Blurbs Of Wisdom 43 Starting Over

(continued…)

 The second brick

Start over with a new financial philosophy that makes you rich, in mind, soul, spirit, truth, and peace. How valuable is your time? What kind of life do you want to live? Be careful, you will get what you ask for. It always happens.

 The third brick

Faith is the cornerstone foundation brick for starting over. If you need help building your house, why not ask of God? If your foundation is made of sand, it will be swept away by the rain. If your foundation is firm, secure, and built on faith, your house will stand solid in the midst of storms. The Lord has taken care of me so many times. He has come at just the right times. I have learned to trust. My faith is strong and my faith continues to grow. I’m not writing these words all by myself. God is using me and guiding me.  He obviously wants me to relate to you, so that you may believe, too. He wants you to learn how to have faith. He wants you to know that there is a victorious way to live life.

Yes, going through the hard times is no fun, and it takes a while, but I can guarantee to you that life is more worthwhile when you have faith. My feeling is that faith is the essential ingredient of starting over. Without faith, all labor is in vain. As your starting over foundation is being built, brick by brick, you will soon begin to see a new ingredient in each of your building bricks. For me, it was changing over to making my own decisions. You may say that’s not really a problem for you. For me it was a problem. For a long time I had to listen to others to help me make decisions. I couldn’t take the stress of making decisions. As I started over, I depended more on my faith. I learned to pray about my decisions. I started feeling relief from stress. I started turning over my unanswered questions and decisions to God. I found relief from my burdens. I was beginning to live again. Only this time, it was better, much, much better. I found out that I needed to get as much input as I could before making decisions. But when it came time to make those decisions, I prayed about them first, and then I made my own decisions. I am happy that I have finally become a decision maker. I found out that I am somebody, and I do have worth and significance.

Psalm 29: 11

“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”

 The fourth brick

Reading prepares your mind for progress. Reading exercises your mind. Reading the Bible and reading good books keep you focused on the pursuit of peace. Every morning. I found out that there was encouragement in the words of the Bible. I also read other books that spoke of how God can work! I found that the thoughts I filled my mind with every morning, determined how I handled each day.

Galatians 5:  22

“But the fruit of the Sprit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

 The fifth brick

Friendships make the difference. In 1Corinthians, 15: 33, there is an admonition, “Do not be misled. Bad company corrupts good character.”      

I chose friends who encouraged me. I found out that my friends had problems too. I found out that when I helped them, I was really helping myself. When I encouraged them by sharing some small victory, I was building their foundation of faith in the same way I was building my foundation of faith.

2 Thessalonians 3: 16

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way…”

 The completed foundation

The house you build will be determined by what you believe is important. Your house will be different than mine or anybody else’s. List how your foundation is going to be built.

 Starting Over

Each day, you can start over. Each day, you can choose to make life better, for yourself, and for the others around you. Yes, it is possible for you to have a celebration time. Yes, you can live a life of peace and fulfillment. Life seems so backwards sometimes. An old country western song lyric sung by Johnny Cash says, “When I’m old enough to really live, I’ll be old enough to die.” 

 Proverbs 14: 30

“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

 A smart way to learn is to observe and listen how others have made it through problems. It’s really not necessary to experience everything first hand.

The school of hard knocks is a tough way to learn, but it’s not the only way.

Prayer overcomes barriers thought immovable.

 Starting over lets you choose to leap over the obstacles.

 Congratulations on reading this book.

 Make a list right now of your expected results from experiencing a God-guided prayer-filled life. Dream a little.

 Do you really need to become “old” before you become “wiser?”

 I only have today to live my life.

 I can start over today.

 I do have hope for tomorrow because I do believe in God.

 If you have faith and you have joy, you have it all.

 The Bible teaches that even through trials and tribulations, the Lord is always there.

 The song says,

 “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear,

What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer.

Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.”
 

When you start over, ask God to show you the right pile of bricks to use.

 Don’t you think he probably has a plan for the design of your house?

 Life is free, isn’t it? If nothing else, the choices in life are free.

 You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Isn’t this an entrepreneur’s dream?

 Your celebration day is coming, just like my buddy’s, and just like mine.

 What do you plan on celebrating?

 Will you choose to start over, now, today?

 Why not laugh at the past and go forward with a blast…of enthusiasm?

 Each day is a good day when you pray.

 Each day is a golden, silver-lined opportunity to start over.

 Each day is a gift from God. 

 To be continued…

Blurbs Of Wisdom 42 Starting Over

(continued…)

Who decides if you are happy or unhappy? Your wife? Your husband? A loved one? Your son or daughter? Your boss? Your teacher? Your friends? The real estate market? The newspaper? The talk show hosts? Your money? God? 

The answer is: none of the above. “You” aren’t included in the answers above. “You” are the only person who can decide to make you happy. You, and only you, can choose to be happy. God will certainly guide and direct you towards happiness, if you ask him and believe in him. He wants you to come freely to him. He wants you to choose what makes you happy. God wants you to choose what makes God happy. What’s even more profound, no one can rob you of your happiness, unless you give your permission. To start over, God wants you to choose the correct principles for your life. The most amazing things happen when you seek God first. Suddenly you are happy, because now you have a friend, a good friend. 

God even knows what you have need of, even before you ask. But you do have to ask. God sends friends to you to help explain solutions to the problems of your life. God is very wise. Yes. There is an actual way to live in peace. Just start over with a peaceful outcome in mind. Achieving peace by reading about peace is like reading a book on fishing. You can read about how to fish, but until you go out and experience fishing, you will never realize and learn the fun of fishing. It’s always necessary to put into action what you learn. Only then does knowledge blossom fully. You get real life big fish stories only if you are out in the river, casting. Fishing brings peace to me. Finding ways to increase my fishing time brings me peace. Just being outdoors in God’s paradise brings me peace. Having an untroubled mind brings me peace. I gain peace by writing booklets on uncovering principles of peace.

