An eagle is a rare bird, unique and different, of a higher class than ordinary

birds.
Love Alone = Sentimentality. Truth Alone = Brutality. Love + Truth = Balanced
Reality. (Sandra Scott, Author of "Charmers & Con Artists")
Dr. Jim Strickhausen: What is Victory? Victory means final and complete
supremacy in battle/war, or a specific military engagement ending in triumph.
Victory can also mean success in any contest or struggle involving the defeat of
an opponent or the overcoming of obstacles. Now is the time to move past the
obstacles that would prevent you from succeeding at what God requires of you!
Choose VICTORY! Romans 8:37 NLT - "No, despite all these things,
overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us."
You are never responsible for the pain of someone who has rejected your
counsel. (Dr. Mike Murdock)
There is a difference between someone making a foolish mistake and someone
making a career of foolish mistakes. The first is about being human. The second
is about character failure. (Sandra Scott, Author of "Charmers & Con Artists")
With most people, we trust them until they violate that trust. With an uncovered
Charmer or con artist, they will forever be proving their right to be trusted. It is
part of their recovery. We are fools and enablers if we allow them off the hook
merely because of their proclamation of repentance. Lying has been their
successful method of operation. The measure of their repentance is their
WILLINGNESS to remain accountable. (Sandra Scott, Author of "Charmers &
Con Artists")
A person who has integrity will not be insulted by being held accountable.
(Sandra Scott, Author of "Charmers & Con Artists")
Recovery rate for the Charmer or con artist is slim (5%). Even so, the pain and
misery rate for them and their victims is too high to give up on addressing the
problem. But for this reason, every Charmer or con artist must be assumed to be
incapable of change. It's the only protection for others. For that slim percentage
who do change, we can grant exceptions to the rules and rejoice while we go on
holding them accountable. (Sandra Scott, Author of "Charmers & Con Artists")

The Four Qualities of Repentance are: 1) Responsibility - recognize the wrong

done. 2) Regret - true remorse for the pain and problems caused. 3) Resolve commit never to repeat the act. 4) Repair - repair the damage or at least
sincerely apologize. (Sandra Scott, Author of "Charmers & Con Artists")
Repentance is turning away from what we think is right and turning towards what
God knows is right. It involves saying "no" to what we may feel and saying "yes"
to truth.
Truth is higher than mere facts. A true fact may be that you are presently
financially broke. But The Truth says in Philippians 4:19, "But my God shall
supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." And this
Truth, if believed and applied to your situation, will always change the mere facts.
TRUTH OVERRIDES FACTS! Jesus said, "Thy Word is Truth." God's Word is the
Truth about your situation. You have to choose which to believe: A mere truthful
fact or The Truth! Your body may truthfully be racked with pain. Your pain may be
fact. But The Truth says, "By His stripes ye were healed." Truth believed, applied,
and acted upon will change that fact. So true faith doesn't deny the facts; it
simply acts upon the higher, more permanent Truth of God's Word. Truth
believed will supersede a fact.
I'd rather fail at trying to do something noble and glorious, than to succeed at
doing almost nothing.
When it seems my goals are not being accomplished and certain developments
are beyond my control, I break those goals down into smaller more realistic
increments. Then I make a big deal out of each of them as they are
accomplished, celebrating in God's presence.
If you are doing anything for God, you WILL be criticized and misunderstood. If
you're just living for yourself, people won't bother you.
Your critics will no doubt call attention to your mistakes and personal
shortcomings as you live for Someone and Something bigger than yourself. Their
own mistakes and shortcomings, of course, are not as evident as yours, because
they are safely hid in their selfish little world.
While being stretched to the limit of your character and faith as you run after

God's highest plan for your life, your critics will sit safely in their little comfort
zones pointing out your every weakness. But that's alright... who's in the heat of
the game and who's benched on the sideline?
A person's true character is immediately revealed by observing how quickly they
fall for anything or how long they stand for something!
It has been said, IF YOU DON'T STAND FOR SOMETHING, YOU'LL FALL FOR
ANYTHING!
Make up your mind what you are going to stand for!
Decide what is most important and stick to it no matter what.
Choose a way of life!
Decide your daily habits.
Build your weekly regimen!
Selectively choose a lifestyle.
Choose your core values and stay true to them at every crossroad of your life.
Are you led by offense or led by the Spirit? Are your choices determined by your
feelings about who recently offended you, or are your choices determined by the
voice of God's Spirit and The Word?
To which are you the most loyal: God's Call on your life, or People's Preferences
for your life?
Ultimately to whom must you answer? To whom must you give a final account?
Your relatives, your family, your friends, your peers, your co-workers, your
employees, your employer, your children, your parents, your generation, your

doctor, your lawyer, your company, your spouse, or TO YOUR LORD?

