J D Canter E Books

2 Kings 4:8-10. And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

9/25-Start Your Day Off Right

Quote:

9/25–Don’t give up, don’t take anything personally, and don’t take no for an answer, you never know what you’re going to learn along the way.” 

– Sophia Amoruso

Story:

9/25–Perspective–seasoned by experience, you begin to understand what not to worry about. So that you can put your efforts into that which is productive and not in that which will energize your enemies by focusing on them and what they are trying to do. 

If you start speaking to them you give life to them and make them bigger by focusing on them. You need to ignore what they are doing, and keep on doing what you are called to do. Because whatever you put your attention on you give life to. You make something or somebody important the moment you give it or them attention. 

Whatever you give attention to you make important. If you want to kill something, ignore it. A lot of time Jesus answered them not a word. Let the silence settle.

Quote From “Building Takes Skill, Tearing Down None” Avaliable In Kindle By J D Canter:

Also Check Out Sermons On Dale Cantrell’s You Tube And Please Subscribe:

Check Out Books By J D Canter in Amazon And Kindle:

Also Check Out Sermons at http://www.freeholiness.net under Bro Dale Cantrell 

Also Check Out Sermons On You Tube Under Dale Cantrell And Please Subscribe:

Check out http://www.encourager98.weebly.com too

Scripture:

James 3:5-8

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

Humor:

When the preacher’s car broke down on a country road, he walked to a nearby roadhouse to use the phone. After calling for a tow truck, he spotted his old friend, Frank, drunk and shabbily dressed at the bar. “What happened to you, Frank?” asked the good reverend. “You used to be rich.” Frank told a sad tale of bad investments that had led to his downfall. “Go home,” the preacher said. “Open your Bible at random, stick your finger on the page and there will be God’s answer.” 

Some time later, the preacher bumped into Frank, who was wearing a Gucci suit, sporting a Rolex watch and had just stepped our of a Mercedes. “Frank.” said the preacher, “I am glad to see things really turned around for you.” “Yes, preacher, and I owe it all to you,” said Frank. “I opened my| Bible, put my finger down on the page and there was the answer — Chapter 11.”  

9/25–Can You Spare A Minute?

If you can’t find two minutes can you spare just one?

9/25–A young boy while visiting his grandfather in the country, found a small land turtle and promptly attempted to examine it. 

The  turtle promptly closed its shell like a vise. Where upon the boy seized a stick and tried in vain to pry the shell open.

Observing the boys actions, the grandfather quickly interrupted. “That’s not the way,” he said. “Let me show you how.”

Taking the turtle into the house, he set it on the hearth. In a few minutes the creature began to grow warm, stuck out it’s  head and feet and started to crawl. 

Turtles are something like people” said the old man. “Never try to force a fellow into anything—-Just warm him up a little ordinary human kindness, and more than likely he’ll come your way. 

Also Check Out Sermons On You Tube Under Brother Dale Cantrell And Please Subscribe:

Check Out Books By J D Canter in Amazon And Kindle

We don’t usually say, “I’ll never do it.” We say, “I’ll do it later.” But “later” is a slippery word—quiet, polite, and deadly to our goals. Procrastination doesn’t steal entire years at once; it picks our days clean, one small delay at a time.

“A year from now you may wish you had started today.” — Karen Lamb

Why We Wait

Perfectionism: If it can’t be perfect, we stall. Overwhelm: The task feels too big to swallow in one bite. Ambiguity: We don’t know the first step, so we take no step. Hidden fear: What if I fail… or succeed and have to keep going?

The good news? Procrastination isn’t a personality trait—it’s a habit. And habits can be changed.

The “Five-Minute Doorway”

When a task feels heavy, don’t try to finish it. Just start it for five minutes. Five minutes is the doorway; once you’re inside, momentum takes over. Tell yourself, “I only owe this five minutes.” Often you’ll keep going—if not, you still broke the delay cycle and proved to yourself that you can start.

The Two-Minute Reset (Faith + Action)

Breathe & Pray (60 seconds): “Lord, order my steps, steady my mind, and bless the work of my hands.” Micro-move (60 seconds): Open the document, lay out your gym clothes, set the appointment, or send the first email. Motion creates emotion.