When is the best time to start over? …Anytime. “Now” is very good. Yesterday is already gone. All the mistakes and failures of yesterday have already disappeared when the morning sun came up. You have a clean slate every day you wake up. The smartest person in the world can only handle one day at a time. For you, it might be one hour at a time, or even one minute of time. If you have read this far, you are already in the process of changing. Otherwise, these words would be in the trashcan.

The hardest part of starting over is “you.”  Memories can either harm you or make you wiser. No one person is immune to making some mistakes. Can you agree that you have made some mistakes? What did you learn from what previously happened? Do you think that possibly you focused on the wrong principles? Today is the first day of the rest of your life. List what you will accomplish today. What have you been exchanging for each day of your life? From your perspective, list the elements of starting over.

For me, starting over was gaining insight on how much time I was investing in my job. Living on sporadic commission income was always stressful. I enjoyed selling real estate, but I always felt I had to be out there selling, always prospecting for new business. I was a champion at passing out business cards, one on one. I never felt completely comfortable at home, because my mind was subconsciously dwelling on my job. If sales were slow, the worst thing my wife would say to me was, “Well, did you sell anything today?” When I started over, I wrote down an affirmation, “I am gaining more free time, all of the time.” What’s the use of earning money if earning money takes away all your time? I found out that it takes time to work on me. It takes time to recreate my thoughts and mental stature. I found out that time was the most essential ingredient for enjoying life. I found out that it takes time to investigate what’s worthwhile. I started applying the time factor to all of my activities. I save time all of the time now. I invest in saving time. I spend time on all the important things, like grandkids, friends, God, music, mountains, fishing, laughing, health, and a peaceful mind.

In college, I learned there was a principle in economics that stated, “The time it takes to accomplish a particular job will expand to fill the time allotted for that job.” In other words, the same job gets accomplished, whether 3 hours or 6 hours is allotted for that job. That’s what happens to our minds when we don’t have a clear vision of what we are accomplishing. We become out of balance with enjoying life. The habit of working catches us. List some things you would do if all of a sudden you had some free time. Would you choose relaxation, time off, more thinking, or more work?

John 14: 27

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Starting over means to me: Allowing more free time for me. Allowing more time to rest my weary mind. Allowing more time to enjoy my family. Allowing more time to read. Allowing more time to be creative. Allowing more time for thinking. Allowing more time for planning fun. Allowing more time for peace.

It’s amazing to me to see how much I can accomplish when I’ve taken time to set my priorities. All my actions are geared toward providing me with peace and more free time. I don’t even waste time getting upset at people. It’s just not worth the effort and time.

Life requires money to be spent. Most of the problems in life are caused or originated by money. At the least, life problems are usually brought to the surface when the money problems begin to appear. Whether you have much money or not enough money, the problem is still the same. When the outgo is more than the income, stress and worry enter in. Time is not a luxury any more. Time has to be spent making financial ends meet. Time is eroded away by activity. For me, starting over involves creating extra time to enjoy life.

Phillippians 4: 7

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Starting Over

The first brick

Change your income structure so that the outgo is less than the income. Notice that I said, “outgo,” first. Yes, cutting expenses may appear difficult at first, but it is absolutely necessary. Income is harder to create. Expenses and outgo are easier to cut. Increasing income is not always the best way to start over. Outgo can be tackled right away.

Make a list of your monthly expenses. Multiply your monthly expenses by 12 and see how much you spend annually on each expense. Is that yearly total worth trading your time for that expense? Does that expense give you true enjoyment of life? Does the stress of the monthly outgo cause you to miss out on opportunities for more income? Does the monthly outgo let you have peace of mind? Just where is that balance for you?

To be continued…

Blurbs of Wisdom 38 Music and the Guitar Man

(continued)

I informed the apartment management company that my job situation in Las Vegas had not worked out and tried to negotiate out of my apartment lease. It was not easy, and I had to pay a lot more rent after I left. I loaded up the Honda again with all the re-packed apple boxes and headed back to Colorado. My music accompanied me all the way back. The guitar rode on top of the apple boxes. When I arrived back to Colorado, on a Sunday evening, I had coffee with Ray. I had $780 in my pocket. I had bills coming due in 3 days amounting to over $3600. I had nowhere to live.

“Where are you going to stay, Ron?” asked Ray. “I don’t know. I was hoping I could stay the night in the basement of your house for a night. Then I could try to find something on Monday.”

 “Do you have any money?”

 I told him my situation. I ended up staying in Ray’s basement for quite a while. There was no shower. I went daily to the public swimming pool to take a shower. At first, there was no stove or refrigerator. I found out that milk stays cold when you store it in the snow.

 Instead of agonizing over real estate sales, I decided to try doing mortgage loans for a living. At that time, all my real estate clients weren’t buying or selling. They were all refinancing their house loans. The mortgage loan business caused a lot more stress for me. In addition, the person I worked for was not an honorable person and he backed out of paying me over $6,000 in commissions that I had earned. All in all, my life was not going anywhere. Have you had times when you didn’t know which way to turn? Have you ever felt that you couldn’t even think about setting goals again? Have you ever felt so depressed that you couldn’t even show up in small claims court to fight for what was rightly yours?

My music still accompanied me when I was driving around. Music was just about my only refuge. The guitar sat at home in the corner, by itself, in my makeshift apartment. I made trips to the mountains, often, with music playing. I tried to find some peace and sense to life.

Psalm 37: 37

“Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.”

As I began trying to learn to live alone, (just to exist really), I found a group of musicians that played gospel music every other Thursday evening. The gathering was called a “Bluegrass Gospel Jam.” I had never been to a “jam” before. I went several times and just listened. They were playing songs I had learned in church, but doing it in a fast bluegrass style. Musicians and spectators, alike, were all having a good time. A photocopied, stapled-together songbook had been passed out. The audience would choose and request their favorite song. Each song had all the words to all the verses. The audience joined in song as the musicians played and sang. Entire families came. It was a family event.

