LESSEN YOUR BOREDOM TIME

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GO TO NEIL’S OTHER BLOG ONE A DAY, YOUR SPIRITUAL VITAMINS and read the following brain teasers.  CLICK ON URL BELOW There are over 900 stories and commentaries on this blog that began Nov 24, 2009. It is added to daily.

 http://oneadayyourspiritualvitamins.blogspot.com/

            The trail of on-going, consummate ease can make anyone bored and yet it is so often a trail that is filled to overflowing.  Pure and simple, we all need some days in which we do not just float but have to paddle. 

          Some of the most productive times of my life have been when I was not striving for security.  I remember back in the late 1950’s and 60’s, putting on the Easter Pageant in the Orange Bowl.  With the hard work and talent of a lot of people from all over this area, it was an anticipated annual event.  I was the director, writer… and on-board optimist.

          Although it was sponsored by the Miami Ministerial Association, and much was donated to help hold down expenses, and even though we would have up to 70,000 people in attendance, we still had bills to pay - there was insurance, parking personnel, police, etc.  One year, we began with only $17 in the bank. 

          So how did we raise the money each year?  We passed the plate.  But if you are part of 70,000 people you don’t know, it is easy to give nothing, and that’s what many gave.  And then one year, to make matters worse, it rained.

          Sheer lunacy?  Perhaps.  Complete faith?  Definitely!  But we sure weren’t bored.

                      I had been flying planes for years and one day I decided I would like to fly a glider.  From planes with motors I was going to learn how to fly a plane that was motor-less.

          Towed up into the air, you are cut lose at 3,000 feet, and besides searching out updrafts to keep the plane afloat, you also have to be sure to find the right place to land because you won’t have a second chance. 

          Dangerous?  A little, but I certainly wasn’t bored.

                      When I left a thriving 600 member church parish experience in Virginia to start a church here in Miami, there were 8 people in attendance the first Sunday morning in school auditorium that held 800.  I had to believe a lot.  I had to dream and hope

a lot.  But I certainly wasn’t bored.

          We all need some days when we are to be challenged by something rather than on fire for nothing.  We all need days that cry out for deeds rather than living willy nilly. 

          Why are so many so bored with God and their faith and worship and the whole process?  Because that is what it has become - little more than a process.

                      And to find our spiritual selves, it must be more than that. 

          In times of private, personal worship, perhaps on your back porch, did that porch turn into a sanctuary?  And those birds tweeting in the background, did they become nature’s choir singing to your soul? 

          Or have you never had a private, personal worship service on your back porch or family room or anywhere else?  Only you and God.

`        Faith?  We need to get excited about it.  Unfortunately too many people want to wear the tag without doing the deeds.

          NOW that really is boring

          ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

          GO TO AMAZON.COM TO PURCHASE "THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN" that is still receiving rave reviews 8 years after it's publication.

          "Positive, powerful utterances...skillfully enhancing our understaning and appreciation of Lincoln...(Lt. Colonel C.A.Olsen (Ret.) Asbury College (Professor Ret.)

          "Wyrick has authored a wonderful examination of the spirituality of one of American history's most devoutly religious leaders...a pleasant and readable book that has a rich depth of information.  (Maynard Pittendreigh, Presbyterian Minister)

           "THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN is an extremely well written book...it is both scholarly and very readable.  I came away impressed at Mr. Wyrick's portrayal of that President with an altered and enlarged vision of the man. (William Hoffman, Award winning fiction writer, author of Blood and Guile, and Wild Thorn.)  

                                    

GO TO SPEAKER.NEIL TO SEE NEIL'S ONE MAN AWARD WINNING DRAMATIZATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

 CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING

http://www.speakerneil.com/

                 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

            Click on the URL below to WATCH NEIL IN HIS WORLD FAMOUS ONE MAN DRAMATIZATIONS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BEN FRANKLIN, CHARLES WESLEY AND MARTIN LUTHER

CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING

 http://www.speakerneil.com/

                V. Neil Wyrick’s ninth book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN and is available at

MAGNUS PRESS

                AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM’S Kindle

                http://www.magnuspress.com/OurProducts2.html 

25% off all books, buy 4 get 1 free and free shipping

                Phone Orders:  800-463-7818

ARROGANCE AND HUMILITY

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND THIS BLOG TO A FRIEND GO TO THE BOTTOM OF these comments AND CLICK ON THE ENVELOPE.