Scripture spark: “Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4)

Also see Proverbs 6:6–8 and James 4:17.

Make It Smaller, Make It Sooner

Chunk it: Break the task into three tiny, visible steps. Time-box it: Work in 15-minute focus blocks with a 3-minute stretch. Park on downhill: Stop each session by writing the very next action so tomorrow is easy to begin. Public promise: Tell one person your start time today. Accountability turns “someday” into a scheduled appointment.

A Short Story: The Two Pain Piles

A friend once showed me his desk with two piles: Pain Now and Pain Later. “Pain Now” had small, doable items—call the dentist, pay the bill, write the intro. “Pain Later” had the same tasks, but each now carried interest: late fees, stress, strained relationships. He said, “I choose my pain. I prefer the kind that ends quickly.” That day, he took one card from “Pain Now,” set a five-minute timer, and started. By lunch, the pile had shrunk—and so had his anxiety. The lesson stuck: do it small, do it now, enjoy it longer.

Your 24-Hour Anti-Procrastination Plan

Pick One Thing you’ve been delaying. Write the First Three Micro-Steps. (Example: open file → outline 3 bullets → write first 100 words.) Set a 15-Minute Timer and begin today. Send a Proof Pic (screenshot, checkmark, calendar snap) to an accountability partner. Close Strong: Park on downhill—note the next action for tomorrow.

Prayer

“Father, thank You for the time You’ve given me today. Help me trade hesitation for humble beginnings, fear for faith, and delay for diligent steps. Order my priorities and strengthen my follow-through. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Reflection Questions

What one task, if started today, would lighten your spirit the most? What fear hides beneath your delay—and what truth can replace it? Who will you text when you’ve completed your five minutes?

Call to Action: Don’t wait for motivation—let motion create it. Set a five-minute timer right now and take the first step. Then celebrate the start!

Proverbs 30:28 The spider taketh hold with her hands,
and is in kings’ palaces.

9/24-Start Your Day Off Right Series 

Quote:

9/24–You Can’t Wait Till Life Isn’t Hard Before You Decide To Be Happy 

Story:

9/24–One day a small rat surfaced from his nest to find himself between the paws of a huge sleeping lion, which immediately awoke and seized the rat. 

The rat pleaded with the fierce beast to be set free, and the lion, being very noble and wise, and in no need of such small prey, agreed to let the relieved rat go on his way.

Some days later in the same part of the forest, a hunter had laid a trap for the lion, and it duly caught him, so that the lion was trussed up in a strong net, helpless, with nothing to do than wait for the hunter to return.

But it was the rat who came along next, and seeing the lion in need of help, promptly set about biting and gnawing through the net, which soon began to unravel, setting the great lion free.

The moral of the story is of course to make the world your debtor – even the humblest of folk may one day be of use.

Also Check Out Sermons On you Tube Under Brother Dale Cantrell And Please Subscribe:

Check Out Books By J D Canter in Amazon And Kindle:

Also Check Out Sermons at http://www.freeholiness.net under Bro Dale Cantrell 

Check out http://www.encourager98.wordpress.com

Also Check Out Sermons On Dale Cantrell

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-11

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

Humor:

Ever had a real bad day?

A man lay sprawled across three entire seats in the posh theater. When the usher came by and noticed this, he whispered to the man, “Sorry, sir, but you’re only allowed one seat.”

The man groaned but didn’t budge. The usher became impatient and said, “Sir, if you don’t get up from there I’m going to have to call the manager.”

The man just groaned, which infuriated the usher who turned and marched briskly back up the aisle in search of his manager. In a few moments, both the usher and the manager returned and tried to remove the fellow but with no success. Finally, they summoned the police.

The cop surveyed the situation briefly then asked, “All right buddy, what’s your name?” “Sam,” the man moaned.

“Where are you from, Sam?”

With pain in his voice, Sam replied, “The balcony.”

Ooh.

–9/24

A little girl was watching her mother prepare a fish for dinner. Her mother cut the head and tail off the fish and then placed it into a baking pan. The little girl asked her mother why she cut the head and tail off the fish. Her mother thought for a while and then said, “I’ve always done it that way – that’s how babicka (Czech for grandma) did it.”