 I finally mustered up enough courage to take my guitar to the evening sessions. I couldn’t tune the guitar, because I couldn’t discern the variation in one note over another. I could only tell if the guitar was in tune. I couldn’t even begin to try to make it sound right. I started asking the other musicians to tune my guitar for me. I would say, “Boy, I just can’t seem to get this guitar tuned!”  I didn’t know how! The best thing about a music jam is that anyone is allowed to play along. Whether a beginner or an old timer, no one cares. Music still comes out and everyone gets to practice while they learn.

 I knew about 3 finger positions for the chord of “G.”  Most of those early songs were done in “G.” I couldn’t finger fast. I couldn’t tell when the finger positions were supposed to change. I couldn’t strum to the music. I had “zero” music ability. Singing was completely out of my ability. I enjoyed just being with the group. I started sitting across from other guitar players and watched as they moved their fingers to the new chord positions. I still do that today when I play. 

 Psalm 29: 11

“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”

 Most of all, I started paying attention to the words to all those good old church songs. Music was connecting to my soul and I was beginning to participate. In the past I never really listened to the words of songs. I retained some of the melodies in my head, I guess, and words and melodies settled somewhere in my subconscious. Words never meant much, until now. Music made the words come alive. Have you ever read the words of the Bible? Then, like lightning, a light comes on in your mind, and you say, “Wow, I didn’t see that meaning before!” Suddenly the words of the Bible start taking residence in your mind. The lamp of understanding starts shining through to your subconscious. Is it possible that this is the way God actually “speaks” to you and me?

 The gospel jam gathering made me feel connected.  The music was soothing and the words started meaning more. Without knowing, I had just begun the process of healing. It was frustrating that I couldn’t make chords, or strum, or catch on to the rhythm, but I felt something that drew me in to music. Every other week, the highlight of that week was going to that Thursday night jam. On the way home, I would turn on my tape player and play classical music all the way home. I used to laugh at myself, at the contradiction of playing bluegrass country music in one moment, and playing classical music all the way home.

 The style of the music didn’t matter. Music is music and who can doubt the impact on each and every person? What would your world be like, if there were no more music? Who do you think invented music? If music can stir our emotions, is it entirely possible for God to “speak” to you through music?

 Playing a guitar was a far cry from playing a trombone in high school in the marching band. I really struggled to keep up with the bluegrass musicians. These guys were good!  Everyone was always having a good time. I found out that everyone was willing to help me. Most of all, I received continual encouragement. On your path to peace, do you have encouragers? Who do you want surrounding you when your faith is being tested? I will never forget the night at the jam when I developed my “first personal strum.” Earlier, many people had shown me how to strum, but none of those styles worked for me. I just couldn’t get it. I even went to a community college night class to learn how to strum. Nothing worked until that one night.

 The mastery I felt surpassed all my imagination. I could actually strum! I don’t know where my strum came from; it just sort of “happened.” It was something I could do to play along with the others. I still couldn’t get the chord changes. That was still way above my abilities.

 I continued learning at the Thursday night jams. I started attending the same church my wife and I and our family had attended before the divorce. Now, I was an “outsider” coming into church. I was now a divorced, single man. I didn’t fit in.

 I decided that I needed to do something to stay active in church. I wanted to do something special to attract new people to church. Encouraging new people to go to church has always been my passion. I am an encourager. Have you identified something you would like to do for God? What is your passion? Does a person have to have a particular skill fully developed before starting to do work for God?

 Over coffee at a restaurant, I decided to do a gospel jam at church. I chose Sunday nights, for two reasons. When I attended church for the first time, it was on a Sunday night. I enjoyed the lively music when I first walked in. In that particular church, every person who wanted to play was allowed to perform in the band. There were guitars, trumpets, flutes, fiddles, base guitars, and a collage of all kinds of other instruments. The second reason for choosing Sunday nights was to increase the attendance on Sunday nights at my church. I received permission to make an announcement about what I was planning to accomplish. “My goal,” I announced, “is to have more people here at church on Sunday evening, than the number who attend on Sunday morning! It will probably never happen, once we get new people coming on Sunday nights. I figure that the church will automatically start growing very quickly.” This was my self-imposed challenge. And I could just barely play my guitar.

Proverbs 14: 30

“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

To be continued…

Blurbs of Wisdom #37
Pursuit of Peace Music and the Guitar Man
Chapter 10
(continued)
“Ron, what do you think about this real estate deal?” asked Ray. I answered, “Ray, I need to tell you something. I’m going through a divorce. I’m really not in a good frame of mind, nor am I in a neutral position, to be able to advise you. I really need the commission money. I can tell you that this deal makes sense on strictly a real estate level, but I can’t help you decide. This is one decision that you will have to make on your own.”  “OK!” Ray replied.

The real estate market at that time was bad. It had been a struggle for almost 10 years. Ray was one of my best real estate clients because he was making offers on real estate when no one else would venture out. He was also my most exasperating client. His purchases took more energy, long discussions, more late-night cups of coffee, and more time than the rest of all my sales combined. A friend of mine, another real estate salesman, told me that he would have “fired” Ray a long time ago, if he had to put up with all the grief Ray caused for me. My friend would not have been able to work with Ray.

The next day, Ray called me and said, “OK, go ahead and draw up the offer.” It was a complicated transaction, involving owner financing and “cross-collateral” with another piece of real estate. The transaction took about 3 months to close. I had terrible, splitting, painful headaches during this time. I was going through the beginnings of an unexpected divorce. I had moved to an apartment. Real estate sales were down. I was working harder and longer with fewer results. The financial scramble was stressful and distressing. I thought I could work my way out of the bad real estate market. I was wrong. The headaches and strain caused me to know that I needed to do something do start dealing with the pain. I called up Harold, my former real estate boss and mentor. Harold lived in Mesa, Arizona at the time. “Hi, Harold, this is Ron. I have a question for you. Where’s the best real estate market in the country?” “Call Mark.” Mark was Harold’s son.  “Mark lives in Las Vegas and is selling new homes for a builder out there. Las Vegas is the hottest real estate market in the country.”