          There are over 900 stories and commentaries on this blog that began Nov 24, 2009. It is added to daily.

          To Visit neil's other blog One A Day Your Spiritual Vitamins click on the following  

 http://oneadayyourspiritualvitamins.blogspot.com/

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Think on this, 100 years after Voltaire died, he who had vowed to exterminate all traces of Christianity in France , the house in which he had lived was purchased and became a Bible publishing house.

  Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, then comes disgrace but with the humble is wisdom.

       And think on this.  Surgeons do save countless lives but never do they create even one single life.  And they must remember that, otherwise they will be consumed by deteriorating pride.

Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

       A truly humble man is hard to find yet God delights to honor such selfless people.

       Booker T. Washington, the renowned black educator, was an outstanding example of this truth.

Shortly after he took over the presidency of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he was walking in an exclusive section of town when he was stopped by a wealthy white woman.  Not knowing the famous Mr. Washington by sight, she asked if he would like to earn a few dollars by chopping wood for her.

Because he had no pressing business at that moment, Professor Washington smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and proceeded to do the humble chore she had requested.  When he was finished, he carried the logs into the house and stacked them by the fireplace.

A little girl recognized him and later revealed his identity to the lady.

The next morning the embarrassed woman went to see Mr. Washington in his office at the Institute and apologized profusely.

"It's perfectly all right, Madam," he replied. "Occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor.  Besides, it's always a delight to do something for a friend."

She shook his hand warmly and assured him that his gracious attitude and response had endeared him and his work to her heart.

Not long afterward she showed her admiration by persuading some wealthy acquaintances to join her in donating thousands of dollars to the Tuskegee Institute.

       With our titles and our power and our education and our successes and just plain over-zealous pride over everything and anything, we need to be careful lest we think too highly of ourselves...well beyond what these gifts deserve.

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Click on the URL below to WATCH NEIL IN HIS WORLD FAMOUS ONE MAN DRAMATIZATIONS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BEN FRANKLIN, CHARLES WESLEY AND MARTIN LUTHER

       http://www.speakerneil.com/

DO YOU HAVE A HISTORY BUFF IN YOUR FAMILY?...Why not give THIS HIGHLY ACCLAIMED  BOOK

To buy Neil's 9th book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN or other of his books click on the following

http://www.magnuspress.com/

OR GO TO AMAZON.COM

       AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM and amazon.com Kindle

OTHER BOOKS BY REV. WYRICK

Poor Richard's Almanack for the 20th Century

Sixty Plus and Not Holding

Boundaries Unlimited

I Am

The ABC"s of Parenting and Grandparenting

Letters to America

http://www.magnuspress.com/OurProducts2.html 

       25% off all books, buy 4 get 1 free and free shipping

       Phone Orders:  800-463-7818

THE BEST YEARS OF YOUR LIFE

.  

If you want to share this blog with a friend go to the bottom of day’s content and click on TELL A FRIEND

          There are over 900 stories and commentaries on Neil’s One A Day blog that began Nov 24, 2009. It is added to daily.

        GO TO NEIL’S OTHER BLOG ONE A DAY, YOUR SPIRITUAL

        http://oneadayyourspiritualvitamins.blogspot.com/

Four fishermen and they had been catching fish for years…and Jesus taps them on the shoulder and says, “ I want you to fish for men.”  And their life changed because their purpose in life changed.

       And what followed were the best years in their lives.

       They gave themselves to something bigger than themselves and you can’t do that and not start having some of the best days in your life.

       Yes, God loves you the way you are but he loves you too much to let you stay that way.

       Imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking down the road together. For much of the way, the Lord's footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying the pace.
But your footprints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns.

       For much of the way, it seems to go like this, but gradually your footprints come more in line with the Lord's, soon paralleling His consistently.
You and Jesus are walking as true friends!
This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens. Your footprints, that once etched the sand next to Jesus' are now walking precisely in His steps.
Inside His larger footprints are your smaller ones; you and Jesus are becoming one.

       This goes on for many miles, but gradually you notice another change. The footprints inside the large footprints seem to grow larger.
Eventually they disappear altogether. There is only one set of footprints. They have become one.

       This goes on for a long time, but suddenly the second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse! Zigzags all over the place. Stops. Starts. Gashes in the sand. A variable mess of prints.

       You are amazed and shocked.