Not satisfied with the answer, the little girl went to visit her grandma to find out why she cut the head and tail off the fish before baking it.

Grandma thought for a while and replied, “I don’t know. My mother always did it that way.”

So the little girl and the grandma went to visit great grandma to find ask if she knew the answer.

Great grandma thought for a while and said, “Because my baking pan was too small to fit in the whole fish”.

How much more trouble would it have been just to buy a larger pan instead of settling for less fish? How many times have we compromised ( it settled) and went after the smaller fish in life when it would not have required much more just to have made room for bigger?

Make up your mind today to not settle for less!

Check Out Sermons By Dale Cantrell On YouTube And Please Subscribe:

Check Out Facebook Group “Video Sermons”

Check Out Books By J D Canter in Amazon And Kindle:

Building Take Skill, Tearing Down None https://www.amazon.com/dp/1521429154/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_MVP7MSQZ61X4TKH546JY

Also Check Out Sermons at http://www.freeholiness.net under Bro Dale Cantrell 

Check out http://www.encourager98.weebly.com too

Overcoming Obstacles: Turning Setbacks Into Stepping Stones

Life rarely follows a straight, smooth path. Instead, it’s full of unexpected turns, steep climbs, and roadblocks. Obstacles come in many forms—health challenges, financial struggles, broken relationships, or even our own doubts and fears. But here’s the good news: obstacles don’t have to stop you; they can shape you.

The Purpose of Obstacles

Think about it—if life had no challenges, we wouldn’t grow. Obstacles are not there to break us, but to build us. They teach us patience, resilience, and determination. Like weights in a gym, they strengthen the muscles of our character.

Changing Perspective

Instead of asking, “Why me?” try asking, “What can I learn from this?” Every difficulty carries a hidden lesson. Sometimes the obstacle is a detour directing us toward something better. Other times, it’s an opportunity to prove to ourselves that we are stronger than we think.

Stories of Overcomers

Thomas Edison faced thousands of failed experiments before inventing the lightbulb. Helen Keller, blind and deaf, became an author and speaker who inspired millions. Even in the Bible, Joseph faced betrayal, slavery, and prison before becoming a ruler in Egypt. What do they all have in common? They didn’t give up when life said, “Stop.”

Your Turn

Whatever obstacle you’re facing today, remember:

It’s not permanent. It’s not bigger than your purpose. It’s preparing you for the next level of your journey.

So when you feel like quitting, remind yourself that every step forward—no matter how small—is progress. Keep moving. Keep fighting. Keep believing. One day you’ll look back and thank the obstacles for making you who you are.

James 5:16. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

9/23-Start Your Day Off Right Series 

Quote:

FORBIDDEN FRUITS CREATE MANY JAMS!

Story:

9/23–Sometimes God calms the storm and sometimes He calms me.

Jesus was asleep in the bottom of the ship during the storm! If you were on an airplane that experienced turbulence and you looked at the flight attendents eyes and they had looks of panic then it would be time to be concerned. But if you looked at the flight attendants and they were calm then it would help you to calm down too.

So we need to look to Jesus. He is always calm so there is no need of us worrying. Jesus is not worried, so there is no need for us to worry either.

The real meaning of peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. This is the real meaning of peace.

The difference between a peaceful and peaceable person can be compared to the difference between an auto mechanic and an auto driver. The driver knows how to start his car and he can drive it. However, if it were to break down, he may have no idea how to fix it. The mechanic can do both. He can drive the car and if it breaks down, he can also fix it.

So a peaceful person enjoys peaceful relations, but if these break down for some reason, he may not have the skills to restore the peace. A peaceable person by contrast is one who is able with peace. He is willing and able to restore peace with others.

Also Check Out Sermons On You Tube Under Brother Dale Cantrell 

And Please Subscribe:

Excerpt From “How To Navigate Life’s Storms” By J D Canter Available At Amazon Kindle:

Check Out Books By J D Canter in Amazon And Kindle:

Also Check Out Sermons at http://www.freeholiness.net under Bro Dale Cantrell 

Also Check Out Sermons On Dale Cantrell

 

Scripture:

Mark 4:36-41

And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Humor: