Setting Your Goals

I recently delivered a sermon at church while the minister was away for the holidays. It's no big deal, I've done it many times before.....that wasn't my 'goal'. I decided to speak on New Years Resolutions and the goals we set for ourselves. Is it Christian like to set high standards and goals. Is it appropriate to say affirmations to yourself. I not recap my lesson but I will say this, YES! It certainly is and there are several scriptures in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament that gives us examples.

The key? Do ALL things for the glory of God. Don't get carried away with yourself and your goals/accomplishments. He is the one who provides us with the blessings that we enjoy. The blessings of success are evident in the work that I've been able to accomplish. I certainly couldn't have done it without him.

Oh sure, I was worn out and tired at the end of last year. I asked for his guidance and help and he provided. He didn't just hand me over 13 marathon medals and say POOF! You've met your crazy goals. He made me work for it. God isn't a Genie that grants wishes. He is our Father that teaches us and cares for us. I have felt very blessed to have learned so much along my path in 2015. I look forward to what he wishes to share with me in this coming year.

So I share that if you have already set your goals for 2016, take a look at them again. Do they give you the right focus? Are they for the right reason? Are you being grateful for them along the way? I think it is wonderful to set high goals. Maybe even ridiculous goals. Many motivational speakers will say that you should plan realistically. That makes sense.....and it is the safe way. Not necessarily setting a crazy number of marathons when you haven't ever done that before. I just recall the scriptures where he tells us that we will be blessed because he can accomplish "immeasurably more than we can imagine".

IMMEASURABLY MORE......THAN WE CAN IMAGINE! So right now your goals you set are potentially too small. That's right, too small. We cannot even imagine what he can do in our lives......if you have the right reason.....and the right purpose. He does ask a few things in return. To love him, your neighbor and follow his commandments. Pretty simple.

I am reminded of the story about Gideon in the bible where God wanted to show his power. He didn't send the entire army with Gideon....that would be too easy. He kept sending away the troops until he got down to only 300. And what kind of soldiers were they? I say soldiers loosely. I think they were more animals.....maybe a bit crazy. After all they were facing a HUGE force against them and God had narrowed it down to have only 300...... Great warriors?.......how about 300 that drank water like a dog. Yep.....like a dog! And they won, without one causality. God can do immeasurably more than you can imagine. Just let him.

Just believe my friends and enjoy your day. Set your goals and follow your dreams....along with your prayers.

Eugene Thompson

ET This I Believe

RUN EUGENE RUN

Should a Christian set New Year's Goals?

Did I Do Enough?

Notes from my sermon on 12.27.2015

Princess Anne Church of Christ

This is the question I ask myself ever year in the final few days in the calendar year. I always answer it the same way...NO. I'm never quite good enough or strong enough or faithful enough or successful enough.....I'm always hard on myself. I go through my list and see what I was successful at through out the year, and what I found that I failed at. 

I have to do this so I can properly evaluate myself in order to RESET my new goals. Often people use this as the only day to establish their new goals. I like to use a series of firsts, not just the first day of the year. I have a reset at the first of every month, week and even morning. Sure, I have my New Years Resolutions....or goals. I set them for personal, physical, business and of course my spiritual. It is important to have an appropriate mind set and priority when you establish these goals.

I've gone through the bible and selected a few key thoughts about characteristics you should first consider when setting your goals. After that I sought out several verses that tell us about our new goals and how they should be established.

Enjoy. 

8 Biblical Keys for Goal Setting

Faith – We serve a big God who can accomplish the impossible.  There is nothing He can’t do.  We can believe that He journeys with us and always has our best in mind.  He is trustworthy and faithful.

Humility – We never want to be in a position of demanding that things work out or that all our goals are accomplished exactly as we say.  The Lord’s will always trumps our own.  We need to be sure our attitude is one of humility before our holy and mighty God.

Commitment –  We need to commit ourselves to the tasks at hand.

Diligence – Goals often require hard work.  We need to be diligent in our effort.

Perseverance – We will face set backs and disappointments, but need to persevere through rough times.  Don’t give up!

Alignment with God’s Word and Will – Are we within the parameters of God’s Word and His character?

Forethought & Planning – Have we done the appropriate homework before starting our task?  Have we counted the cost?

Motivation – We need to ask the hard questions.  What is our goal and why?  Do we have selfish motives or are we operating with a healthy heart.

Bible Verses To Think on When Setting Goals

Goals, Plans, Desires, Paths, Visions

Psalm 20:4 “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”

Psalm 33:11 “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”

Psalm 37:4-5  Delight yourself also in the Lord,And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord,Trust also in Him,And He shall bring it to pass.

Psalm 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.”

Proverbs 3:6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 13:16 “All who are prudent act with knowledge, but fools expose their folly.”

Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

Proverbs 16:9 “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Proverbs 21:5 “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”

Proverbs 24:27 “Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.”

Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.”

Isaiah 32:8 “But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand.”

Jeremiah 17:7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”

Habakkuk 2:2-3 “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that whoever reads it may run with it.”

Matthew 17:20 “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.'”

Luke 14:28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?”

John 6:27 “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Philippians 3:13-14  “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Hebrews 10:35-36 “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

Hebrews 12:1-2a “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

James 4:13-15 “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'”

2 Chronicles 15:7 “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

Hope this gives you some perspective in setting your goals this year. Set them right and the Lord will prosper. God Bless my friends.

Eugene Thompson

ET This I Believe 

Push the RESET Button

So we find ourselves at the half way point in 2015.....how have you done on your goals? Yeah, me too.....not as good as I hoped. That honey-do list.....I don't want to talk about it. But that's okay, don't get all stressed out about what you didn't get accomplished. It won't do you any good. Just hit the reset button and get back out there and start again.

So many things I wanted to better at than I have. If I really worry about it I can get all worked up about wasting the last afternoon, the last week, the entire month of June......or WOW! What have I done all year?! Ok....now I am really depressing myself. STOP IT!

I enact the power of the RESET BUTTON. I vow to start over and give myself the opportunity to succeed with the burden of what I didn't accomplish as baggage. That regret will weigh you down and never give you the opportunity to get a fresh start. It will steal today's JOY.

Today's a brand new day my friends......your future is before you.

I'll celebrate with you at the finish line. Have an awesome day.

ET This I Believe

Eugene Thompson

Run Eugene Run

Another Run

If you have been reading any of my blog posts or Facebook posts you know that I have been working towards my first marathon in January 2014.  I recently worked back up to the half marathon distance of 13 miles after my bout with my Achilles. I have found that my old body has troubles getting beyond this wall. That distance and time takes its toll. Three weeks ago I made 14 in Morgantown and yesterday was able to squeeze out about that same distance again around my neighborhood. Not sure of the exact distance because my iPhone tracking my distance died in route. I am guessing somewhere between 13 and 14 miles. I also lost seven pounds of water weight during that two and a half hours. 

Last weekend I ran the Race For The Cure, only 3 miles but ran home afterwards, another ten miles. I lost seven pounds then as well. If only that weight stayed off!

I have slightly more than 80 days to build up the rest of the distance. Nearly double what I have been doing. My cardio isn't too bad so I think I can keep up there. It isn't like I am killing it with my time. The part that worries me is my knees and feet. My feet are sore today. Thankfully my legs are not too bad after this run. A little achy which is probably expected. 

I decided to increase my training during the week with a couple of shorter runs. Every other weekend I will do my personal best to get to the marathon distance. The opposite weekend I will try for 10-13 miles. It is all a bit crazy thinking back in June I couldn't run even two miles without being pain. 

This all is a bit of my own stubbornness to accomplish more than I could even expect. My thought of how I can feel young by pushing myself doing something that I would of have difficulty doing when I was in high school, arguably in my best shape due to football. After all who really wants to grow old? 

Within the next month or so I will become a grandpa. Pretty exciting. I have a bald head but if it grows in, it would be grey. These all point to me being an old man. However, I refuse to accept this and plan on being forever young. 

I will keep you posted on my journeys. Please keep me in your prayers and all the encouragement is gratefully appreciated. I need a cheering group if fans. 

Be forever yong my friends. Don't grow old. 

ET This I Believe

Eugene Thompson 

CHKD Run/Walk Race

Well it has been about 13 weeks since I last ran a race....the Shamrock 8K Race. Shamrock 2012 My time and effort were less than desirable but finishing the race is the first half of the battle.  Right after that I decided to begin the 17 Day Diet.  Some of you have seen my progress on Facebook Eugene's Facebook Page and heard about the ups and downs.....mostly all good stuff.

Well Saturday, my wife and I ran the CHKD Run/Walk Race in downtown Norfolk. A great race and specially after I have lost 36 pounds over the last 13 weeks. My time was approximately 10:48 min/mile pace.

I was winded towards the end of the race but my legs didn't hurt at all......I just need more training and practice to keep it up. I would like to be able to get down to a 9 min/mile pace but to finish is satisfactory enough for a 46 year old man.  I would like to get down to 195 pounds......I don't remember the last time I weighed that little......a long time!

We have a 5K run on the 4th of July and a few others planned the rest of the year. Here are the long term goals so you will know that I am completely crazy.  January of 2013....Half Marathon again; January of 2014.....Full Marathon; January of 2015....I want to do the goofy race...Half Marathon on Saturday and Full Marathon on Sunday....at age 49!

Yes my friends, you all already knew I was a bit GOOFY! Have a great day!