       Your dream ends. Now you pray:

       'Lord, I understand the first scene, with zigzags and fits. I was a new Christian; I was just learning. But You walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with You.'
'That is correct.'
'And when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps, following You very closely.'
'Very good... you have understood everything so far.'
When the smaller footprints grew and filled in Yours, I suppose that I was becoming like You in every way.'
'Precisely.'
'So, Lord, was there a regression or something? The footprints separated, and this time it was worse than at first.'
There is a pause as the Lord answers, with a smile in His voice.
'You didn't know? It was then that we danced!'

 The best days of your life are ahead of you if you are willing to walk with the Lord and dance with the Lord and his footsteps become your footsteps.

GO TO AMAZON.COM TO BUY NEIL WYRICK'S THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN...still receiving RAVE REVIEWS 8 years after it's publication.

          "Positive, powerful utterances...skillfully enhancing our understaning and appreciation of Lincoln...(Lt. Colonel C.A.Olsen (Ret.) Asbury College (Professor Ret.)

          "Wyrick has authored a wonderful examination of the spirituality of one of American history's most devoutly religious leaders...a pleasant and readable book that has a rich depth of information.  (Maynard Pittendreigh, Presbyterian Minister)

          "THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN is an extremely well written book...it is both scholarly and very readable.  I came away impressed at Mr. Wyrick's portrayal of that President with an altered and enlarged vision of the man. (William Hoffman, Award winning fiction writer, author of Blood and Guile, and Wild Thorn.)                                             

GO TO SPEAKER.NEIL TO SEE NEIL'S ONE MAN AWARD WINNING DRAMATIZATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

. CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING

http://www.speakerneil.com/

LESSEN YOUR BOREDOM TIME (Continuation of Series)

If you want to share this blog with a friend go to the bottom of day’s content and click on TELL A FRIEND

GO TO NEIL’S OTHER BLOG ONE A DAY, YOUR SPIRITUAL VITAMINS and read the following brain teasers.  CLICK ON URL BELOW There are over 900 stories and commentaries on this blog that began Nov 24, 2009. It is added to daily.

 http://oneadayyourspiritualvitamins.blogspot.com/

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Let me share a story.

As a woman finally finished reading a book, she closed it and sighed, “That is the dullest book I have ever read.”

As the fickle finger of fate would have it, she later met, fell in love with and married the man who had written the book she had been so bored with a few years before.

So she decided to read the book again.  This second reading produced a completely different impression.  She found it exciting and informative, and could hardly put it down.

What had changed?  Not the author.  Definitely the reader because she now had a relationship with the author; loved the author and in the process proved the fact that love gives new meaning to anything and anybody, even to life. 

          That’s right, when you form a relationship with the author of your life…YOUR CREATOR…you will have a completely different attitude toward life.

          Philippians 4:8 offers an antidote for boredom “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” 

Indeed, think about these things, and then follow through and do them.

You are what you think.  Yes, what you think, is who you are. What you think up to do…and be…and say, defines you. 

Such as: Are you compassionate toward another human being?  Really compassionate.  You can’t love people and treat them like you love them and be bored. 

Do you say the word “God” with so much enthusiasm it warms your soul? 

And what about the all out love Jesus talks about?  Practice it as against the normal human tendency towards dislike, greed, jealousy and all of like kin and kind and who you then become is, to say the least, certainly not boring.

Is boredom a sin?  NO!  Is it a disease?  YES!  And there are cures

When was the last time you did something you used to enjoy but hadn’t done for weeks or months or years?

It isn’t just that as we grow older, we grow lazier.  It is just that, if we are not careful, we allow ourselves to grow lazier until finally getting up out of a chair can become the most exciting part of the day.  Not to go somewhere.  Not to do something new or resurrect something wonderful from the past.  Just getting up.

In short, if are you are not willing to settle for a boring life, then don’t be content with mediocrity.          

In fact, if somewhere along the line you gave up on some physical, or mental or spiritual exercising effort, you unfortunately took the first step on the slippery road to a boring existence.

You think I’m being facetious?  That I don’t seriously mean what I’m saying?  Well consider the following.  At work do you find yourself killing time… doing as little as you can get by with?  At home do you expend as little effort as possible being a better parent or mate?  Do you have no dreams for tomorrow, no deeds in the recent past of which you can be proud? 

          And when you retire, is it your plan to do as little as you have to? Dedicating yourself to idleness, to nothingness?

          Sure, resting is wonderful, but it is a thousand times more wonderful if you are resting from having done something worthwhile that enlivens your mind, body and soul.

