Jump Start # 1000

Psalms 73:1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart!

This is a milestone Jump Start– number 1000!!! That’s hard to believe. That’s a lot of articles. I want to write a few things about this. At every 100 mark that we hit, I have said a few things. This one is huge in my book. We now have more readers than we ever had. There is no way of knowing exactly how many are receiving these. Many of you are sending them to your own lists of people. I do not think it is stretching to say that nearly 2,000 people are receiving these. That’s amazing. I have a file folder full of emails that I have received from readers. Nearly every day I get an email regarding something that I wrote. So many of you have refreshed my spirit and encouraged me in these writings.

We started Jump Starts in 2010 as a little exercise for the congregation I worship with. I never thought that I would still be writing these now that they would have spread as far and wide as they have. The most common question I am asked about the Jump Starts is, “How do you write these every day?” I just do. I start my morning writing these. It takes about 20 minutes and then I get about doing other things. Others have started their own version of this and I am happy for them. I hope they do well. We have printed 9 different booklets on specific themes from these Jump Starts.

Our Jump Starts were never intended to be a deep doctrinal study. That’s not the format here. There are other places for that. This was simply my insights into a passage that would help encourage you, remind you and get your day going spiritually. They have helped me and I have found that others have been helped as well. I have always felt that the way a day begins often determines how the day will end. Our busy schedules often take us away from a study of God’s word. The Jump Starts were simply a means to help “Jump Start” your day.

There are a few “thank yous” that I need to send out here:

• Thank you to the shepherds at Charlestown Road who believed in this idea and encouraged me to do this. We have gone through different formats in sending these out and they have spared no expense in doing this. When I wanted to publish some of the Jump Starts in a booklet form, they gave me a green light to do that. One of our deacons has built a Jump Start station where we display all 9 of the Jump Start books. Their support has been constant and amazing. Thank you for believing in this and opening the door for me to do this. The shepherds of this church are remarkable!

• Thank you to you my readers. I honestly thought after a few of these that the number of readers would drop off and we would have to quietly end this. Just the opposite has happened. I hear about my Jump Starts being used in classes, sermons and invitations. I have seen them reprinted in bulletins and I know many of you have forwarded them on to others. Who would have thought? I have tried to emphasize our relationship with the Lord more than anything else. I believe that is so important. Living for Jesus every day is where it is at. God is good to us. Our hearts ought to be thankful and praising to God because of that. You have read about personal things in my life, such as the birth of grandchildren, moving to a new house, my daughter’s wedding and many of the things that are important to me. Many of you have expressed that you feel you are part of my family because of these writings. I really like the comment, “I can just see you saying that.” I hope so.

• Thank you to the Lord. Other than myself, no one else has seen all 1,000 of these Jump Starts other than the Lord. I’m glad salvation is not based upon proper grammar, else I’d be in big trouble. I do hope that God has been pleased and blessed through these writings. I hope it has brought some back home to Him. I hope it has given something for some to hang on to when they were about to give up. I hope this has been one simple tool to help at least one person get a step closer to Heaven. If that has been done, it has been worth it. I realize that God has given me a special gift. Many preachers have told me that there is no way they could do this every day.  I didn’t know I could do this until I started. I am thankful to God for giving me a way to see things in His word. I am truly blessed, as we are all.

Some of these Jump Starts were very easy to write. The words just flowed. Others were a real struggle and I put out some that I felt were not very well written. Keeping the obligation of sending one out every day has not always been easy to do. I never wanted Jump Starts to take away from the rest of my work. To me, Jump Starts served as only one small aspect of all that I am trying to do.

Finally, where do we go from here? More writing of course. I still am wanting to publish two more Jump Start books—one on parenting and one on comfort. I’m getting close.

Will there be another 1,000 Jump Starts? I really don’t think so. I just can’t see that. I expect the well will run dry before then. We’ll keep this going for a while and see. I’ve learned never to say “never.” On our Jump Start website, www.jumpstartsdaily.com, you can search by word or specific verse and various Jump Starts will come up for you to read. There are nine Jump Start books that have been written. These are free. If you want one email me.

1,000—WOW! 1,000– Thank you!

Surely God is good!!!

Roger

Email me at: Rogshouse@aol.com