Had to Re-post this Today! - They are ALL "Good Days"

This is from a dear sweet young lady who I have known for years and is going through the trail of her life, literally. Please read her attitude. Love you Landra!

Truth: They are ALL “Good Days”
July 31, 2013 by redorenew

Today, my fear is not pain. My fear is not living a “shortened life”. My fear is not the effects of the cancer. Today, this very morning, my fear is the lack of “good days”. The “good days” give me hope that the rugged days will be over soon. But, what if the “good days dwindle, and there is not reprieve before I return for the next “dripping” of chemo into my veins. I’m noticing that the number of my “good days”, the days I can actually walk without being winded, move without hurting, focus my thinking enough to do laundry, dishes, and cleaning, and eat food that tastes somewhat “correct”, are being stolen and dwindling. I mentally count in my head the “good days” left versus the number of chemo days in this series, and if it continues as is, no good days may be left. That is my fear: no “good days”.

For years, I have kept a daily journal. Every day, I have made it a point to start the entry with “Today was a good day”, then I write why it was good. Even at this very moment, my oldest (now seven) is awake, and journaling as well. He starts his journal, “Today was a good day.” in the past, even on the “not so good days”, i.e., the day I found out I had cancer, the day of a loved one’s death, I still forced myself to write those words. I wrote them, not because I was being untruthful, but because, that day, I was alive. I was saved. I lived the day in hope, and simply being alive required the presence of praise. I must go back to that thinking.

I live with the truth, I am alive and breathing with the truth, that my life is eternal all because of another’s death in my place: Jesus. Not one of my “bad days” can come close to comparing to His death. Not one, and yet, He is with me to comfort me. He allows me to feel sorry for myself. He allows me to acknowledge my pain, my suffering, my hurt, my “bad days”, and my fears. He tenderly listens, lifts me up to carry me on His shoulders, and calms my fears.

So, it seems, for more than eternal life, He hung on the cross. For more than redeeming me, He hung on the cross. For more than making me Holy, he hung on the cross. Because He hung there, He knows. He knows my “bad days”. He knows my pain. He knows my weakness. He knows my need to cry out, “Abba Father!”. He knows. Even on His hardest day, it was a “good day”. His blood was shed for the world. The veil was torn, and now no one needs to be separated from God. There was TRUE hope for more “good days”. The resurrection was the BEST day, as that showed the world, the universe, and all the Heavenly Hosts in the Heavens, that eternal life is available to all. Victory is SURE, and our hardships are temporary.

So, now it seems true–truly true: Our “bad days” are still “good days”. There is NO gray area, no room to fear. What is there to fear? What can steal these “good days”? Nothing! There is no power, no chemical, no incident that can steal eternal victory! Oh, Hallelujah! Oh, I needed this truth! You’ve won, Father! Take me, and keep me in that rest. All my days: good, bad, all, are “good”. All are lived in your Victory!

Jesus holds my hand. Jesus guides me effortlessly through the “Valley of the Shadow of Death”, as the “green pastures” and “quiet waters” are just beyond, and He is my Shepherd. He KNOWS the way. He’s walked here before. He lives! He rose from the dead. “Bad days” are no more! It is a “good day”, everyday, simply because He lives! Pain, and these temporary sufferings, will not suppress this praise! He lives! My cup overflows, and I have more than enough! Hallelujah!

Ps. 23 “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.”

Deut. 33:12 “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.”

Romans 8:18 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

Understanding the Circle Maker

I encourage everyone to get a copy of the book, "The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears" by Mark Batterson.    One of the main stories is about a prophet called, Honi.  http://www.thecirclemaker.com/watch


Once you have seen the video, you can see why it is so important to draw circles in your life and to pray hard within those circles.  As for me I have taken this to heart as 10 years ago when we moved to Tennessee, we talked to so many people who are fed up with church, just in this county.   In October 2012 I learned of Honi and thought, "The Lord is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow." so I asked the Lord for a place where these people would build a relationship with God and not a religion.  Many times we had driven by a building and thought that this would be a great place for a church.      A circle was then drawn in front of the doors of this empty building and each week since October 24, 2012 I have stood in the circle and walked all around the building and property in constant prayer for God's protection of this property and for the lives of people far from a relationship with God to have a place to get excited about the Love of God .  There have been times that I have walked in rain and cold weather and felt like, "Why am I doing this?" but I promised God that I would be faithful in this Dream and continue to be.     I admit that there have been times when I think I don't have the time but I made a promise to God to be faithful like Honi.  And God continues to protect that building.   Do you have dreams or fears that need to be circled?  Get a copy of the book and read it to absorb what God can do when you are faithful and not wavering or just wishing.  Be bold in your prayers and don't worry about people commenting about your drawing circles around things in your life.      God knows the timing of answering your prayer and dreams as it all answered prayer has to be for God's glory.  Just don't give up, because so often we give up just before the blessing comes.   



Pray BIG Audacious Circles!

Frustrations of a Dreamer



For years now, I have been told that my dreams are "way ahead of their times".  Recently I have actually prayed to God not to give me any more dreams.  Yet He does not listen.

