steve penny » Journey

Feeling Violated

Steve Penny — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 23:20:11 +0000

Yesterday morning we woke to realize that our home had been broken into and some of our possessions stolen.
Among the things stolen was my IPhone. Wow! I was amazed how my life was thrown into chaos having to survive a day without my phone.
Some little lessons I have learned from the incident.
1. Always check that the garage door is down when going to bed. Simple security measures can protect your life from so many attacks of the enemy.
2. Make sure you are insured with someone who can restore your life. Simple faith in God is the best life insurance ever.
3. Have a back up program.
I went and bought a new IPhone4 and took it to the office – hooked it up to my Mac and every single detail is now back on my new Phone.
When life strips you of things have a simple back up default position. Reload what God has promised to you. Restore your hopes and dreams and just get on with life again.
4. The new Iphone4 is not as comfortable to hold and use as the old IPhone 3. Like most new things in life there is a learning and fit period where things don’t feel as comfortable as the old stuff. However the new is always better so get used to the new day and the new way and enjoy the journey.
5. I now have a new Iphone4. So all things work together for good. What the devil meant for bad God has turned around for good.
6. I am hearing every sound in the night. I am a little jumpy from having people violate our privacy. Now I must make a choice to believe Psalm 4:8.
I will both lie down and go to sleep for you Lord only cause me to dwell in safety.
7. I am buying a new baseball bat. Just to help with security measures and I know it will help me sleep a whole lot better.

Dreary rainy days

Steve Penny — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 08:51:13 +0000

Ahh this is the England I know and love. Overcast and rainy. Brollies everywhere. What was yesterday a delightful excursion down leafy lanes has become today a dark dank dirty and dismal journey weaving among the masses moving mindlessly toward unknown and distant destinations. Seriously – I actually love watching the people of London go about their business.
They seem so at peace with their lot in life.
What I’ve noticed.
1. They take the weather in their stride. They just dress accordingly and get on with it.
2. They are highly relational. They seem to always have time for a sidewalk coffee or beer. I love all the little sidewalk cafes that are always full of people deep in conversation. Have had some good talks with people in these little cafes.
3. They are very trendy. Fashion here is everything – and they all strive to keep up with the latest perceived piece of cool.
4. They have made the book – The God Delusion, their bible. There are masses of people here who have believed a lie, and are blinded and in darkness.
Thankfully God’s word promises a great light will come to those sitting in darkness.
Thank God for Gary Clarke and the London Hillsong team. They are having a huge impact in this city.
Now the rain is pelting down.
Mad dogs and Englishmen.

The trip to Eidsfold

Steve Penny — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:59:47 +0000

I am sitting outside the Visitor Information Centre in Eidsfold in country Queensland. My daughter Sheree has gone inside to ask for directions. Parked in the middle of the road it is easy to watch all traffic from both directions as it passes by.
I have been amazed at the number of people towing caravans as they make their annual winter pilgrimage toward the warmer climes of central and northern QLD.
What is it that makes normal functional people for most of the year decide to hitch a mini house onto their car and then wander slowly around our inland regions – clogging up every road and highway and causing more than a little angst for those of us who are always in hurry to get somewhere.
I think the lessons to be learned today are;
1. Everyone has the right to travel through life at their own pace.
2. People in a hurry to get somewhere often miss the joy of the journey.
3. People who tow caravans obviously have way too much time on their hands.
4. Anyone who goes to Eidsfold and back in a day must have got lost.

DREAMS COME IN VARIOUS WAYS

Steve Penny — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:51:25 +0000

DREAMS COME IN VARIOUS WAYS

Dreams, desires and delights.

These are the ways in which dreams form within you.

Sometimes the dream begins with a revelation or an idea.

Sometimes the dream comes in the form of a desire you have wanted to fulfil.

Other times it is simply the recognition of a thing you delight to do, and in giving it focus it becomes the next dream to be fulfilled.

Whichever way it comes, the dream must be recognised, received, and believed for it to begin its journey in your life.

Remember: It is not as important how the dream gets to you, as how it gets through you.

DREAMS COME FROM ABOVE

Steve Penny — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:24:24 +0000

Every good and perfect gift comes from above.

A good dream never comes to you from a level lower than your present station in life.

They are always above and ahead of you.

It is tomorrow’s reality being revealed to you today.

Never follow a dream that demotes you in life.

The reality of the invisible realm is understood by capturing and controlling your DREAM THOUGHTS.

When a person opens up to receive dreams and desires, they are tapping into the divine realm of revelation.

God has a plan for your life and He makes it known to you by placing good desires and dreams into your spirit.

Dreams that come from above – are clearly discernable by the following elements.

1. They are naturally unachievable.

2. They are God and people honouring.

3. They inspire hope for the future.

4. They produce faith to begin the journey.

WHO YOU FOLLOW

Steve Penny — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:17:22 +0000

WHO YOU FOLLOW – DETERMINES WHO YOU CAN LEAD.

The art of leadership is determined by who you follow – which then affects who you can get to follow you.

The level of our leadership is markedly changed by our associations with those ahead of us.

The people following you – often demand your attention toward them – when what they really need – is to release you to learn from those ahead of you on the journey.

By associating with bigger, larger, bolder, more visionary, and more generous people, you will be inspired to return to your community and emulate the attitudes and examples seen in those at the next level.

The next level is not found by climbing a set of stairs. The next level is attained by copying and acting like those who already have attained it.

If you give all your attention to maintaing what you now, have you will never have enough faith and stamina to launch out and have a go at something you learned from those ahead of you.

The more time you spend with next level people – the more their behaviour will become normal for you.

It is normal for us to gravitate to people with whom we are comfortable. However such people will never inspire you to do the unthinkable and the impossible.

Mixing with people at the next level will demand actions and investments of you, that at first you think are impossible.

However if you persist in such actions you will eventually find yourself at home in such company.

The kind of people I like to follow – are those who have been in their roles long enough to overcome some challenges and stay on course.

They are people who have more than a head full of books – but also have a heart full of passion.

They are people who are inclusive and not exclusive of people at all levels.

They are people who give you their time – their insights and their support when needed.

I love following big thinking people. It frightens me sometimes – but it always keeps me reaching higher.

Thank God for Godly people who like to be followed.

Too many round-a-bouts

Steve Penny — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:30:59 +0000

We live in an area of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland where every entrance and exit to our estate is bounded by round-a-bouts.
Because of this our cars develop a number of problems in their front ends and with extra-ordinary tyre wear.
Got to thinking how much like real life this is for all of us.
Round- a-bouts represent options for exits in life.
if you have too many round-a-bouts in your life it means you are keeping too many options open in life.
Round-a-bouts cause the following problems in life.
1. Loss of momentum – if you are continually looking for options to change direction you will never gain momentum in the things you are currently doing.
2. Excessive wear on your front end – we are designed to live with faith and vision. if you keep your options open you will have trouble maintaining your front end of vision and faith.
3. Excessive wear – you will find life very wearing and draining if you are forever considering your options.
4. Sickness and dizziness for your passengers – going around corners all the time upsets the others in your life who are doing the journey with you.
5. You are hard to follow – it is difficult to follow someone who is constantly considering exit options in life.
Make up your mind this year to set your course toward achieving something great
Then put your foot down and get some momentum happening.
Then stay focussed – get over a few speedbumps and potholes and stay the journey.
This is your best opportunity for greatness ever.
In uncertain times resolute people stand out like a beacon on a hill.
Or a Porsche on a super highway.

Count your toes

Steve Penny — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:57:57 +0000

Sitting on my bed looking at my feet I realized that I have had the same number of toes my whole life. Ten toes – five on each foot. This came as an amazing revelation. Do you mean that these two feet and these ten toes have been attached to the same two legs and have walked the journey with me for life.
When I have walked on right paths and on wrong paths these toes have been there the whole time. When I have taken huge leaps of faith and when I have tripped and stumbled. These ten toes have seen it all.
Truth is – it is not my toes that determine my direction and walk in life – it is my heart.
The Bible says that a person with a wicked heart is quick to run toward evil whereas a good man walks continually on good paths.
Someone who makes excuses for where they end up in life is like a person who is lost abusing their toes for taking them in the wrong direction.
Hey friend – it isn’t your toes that are tripping you up – it is the desires of your heart. It also isn’t your toes that cause you to go from strength to strength. Ultimately it is the desires of our heart.
Delight yourself in the Lord your God and He will give you good desires with which to fill your heart and mind.
Don’t let your toes be too quick to get into the starting blocks of a new day. Make sure you have awakened your heart to the purposes of God before beginning another daily sprint through life.

Exits and entries

Steve Penny — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:43:08 +0000

There is always divided opinion on the importance of both exits and entries. Some wax eloquent that exits are the greatest judge of a person, whereas others put more focus on the way a person begins a new project, relationship or season.
The Bible clearly shows where God puts His emphasis.
God told the people of Israel to record their journey to the promised land according to their beginnings. Tiherefore the account of their journeying is recorded after each new destination they planned.
You see – endings should take care of themselves. If you start the day well it will continue well.
If you start a new relationship on the right foundations then it will continue well.
If you begin a journey with the right attitude it will go well for you.
Endings are important – but they should take care of themselves if they are viewed as the open doors to a new beginning.
It is only when an ending has inherent within it a sense of loss that people struggle to accept it and then handle it badly.
However handling new beginnings well is of even greater importance as it lays a foundation for the next season of your life which in turn is shaping the future endings you will experience. Always begin with the end in mind.
Here are my recommendations for beginning a new season or project etc.
1. Accept it as God’s doing and therefore a gift from above.
2. Begin humbly – new seasons always make you look good.
3. Don’t despise the previous season – somebody worked hard to get to this point.
4. Dont take on something with a prejudice plan- wait to spy out the land first.
5. Love the excitement of new beginnings and draw strengh from the adrenalin rush it provides.
6. Don’t sell off what previous pioneers have given their lives to possess.
7. Do begin with awesome faith and joy as God is allowing you an opportunity to step up to a new level of grace and favour.
I am personally starting a new season in 2010 and am looking to God for it to be my most fruitful ever.
I am also very mindful that the way I start this new season will have a lot to do with how I finish it.
I want to start with the end in mind.

Tweeter Twits

Steve Penny — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:53:28 +0000

I love being on Twitter and also on Facebook. They are extremely different but both connect people together in a social environment.
I am often amazed at the stuff people actually share with the world as it reveals a lot about the persons self image and social status.
I find there are different kinds of people on Twitter.
1. The promoter
Hey look at me and read my Blog.
These guys amuse me big time but some of their Blogs are actually quite good.
2. The encourager
I love following these people as they often share amazIng devotional gems for the day.
3. The connector
I also love following these friends as I feel connected to their world which is often bigger than mine.
4. The repeater
These people don’t have a life so they are continually repeating what others are saying as they don’t think we may be following the same people.
5. The reactor
These guys just wait to read twits from others and react to them.
Get a life you twit.
6. The philosopher
These people are so esoteric they never come in to land. They make Twitter a wonderful place to just sit and ponder the depths of irrelevance.
7. The Leader
These guys are good. They know they are leaders and that there are people who hang on their every word.
Keep sharing your journey with us as we do value your realism and honesty.

To all the twits who make up this wonderful world. Keep sharing the marvels of your mind with us as it makes the day a much more interesting journey.
As for Facebook – now that is a different world all together.