I only find out what I am really made out of while in the heat of battle!
Both my redeeming strengths and my glaring weaknesses are revealed to me
when I am under pressure.
Someone has said, "It is good to know that He who will judge me most finally is
also the One who loves me most fully!"
Aren't you glad Jesus measured up to the Father's standards in YOUR PLACE,
instead of you having to struggle a lifetime, trying to measure up by yourself? O
how wonderful it is to be delivered from such an exercise in futility! And what a
joy it is to have entered into His Rest, and His Victory! What a complete
redemption! What a perfect plan! What a miracle! How good can you get it?
Folks, it doesn't get any better than this!
If I refuse to be about the Father's business, no doubt I'll end up doing the devil's
bidding.
If you don't give yourself wholeheartedly to God's plan for your life, someone else
will force you to live for theirs.
THROW YOURSELF into the task God has set before you.
ABANDON YOURSELF to the work of God.
GIVE YOURSELF to the house of God.
LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE AND TIME for God's people.
Be like Hannah who forever lent Samuel back to the Lord by surrendering him to
the work of the Lord's house. Once and for all, sell yourself out the Lord, pledging
to work in God's house for the rest of your living days. Dedicate yourself forever
to serve in some capacity in your local church, be it in the limelight or behind the

scenes, be it with or without compensation, be it easy or hard, be it convenient or

inconvenient. Real DISCIPLESHIP is more PERSPIRATION than INSPIRATION!
Jesus worked for you! Will you work for Him?
Don't just DABBLE in the things of God; DIVE into them.
So passionately pursue God's "Plan A" for your life that you forever burn all
bridges to ever going back to "Plan B" or "Plan C."
Jesus categorically REFUSES to be your HOBBY. He demands He be your very
LIFE! Anything less is a stench in His nostrils.
Go for Broke, or lo you'll choke!
I have noticed that before swimming in a pool or lake, or before bathing in a hot
tub, if I TEST the waters first with my toes, they never feel just the right
temperature to me. However, if I just dive or wade right into the waters without
first testing them, my body QUICKLY ADJUSTS to the temperature and I enjoy
the water. SO DON'T TEST THE WATERS OF GOD; WADE RIGHT IN! DIVE
RIGHT IN! FEELS BEST IF YOU DO NOT HESITATE!
TODAY I'M GOING TO HAVE A BLAST, because the blast of fresh air Himself
indwells me... the Holy Spirit... and He is excitement in person! [The Hebrew
word for Spirit is ruwach, pronounced roo'-akh, which means breath, wind, blast.
And the Greek word for Spirit is pneuma, prounounced pnyoo'-mah, which
means the same thing.]

To be unveiled after my quiet time of prayer this morning - the action/adventure

sequences of this day!
1 John 4:4 - "...greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." When
feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges, look to the Greater One within
you by confessing ALOUD: "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the
world. Smarter is He that is in me! Wiser is He that is in me! Healthier is He that
is in me! Wealthier is He that is in me! Bigger is He that is in me! Stronger is He
that is in me! More Experienced is He that is in me! Brighter is He that is in me!
Happier is He that is in me! Calmer is He that is in me! Sweeter is He that is in

me! Gentler is He that is in me! More Humorous is He that is in me! Richer is He

that is in me! Better is He that is in me! Lovlier is He that is in me!" And the list
goes on and on. To make it even more personal, talk to the Holy Spirit Himself by
changing it to the second person by declaring, "Greater are You in me, Holy
Spirit. Healthier are You in me, Holy Spirit." The Father revels over His children
who draw their strength from the Promised Holy Spirit, the very One that Jesus
bled and died for to indwell us.
Have you ever needed a "Jump-Start" to get you going in prayer? Try the booster
cable of reading ALOUD one or two Psalms to the Lord. Or try the launching pad
of reading ALOUD one or two of the apostle Paul's prayers over yourself or
another, from Ephesians chapter one or three, or from Colossians chapter one.
Are you time-bound? Try doing two compatible activities at once. Make your daily
walk a "Walk-n-Talk" with God. Make your driving to and from work a time to
listen to scripture tapes or CD's. Include a brief stopover at www.devotional.net
when you have to surf the web for some information. Open your online Bible
program first for a minute or two before opening your word processor. Place
stickies with Bible verses for memorization on your bathroom mirror so that you
can meditate while you try to fix that face of yours. Put on a Praise & Worship CD
or Cassette while you mow the yard, do your dishes, or do your housework. Put
on an anointed instrumental tape or CD while you do your work. Read your Bible
during lunchbreak. Memorize scriptures taken from your Bible program on your
Palm organizer while waiting at the doctor's office. There are ways to maintain a
posture of prayer and devotion all day long. It really is possible to "pray without
ceasing" and "meditate in the Word day and night" as the scripture commands.
If any promise in the Bible is true, then every promise is true. If one is not
applicable, then none are applicable. If John 3:16 works, then 1 Peter 2:24 will
work. If John 3:16 is for today, then Psalm 103:1-5 is for today. Paul said that "All
the promises of God are Yes in Christ!"
A good Friend-Ship can prevent a Ship-Wreck.
Sometimes Christian Living is like the comedian "Curly" from the old "Three
Stooges" TV show... always taking two steps forward and one backwards. Even
though you experience setbacks, just keep on walking, my friend. You're still
making overall progress, just not quite as fast as you prefer. Paul the apostle
testified to being "knocked down", but he also said that he was "never knocked
out." (2 Corinthians 4:9 TLB)

Both unbelievers and believers fall. The difference is that the Believer has
"Bouncebackability." Proverbs 24:16 - "For a just man falleth seven times, and
riseth up again..." Psalms 37:23,24 - "The steps of a good man are ordered by
the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly
cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand."
Men may, on occasion, be able to take Your Stuff, but they can never take Your
Stuff-Provider. So why fuss over the lost Gold, when you know you own the Gold
Mine Himself.
People will often impugn your motives when you succeed in life. The average
person thinks that for anyone else to succeed, they must have resorted to
unethical practices. But you know better. You know your own heart, and you
know your own integrity. So ignore the critics and Succeed-On, brodas and
sistas, Succeed-On!