Why the strange prayer?  I began some time ago writing down those dreams and through out the years I have seen some of them come to life and be exactly what I was told in a dream.  One such dream was three years ago in that I dreamed about an organization in which I was on the Board of Directors.   I presented the idea to the board in a quarterly meeting and it was just noted in the minutes and dismissed.  Two years after I left the Board, I got a call from the current President of the Board and she told me that they were adopting the dream I presented.  Two and one half years later.

If you are a dreamer you will understand what I am about to say.  I get frustrated and hurt when I present a dream and it falls on deaf, unconsidered ears.  Dreams I receive are not just a blurb but are developed during the dreaming period so they are fully ready for adoption.  From that it makes it hard to not convey the dream as to not sound demanding. I am learning that lesson.

A dream about two years ago was a marketing idea that I knew would attract attention.  I presented it to a group of men whose organization I felt the dream was meant.  It was dismissed and never heard from again.  While in Cincinnati I was talking to my son and told him about the dream.  He said that his business adopted the same principle last year and that it was and continues to be successful.

In 1973 a friend at work knew of my frustration  in that I would go into a marketing meeting and present, in detail, an idea that had stemmed from a dream. (Not all dreams are religious).  When it was not adopted and I was clearly frustrated an older gentlemen friend pulled me to the side and said, "Keep Dreaming and know that if only 34% of the dreams are ever enacted, you will be successful."  Then he gave me the baseball illustration.  He said, " A great baseball player may only have an average of 300 for his lifetime  yet we look at him as being a success.  Realize that he was called out seven times out of ten.  More than two thirds of the time he never made it to base.  You may want a 100% of your ideas to be adopted, but if you have over 1/3 of your ideas accepted, then you will be better that any professional baseball player."

Do I get frustrated?  Absolutely!  Do I get hurt?  For use!  Know that I don't ask for the dreams, they just come and so my list gets bigger and someday, someone will see those dreams written down and may think, "Humm, we should try this.

Til then, all you frustrated dreamers, DREAM ON!

What's in a Rose?

What's in a Rose?

Roses sent at just the right time have a language of their own. When deciding which color or combination of roses are best for your romantic event, the following list may help:



Red Roses symbolize love, respect, courage and passion

Dark Red reveals unconscious beauty

Pink carries the message of happiness, gracefulness and gentleness

Deep Pink says, "Thank You"

Light Pink conveys admiration, gentleness, grace, gladness, joy and sweetness

Orange indicates enthusiasm

Bridal White (White with pink tips) symbolize a happy love

White expresses purity, secrecy, silence, innocence, and charm

Yellow indicates joy, gladness, friendship and "I Care"

Coral conveys desire

Lavender symbolizes love at first sight and enchantment

A single Red Rose means, "I Love You"

A Single Rose in any other color expresses simplicity and gratitude

Red and White together signify unity

A bouquet of roses in full bloom means gratitude and is a symbol of great beauty and perfection.

Romantic Games - Part 2

Here is another game from the book I wrote - "Romantic Games Adults should Play"

One Rose Plus Eleven

Items Needed:

One dozen roses (divided into one rose and eleven together in a vase)

Nice local restaurant

One note card



Sometimes you can lose the impact of giving a dozen roses to your love. Try this different approach to presenting special flowers to her.



Make reservations at a nice local restaurant and stop by a florist to purchase eleven roses in a vase and one rose wrapped for delivery. Depending on the purpose of the evening, you may want to check the back of this book to see which color rose fits the purpose of the evening.  (For now, this will be posted in the next blog)

Fill out the card for the roses, telling your love that she is special in your life. Note that one rose is sometimes lonely without the other eleven. Go to the restaurant and ask the hostess to place the vase of eleven roses on your table just prior to your arrival with your date.

Pick up your date for the evening and present her with the single rose. She will put the rose in a bud vase. Then off you go to the restaurant. Upon arrival, find the hostess you talked with earlier in the evening. She will take you both to the table with the eleven roses for your romantic, appreciative evening.

Comparing a Church Model to a Business Model

Over the past couple of years I have heard that so many churches are closing their doors or losing members.  Why?  I believe it is due to churches hanging onto a church model that was successful in the 1950's and 60's but time has passed them by.  The approach was via rules and regulations along with fear of where are you going to spend you eternity and the thumb of the church pressing down on you with the passionate sermon ending.  At least it was that way where I grew up.

Everything was regulated by time and requirements of being a Christian.  The people with society is that from that time until today things have changed.  Business models that were a part of the same period had a similar approach.  You could get yelled at, cussed out, demeaned, and your measurement of success was in the drive of upper management to get numbers. And it was business as usual.

Today I think the church needs to look at current business models and understand that they need to update their approach to meet the needs of people.  Religion is on its way out and relationships are the drivers for people.  People are tired of sitting in a church and just seeing the requirements of religion and being yelled at from the front.

A comparison of how I feel church models and business model should be similar is:
The church Board and vision caster is like the board and CEO of a business
The pastor is the sales person for the company in that they are selling the Gospel and relationship for eternal life which does not include talking down to or yelling at your customer.

