That "One Thing"

 Curly:  Do you know what the secret of life is?

 Mitch:  No, what?

 Curly: This. ( Holds up one finger)

 Mitch: Your finger?

 Curly: One thing. Just one thing.  You stick to that and everything else don't mean (squat).

 Mitch: That's great, but what's the one thing?

 Curly: That's what you've got to figure out.

This is a dialouge line from the classic comedy City Slickers, with Billy Crystal & Jack Palance.

I've never thought about my answer to that question until Andy Stanley did a sermon called "The one thing".  Now these are similar in the sense that Andy, and Curly both asked what is your one thing? However, they receive different answers also. 

Curly's "One thing" was simply what is your thought for you being on this earth? Whats your purpuse?

Mine is my family. 

Andy's one thing had to do with what was keeping you up on your "wall"  Like Nehemiah in the Bible.  What is the "great work" you would like to accomplish this year?  He then listed categories the one thing could fall under:

• A habit you must break
• A goal you must accomplish
• A project you must complete
• A relationship you must restore-or end
• a debt you must rid yourself of

The scripture comes from Nehemiah 6:3 "I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down.  Why should the work cease while I leave it, and go down to you"?

This got me to thinking about my one thing.  What have I tried to do in the past, but always gotten distracted, and went back to my old ways.  Then it came to me.  Caffeine addiction.  This was already in my head for reasons I wont bore you with here, and that I hope to never have to repeat, but what an (for lack of a better word) interesting way for God to tell me that was what he wanted for me?  Just another sign that all he does is for the good.  I feel like I could have many other great things to do while on my wall, but this is the most important at the moment. 

Another blogger that I follow Did a blog about that sermon as well.  They mentioned their wall was  Facebook, or social media.  I could see that being another one of mine as well. 

It was a great sermon, and I recommend everyone to watch it when they have a free hour. 
http://www.northpoint.org/messages/this-one-thing

A New Year...

...A new 365 days.  A new 12 months. A new time period to "do things" you didn't do the previous year...or 7.  A time to put a "bad year" behind you and start fresh. Or if you're fortunate enough, to continue the previous great year into the next. (there i go with the rhyming again.  I now know how the poor Grinch felt) 

  A big tradition, aside from staying up past midnight to welcome the new year, is to make resolutions for the up and coming year.

A New Year's resolution is a commitment that a person makes to one or more personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit. A key element to a New Year's Resolution that sets it apart from other resolutions is that it is made in anticipation of the New Year and new beginnings. People committing themselves to a New Year's resolution generally plan to do so for the whole following year.
Compliments of Wikipedia.(if its on the Internet, it must be true right?)

  More times than not, a resolution is made...and kept for 3 months tops. (Don't believe me?  Walk into a gym today, and then that same gym in 12 weeks.  Just sayin')  I am no stranger to this.  I have made, and dropped my fair share in March.  This year though I have a few that I have control over, and some I don't have as much control over.  I have made the resolution this year to consistently shoot golf rounds in the 90's, and to break 90, at least once.  Now lets be honest with myself.  It likely will not happen, but it is something I am going to strive for in the new year.  A resolution that I have more control of however is *keeping up with this blog, Exercising more regularly, etc. 
   Given my statement above, I am more likely to keep up with the blog than the other.  However, I did get a new bike for Christmas, and have been riding it around the neighborhood the past 2 days.  Check back on that come summer...when its hot.  I have others that I wont bore you with here. 
   My point is, some you can have more control over than others.  It's keeping tabs on the ones you do have control over that may just make the "less controlled ones" fall into place.  (i.e. If I exercise regulalrly, I will get stronger, thus being able to drive a golf ball further, thus improving my score...maybe)  See where I'm going with this?? 
  
What is your new years resolution? 

*I mentioned keeping up with this blog.  I was on a few weeks hiatus there with Christmas, New years, and thinking my computer had a virus.  Sick computer aside...no more excuses.  Its a reselution...so I have to do it right??*