mind.”

The ball has been hiked to him and he is standing there with it in his hands just looking at it.

It would be easy to try to figure out why he can’t pull the trigger, grab the pen, sign the contract. I’m sure there are all kinds of thoughts going through his mind… like the wear and tear of another football season on his 40 year old body and I would imagine he has enough money set aside. With his personality, he could easily get a contract with ESPN and do color commentary. Someone needs to replace John Madden.

On his own website it states, “Brett Favre: I'll stay retired, even if I get the urge” (February 2009) and now one of his agents is reporting, “he’ll probably make a decision next week.” I’m not holding my breath!

Enough about Favre, his story is only a tool to talk about decisiveness or indecisiveness.

"The percentage of mistakes in quick decisions is no greater than in long-drawn-out vacillation, and the effect of decisiveness itself 'makes things go' and creates confidence." -- Anne O'Hare McCormick (1882-1954), First woman to win a Pulitzer prize for journalism

Consider This:

Contrary to popular belief, your decisions don't drive your long term success - your decisiveness does. Said another way, when you reach a crossroads on any issue, the act of choosing creates power, not the choice itself. The issue is momentum. No matter what you choose, when you commit boldly with conviction, you create momentum. When you hesitate you don't. And success is built on momentum.

The more I think about this, I am reminded of Joshua’s challenge to indecisive people, “choose this day, whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15).

I must confess, indecisiveness drives me crazy. But, I have no skin in Favre’s decision, so I’ll just take the lesson to heart to let my “yea be yea and my no be no.”

DA COACH

In Chicago, all you have to do is say “da coach” and everyone knows you‘re referring to Mike Ditka.

He took on the job of coaching the Bears and turned the team around and helped them once again, become a winning team. The Bears won six NFC Central titles and three trips to the NFC Championship game during his time. The highlight of “da coach’s” career was an outstanding 46-10 victory over the New England Patriots in Superbowl XX.

One of the pleasures and passions of my life is encouraging people. It is such a pleasure to be able to sit down with someone, listen to them, let the Holy Spirit guide me in what I ask them… questions that help them to open up and to see aspects that possibly had not been considered.

A friend on Facebook wrote the following comparison of Coaching vs Mentoring:

• There is a difference between Coaching and Mentoring. Coaching is about listening, drawing out, and assisting in discovery. Mentoring is about telling, teaching, and imparting expertise.
• There is a difference between Coaching and Counseling. Counseling is about the past, helping people process, deal with, and be healed of past issues. Counseling prepares people to begin to look forward again.
• Coaching is about the future. It is forward looking. It helps people discover what's next and then helps them build a solid strategy as to how to get there.

I guess my love is to Coach. I love to help people explore, examine and strengthen their dreams and then give them permission to “go for it.”

What a pleasure it has been to work with pastors, their staffs and churches as they have allowed me to be “da Coach”.

Living Life

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

Live your life so that when you die, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

TREASURE IN THE TRASH - MONEY IN THE MATTRESS

What was she thinking!?!

JERUSALEM – An Israeli woman mistakenly threw out a mattress she said had almost $1 million inside, setting off a frantic search through tons of garbage at a number of landfill sites on Wednesday. The woman told The Associated Press that she bought her elderly mother a new mattress as a surprise present on Monday — and threw out the old one.

The next day, she said, she remembered that she had hidden her life savings inside the old mattress. "I woke up in the morning screaming, when it hit me what happened," said the Tel Aviv woman, who asked not to be identified.

She went to look for the mattress, but it had already been hauled away by garbage collectors, she said. Searches at three different landfill sites turned up nothing.

She said the money was in U.S. dollars and Israeli shekels. She refused to say how she acquired such a large sum. "It was all my money in the world," she said. There was no way to verify her claims, and she refused to disclose key details.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said he was not familiar with the case and no report had been filed.

The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot published a picture of the woman searching through garbage at a dump in southern Israel. The picture shows the woman, dressed in a white top and black pants with her back to the camera, picking through a huge pile of trash that fills the frame about 10 feet (3 meters) in all directions.

Yitzhak Borba, the dump manager, told Army Radio that his staff was helping the woman, saying she appeared "totally desperate." He said the mattress was hard to find among the 2,500 tons of garbage that arrives at the site every day.

He said he increased security at the site to keep would-be treasure hunters away.

The woman said the money had been stashed in a mattress because she had had "traumatic experiences with banks" in the past. She would not elaborate.

Interesting Video

This guy is very creative, loves playing with rocks and has a lot of time on his hands!

ARE YOU HAPPY? Try Psalm 146:5

"Happy is he... whose hope is in the Lord."  (Psalm 146:5 NKJV)

I really enjoy the devotional that an old friend of mine produces.  The devotional is The Word For You Today published by Bob Gass.

Recently I read...

F.B. Meyer says, "The education of our faith is incomplete [till] we learn that God's providence works through loss...that there's a ministry to us through the failure and fading of things.  The dwindling brook where Elijah sat is a picture of our lives!"  Some time later the brook dried up' (1 Kings 17:7 NIV) is the history of our yesterdays and a prophecy of our tomorrows...learn the difference between trusting in the gift and trusting in the Giver.  The gift may last for a season but the Giver is eternal.  If the Lord had led Elijah directly to the widow of Zarephath, he'd have missed something that helped make him a better man -- living by faith.  Whenever our earthly resources dry up it's so we may learn that our hope and help are in God."

One author writes:  "Sometimes there's not enough money to make ends meet; people tell us to budget and we chuckle.  We look at the situation and say 'No way.'  That's the time to trust God.  Your possibilities are not limited by past or present circumstances.  If there's not enough to pay legitimate expenses, do your best then let go.  Trust God to supply your need, then look beyond your wallet.  Look to your source.  Claim a divine...unlimited supply...Do your part.  Strive for financial responsibility in thought and action.  Ask for wisdom and listen to God's leadings.  Then let go of your fears and your need to control.  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding'  (Proverbs 3:5 NLT)  We all know money is a necessary part of living - and so does God.