I called Mark and he confirmed what Harold had told me. Mark also said that it probably would be easy to get on with a builder out there. I made up my mind to move to Las Vegas, obtain my Broker’s License, and to sell new houses for builders. This decision was not typical of my personality. I never made major decisions like this without lots of thought and deliberation. I was not a spur-of-the moment decision maker. I was desperate. I was in a daze, running around in a vicious circle, with nowhere to go. The sale with Ray closed and I received one of my larger commission checks. It was the end of September. I negotiated my way out of my apartment lease. I sold or gave away as many big things as I could. I packed all my remaining belongings into my Honda. 

My good friend, Luke, had just moved his real estate office to his home. I asked if he needed a file cabinet. Luke made the offer to me, “Instead of paying you for the file cabinet, how about doing a trade? You have always said you wanted a guitar. How about trading the file cabinet for the guitar?” I agreed. I tucked in the guitar on top of the rest of my stuff in my Honda. I headed to Las Vegas.

On the way out of town, I stopped at a music store. I purchased 5 cassette tapes.  It was the first time I had ever purchased something for myself. The rest of the time, I had worked to provide for my family. On the way to Las Vegas, I turned off the radio. I played the tapes, over and over. The radio in my vehicle has never been turned on again. 
I listen to music now, all of the time. Music makes me peaceful now. I don’t keep up on the news much. News just doesn’t seem to matter any more. I buy lots of music now. I listen a lot. I rented an apartment in Las Vegas and proceeded to go to real estate school to obtain my Broker’s License. While I was going to school, I traversed Las Vegas daily, passing out my card to every builder and open house salesman I could find. While I drove, I listened to my music.
2 Thessalonians 3: 16
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way…”

Las Vegas was bustling with activity. In order to get signed up for utilities, the power company even had to have a policeman directing traffic to guide cars in and out. Inside, everyone in line was served coffee and donuts to make all the new customers comfortable. Homebuilders were everywhere. Subdivisions were popping up like popcorn. Every street was lined with signs, directing everyone to the new show homes.

It was a hard time for me in Las Vegas. It was a lonely time. I tried to rent furniture but the rental store turned me down because I didn’t have a job. I purchased an air mattress and pump so I would have a bed. I agonized for a week before purchasing a small TV. I was afraid to spend any money. I still had monthly bills coming in, and now, no income. I agonized equally over buying a chair to sit in. I finally purchased a folding chair with a padded seat for about $15.00. To eat meals, I sat on the floor with a pillow at my back. I had a nice apartment with lots of room- and no furniture. I set up my computer and office in the bedroom on top of the empty apple boxes I had used to pack all my things. I started faxing my résumés to the builders. I ate lunch at Taco Bell every day because I could buy 2 burritos and water for $1.47.

Walking was the only activity I had. I walked around the subdivisions on big wide winding sidewalks. All the new houses had stucco fences around them. The subdivision streets were wide and curved. In Las Vegas, the cars never really stopped at the stop signs. Most of the time the cars slowed down and rolled on through, “a rolling stop.” There were man-made lakes all around, but very seldom were there any people out or by the lakes. In fact the high stucco fences, the beautiful homes, and the “rolling stops,” appeared to offer only a temporary respite from working all day, and night. It was as if I were walking among individual castles with the moats being out in the center.

Phillippians 4: 7
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Instead of driving to the grocery store, I walked to help fill in time. I found a grocery store that had a delicatessen where I could buy a cheap breakfast. I invested in an insulated coffee mug that was refillable at a cheap price. I did all my studying for real estate at the delicatessen. There were not a lot of people up early in the morning, so I had lots of peace and quiet. At that time I started a morning ritual that I still follow to this day. I began every morning, by reading the Bible. Back then, I read 5 chapters of the Bible per day. Also, I read 5 daily devotions from Billy Graham, 2 pages of  “Promises from the Bible”, and one chapter of Norman Vincent Peale’s, “The Power of Positive Thinking.”

I prayed every morning. I didn’t know what was ahead of me, but I figured that, if I started out with God every morning, that at least I had started out the day right. I have since doubled my reading. It takes about an hour every morning. I drove the whole city of Las Vegas, prospecting for a job. My music was my only companion. I found that the job-finding process was not as easy as I had envisioned. I discovered that the real estate builders in Las Vegas had big corporate shells protecting them. It was taking too much time. I was running out of time…and money.

I talked to my friend, Luke, back home. In fact, Luke was always calling me long distance. He knew I couldn’t afford to call him. I explained my dilemma of not being able to penetrate the “corporate core” situation and asked for his assistance. Luke had always been good at marketing. He came up with a brilliant, I thought, low cost way for me to get noticed. Luke told me to go to a music store and buy some guitar picks. He said to put one pick in each envelope with a letter from me stating, “When it’s time to choose your next real estate salesman, I hope you will pick me!” The next day, I went down to Wall-Mart and had my picture taken. I wore my best suit and tie. I put the guitar I had traded for, around my neck, holding a guitar pick in my hand.

I chose the cheapest picture package with the most photos. A few days later, I began sending out my résumés with the picture of me in my suit, with my guitar. Some builders got large photos; some got small pictures.

During this time I also went to church. I found a small church, not too far away, right in the center of a bunch of new subdivisions. I attended every service, every social function, men’s group, or dinner. I needed help fitting in, quickly. One time, I was feeling extremely low in spirit. I started driving around the parking lot, on Wednesday evening, at dusk, waiting for that church to open. It seemed an eternity, waiting for that church to open. I don’t know what would have happened if people hadn’t started showing up. I got to ask for prayer that night in a small group, and I made it through the night.

Christmas was a downer for me. My two daughters and grandkids had sent me a small tree and presents, but I was very much all alone. It’s a vacant hollow feeling to be alone and lonesome. No matter how I tried to occupy my time, I just missed “normalcy.” I sat there, pondering my plight, when the phone rang. It was Mark. He invited me to his house to have Christmas dinner with his family! I accepted. He also told me that his dad and mom, Harold and Verdyne, were flying out from Arizona. I really appreciated being with friends on Christmas. It was as if they knew I needed help in my time of despair and loneliness. 

