Spontaneous Thoughtfulness

Pastor Steven Furtick

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Spontaneous Thoughtfulness Posted: 05 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Yesterday we discussed the advantages of systematic thoughtfulness. However, no advance strategic planning can replace the value of old-fashioned Spirit-led spontaneous thoughtfulness. The essence of spontaneous thoughtfulness can be summarized in just a few instructions. If you see a need, meet it. If you think a thought of affirmation, give voice to it. If you have a kind idea, implement it. For example, when I heard recently that one of our core team members was moving, I thought: I wonder if they’ve booked a moving truck? I wonder if we could help them with that? Too many times, I’ve let impressions like this die on the vine. More and more, I’m learning to write the impression down, bring it up to the appropriate person the next day, and do everything in my power to turn good intentions into helpful actions. (I sent the moving truck, by the way. The couple was very grateful.) How many encouraging words pass through your head on a daily basis that never make a safe landing in the heart of a recipient? If you think something good, say it! The more accurate and specific, the better. Spontaneous thoughtfulness keeps you tuned into the frequency of the activity of God all around you. And a posture of thoughtfulness increases the likelihood that God will send opportunities for impact into your life.

never give up.

Excerpted from The Best Way Out Is Always Through


Defying the Diagnosis

It was 1962. Stephen Hawking was just twenty-one years old when he received the awful news that would change his life—he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. It’s a devastating diagnosis: the disease is progressive, incurable and fatal. His doctors told him he had just a few years to live.

At the time, Hawking was a doctoral student at Cambridge, having already earned a degree from Oxford. But his research hadn’t been going well; he was unmotivated in his work and bored with his life. His diagnosis was a turning point: he could either give up his studies and wait to die, or he could make the most of what time he had left. At first, he chose the road of despair and resignation. He wanted to give up because he didn’t see any point in finishing his degree if he was going to die soon.

But he didn’t give up for long. Through the encouragement and love of his girlfriend, Jane, he pulled out of his despair and found the fire and determination that had been missing before his diagnosis. He married Jane in 1965, finished his studies, and got a job at a university. True, he was afraid of dying, but even more, he was afraid that he would die without achieving anything in his life.

Hawking and Jane had three children together, and she devotedly cared for him year after year as his disease progressed. While his body was deteriorating, his career was blossoming. He was elected as one of the youngest Fellows of the Royal Society in 1974, became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1982, and became a Companion of Honour in 1989. These acknowledgements and public honors were bestowed on Hawking for his contributions to the fields of theoretical cosmology and quantum gravity, especially in the context of black holes. He has published hundreds of research papers, as well as six books. His runaway bestseller was A Brief History of Time, which stayed on the Sunday Times best-seller list for a record-breaking 237 weeks—unheard of for a science book.

It’s been over forty years since Hawking got his diagnosis from the doctors. He defied their prediction of an early death, as well as his early impulse to give up. Now completely paralyzed, wheelchair-bound and compelled to use a computer voice synthesizer, he is a respected scientist, a world-renowned celebrity and an inspiration to millions.

In a 2005 interview, Hawking said, “It is a waste of time to be angry about my disability. One has to get on with life and I haven’t done badly. People won’t have time for you if you are always angry or complaining.” That’s not a bad credo to live by.

Obama Joker Poster Popping Up In Los Angeles

Obama Joker Poster Popping Up In Los Angeles

By Noel Sheppard (Bio | Archive)
August 1, 2009 - 20:06 ET

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Have you seen this poster?

Apparently, it's beginning to appear in odd places in Los Angeles, but nobody seems to know who's responsible for it.

Radio host Tammy Bruce posted some pictures of this odd creation at her blog Saturday morning (h/t Pamela Geller) leading me to investigate further.

At this point, all I could find on the subject was an April 25 article from Bedlam Magazine:

A poster of Barack Obama in Heath Ledger-style Joker make-up with the legend 'Socialism' beneath it has been popping up recently on surfaces around L.A. It does not appear to be in the same category as the many benign take-offs on the Shepard Fairey 'Hope' poster, such as the one by Australian James Lillis (more of a straightforward spoof that merely substituted a Shepardized image of Heath Ledger as Joker on the Obama poster).

Greeting Cards That Didn't Quite Cut It

My tire was thumping.
I thought it was flat
When I looked at the tire...
I noticed your cat.
Sorry!

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Heard your wife left you,
How upset you must be.
But don't fret about it...
She moved in with me.

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Looking back over the years
that we've been together,
I can't help but wonder...
"What the hell was I thinking?"

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Congratulations on your wedding day!
Too bad noone likes your husband.

