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An American Rags-to-riches Story [Excerpt by Ben Carson] Posted: 28 Feb 2012 09:22 AM PST   Excerpt by Ben Carson, from America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great.   Learn More It is a testimony to all that is good about America and the opportunities available here that a friend of mine was able to start out as a short order cook in a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant and, from there, through hard work and carefully observing the values that lead to success, established his own national chain of fast-food restaurants. As with any good rags-to-riches story, however, his life wasn't always easy.   My Friend's Rags-to-riches Story Born to an unwed mother he never knew, he was adopted after six weeks. His adoptive mother died when he was five, and his father went in search of work around the country. From his family, my friend learned the value of hard work and perseverance, and in his early thirties, this young entrepreneur was given the opportunity to use his restaurant experience to take over four Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in need of help in Columbus, Ohio. He was able to completely turn around those restaurants, and four years later he sold them back to KFC, making approximately $1.5 million. That was just the beginning of his success, as he went on to found his own national fast-food chain.   'Only in America ... would a guy like me, from humble beginnings and without a high school diploma, become successful.' "Only in America," he was once quoted as saying, "would a guy like me, from humble beginnings and without a high school diploma, become successful. America gave me a chance to live the life I want and work to make my dreams come true. We should never take our freedoms for granted, and we should seize every opportunity presented to us."   His name of course is Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's, and my wife and I were among his first houseguests after he built his dream home in Fort Lauderdale prior to suffering a fatal heart attack. The effect that he has had on America has been overwhelmingly positive. Adopted himself, he went on to found the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. He claims his decision to drop out of high school was his biggest regret, and so not only did he go on to get his GED at around age sixty, he started the Dave Thomas Education Center to help other adults complete their GED. The original Wendy's location opened by founder Dave Thomas at 257 East Broad Street in Columbus, OH in 1969.   Dave Thomas's success is not rare in our country because of the freedoms we enjoy, and like him and so many others, I am incredibly thankful to call America home. I have been privileged to travel the world and visit all of its major societies, but to be born in a land of opportunity for anyone willing to work hard is an unfathomable blessing that should never be taken for granted. As I learned growing up, even with all the economic turmoil that surrounds us today, entrepreneurial opportunities still exist for anyone who is willing to work hard and think innovatively.   The more stories I read about the success of people who applied themselves to make their lives better, the more motivated I am to be one of them. The more stories I read about the success of people who applied themselves to make their lives better, the more motivated I am to be one of them. Knowledge really is power, and when I became a voracious reader, my confidence and grades improved accordingly. I needed little in the way of pep talks by adults, and today it is my strong belief that if you can just get children to believe in themselves and understand that when they achieve academically, they are the ultimate beneficiaries, they will do what is necessary to become a successful contributor rather than a drain on society...   Learn More There are few places in the world where people enjoy the level of freedom we have in America. Here you don't have to ask anyone's permission to start a new career or move to a new location. You are free to associate with whomever you please, and you are free to speak your mind if you decide not to allow yourself to be constrained by political correctness. If you have a fabulous idea, you are free to put as much time and effort into it as you like, and if that idea results in a financial windfall, you are entitled to spend your money to your heart's desire — after you have paid your taxes, of course. You can worship however you choose without fear of persecution. Even the poorest people in our society live like kings compared to billions of desperately poor people throughout the world. - Ben Carson, excerpt from America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great   More Posts You May Like Rebels for Positive Change (A coming-of-age story) by Ben Carson Why Not Risk? A Risk Analysis Tool + Case Study by Ben Carson Learn more about America the Beautiful.   (Some styling above is a web-exclusive feature not included in the text of America the Beautiful. Image attribution: Unknown photographer/Wendy's Corporate Headquarters, special thanks to WOSU Public Media. This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's personal opinions are shared only for information purposes. To receive new Zondervan Blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)

Spirit-Filled Living vs. Just Trying Harder [Excerpt by Jim Cymbala] Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:41 AM PST   Excerpt from Spirit Rising: Tapping into the Power of the Holy Spirit by Jim Cymbala.   Learn More Regardless of whether we have had good influences or bad influences, we still get to decide what will influence our future. It is heartbreaking to meet people who instead of seeking God's strength during the battles of life, have become hardened, embittered, unforgiving, and cynical. You probably know some people like that. You say to them, "Hey, what a beautiful day," and they answer with, "Well, it's not gonna last long." ... Those people didn't start life that way... Somehow they have let the negative influences in their lives control them... As Christians, our lives have been purchased for a price, and we now belong to God. The price was the blood of Jesus Christ, which he shed on the cross... We're God's people now. We belong to him — rescued out of the clutches of sin, guilt, and condemnation, and adopted into his family. In this case, being bought and owned by someone isn't a negative thing; it's a beautiful thing.   Is Spiritual Growth about "Trying Harder"? The irony of Spirit-filled living is that we have to give up power in order to gain a greater power. How many times in your Christian walk have you come to a place where you struggled to do something, so you just tried harder? Have you ever tried harder to have the self-discipline to read your Bible more or pray longer? Have you ever tried harder to love an unlovely person? Have you ever tried harder to be bold when you felt afraid? How did that work out for you? Trying harder has never gone well for me.   Christianity is not a self-effort religion but rather one of power — the ability and might of the Spirit. "For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose" (Phil. 2:13). The Spirit is the only one who can produce self-discipline, love, and boldness. But to do so, he has to control us daily. We can't rest on a religious experience we had years or even months ago.   Keep the Fire Going 'For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.' (2 Tim. 1:6–7) Paul's last letter was written to Timothy, a young minister he had ordained. In the letter, Paul said: "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline" (2 Tim. 1:6–7). We get a picture of a fire that's almost out, embers that need to be breathed on to keep the fire alive. Paul wanted Timothy to fan the flames of the Spirit. He warned Timothy not to neglect them, but to stir up the fire and keep it going. Whatever Timothy did, he was to prevent the fire from being extinguished; he was to give attention to the Spirit's work in him...   When we refuse to yield to the Spirit, we miss out on the holy excitement of living beyond ourselves. When God takes control of a life or a church, he takes control through the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit is the Helper Jesus sent to do the job. When we fear giving control to the Spirit, we really fear God's control over our lives. When we refuse to yield to the Spirit, we miss out on the holy excitement of living beyond ourselves.   As Paul told Timothy, God did not give him the spirit of timidity; rather, he gave power, love, and self-discipline. Notice, God is the one who gives those gifts, and it is only through the Holy Spirit working in our hearts that we receive them. We cannot live the life God desires for us without the presence of the Holy Spirit, but with him in control of our lives, our hope is in his power and his gifts are available for us to receive.   Would you like to love more deeply and more freely? Do you wish to have more self-discipline? Are your life and ministry producing fruit? For those things to happen, you have to surrender to the Helper. But oh the rewards that come when you hand control of your life to the Holy Spirit...   You and I are going to be controlled by something. There is no question about that. I encourage you to get alone with God today and spend some time praying about who or what is in control of your life. You and I are going to be controlled by something. There is no question about that. So before you go any further, decide now whom you will yield to. Tell God your questions about being controlled by the Spirit. Present him with your hopes and longings for something more.   The first step in the process is giving him control. - Jim Cymbala Learn More Learn more about Spirit Rising   (Some styling above is a web-exclusive feature not included in the text of Spirit Rising. This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's personal opinions are shared only for information purposes. To receive new Zondervan Blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)     Then, on Sunday...

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