On the day after Christmas, I grabbed a couple of oranges and stuck them in my coat pocket. I started out on my daily walk. I walked twice a day now, to fill in the time. I had nothing to do. All my letters had been sent out and I was getting no immediate response. It was the wrong time of the year to be looking for a job. It was the holidays, between Christmas and New years. Everybody in the business world goes on vacation during the holidays.

It was cold and the wind was blowing. The sun was out and offered a small portion of radiant warmth. I sat on a cold cement bench, beside one of the lakes, peeling an orange. I was praying. It was quiet. I don’t even know what my prayer was specifically about. Does prayer always have to be about something specific? Is there a possibility that God knows a lot more about what to do, than you do? Is there a possibility that God comes to your aid when you need the help the most? I sat there on the concrete bench for a long time. Finally, I began getting the feeling, “You have to go back.” The thought persisted. After a few days, I decided to go back. I called Luke and told him what my plans were. “What do you plan doing when you get back?” he asked. “I don’t know. All I know is that I’m coming back.”

(to be continued…)

Blurbs Of Wisdom 36 Patience

Continued…
Chapter Nine Epilogue

The principles I have described in detail are not just all of my own creation. I am a partner with God. Because God is my partner, I have to share the whole story.

I believe God wants both you and me to be spokespersons for him.

The words I get to write down are not just mine. They come from my joint partnership with God. I am just the author. When the words come together I am continually amazed at what I have written. I’m even encouraged when I read my own books.

I accept as true that God wants you, and a lot of other people, to read these words.

I believe God wants to reach people in the real world.

My hope is that my kids and grandkids, their kids, and their grandkids will get a chance to live victorious Christian lives.

My hope is that my stories and practical examples will help my family. When life sometimes gets tough, I hope I offer encouragement when their spirit is low.

My hope is that one of my family will also take up the challenge of putting down words to help explain the Christian walk with God.

My mentor, as I have stated in other books, is Norman Vincent Peale. I believe his writings have inspired me to write my books. In one of his books, Norman Vincent Peale was asked, “Why don’t you write a book on how to retire?” I believe that, “The Pursuit Of Peace” books fill that need.

Without patience and peace, retirement can be very hollow. Do you really need to wait until you retire to slow down and study peace?

The good news is that you can start today. Living a fulfilled life is far better than filling up life with unwanted garage sale clutter.

No matter what age you are, Why not embrace peace and patience today? Why not practice living a fruitful, rewarding, and enjoyable existence right now?

How can you believe in God, whom you can’t see? That’s called faith.

Try describing the wind. Can you see the wind?

You can feel the wind, and watch the wind blow, but you can only feel it when it’s moving. You can observe a powerful tornado and the destruction it causes, but you can’t see the wind. An eagle can soar in the sky and ride the currents in the unseen wind, but God’s infinite design keeps that bird in the sky.

Faith is believing in God and the wind.

Action Plan:
1. Pray (Just talk to God using your own words)
a. Write down an action step you can take:
Pray over your restaurant meal 
Pray for a quiet mind
Pray for patience in your life
2. Read the Bible (Read 10 chapters)
a. Your next action step to take:
Read Colossians 1:10-12
“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the
 Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every
 good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened
 with all power according to his glorious might so that you may
 have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to
 the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of
 the saints in the kingdom of light.
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4
“Love is patient, love is kind, It does not envy, it does not boast, it
 is not proud.”
3. Begin choosing who you want in your boat of friends
a. Your next action step to take:
Identify some calm friends.
Read 1 Corinthians 15:33
“Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.”
4. Start counting your blessings. Be thankful for what you have
a. Your next action step to take:
List your achievements.
Make a list of free things you have.
5. Exercise faith and belief on a daily basis.
a. Your next action step to take:
Five times today, affirm out loud,
“I am becoming patient and peaceful.”
   Identify one stress to eliminate.
   ______________________________

Blurbs Of Wisdom 35 Patience

Continued…

Obviously, everyone wants part of your time, the most valuable asset you have. Everyone wants a chunk of your time. They want you to spend your time spending your money purchasing their product. Advertisers spend a lot of money to make their product continually dominant in your thoughts. I have no problem with spending money. My only caution is that you better enjoy what you spend it on. Otherwise, “things” become garage sale clutter. Encouraging people to spend money is the biggest barrier to developing peace and patience. The only way to gain the upper hand with this type of barrier is to deliberately pray for and seek out peace. 

Who gets your time? When is your peaceful time? Where do you invest your time? How much time do you have left? What are your principles of peace? What are your principles of patience?

Contrary to popular belief, hurrying and rushing around do not save time nor provide peace and patience. Hurrying and rushing around create havoc and many mistakes. How many automobile accidents happen when somebody is in a hurry? How many accidents could be prevented by drivers practicing patience?

The expression, “If you take the time to do it right the first time, you don’t have to do it over.” Patience is taking time to think about how to do it right the first time. Patience is waiting on the outcome, with an attitude of serenity and expectation. Patience is a planned endurance activity and the results are predictable. I encourage you to seek peace and patience. Look somewhere that is pleasant for you. As soon as you uncover peace in your life, patience will become an integral part of the rest of your life.

Proverbs 14: 30
“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

When I started slowing down my pace of daily working activity, I began finding pressure relief. I was almost totally stopped by a heart operation. I worked hard all of my life, but hard work was only a fleeting glimpse of what life was really all about.

The Bible offers a very realistic picture of life. It tells us what is wrong with our conduct but it also gives us solutions to our problems. The Bible deals a lot with how we think about and perceive life. God still speaks to you and me through the words of the Bible. God has a plan. The Bible is part of the plan for man. Read the chapter of Ecclesiastes (it’s a short chapter in the old testament.) I call it, “The Businessman’s Chapter.” It also has meaning for everyday life.

