Saturday, November 19, 2011

Follow the Recipe

In Gary Zukav’s book; “Soul Stories”, he tells about a baker that is showing his students how to bake basic bread.  He said that there were two major requirements.  The second of which is to follow the recipe.   Can you guess what the first requirement is?

The first requirement is, you gotta want to make that bread.  Now I can hear you saying, “That goes without saying”.  Without thinking about it much, I would have to agree with you.  But let’s look deeper into this “want to” thing.  Have you ever wondered why sometimes mom’s recipe doesn’t turn out just right?  You follow it to the exact measurements, but it just doesn’t taste like the recipe that you remember. 

Ever wonder why some teams win all the time and other teams with the same talent are just mediocre. It’s very simple.  You gotta want it.  In a previous post, I talked about either moving forward or going backward.  Remember there is no neutral.  Exactly what does “gotta want it” mean?  Well it’s very hard to explain in words, because it something from your gut.  Something that you feel.  Something that you can’t turn loose of. 

This time last year, my wife and I were both in Alcohol Rehab Centers.  Different centers, but we were both inpatient for 30 days.  I missed Thanksgiving last year with my mom.  It was her last Thanksgiving.  I regret that, but I was committed to my 30 days.  I was in a 12 step Rehab Center.  In those 30 days we covered the first 3 steps.  Those first three steps involved recognizing that you were powerless over alcohol, that there was a higher power that could help you and the third step involved turning you life and will over to your higher power.  The Big Book, written for alcoholics, was very specific in that if you didn’t turn your life and will over to your higher power, then you would not succeed in staying sober.

Pretty heady stuff.  They preached this to us for 30 days.  What still amazes me about Rehab, was that it was not the first Rehab for about half of the patients.  One guy was at his 10th rehab and he was in his mid 20’s.  To stay sober, you “gotta want” to stay sober and you have to turn it over to God. 

Sounds very simple doesn’t it?  But it is elusive.  You have to be diligent and want it every day.  But you know this is true with anything in life.  If you don’t want it, you won’t get it.  You can spend thousands and thousands on self-help books and gurus. You can attend many conferences and talk to lots of counselors.  But there is only one counselor that counts.  He will come into your life if you ask, but it’s something you gotta want.  This is personal.  Nobody else can help you.  Who is that counselor?  Jesus Christ. 

So now let’s get back to the recipe.  It’s really very simple.  1. Believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and ask him to come into your life.  2.  Love your neighbor as you love yourself.   That’s it. 

Oh, people will tell you that there are other requirements and try and complicate the recipe.  Listen to the Lord, he will guide you.  Now go bake this recipe every day and watch your life change. 
I love music.  I like to listen to music while I read.  It soothes my soul.  Today's video is one that I found on Youtube.  Never heard it before but I like it.  Turn it up.  Let it lift you up.

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