Failure

$$$ – Being a “Thousandaire” Might Just Be Better Than Being a “Millionaire”!

/ Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

It goes against logic, I know. But after 60 + years of observation….I think it’s true. Now, for starters, I haven’t yet had the experience of being a millionaire….but I’ve been a ‘thousandaire’ for years. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve dropped below the qualification limit a few times down through the years…..especially during my illustrious rodeo career. But for the most part I’ve be a steady thousandaire.

I’ve noticed the last few years as I’ve gotten older that I don’t need as much ‘stuff’ as I use to think I needed. All those things that we ‘needed’ and thought would make us happier……didn’t! I think it’s part of actually growing up and maturing and learning in part, what’s really important in life.

I’ve observed throughout my lifetime those who had lots of money. Even had friends growing up whose parents were very well off. There’s nothing at all wrong with that. In fact it’s to be commended in most cases. It’s America; we can do just about whatever we want to do. And for those who really find their niche and do well financially, it’s a very good thing. I did notice that some of the rich kids didn’t try near as hard at sports than some of the less fortunate.They had enough athletic ability, alright,…..but the ‘try factor’ was lacking. It really showed up during my rodeo career. It’s a broad statement,….and not always true, but the rich kids weren’t nearly as gritty as those who had nothing to fall back on. 

The human spirit is an amazing thing. We’re created to conquer and to succeed. Everybody loves the story of those who overcame extreme odds to succeed in life. It’s a very good thing to ‘have’ to get up and go to work and put in a good day…every day. It’s good to learn to manage our finances and resources and to live within our means. We can do a lot more than we think we can….but if it’s always been done for us….we’ll never know.If we never have to really ‘try’, we might just not ever do it.

I recently told a friend that, “This time next year I’ll have 9 grandkids”. He jokingly said, “You’ll never be able to afford Christmas”...to which I replied, “I’ve never been able to afford Christmas yet!”(We raised 5 of our own!) But, you know what?? We’ve had great Christmases for, going on now, 39 years! We have somehow survived….just being ‘thousandaires’!

Paul said it in the Bible. “I’ve been hungry and I’ve been full; I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. I’ve learned to be content in whatever state I’m in”. He’d found the ‘secret’ to true happiness and contentment. His ‘joy’ was in the Lord!

I’m only a thousandaire but if family and friends and relationship with the Father were measured in money……I’d be millionaire many times over!! I’m really, really rich in the things that matter most to me!

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Keep Your Eyes On The Road!

/ Andy R Taylor / 3 Comments

Well, it’s just good advice….especially when you’re driving. I’ve got a habit of ‘gawking’, as Julie calls it! I don’t want to miss anything on a road trip. I’ve been known to ride the rumble strips quite a bit and have nearly ran off the road a few times. I know, it’s a bad habit. I’m working on it! (Seems like I say that a lot!)

But keeping your eyes on the road is not just good advice for us while we’re driving….it’s good advice to adhere to while we’re on the ‘road of life’, too! It’s awful easy to keep looking back at the past. There’s lots of people out there who spend most of their time looking back at the past. And most of the time it’s dwelling on mistakes, wrong decisions, hurts and regrets. Don’t get me wrong, I think glancing back at some of these things can be productive….as long as we can learn from our mistakes, correct whatever needs to be corrected and move on. But living in the past is not a good thing, especially if you’re gazing at the negative things. It makes for a discouraging, depressing life.

When we’re anchored in a relationship with the Father we’re able to be encouraged in that….wherever we are in life….it can get better. I think we should at least consider that our best days are in front of us. Looking ahead has some profound benefits (Especially if you’re driving a car!!). But it has some extremely encouraging benefits in life as well. Looking ahead gives us something to ‘live for’. It gives our life meaning. It keeps us growing and evolving into our true identity. 

Experience is a great teacher. We should realize that and make the best of our ‘snafus’. We should approach our life like we do when we’re on a road trip down the interstate. Check the rear-view mirror occasionally, don’t be gawking…..and by all means…..Keep your eyes on the road!

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Faith……..Use it or Lose It!

/ Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

I had an interesting thought the other day. You know, as believers, we’re supposed to be people of faith. It doesn’t always work out that way in real life, though. I must admit that I don’t exactly have it perfected either. I’m working on it, and I’m better than I used to be but still have a long ways to go.

We’ve been ‘given’ (Rom 12:3) ‘the measure of faith‘. It’s actually a measure of the same quality of faith the the Father, Himself, has. That’s a pretty big deal if you think about it. It’s no flimsy faith; it’s faith that’s full of power. That’s very Biblical, by the way. We have a measure of the same kind of faith that the Father exercised when he ‘spoke’ the world into being! 