Ecclesiastes 4:6
“Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls of toil and chasing after the wind.”

What are you chasing after, one handful, or two handfuls?
Bible references:

Galatians 5:22
“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
Proverbs 19:11
“A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.”

Ecclesiastes 7: 12
“Wisdom is a shelter, as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor.”

To be continued…

Blurbs Of Wisdom 34 Patience

Continued…

Patience is a character quality that can be sought after and actually achieved. When you begin smiling more, relaxing more, and laughing more, you are on the path to peace! 

How many things in your life can you really control? Most events that happen to you are out of your control. We like to think we have mastered the outcomes by clever and intricate planning, but the truth is that things happen anyway. The only control we have as human beings is in choosing how we react to situations. Control is a lot like sticking your finger into a glass of water. You can start sloshing around and make as many waves and ripples as you can. When you take your finger out, the water returns to what it was before. 

What are some practical ways to achieve the quality of patience? To get more out of the game of life, my suggestion would be to go fishing more often. I have found that fishing is an excellent character and soul builder. When I go fishing I get to experience all the good things in life.  Patience is the calling card of a true fisherman. I catch more fish when I am patient. 

I also have to concentrate. I have to mentally prepare for that moment of opportunity when that fish strikes.  If my thoughts are not calm and focused, I will miss catching that fish. I have found that if a fisherman is angry or upset in his mind, he will not have a good fishing day.

It takes some slowing down and concentration on peaceful surroundings to get into the proper mood for fishing. When I’m truly there, my attitude helps me appreciate the thrill of being in the outdoors. I heard a story the other day that illustrates what fishing and patience have in common. A pastor of a church found out that one person in the church was a sales representative for a very well known fly-fishing company. The pastor had always wanted to learn to fly fish and so the two of them quickly became good friends. The pastor wanted the sales representative to tell him everything about fly-fishing. The pastor asked him to show him everything about fly-fishing. 
John 14: 27
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

For several weeks, the two of them went to the park beside the local library and practiced, over and over. The salesman coached, encouraged, and demonstrated to the pastor all the necessary casts and techniques. The pastor was an avid and eager learner and caught on very quickly. The salesman told the pastor, “You are ready to go up on your own. When you get back, call me and let me know how it went.” The pastor went fishing as soon as he could. When he returned from the fishing trip, he called the salesman.

“Tell me pastor, what did you see when you were up there fly fishing?” The pastor began replying, “Well, I didn’t catch any fish…I got tangled up a lot…I had one on the line….”

“No Pastor, what did you see?” asked the salesman. After the pastor started thinking for a while, he said, “Well, I saw the trees…the rocks in the water… some birds flying over… the white pillow clouds… the blue stream rippling around….”

The sales representative replied, “Pastor, that’s what fly fishing is.”

That’s what patience is all about…slowing down and enjoying the scenery. Patience and fishing involve slowing down.  How can you have patience if you hurry to go fishing and then hurry to get back? Try taking half of your fishing and camping gear and just slow down and fish! When I fish, I don’t think about the problems of the world. I don’t think about business problems. In fact my thoughts turn to thinking about pleasant memories. My mind focuses on how thankful I am.

I begin to appreciate more fully the decision to take time to go fishing.  Time does slow down. Then time starts expanding because I allow myself to relax. I find that the enjoyment of time begins to be prominent in my thoughts. My thoughts become clear because I am becoming patient in my surroundings. My mind is like a recharged deep cycle battery that is being charged up by simply being outdoors and fishing. My entire body starts sending messages of peace to my joints and muscles. I allow the peace of God to fill my mind. 
Isaiah 26: 3
“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the rock eternal.”

I do have patience. I have chosen to put myself in a position of rebuilding my soul and spirit. That’s why I fish. That’s why I recommend fishing to you. That’s why I recommend developing patience in your life!

For the majority of my working and business life, I didn’t recognize the need for time off and fishing. I did not take care of  “me.” I didn’t comprehend and take into consideration the value of becoming peaceful. I didn’t realize that peace leads to patience and patience circles back to peace. All of us have a tendency to work hard to achieve financial stability. I had always heard speakers talk about the “balance” in life. Most of the speakers I heard were just motivators encouraging me to go out and work more, as long as I brought home roses to my wife, once in a while. No one told me to take time for myself. No one encouraged me to take time to get peaceful. Most of the motivators encouraged me to take expensive travel vacations, which I did with my family. 

But all my working had a price to pay. The price was borrowing money, second mortgages, divorce, bankruptcy, and a heart operation. Yes, I was diligent in all my efforts to achieve. I became totally out of balance with “me.” I let my battery run down. I forgot to take care of the provider, “me.” As I worked harder, I became unclear in purpose and direction. I suffered from stress. I didn’t take time to go fishing. I had no peace. I did not know how to relax. I didn’t know about patience. I realize now, that I was almost always working out of fear. Do you work out of fear? Can you find ways to alleviate the fear by seeking to become more peaceful and patient? Patience, time off, and peace all work together in harmony. In life, like in fishing, you have to enjoy what you are doing. Your hobby or peaceful activity may not be fishing, but I encourage you to get out in the fresh air, out of town, in the midst of nature. I encourage you to take time to rebuild and recharge your battery. Find an activity that is fun for you! I suggest taking the time it takes, to be quiet and peaceful. Did God intend for you to choose to be stressful?  I don’t think so.

Phillippians 4: 7
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Is your life complicated? Is your life centered on peace? Is patience a deliberate procedure in your life? Simplifying your life can produce patience and peace. “Oh,” you say, “My life is too complicated to be simple. My problems are real. There are no real easy answers.” This may be true but there is one thing you can do about your “real problems.” The truth is that you have the ability to change your attitude about your problems. Most of us can’t solve a multitude of problems all at the same time anyway. Most of the time, it takes working on problems one at a time. It’s a matter of setting priorities and working on the right problems at the right time.

I suggest that you take time to be peaceful, time to prepare, time to decide, time to prioritize, and time to think. Being outdoors in nature’s front yard is what helps me the most. Patience is taking the time to wait and watch for solutions. Many times “perceived problems” are “opportunities in disguise.” Patience and peace help you see the possibilities. “Invention is just a fresh pair of eyes.”

There is a prayer that many people say.  It goes like this, “Lord, give me patience…and I want it right now!” In this fast food age we live in, we always want something now, and we expect it now! We get upset if the fast food order takes 25 seconds longer than normal. People are in such a rush that they hurry to get in line at the drive up window. Isn’t the drive up supposed to be faster? Do the people in the drive up line have more patience? Why do people hurry all of the time?

In Steve’s current business, as he stated above, he deals with the aspect of “compressed time.” That phrase describes our modern day era. Computers are supposed to save us time. So why do we not have more time? We have become the “computer headache generation.”
 
Learning and changing can become harder as we grow older in age and spirit. Frustration can erode away patience. Peace becomes harder to achieve because we want everything now, and faster. Watch TV commercials now. There are so many commercials packed in between, even the sardines feel squished. Also, the makers of the commercials have flashing, in front of your eyes, microsecond images so the consumer won’t miss the message or change the channel. How can you be patient in this fast-paced environment? To be continued…

Chapter 9

Blurbs Of Wisdom #33 Patience

Continued…

Every day, two personality traits battle and compete for our thoughts. Patience and impatience want to surface at the same time. What is the difference between impatience and patience?

Impatience refers to concepts such as: annoyance, irritation, edginess, and intolerance. Patience refers to concepts such as: endurance, staying power, tolerance, and lack of complaint, persistence, fortitude, and serenity. Let’s examine time, treasures and talents as companion traits to patience.

Time

Steve is a very good friend of mine. He is a very successful Christian businessman. Steve’s goal at age 21 was to start seven different businesses. He is on business number six now. He explains how the factor of time has been an integral part of the business operations. Steve’s first business was a backpacking and outdoors business. He describes his customers as people who wanted “more time.” His customers wanted to “expand time.” Then Steve purchased and operated a hardware store. He described his customers as people who wanted items “just in time.” Steve’s current business is computer software development. He describes his customers as people who want things right now, immediately, preferably yesterday. His business now deals in “compressed time.”

Steve’s experiences obviously are quite varied. A lot of business knowledge has been acquired by running six different businesses. There are always unexpected setbacks in any business. Changes in the marketplace have to be considered with an ever-present vigilance. Many times a business owner is required to venture into the unknown. He can only wait and see what happens. Without the passage of time, businesses would go nowhere. Patience has to be in full bloom at all times when operating a business.

John 14: 7

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Patience, in full blossom, is the fruit of previously planted seeds of peace. Patience is the ability to remain calm in the midst of changing economic conditions and competition. Frustrations can surface at any moment just because of one individual decision. Being in business involves making a series of decisions, both right and wrong. There are no real wrong decisions. Wrong decisions are gentle, sometimes vigorous, nudges to help you change direction. Inside a business, the results of “no patience” are obvious. The owner gets angry easily. He snaps at vendors and employees, and he growls a lot. Sometimes the owner is just unhappy. It is very possible that the owner can miss income possibilities because he hasn’t been patient and peaceful.

It is also very possible to utilize the factor of time in a very unproductive manner. There is a cartoon showing a salesman, with a huge cannon, knocking at the door of a customer. In back of the customer, a war is going on with people fighting with swords and clubs. As the customer opens the door to the cannon salesman, the caption reads, “Go away! I don’t need a salesman. I haven’t got time to talk to you. I have a battle to win.”

Putting out fires, as a habit, robs the owner of the time it takes to make decisions from a peaceful perspective. Peace produces patience. Patience produces peace. Both concepts allow you to experience truth and freedom in life. Both patience and peace are free gifts to you, if you will accept them and cultivate them. Can patience be obtained by practicing? Yes! It just takes time.

Treasures

In operating six businesses, Steve has always been very conscious and aware of his “treasures.” What do I mean by the word, “treasures?” The treasures of a businessman are the principles by which he runs the business. Some examples are: honesty, how employees are treated, commitment to excellence for customers, and the owner’s foundation of personal beliefs.

Psalm 29: 11

“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”

I have known Steve for over 25 years. His decisions are always based on ” the right thing to do.” In his business locations, he has always displayed on the wall a wooden carving with a Bible verse from Isaiah 40: They that wait upon the Lord shall rise up as with wings of eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint.”

Steve always has always had a vision for his company. He has always had a mission to “operate his business in a manner which gives glory to God.” This vision principle is obviously one of Steve’s most valued business principles. Steve is not afraid to display openly to his customers his foundation of personal beliefs. If you were the business owner, would you have the courage to display a Bible verse for everyone to see?

Talents

Steve has another attribute principle. He is very talented at helping other businessmen. Whether personal troubles or business problems, or both, Steve takes time to help. No matter how pressing Steve’s own business becomes, his policy is to take time with a friend or another businessman. Steve’s door is always open and he spends the time it takes. Friendships have developed and continued over many years and Steve has plenty of friends to call upon. Steve is a very fortunate man.

He has helped me and I have helped him. That’s another treasure principle in which we both believe. Recently, Steve purchased an office building. Between making the move, and having a couple of contracts fall through, the cash flow of the business became extremely tight. In addition to Steve’s business dilemma, his oldest son was getting married in Australia. Steve didn’t have funds for the extra airfare. Steve’s friends found out about the situation. They rallied together and raised enough money to make it possible for Steve to take his whole family of six to Australia. Many friends simply gave the money to him. The amount raised, with no strings attached, was just short of $7,000. I believe Steve was rewarded for all the help he had extended to others over the past years. Steve is now taking the longest vacation of his career and I am assuring him that when he comes back, he will be rested and fully able to tackle all the problems far more effectively.