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How could two people as beautiful as you
Have such an ugly baby?

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I've always wanted to have
someone to hold,
someone to love.
After having met you ..
I've changed my mind.

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I must admit, you brought Religion into my life.
I never believed in Hell until I met you.

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As the days go by, I think of how lucky I am...
That you're not here to ruin it for me.

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Congratulations on your promotion.
Before you go...
Would you like to take this knife out of my back?
You'll probably need it again.

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Happy Birthday, Uncle Dad!
(Available only in Tennessee, Kentucky & West Virginia)

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Happy birthday! You look great for your age.
Almost Lifelike!

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When we were together,
you always said you'd die for me.
Now that we've broken up,
I think it's time you kept your promise.

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We have been friends for a very long time ..
let's say we stop?

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I'm so miserable without you
it's almost like you're here.

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Congratulations on your new bundle of joy.
Did you ever find out who the father was?

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Your friends and I wanted to do
something special for your birthday.
So we're having you put to sleep.

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So your daughter's a hooker,
and it spoiled your day.
Look at the bright side,
it's really good pay!

WHY IT'S GREAT TO BE FEMALE

WHY IT'S GREAT TO BE FEMALE
	Free drinks. Free dinners. Free movies. (you get the point) You can hug your friend without wondering if she thinks you're gay. You can hug your friend without wondering if you're gay. Speeding ticket? What's that? You can talk to people of the opposite sex without having to picture them naked. If you're not making enough money you can blame the glass ceiling. Nothing crucial can be cut off with one clean sweep. Women never get anything caught in their zippers. No fashion faux pas you make could rival the Speedo. If you cheat on your spouse, people assume it's because you're being emotionally neglected. You'll never have to decide where to hide your nose-hair clipper. No one passes out when you take off your shoes. You don't have hair on your back. If you forget to shave, no one has to know. You can congratulate your teammate without ever touching her rear end. Makeup covers zits. You don't have to memorize "Cadyshack" or "Star Wars" to fit in. You have the ability to dress yourself. You have an excuse to be a total jerk at least once a month. If you have to be home in time for reruns of "Ally McBeal," you can say so out loud. You always have food in the fridge. There are times when chocolate really can solve all your problems. Gay waiters don't make you uncomfortable. You'll never regret piercing your ears. You can fully assess a person just by looking at their shoes. You'll never discover you've been duped by a Wonderbra. When women are short, they're petite; when men are short, they're just short. You know which glass was yours by the lipstick mark. If you think the person you're dating really likes you, you don't have to break up with them. PMS is a legal defense for murder. Women can throw a punch at a man and not get hit in return. It's okay to cry. You'll never have to punch a hole through anything with your fist. Women do less time for violent crimes. Women can be groupies -- male groupies are called "stalkers." Women got off the Titanic first. You can scare your male bosses with mysterious excuses about gynecological disorders.

WHY IT'S GREAT TO BE MALE

WHY IT'S GREAT TO BE MALE
	Your rear end is never a factor in a job interview. Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Car mechanics tell you the truth. You couldn't care less if someone notices your new haircut. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress = $2,000; tux rental = $100. If you retain water, it's in a canteen. People never glance at your chest when you're talking to them. New shoes don't cut, blister or mangle your feet. One mood, all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds. A 5-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. "Baywatch" You can quietly enjoy a car ride from the passenger's seat. Two pairs of shoes are more than enough. You can quietly watch a game with your buddy for hours without ever thinking, "He must be mad at me." If another guy shows up at the party in the same outfit, you can just might become lifelong friends. You can not expected to know the names of more than five colors. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut or bolt. Flowers fix everything. One wallet and one pair of shoes, one color, all seasons. You can "do" your nails with a pocketknife. Christmas shopping can be accomplished for 25 relatives, on December 24, in minutes. Movie nudity is virtually always female. You don't have to monitor your friends' sex lives. Your bathroom lines are 80 percent shorter. A beer gut doesn't make you invisible to the opposite sex. You can wear a white shirt to a water park. You can go to the bathroom without a support group. You never have to drive on to another gas station because this one just too "skeevy." None of your co-workers has the power to make you cry. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. Guys in hockey masks don't attack you. (Unless you smash them into the boards) Nobody stops telling a good dirty joke when you walk in the room. You can whip your shirt off on a hot day. You never have to clean a toilet. You can sit with your knees apart no matter what you're wearing. You have a normal and healthy relationship with your mother. You needn't pretend you're "freshening up" to go to the bathroom. If you are 36 and single, nobody notices. There's always a game on somewhere.

Keeping the faith!

Psalm 119:50 "This is my comfort in my affliction, for your Word has given my life."