          Unfortunately, I have lost the name of the author of the following story, but it could have been written by many. And I am not recommending poverty when I share it, but listen deep and think about the message it sends

          “Take somebody who knows what it means to walk to school with a lunch wrapped up in a little brown greasy bag; somebody who knows what it means to be required to move but nowhere to move to; somebody who knows what it means to be forced to pay up but with nothing to pay down; somebody who knows what it means to wet their pillows with the midnight dew. 

          “Take somebody like that, and you will find passion, you will find feeling. For people like that, God is real; they live on the edge.  Life is not boring for those who know they are needy.”

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Click on the URL below to WATCH NEIL IN HIS WORLD FAMOUS ONE MAN DRAMATIZATIONS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BEN FRANKLIN, CHARLES WESLEY AND MARTIN LUTHER

       http://www.speakerneil.com/

DO YOU HAVE A HISTORY BUFF IN YOUR FAMILY?...Why not give THIS HIGHLY ACCLAIMED  BOOK

To buy Neil's 9th book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN or other of his books click on the following

http://www.magnuspress.com/

OR GO TO AMAZON.COM

       AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM and amazon.com Kindle

OTHER BOOKS BY REV. WYRICK

Poor Richard's Almanack for the 20th Century

Sixty Plus and Not Holding

Boundaries Unlimited

I Am

The ABC"s of Parenting and Grandparenting

Letters to America

http://www.magnuspress.com/OurProducts2.html 

       25% off all books, buy 4 get 1 free and free shipping

       Phone Orders:  800-463-7818

ARROGANCE AND HUMILITY

  

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND THIS BLOG TO A FRIEND GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG AND CLICK ON THE ENVELOPE.

          There are over 900 stories and commentaries on this blog that began Nov 24, 2009. It is added to daily.

          To Visit neil's other blog One A Day Your Spiritual Vitamins click on the following  

 http://oneadayyourspiritualvitamins.blogspot.com/

 Most likely you are not a member of foot washing church, and so it will not be happening at your church this morning.  But for the sake of inward discussion, think about it... how would you feel if I asked you to wash my feet?  Or if I asked you to allow me to wash yours?

Oh, I know at least for some it would be embarrassing.  I can understand that – never have done it myself.  And for others, prickly pride would rise up and…well, it is hard to wash another's feet when you’re standing on a pedestal.                                                                        

And oh yes, please remember...Jesus washed ALL their feet...EVEN THE FEET of Judas.

       You have heard of the title Pharisee and it most likely makes you think of pride personified, and rightly so for when it came to sacrifice, they were kings of the temple. 

       They gave a tenth of everything they received...not just a tenth of everything they earned.  It was said of them, "they even tithe their herbs."

And there were more excesses.  The Torah called for fasting only on special festivals, but not the Pharisees, they went for spiritual overkill and fasted twice a week; every Monday and every Thursday.    

And then they basked in the reputation all this sacrifice gained for them… enjoyed every minute of it and went back for more.  So, that which was essentially good lost much of its goodness because it was swallowed up in a tsunami of spiritual swagger.

Praise and pride... they are so difficult to handle without contaminating us; letting us view our accomplishments through distorted magnifying glasses. 

       A prime example: During the Beatles heyday, John Lennon, stated that they were more popular than Jesus Christ.

       Then there was Voltaire, the atheist who almost destroyed France with his twisted philosophies.  He was going to rid that nation of every Bible and dethrone God. 

       He boasted that within 100 years there wouldn't be left one Bible left in France, except in some dusty old museums.

But before his death, he lost his mind.  When the doctor, nurse or friends would enter his room, he would shrink back into his bed and shriek "The Nazarene.  The Nazarene."  The nurse attending him declared that for all the money in France she would never again nurse another dying infidel.  And just before he did die, he cried out, "Thou hast conquered, thou Nazarene."