My challenge for Steve is to help him find out that scheduled time off is healthy and productive for anyone. I am encouraging him to develop the talent and skill of “taking more time off” as a pre-planned activity. It’s all too easy to keep working, more and more. It’s all too easy to work harder to keep the money rolling in. In working harder and longer, patience can fade away, and financial pressures can press in and begin to weaken your principles.

Combining time, treasures and talents leads to a well- organized business life. Taking time to understand the value of these concepts makes for a better business and personal life. Concentration on patience allows for clear thinking, staying power, and serenity. Persistence, with fortitude and lack of complaint, leads to a rewarding and peaceful life of patience.

Has my friend had financial setbacks? Sure! When the economy was bad a few years ago, the banks would not renew business loans. Steve, and many others, lost their businesses and had to start all over again. Because of all the adversity, patience had to react to economic conditions and patience had to blossom fully. How would you react, if all of a sudden, the business you developed couldn’t operate any more? Have you already been there? What would your thoughts be?

What happens if sometimes you simply make a few decisions that turn out wrong? Getting upset and angry at the world, yourself, and blaming God can lead only to frustration and unhappiness. How do you respond to adversity?

Personally, in the hard times, I usually tried to work harder and longer. I spent a lot of time running away from any kind of confrontation or reality checks. I wouldn’t take time to be patient. I kept busy. I erroneously believed that if I were busy, I was at least working hard. No one could ever accuse me of not working hard! Are you working harder and longer? Why?

What are your talents? What are your “treasures?”

2 Thessalonians 3: 16

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way…”

To be continued …

 

Continued…
Chapter Eight Epilogue

I want to invite you to get to know my best friend, God. I want to be an encourager to you who have already started on the Christian walk. If you allow him, you realize that God is in control, not you. Hearing and reading the words of the Bible brings a time when you begin believing. There then comes a time when you start sharing your faith with another person. There comes a time when you know for sure that God is with you and will never leave nor forsake you (it says so in the Bible).

In a hectic world of spending money, saving (putting money aside) is the foundation for a peaceful life. Believing in God stores up treasures in heaven.

Whether “saving” or “believing”, both concepts allow you to live a fruitful life today, right now. Saving, in a sense, costs you money up front. Believing is a free choice, free for the asking. Both concepts are well worth the investment, don’t you agree? The truth to life is actually so simple, that everyone trips over it. Who made the rule that life has to be complicated?

When you begin seeking peace, you will uncover the secret of living triumphantly. Yes, all of us human creatures struggle for food and clothes, and possessions, and honor, and respect, and achievement, but in the end God has the last word. In the Bible, God said, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” We all reach death at the end of our lives. Saving helps you be comfortable with financial peace. Believing helps you be comfortable with eternal peace. Isn’t eternal peace far better than eternal agony?

If you are a procrastinator, you will probably never start saving on a regular basis. The good news is, that, even a procrastinator can change. The really good news is that God can help you change when you ask for help. You still have to take that first step. You have to go out and find a coffee can to put your money into, if that is what it takes to get started. Good habits don’t just pop up easily. Good habits, however, do change, for the better, your quality of life. You usually only get one chance at victorious living. Sometimes that extra saved money separates you from the rest of the financially struggling masses. God will honor your diligent efforts if you ask for help. Life does become much simpler.
Action Plan:
1. Pray (Just talk to God using your own words)
a. Write down an action step you can take:
Say a prayer before going to sleep.
Pray for your son, daughter, and grandchild.
Pray for financial guidance.
2. Read the Bible (Read 10 chapters)
a. Your next action step to take:
Read Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John
Read 2 Corinthians 5:7
“We live by faith, not by sight.”
3. Begin choosing who you want in your boat of friends
a. Your next action step to take:
Meet with some positive friends.
Look for someone you can help.
Invite someone to your home.
4. Start counting your blessings. Be thankful for what you have
a. Your next action step to take:
Write down a list of 10 blessings.
Do a garage sale. Save the money.
5. Exercise faith and belief on a daily basis.
a. Your next action step to take:
Five times today, say out loud, “I can save.”
   Ask God for a quiet time for praying.
Start a savings account now, at a bank,
or in a coffee can.

To be continued….

Blurbs of Wisdom 31 “Saving”
Continued…

How many bills do you have that require a monthly payment? Wouldn’t you like to be free from monthly payment stress? Wouldn’t you like to have some money in the bank for immediate withdrawal when needed? Wouldn’t you like to set up an immediate deposit into savings as one of your monthly obligations?

Where does peace come from in a practical way? We know, or at some point in life, we learn, that peace comes from knowing God. If we ask of God, he answers. If we have faith, he carries out our requests. He is such a loving God, that he knows what we have need of, even before we ask. Have you thought about asking God to help you have clear direction about managing your money?

It’s one thing to use words to express our thoughts. It’s another thing to apply our efforts in a practical manner.  It’s called “walking the talking.” Saving eliminates most of your stress. Looking for money, when you don’t have it, takes up a lot of time. Saving saves time. Having time to think gives you a chance to sit back, relax, and talk to God.

I have experienced a full financial circuit, growing up with no money, opening up a credit union savings account, buying a car, loaning money out without getting paid back, budgeting, buying houses, living on commission income, making money, going through divorce and bankruptcy, and financial medical disaster. But why am I happier now than I have ever been?  I don’t worry any more!
I have these 7 primary concepts in my life right now.
(1) First of all, I trust in God. He takes care of what I need.

(2) My monthly income is more than my monthly outgo.

(3) I put aside money out of every income check.

(4) I am happy.

(5) I am full of peace.

(6) I have time.

(7) I am thankful for what I have.
Do you find more pleasure in possessions or do you find more pleasure in peace?

Do you have time to spend your money?

Are you happy?

Have you started trusting in God yet?

What is your peace based upon?

Bible References:

Proverbs 23:4-5
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.
Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

Ecclesiastes 4:6
Better one handful with tranquility than 2 handfuls with toil and chasing the wind.

Proverbs 16: 3
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

Proverbs 22: 7
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

Galatians 5:  22
“But the fruit of the Sprit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

To be continued…