This faith that we’ve been given is there for a myriad of reasons. For one, it’ll help us to navigate the events of life, good and bad,  in such a way that we prevail in every circumstance. With this faith we’re encouraged in the Bible to “heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons and communicate the good news to the poor”. But there are many people who actually never exercise their faith at all. It’s there lying dormant, but it’s there, nonetheless. It’s like having a fortune in our bank account but never writing a check on it.

What if we approached our faith like we do our vacation days with our work? Many companies give a week or two paid vacation to their employees. Some of those companies require that you use those vacation days before the end of the fiscal year. It’s use them-or lose them. Nobody really wants that to happen. I doubt the Lord looks at our faith like that. I’m sure He’s always blessed anytime we exercise our faith. But it wouldn’t hurt us to look at our faith that way. It might just motivate us to walk in faith a lot more.

It could mean more people saved, more people healed from diseases, more addictions broken, more marriages put back together, etc. Maybe we should view our faith from a “Use It or Lose It” standpoint!

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You ‘Can’ Get There From Here!

/ Andy R Taylor / 8 Comments

You’ve heard the old adage, “You can’t get there from here”, right? It’s kind of a tongue-in-cheek reference indicating that it’s next to impossible to make the change to get from one place to another. Can you imagine stopping for directions at some little out of the way service station in the middle of nowhere on how to get to your destination….and hearing the attendant say, “You can’t get there from here.” Well, we all know it’s not true but it definitely feels like that sometimes.

In 30 + years of ministry I’ve seen some amazing life transformations; mine for one!! I’ve seen people whose lives were in a worse mess than you can possibly imagine. I’ve seen marriages that were totally over and done with. I’ve seen those who were so entrenched in their sinful lifestyle that it looked as though there was no way out. I’ve seen people so hopeless that they could never believe that their life could ever be fixed. I’ve seen addicts and alcoholics who were so messed up they just couldn’t see out. I’ve seen those whose financial situation was in virtual ruin. I’ve seen plenty of people who sincerely believed that God would have absolutely nothing to do with them because of their stupid choices. And for all those to think that they could, somehow, end up with a decent life is so far fetched….it’s kind of like, “you can’t get there from here”.

But I’ve got good news…..no, actually it’s great news! God’s a ‘rescuer’!! He’s a ‘fixer’!! He’s never intimidated at the messed up state of our lives.He can restore any life and give it the significance that it deserves. It’s why we all need God. We’ll all make a monumental mess of our lives without Him.

So, if you’re in a place where you have no hope…..or if you’re wondering if your life could ever be livable and enjoyable, I’m here to tell you that it can! You ‘can’ get there from here!

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Maybe You Should Quit Whippin’ Your Own A#$!!

/ Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Did you see the movie, “Liar Liar”? You should. Jim Carrey, who’s about the funniest guy alive, in my opinion, is a lawyer who just can’t tell the truth about anything. He makes a vow to not tell a lie for a certain amount of time. At one point he goes into the bathroom in the courthouse and starts beating himself up. Someone comes into the bathroom and asks him what he’s doing, to which he replies, “I’m whipping my a#$!” It’s really pretty funny!

The world is a tough place; people can be cruel. It’s easy to find yourself on the receiving end of people’s bad intentions. Nothing pleasant about that at all. But in my 60 + years of experience, I’ve seen as much, or more, ‘self-inflicted’ pain, discomfort and mental anguish as the other kind. I really don’t think the Father likes us to do that!

Most everyone I know has made monumental mistakes in their lives. I’m pretty sure that most of us have regrets; things we shouldn’t have done; things we should have done differently; maybe even things we should have done but didn’t. It’s just kind of how life goes. We could keep our focus on those things and let them rule our lives today….or we could learn from them and move on. 

Peter is a great example. He failed Jesus at a time when the Lord needed him the most. He denied Jesus three times in the dark hours before the cross, once to a little 12-year-old girl. In the greatest test of his life, he folded like a cheap lawn chair. But something happened to Peter after Jesus was resurrected. You know the story; Jesus took him aside and asked Peter if he loved Him three times. His encounter with Jesus, somehow, healed him from his epic failure. And the rest of the story: Peter was the most important man on the planet, as it relates to the plan of God, for the next 25 years or so.

If the Father doesn’t hold those things against us….maybe we shouldn’t either! One thing I know….our failures dim in comparison to Peter’s. We really should quit whipping’ our own a#$ and move on with our destiny!