J.R. Lee

President Harry Truman was arguably one of our best Presidents.  He coined phrases such as “The buck stops here” and “If you can’t stand the heat then get out of the kitchen”.  He was good for a great quote.  Here’s another one.

Men make history and not the other way around.  In periods where there is no leadership society stands still.  Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.

Having opportunity doesn’t seem to be the issue.  The issue is going to be whether or not we have the courage to act.

Don’t Forget!

This Sunday only – we are having only ONE Worship Experience at 10:30!

It’s going to be a blast and we have something SWEET planned for Sunday! Don’t miss it!

Matthew 8 contains an intriguing story…

Jesus and some friends were in a boat.  While Jesus was asleep, a huge storm had moved in and the boat wasn’t doing so well.  Neither were Jesus’ traveling companions.

In a panic, they woke Jesus up begging Him to “Save us”, for “we are perishing!”  Jesus responded by saying “Why are you afraid” and then He told the wind to settle down.  His disciples didn’t know what to say – especially when the wind obeyed and the waves stopped.  Actually they responded with “what kind of man is this, that even the winds and sea obey Him?”

Now to the point: It’s interesting to me how often I will beg God for a miracle only to be shocked and surprised when He actually comes through.  I believe enough to “wake him up”, but when He acts, I am taken back.  It shouldn’t be that way.  He already said we’ll get to the “other side of the sea”, now I need to consistently trust Him to get me there.

• I got my haircut in 9 minutes last week.  That’s fast.
• Very good day on Sunday!  Heard some incredible stories from people about brokenness.
• I met with a Financial Advisor this past Thursday.  It was a great meeting that provided some clarity on goals for the future.
• You need to have a financial plan!  Doesn’t matter whether you make a lot or a little – get a plan!  The old saying is that Failing to plan is planning to fail.  Don’t let that be true of you.
• If you are at Freedom – set an appointment with our Financial Guru, Clint Strange.  It’s completely free and he can help you develop a plan that works!
• Had a couple (Rick/Shiree) tell me that they had to attend a wedding in Panama City Beach on Saturday – then drove back through the night – just to get back for church Sunday morning.  I love that kind of stuff!
• The creative elements we have planned for our next series are going to be POWERFUL!
• One of them has me extremely nervous – and slightly paranoid.
• I had a dream that I got shot three different times on three different days in the same dream.  Then I had to take a shower to wash off some sand???   Someone else got shot with me – but I can’t remember who it was.  No, I have idea who it was that shot me.
• I watched the Season Finale of 24 right before I had that dream.  It could be the culprit.
• I almost forgot to do the offering on Sunday.  That’s a first

I read this in the book Leadership Gold.  It’s actually a quote from the book Making a Life, Making a Living by Mark Albion.  Good stuff…

“A study of business school graduates tracked the careers of 1,500 people from 1960 to 1980. From the beginning, the graduates were grouped into two categories. Category A consisted of people who said they wanted to make money first so they could do what they really wanted to do later after they took care of their financial concerns. Those in category B pursued their interests first, sure that the money eventually would follow.

What percentage fell into each category? Of the 1,500 graduates in the survey, the money-now category A’s comprised 83 percent or 1,245 people. Category B risk takers made up 17 percent, 255 graduates.

After 20 years, there were 101 millionaires in the group. Only one came from category A, 100 from category B.   The study’s author, Srully Blotnick, concluded that “the overwhelming majority of people who have become wealthy have become so thanks to work they found profouundly absorbing….Their ‘luck’ arose from the accidental dedication they had to an area they enjoyed.”