Little Things Make a Big Difference

By Zig Ziglar

There's an old saying that "by the mile it's a trial, and by the inch it's a cinch." The reason the saying is old is because it's good, it's valid. If it were not, it would be dead and buried. For 24 years of my adult life, by choice I weighed well over 200 pounds. I say "by choice" because I have never "accidentally" eaten anything, so when I choose to eat too much, I have chosen to weigh too much. Every choice has an end result.

Twenty-two years ago I decided to do something about my weight and physical condition, so I got on an exercise and sensible eating program. Until then my idea of exercise was to fill the tub, take a bath, pull the plug and fight the current - and I know you'll agree that's not much of an exercise program! It took me 10 months to lose the 37 pounds I needed to lose. During that period of time I also wrote my first book, See You At The Top. It is 384 pages long and was the eighth best-selling hardback of the '80s.

Let's explore what I just said. Losing 37 pounds in 10 months meant that I lost an average of 1.9 ounces per day. Writing a 384-page book in 10 months meant that I wrote an average of 1 1/4 pages per day. You raise positive kids in a negative world, build a beautiful relationship with your mate, become a top-performing student, a world-class salesperson, or a top executive or educator not by a few mammoth leaps but by the daily, disciplined application of doing something every day to reach your objectives in life.

Buy that idea, take that approach, and I will SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 26 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope. In this article he mentions his first book, See You At The Top.

Pro-Family Voter Guide Now Available

Jeff Johnson - OneNewsNow.com - 1/22/2008 1:00:00 PM

Pastors and other Christian leaders have new resources to help their followers cast informed ballots in the presidential elections this year.

Each election year, Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State mails letters to churches warning them against any involvement with politics. Buddy Smith with the American Family Association -- a former pastor who received one of those letters -- says Lynn's method may be effective, but his motive is suspect. "We must commend him, to a certain degree, in that he is effective at intimidating some pastors from stepping forward in this arena, really pushing them into a corner of silence," says the AFA spokesman.

That may be about to change, thanks to a new website and a voter guide, both launched in cooperation with the American Family Association (AFA), the parent organization of American Family News. RepairingtheFoundations.com is a news resource for Christian leaders who want to address politics within the boundaries of the law.

"Pastors can find good information [on the website] about what they can and can't do with regard to politics in the church from a pastoral standpoint," says Smith.

In addition to political and legislative guides for pastors and churches, visitors can download a presidential voter guide provided by AFA and compiled by the Florida Family Policy Council. Smith explains that the American Family Association had been looking for a resource to help its supporters cast informed ballots.

"So we took it upon ourselves to go out and find a voter guide that we felt would address some of those key questions that Christians are asking about the presidential candidates on the Republican and on the Democratic side," he shares. "Our good friends at the Florida Family Policy Council -- who are associated with Focus on the Family as one of their state policy councils -- had already done some very good homework and research and produced a voter guide. And, so, they allowed us to take this guide.

"One of the real advantages of this particular voter guide is that it is foot-noted with some links where, online, our supporters can actually find some supporting evidence for the answers that we are providing for these candidates on these various issues," Smith explains, "such as the right-to-life issue, marriage, stem-cell research, gun control, taxes, Iraq withdrawal, and education."

The voter guide and other information is available at RepairingtheFoundations.com. Smith says his organization is sending the voter guide to its supporters prior to their state primary or caucus, encouraging them examine where the candidates stand on the critical issues. He also encourages church leaders to print out the guide and share with their fellow church members.

Please Do, and Please Don't

Suggestions for encouraging widows.

Miriam Neff | posted 1/18/2008 08:24AM

Apart from the outreach of the church, there are many ways individuals can encourage widows on their journey. But it's often hard to know what to say, for fear of making things worse. So let me offer some "Please do" as well as some "Please do not" suggestions.

1. Please do stay connected. Do not assume we need "space" to grieve. There is already a huge hole in our universe.

2. Please do say you are sorry for our loss. Do not tell us you understand, unless you do from personally experiencing the loss of a spouse. We would rather you tell us you do not know what to say than tell us the story of losing your friend or even close relative. We may be able to listen to your story later, but not now.

3. Please call and ask specific questions, such as "Can we go for a walk together? May I run errands for you? Meet you for coffee?" Do not say, "Call me if you need anything."

4. Please refer to our husband's acts and words, both serious and humorous. We are so comforted by knowing our husband has not been forgotten.

5. Please invite us to anything. We may decline but will appreciate being asked. Do not assume we no longer want to participate in couples events.

6. Please accept that we are where we are. Marriages are brief, long, healthy, dysfunctional, intense, remote. Death comes suddenly or in tiny increments over years. Again, our experiences are so different, as are we. So are our journeys through grief. Do not assume we go through the grief process "by the book."

7. Do say, "I've been thinking of you" rather than make a conversation-only offer, such as "We'll call you, and we'll go out to dinner"—unless you can follow up. We'd love that, too.

Copyright © 2008 Christianity Today.

No Sunday School!

There will be no Sunday School this morning. We will be having the 10:45 church service only.

Short Term Mission Opportunity

Ever thought about taking a missions trip but haven't gotten around to it? Plans are being made now for a short term mission trip to Brazil in May. There will be an informational meeting this coming Saturday, January 12 at 7:00 p.m. If you think you might wish to participate (either as a missionary going, a prayer partner for those who do go, or even a financial contributor), this meeting will equip you with everything you need to make a decision. Why not see how God might have you get involved in Brazil '08?

Attention Men!

Men's Fraternity re-starts this Thursday, January 10 at 6:00 a.m. We meet in the Fellowship Hall. If you have already attended, you know how meaningful and relevant this time together has already been. If you have not yet attended, you can start this Thursday. Men - why not add to your New Year's resolutions (or make one in the first place) and join other guys just like you for a great time together? Questions? Email Robert Steele.

Connection '08

Please plan to join us on Saturday, January 12 (this coming Saturday) as Pastor Darryl discusses our small group structure and outreach program. The sessions will be in the REFUGE. Continental breakfast will be from 8:30 - 9:00 and training will be from 9:00 - 11:30 a.m. (sharp!). Childcare is availavble. Please R.S.V.P. to Meredith. I hope to see you this coming Saturday.

Finding Your Purpose

You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something" (Psalm 139: 15). (Msg)

If you are going to discover how God wants to use your life and work, you must know why you were created. If you start trying to determine your purpose in life before understanding why you were created, you will inevitably get hung up on the things you do as the basis for fulfillment in your life, which will only lead to frustration and disappointment.

First and foremost, God created you to know Him and to have an intimate relationship with Him. In fact, God says that if a man is going to boast about anything in life, "boast about this: that he understands and knows me" (Jer. 9:24). Mankind's relationship with God was lost in the Garden when Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus' death on the cross, however, allows us to restore this relationship with God and to have an intimate fellowship with Him. The apostle Paul came to understand this when he said, "I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself" (Phil. 3:10, THE MESSAGE).

Establishing this relationship with God is vital to understanding your purpose. If you don't have this relationship with God, you will seek to fulfill your purpose out of wrong motives; such as fear, insecurity, pride, money, relationships, guilt, or unresolved anger. God's desire is for you to be motivated out of love for Him and to desire to worship Him in all that you do. As you develop your relationship with God, He will begin to reveal His purpose for your life. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord" (Jer. 29:11).

Today, ask God to help you discover your unique purpose.

(from Os Hillman's TGIF devotional)

Keeping up with the Minners

If you would like to keep up with what's going on with the Minner family, be sure to visit their blog postings at thaigrits.blogspot.com. You can find all sorts of interesting pictures, stories, and posts. And as you think about it, be sure to keep them in your prayers.

New Year's Resolutions

Are you one of the more than 100 million folks in America who has made New Year's resolutions? It seems like most, if not all, of us are drawn to this annual ritual...and yet it is reported that fewer than 1% of those who make resolutions achieve what they resolve. Perhaps the reason is that our "resolutions" are really no more than "wishes." As we think about 2008 and how it might be different, or better than 2007, let me invite you to consider these resolutions:

1. Resolve to spend more time with your family.
2. Resolve to do work that you truly enjoy doing.
3. Resolve to make a difference in your community.
4. Resolve to bring Jesus Christ glory and honor with your life.