Our Family Chronicle

Joel Osteen had a familiar message but one that I take to heart. It is not enough to believe things our going to turn out great , we must say it out loud. Speak of victory out loud. Every day thank good for our super natural favor. Nothing happens unless you speak it. Avoid taking about our problems and spend our energy talking about victory.I compare this to the so familiar contest to have the worst life. Their seems to be a need in our social climate to be an under dog. So much so that people want to be victims. Your not special unless you have health problems or a rough childhood or some kind of handicap (mental or physical). And you must talk about all your problems. If you are doing well it must be because of genetics or just luck – it cant be from working at it. Wanting everyone to believe we worked for what success (at what ever) we may have we seem to spend our time taking about how difficult things are for us than how great things are. It is incredible how often it becomes a contest to see who has the worst life. Why would any one want to win that contest yet I catch myself doing that very thing. If people want to believe that I am just lucky when I tell them things are going well. They are correct – I am lucky that I know if I work at having a good life I will. I am Lucky that we chose to have our children spend time in the pool and their swimming keeps improving . I am lucky that I choose to workout and eat less junk so that I will have good health (and can almost keep up with my kids). Pattie is lucky that she has made the decision (and is following through) to work out in the mornings so that see feels good about herself and can almost keep up with the kids. I believe that this is what Joel and Tony Robins and “The secret” are trying to get us – Me – to do. Start taking more about the success than the challenges in our life’s even if it is to ourselves. Every day declare that it will be a good one and that thing are going well and to say it out loud. If someone wants to have a contest to have the hardest life – let them win!!!!!!!!

Tags: Joel Osteen (weekly), smart ass by Randall
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I have been almost avoiding writing in here.  Last week we were watching Joel Osteen and he was talking about living a blessed life and how we need to pray for a better life.  At one point he said to pray for your loved ones that are sick and they will get better.  Melinda very quickly said: “That is not true!! We prayed for grandpa to get better and he didn’t.”   She did not say this with any real anger but with more of a “matter of fact” attitude. I tried to tell her that we were blessed to have had him in our lives but she was not going to let go of the fact that she prayed for him to get better and he didn’t.  So I spent a little time trying to explain to her (and myself) that it is still better to keep in our hearts the wonderful times we had with grandpa and the great memories he gave us to keep forever.   Today is his birthday and Melinda wants to do something to honor grandpa and thought I am not exactly sure what we will do, we will find a way to offer thanks for those treasured (all too sort) moments spent with grandpa. 

We are slowly finding our way back to the business of day-to-day life, but maybe with a little more appreciation for the loved ones in our lives.  We try a little harder to get in that hug goodbye in the morning before everyone is off for the day.  We also remember to call other loved ones a little more frequently.  

Tags: Gratitude!!, Joel Osteen (weekly), Relationship, Religion by Randall
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I was feeling a bit under the weather today so we did not make it skiing.  We slept in and we were able to watch Joel’s sermon. Joel’s message of the day is to keep growing. Learning should not be a time of our lives but part of our lives every day for ever.   In our young years it is expected.  As babies we are expected to learn to talk, walk, and hold on to things as we grow.  Then, we are in school and we are expected and increased to keep learning a number of different things. For some reason, after our school years learning frequently becomes less important and we must motivate ourselves if we want to learn anything new.  Instead of looking for problems look for solutions.   Don’t settle for ok but keep growing and improving through learning every day.  Make a plan of growth, spend one hour a day learning a specific new skill or improving on old skill.  Spend time with people that can help that plan of growth.

Side note:  Being popular means other people like me.  Happiness means I like myself.

Tags: Joel Osteen (weekly), Religion by Randall
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 Joel Osteen has been criticized for being more of a motivational speaker than a preacher. I don’t see why those two things need be mutually exclusive.   So he finds passages in the bible that deal with looking for the good in life and to keep faith to have a good life. Today he preached about just that.  We are to keep in faith not fear and we will live a better life for it.  We get what are faith expects and – if we concentrate on what we fear that is what we will get. If we concentrate on faith that life will work out, we will find our fears look bigger than they are.  Keeping the faith we will see that what we fear will become smaller and smaller and we will be able to overcome to enjoy a good life.  This is the thought and belief that I choose to keep so that my life and my family life will continue to get better and better.

Tags: Gratitude!!, Joel Osteen (weekly), Religion by Randall
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This is all paraphrased and in a way that helps keep me headed the right direction.  (From Sunday)

In the storm we need to be like the palm tree that bends over in the wind but after the storm it comes back up and stronger. Every one will have disappointments but we can choose to bounce back and be stronger for having gone through it.

Don’t look at problems as stumbling blocks but look at them as stepping stones

Do not wait for everything to be perfect to start planning for victory.

Yes the way I put it, it is more of a motivational speech than a sermon but as I have said before I don’t no why sermons can’t be upbeat and motivational.

Tags: Joel Osteen (weekly), Religion by Randall
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