Click on the URL below to WATCH NEIL IN HIS WORLD FAMOUS ONE MAN DRAMATIZATIONS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BEN FRANKLIN, CHARLES WESLEY AND MARTIN LUTHER

       http://www.speakerneil.com/

DO YOU HAVE A HISTORY BUFF IN YOUR FAMILY?...Why not give THIS HIGHLY ACCLAIMED  BOOK

To buy Neil's 9th book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN or other of his books click on the following

http://www.magnuspress.com/

OR GO TO AMAZON.COM

       AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM and amazon.com Kindle

OTHER BOOKS BY REV. WYRICK

Poor Richard's Almanack for the 20th Century

Sixty Plus and Not Holding

Boundaries Unlimited

I Am

The ABC"s of Parenting and Grandparenting

Letters to America

http://www.magnuspress.com/OurProducts2.html 

       25% off all books, buy 4 get 1 free and free shipping

       Phone Orders:  800-463-7818

 

         

TIME IS WONDERFUL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH IT? (Continuation of Series)

 If you want to share this blog with a friend go to the bottom of day’s content and click on TELL A FRIEND

          There are over 900 stories and commentaries on Neil’s One A Day blog that began Nov 24, 2009. It is added to daily.

        GO TO NEIL’S OTHER BLOG ONE A DAY, YOUR SPIRITUAL

        http://oneadayyourspiritualvitamins.blogspot.com/

 

At a church camp, the speaker was talking about how God has a purpose for everything in His creation.  He explained that there were reasons for dirt, wind,

trees, animals, even cockroaches.  One of the children raised his hand to ask a question, “If everything God made has a purpose, why did He make poison ivy?”

That really stumped the speaker till one of the children made a suggestion, “God made poison ivy because He wanted us to know that there are some things we should keep our grubby little hands off.”

When we propose to ourselves to do something wrong, we need to have prayed enough and thought enough about the consequences to have the good sense to keep our grubby little hands off of some wrong purposes in life.

As it says in 2^nd Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold the new has come.

Why go to the trouble?  Why not just drift with the tide or go with the flow?  Because you are more than a stick of wood.  You are a creation of Almighty God and you owe it to yourself and to your God to be the very best you can be.

If your life is to have meaning, you must have something TO DO, something TO LOVE, and something TO HOPE FOR.  Otherwise you may well spend your life whining rather than winning the race.  And a wasted life is like a giant tear that never stops flowing.

To make life worthwhile, you need to be a traveler rather than a tourist.  You must, in a positive, God-driven way, participate in the process of life rather than just stand on the sidelines and watch as the opportunities pass you by.

We have a choice:  victory or victim-hood.  And when we choose victory through God, therein lays the force of focus:  a spiritual grounding, a new appreciation of time and our obligation to it.  Someone has wisely observed, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the places and moments that take our breath away.” 

Jeremiah 17:7-8 put wings on the following thoughts and we should learn to fly with them.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the Water
that sends out its roots to the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.

+++++++++++++++++

GO TO AMAZON.COM TO BUY NEIL WYRICK'S THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN...still receiving RAVE REVIEWS 8 years after it's publication.

"Positive, powerful utterances...skillfully enhancing our understaning and appreciation of Lincoln...(Lt. Colonel C.A.Olsen (Ret.) Asbury College (Professor Ret.)

"Wyrick has authored a wonderful examination of the spirituality of one of American history's most devoutly religious leaders...a pleasant and readable book that has a rich depth of information.  (Maynard Pittendreigh, Presbyterian Minister)

"THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN is an extremely well written book...it is both scholarly and very readable.  I came away impressed at Mr. Wyrick's portrayal of that President with an altered and enlarged vision of the man. (William Hoffman, Award winning fiction writer, author of Blood and Guile, and Wild Thorn.)                                             

GO TO SPEAKER.NEIL TO SEE NEIL'S ONE MAN AWARD WINNING DRAMATIZATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

. CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING

http://www.speakerneil.com/

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

“WHICH IS BETTER TO BE?  A WINDOW OR A DOOR” ” “BE A RAINBOW SEARCHER AND FINDER” “IS YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION?

Click on the URL below to WATCH NEIL IN HIS WORLD FAMOUS ONE MAN DRAMATIZATIONS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BEN FRANKLIN, CHARLES WESLEY AND MARTIN LUTHER

TO WATCH NEIL WYRICK IN HIS ONE MAN DRAMAS (Presented to millions all around the world) (Ben Franiklin, Martin Luther, Charles Wesley and Abraham Lincoln (this Lincoln film takes 11 seconds to download but is worth the wait)

CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING

http://www.speakerneil.com/

V. Neil Wyrick’s ninth book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN and is available at

MAGNUS PRESS

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM’S Kindle

http://www.magnuspress.com/OurProducts2.html 

25% off all books, buy 4 get 1 free and free shipping

 

Phone Orders:  800-463-7818