Let me stay on this for a minute.  When you buy a product at a store and a salesperson helps you.  What do they do that convinces you to buy?  Value and cost?  They use common words, illustrate how this will be perfect for you and excite you to desire the product.    The same is for the pastor speaking on Sunday.   I see wonderful people teaching accurately the word of God but do not use the principles of selling.  If you really look at the mega churches where campuses are springing up weekly then you will see a sales person in a pastor who selling the product of Jesus Christ.

OK, so I have turned several people off with the above comment but stop and think about it.  Listen to a message on line from so many of these nationally known churches. Whether it is in the message, tithing, small groups, special events, or any part of the church functions, those who grow use the business principles of marketing and sales to drive people to a relationship with the Lord.

Can your church take a model from business to reach those in your community?  Think about the reason why you should do this. . ."Making it hard to go to hell from your community."

It is not in taking attendance and counting the offering.

Romantic Games - Part 1

Men who know me, know that years ago I wrote a book on romance for men called. "Romantic Games Adults Should Play".  It was directed to men on building esteem in their wives through romantic games which showed an appreciation of them in fun games and are uplifting and not just sexually demeaning.

Since I have over 130 games in the book, I will give you some samples that can be used to build appreciation for your spouse.  

Romantic Games Adults Should Play offers creative, innovative ideas that help adults become "kids" without the "adult toys."  

Invisible Mirror, Mirror

Items Needed:    Hard Bar of Soap

          Write your love a message of how you love and appreciate your bride of a week or 40 years upon the bathroom mirror using the bar of soap, but take your fingernail and chip off the obvious flakes of soap. The mirror will appear almost normal. When your wife showers the next morning and steams up the bathroom, your love message will appear and be present for her as she towel dries herself.

          If you do not have a bar of hard soap, buy some eyeglass defogger or liquid windshield defogger. Pour a little defogger onto the cotton swab and write your love note on the mirror. It may take awhile to get the windshield defogger off the mirror, but the great part of it is the message is a reminder for your spouse each time she takes a hot bath or shower.

Mirror, Mirror

Version 2

Items Needed:  A couple of Dry Erase Markers

          This is one game that I do quite often and keep a couple of Dry Erase Markers in my bathroom drawer at all times.  Before your bride showers or baths, write your love message using the dry erase marker on the mirror.  I use the red one to make hearts and the other colors to write the message.  Then go off to work or any activity so it does not draw attention to you but is a reminder to your wife that you are thinking of her.

Make sure you NEVER use a permanent marker as you will have to find some solvent to get the marker off the mirror and “trust me”, you will be in trouble.

Now have fun building your relationship through this simple game.

You can pass this on to other men who need help in learning to be romantic!

Making Every Anniversary Special

When Lynnette and I were getting married, Lynnette had her mind on every aspect of the wedding.  When I asked her about the honeymoon, she said, "Just surprise me."  My reply was "Really?" 

So I set out by using the Internet to pull up places, hotels, rental cars, and events that would be part of our honeymoon experience.  I made a three ring binder and put the planned events of each day in a tab along with pictures, brochures, and possible alternatives, should we run into a roadblock of events. (like an event being closed on a given day or heavy rain for a given event- which has happened more than once in fourteen years)

On our Wedding day we stayed at an airport hotel and Lynnette did not have a clue as to where we were going. 

Keep in mind that Lynnette is a detail reader so I filled a three inch binder full of things to read.  Early the next morning, I went inside the airport and got our boarding passes all the way to our final destination.   Back then you could do that without the person being with you.

Lynnette had no idea where we were going as we landed in Atlanta.  As we walked the hallway looking at each departure gate, I said, "That would be a nice place to go".  Then moved on.  We walked by our gate and I continued to look at each gate.  Finally I turned around and went back to "our" gate to San Francisco/Napa Valley.  I just said, "This would be a great place to go" and sat down in the waiting area.  At that point I handed Lynnette the binder and for the next two hours she poured over each page with a smile and a kiss as we looked at each event for the entire honeymoon.

That was fourteen years ago, last week, and each year since then we trade being in charge of the anniversary.  Last year was Lynnette's turn and this year is mine. 

None of our friends knew the locations or what we are doing so the surprise trip reveal could occur one hour into the anniversary or as much as three hours into the anniversary. 

This year the funds are extremely tight, so I titled the trip, "  Fourteen years and Growing - The Free and Cheap Tour".  Our biggest expense was gas but we saw so many things of nature and destinations which are really inexpensive and was time spent with my bride.

I say all this just to encourage every man to mix up the celebration of your marriage by planning a surprise for your wife.   The three ring binder is a great way to please a spouse who likes plans and details.  If you are the detail person, then the binder can give you peace of mind that it will be a great anniversary. 

This year because of all the rain, we adjusted some days so we could avoid the rain periods.  Nevertheless, this has been a great 14 year adventure and I look forward to the next 14 years of adventures.

Plus I only have to plan seven of them. 

Now go bring back excitement and adventure into your relationship.  The memories WILL last for years and you will have a binder full of those memories to discuss later.