It’s January 4. We’re now four days into the new year. Be honest… have you kept your resolutions for 2017? Are you still doing what you said you’d be doing? Did you even start? Is your year going the direction you thought it would by now?
Studies show that by the end of January, 40% of all New Year’s resolutions will have been tossed aside. And that number jumps to 75% just one week into February!
It’s amazing how easy it is to come up with things about our lives that we want to change and yet how hard it is to actually change them!
Why is that? Why can’t we keep our resolutions? Why can’t we make those changes that we know we need to make?
Did you know that...
- ...95% of those who lose weight on a diet regain it, and a significant percentage gain back more than they originally?
- ...even after a heart attack, 6 out of every 7 patients DO NOT make any enduring changes around eating or exercise?
- ...the average person makes the same New Year’s resolution 10 separate times without success?
Read MoreWhen I was in high school one of my teachers had a poster up in her classroom with the phrase “Ignorance is Not an Excuse in the Court of Law.” At the time I had high hopes of becoming a lawyer. And even though my career took a turn when I learned that law school was three years, the phrase stuck with me.
The official legal term is “Ignorantia Juris Non Excusat,” and in my loose legal translation it essentially means that people cannot claim ignorance as an excuse to do something illegal. I have been thinking about this lately as I have been feeling convicted about the faith and the Bible which I claim so fervently to love.
I can picture Judgment Day and going up to the Throne of God and attempting to claim my ignorance of His Law as the reason for my disobedience. I then imagine laughter infiltrating the depths of Heaven. I grew up in a home where we had about 4 Bibles per capita, access to countless sermons (in HD), books available on order, and Google. I’ve had parents and a plethora of teachers willing to listen to the questions I’ve had and answer them with research and deep consideration. All these thoughts brought me back to “Ignorantia Juris Non Excusat.” I really have no excuse.
Read More “I’m trying my best… I’ve tried 1000 times before… I will try to do better the next time…” Common expressions we hear and say every day. But if you find yourself using those expressions repeatedly, then you need to listen carefully to my message today. It is a lesson not from me, but rather from one of the wisest creatures to ever walk the face of this planet…YODA!
You know…Yoda…the fictional Jedi-master from the famous Star Wars movies. There’s a famous scene from The Empire Strikes Back movie where Yoda is instructing Luke Skywalker in how to use the Force.
He asks Luke to retrieve his broken down spaceship out of a pit where it has sunk, using only his mind. Luke, of course, thinks this is impossible. Sure, he has been able to move stones around this way. But a spaceship? That’s completely different. Or is it?
Yoda patiently explains that it is only different in his mind. Luke reluctantly agrees to “give it a try.” Yoda famously says, “No! Try not. Do! Or do not! There is no try.”
Read MoreIt’s March 1 and that means that we’re two months into 2012. Now be honest… have you kept your resolution for 2012? Be honest. Are you still doing what you said you’d be doing? Is your year going the direction you thought it would by now? Did you know that by the end of January, 40% of all New Year’s resolutions have been tossed aside? And that number jumps up to 75% by the middle of February!
It’s amazing how easy it is to come up with things about our lives that we want to change and yet how hard it is to actually change them! Why is that? Why can’t we keep our resolutions? Why can’t we make those changes that we know we need to make?
Did you know that:
- 95% of those who lose weight on a diet regain it, and a significant percentage gain back more than they originally lost
- Even after a heart attack, 6 out of every 7 patients DO NOT make any enduring changes around eating or exercise
- The average person makes the same New Year’s resolution 10 separate times without success
Read More
