Kick Your Own Butt!!!

You need to read these sent to me by friend-Michelle Borquez

What is in your shack???Author, Paul Young, author of “The Shack”, was in no way looking to write the next New York Times best seller. His wife had asked him to write a book dedicated to his children as a legacy. Out of obedience to her (he has claims jokingly), and a desire to pass something down to his children, he chose to write an allegory portraying his deep love for God. “It's a metaphor for that place where we get stuck or damaged, or where we've made really bad choices, or where we've piled up a lot of stuff in our lives that we don't want to go back to and deal with,” he says. “Emotionally distant from his missionary parents. Sexually abused by the New Guinea tribe they lived among. Grief-stricken for loved ones who died too young, too suddenly. Frantic to earn God's love, yet cheating on his wife, Kim. Young functioned by stuffing all the evil done to him and by him into a "shack" — his metaphor for an ugly, dark place hidden so deeply within him that it seemed beyond God's healing reach. His adultery, 15 years ago, finally blew the doors off that shack, forcing him to confront his past. "Kim made it clear," he says. "I had to face every awful thing." Now, his first novel, The Shack— centered on dialogues between a miserable main character, Mack, and three unorthodox characterizations of the Holy Trinity — telescopes Young's transformation to a man spiritually reborn and aware every moment of God's love. (USA Today) My dear friend Sandy Griffin had the opportunity a year ago to sit down with Paul Young and hear a little more about the man behind the metaphor. Over dinner Paul shared with Sandy how the concept of “The Shack” was born. “We stuff everything away, slam the door shut, never wanting to face or look at the hurt and pain we have endured, he explained to Sandy, and at some point this begins impacting our life. We keep our shacks hidden, allowing the weeds to grow up around it, placing it way out in the country some where so we don’t ever have to look at it. The grass and weeds have grown so high no one would ever know it was there unless we chose to show it to them. He explained how the pain, the healing, the process of grace and transformation in his own life, is where the story of “The Shack” was born. Whether you agree with Paul’s depiction of Christianity as portrayed through the characters in his book or not, what you must acknowledge is the way this book has truly impacted the lives of millions, and millions of people everywhere. Paul is still getting over a hundred emails a day from people saying they found solace and inspiration in “The Shack”. This response has to prompt us to become profoundly aware of the deep seeded wounds not being addressed in the modern day church. Why? Why has one book so deeply touched an emotional nerve in our present day culture? It appears Shack readers walk away with a feeling of redemption as the story speaks of forgiveness, belief and true acceptance, and leaves readers with the understanding we cannot redeem ourselves. Jesus alone is where we find grace and acceptance. We come just as we are. We do not need to “clean up our act” for Jesus to accept us into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Thief in Paradise -The perfect biblical example demonstrating grace and really tearing apart religious dogma, is the story of Jesus and the two robbers who hung next to him on the cross. The story itself is a beautiful picture of Jesus’ love and acceptance of us in our worst condition, and the promise he gives us when our hearts are sincere before him. When Jesus was sentenced to be crucified, there were two robbers who were also sentenced to be crucified. They were not just small time thief’s desperate for bread, but were considered hardened criminals who had used aggression to rob people. As these two criminals hung on the cross next to Jesus, one on his right and one on his left, something set them apart and it would be the very thing separating them after death. “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him saying “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:39-43What was the difference between these two men? Robber one mocked Jesus and was most concerned about getting out of his punishment. His heart was not repentant at all, but instead was crafty and deceptive still looking for ways to avoid consequences to his sin even in his last moments hanging there. Robber two was a man who understood the weight of his sin, and whose heart was remorseful and repentant for what he had done. He honored Jesus and believed not only that he was Christ, but also believed Jesus was without sin. He also had the faith to take a step towards his belief by asking Jesus to remember Him in His kingdom. His faith and sincere heart was enough for him to be accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven. Amazing! What do we do when we sin? Do we store all our hidden sin away in a shack somewhere hoping no one will ever see it, hoping we can hide it forever and never have to look at it again? Have we gone through life shifting blame on others, trying to avoid consequences? The first robber’s pride kept him from Paradise. Can you believe it? Pride was the only thing keeping him from spending eternity with Christ in Paradise. Even in his final moments of death his heart was not open to truth. He thought he was more than God, knew more than God, and therefore He had no reverence for the Man who hung on the cross next to Him. He knew not what he did or who he was talking to. Which man are we? Maybe we are both at times. Maybe there are times when we fear God and we are so concerned over our sin, ready to kick our own butt, and yet there may be other times where God has to continue to show us something over and over again because we just refuse to take responsibility and own it and are arrogant in our response.

your impact friend
Ade-Bright

Rachel Ray, Leo & YOU - WHAT DO YOU LOVE DOING

Let me share with you a few things you can USE to start shakin’ and bakin’ at a whole new level.

Are you ready or really ready?

First off, flipping through the TV I came across Rachel Ray’s 30 Minute Meals. Put what she was cooking aside for a second (it looked great).

Here’s what I saw.

PASSION. It just flies through the TV.

Rachel Ray LOVES what she does.

Do you know Rachel Ray had a public access cooking show for
3 years or so and made pennies if anything?

Talk about not getting it right and just getting it going.

LOVE. (remember this for a second).

Rachel’s show was done. I surfed around and saw an interview with actor Leonardo DeCaprio.

Many observers consider Leo to be one of the greatest actors of his generation.

Follow me here.

So Leo is being interviewed. The interviewer says you have many influential friends, ever thought about running for political office.

He stops for a second.

Thinks and says.

“No, couldn’t. I LOVE what I do too much.”

Love. (keep this in your mind)

you have a bright future

your impact friend,

AdeBright

They Defeat Themselves

Complaining.

Complaining.

Complaining.

Earlier this morning, I was at the gym and I overheard a
conversation.

A negative conversation.

From gas prices to layoffs, this person was complaining about
everything.

Blah, blah, blah, this person DEFEATED HIMSELF.

The economy didn’t defeat him, his boss didn’t defeat him, he
DEFEATED HIMSELF.

That’s the power of our MENTAL ATTITUDE.

It can cause us to WIN, to TRIUMPH, or to defeat ourselves.

This is very important.

It’s so easy to look to the left or look to the right and
find somebody complaining about something.

It’s so easy to join in. Misery loves company.

Don’t do it.

Don’t.

YOU weren’t born to complain. YOU my friend were born to WIN.

We make our own economy.

Work on yourself. Become valuable to others.

Become ATTRACTIVE to others.

Become a problem solver to others.

Don’t pass on a complaining, victim driven attitude to your
kids.

Pass on the SPIRIT of a HERO. A winner.

Don’t take two steps today. Take one.

Move forward 1%. Yes, just 1%.

Start speaking TRIUMPH over your life.

Say:

I am VALUABLE.

People are drawn to me.

I am TALENTED.

I like people and people like me.

Amigo, start going the extra mile for others.

Watch what happens.

Get clear on what you want.

If you’re at a job right now and you want to leave it.

Find out how much money you need to make consistently each
month to leave that job and make that your goal.

Don’t make $1,000,000 your goal. Make it your goal for your
business to pay your monthly expenses plus.

Get started. Don’t join the ‘complaining party’

That party will always be there. You’re ABOVE IT.

The world is waiting to EXPERIENCE your gifts, talents, and
abilities.

Will you let them?

Love Ya! You’re The Best!

______________

Ade-Bright

GET OFF

It doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes.

What matters most is getting off.

You cannot make progress without making decisions.

Jim Rohn