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Archive for the ‘Motivational’ Category

Blessed Real Good

Posted in Hope, Motivational on May 4, 2011| 1 Comment »

Have you ever received a phone call that just made your day?  Maybe it was unexpected and it was a good surprise or maybe the things the person said really gave you a boost.

Yesterday, I had one of those calls.  If you have read my ramblings here for very long, you know that I have referred to a friend of mine from Atlanta on a few occasions.  We met while serving on the same board and have had a connection ever since.  LaPinsky is a good friend – in fact, we normally greet one another by saying, “My brother from another mother.”  We don’t see each other much at all and we hardly ever talk, but I know that he is there for me and I pray he knows that about me as well.

At any rate, LaPinsky called yesterday just to say he felt God had brought me to his mind and heart to pray for me.  We talked for about ten minutes and then he did something that is characteristic of his caring nature – he prayed for me.  One of the things he said in his prayer brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart.  He said, “God, I ask that you bless Brian real good.”  You just have to know LaPinsky to appreciate that phrase.  He is one of the most articulate men I know.  He can put words together in such a way that would make some of the world’s greatest orators envious.  But every once in a while, he will break from the grammatical norm and say something down to earth and real.

That is one of the things I love about him – he is educated, brilliant and caring – but he is nothing if he isn’t real!

So today, I am passing on the inspiration I received from LaPinsky yesterday.  I am praying that God will bless each of you real good today!  And then for you to be a blessing to someone else.

Be blessed!

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God Made THIS Day!

Posted in Formation, Motivational on April 13, 2011| 1 Comment »

Psalm 118:4 says, “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Think about that for just a minute.  This day – today – right now, God made this day.  It is typical for us to think of God creating the world and all that is in it, and that time began when God spoke it into existence – all one linear progression.  The danger is when we start viewing our lives as a bunch of days running together in a meaningless blur – living for the weekend, or holding out until that next vacation.  We are reminded in this verse that God is present now and made this day to be special.

The possibilities are endless!  What are you going to do today to rejoice?  What about your life today will be considered praise to God?  How will you live today so that God is pleased?

It is all up to you.  You can choose to do nothing special with this day – OR – you can decide right now to make your life matter, make it count.

What will you do?

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What Man Has Made of Man

Posted in Community, Hope, Motivational on March 31, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Some of you may know and some may not (and most may not care 🙂 ) but not only did I major in Bible in my undergraduate studies but I also majored in English.  One of the remnants of that experience I still carry today is a love of poetry.  .  .  .   .  Alright, everybody recovered?  I know that may have come as a shock for some of you.

One of my favorite poets is from the Romantic Period.  William Wordsworth and I are kindred spirits.  His love of nature and his ability to communicate his connection to the world around him has always stirred me.

To stay in touch with my love of poetry, I subscribe to a daily email produced by the Writer’s Almanac.  Every morning, there is a different poem in my inbox.  Some days it is a classic and some days it is more modern.  Today’s poem is William Wordsworth’s Lines Written in Early Spring.

In this poem, Wordsworth paints a moving picture of being alone in a grove of trees in early spring.  He noticed the singing of the birds.  He observed the budding of plants and all the simplicity and freshness of what nature brings in spring.  But in the midst of all the beauty and simplicity, he became aware of something.

Here are two of his stanza’s:

I heard a thousand blended notes,

While in a grove I sate reclined,

In  that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts

Bring sad thoughts to mind.

To her fair works did nature link

The human soul that through me ran;

And much it grieved my heart to think

What man has made of man.

 

In the midst of the serenity, beauty and simplicity of nature, Wordsworth was reminded of how complicated and jaded the rest of the world has become – particularly what man has made of man.  As I read his lines today, it made me pause and think about how much better life would be if we all put aside our hypocrisy and politics and just lived life as ourselves; not trying to be someone we are not.  Of course, there is something dangerous and raw about that that scares us.

But wouldn’t it be nice?

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Thoughts On Tim Sanders’ Book – Today We Are Rich

Posted in Leadership, Motivational on March 28, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to hear Tim Sanders speak.  He grew up in Clovis, New Mexico, but he made a name for himself in the midst of the dot.com era working for a time as an executive with Yahoo!  I was pulled in by his charisma and passion for communication and then I was moved by what he said.  Shortly afterward, I began reading his blog and following him on Twitter (@sanderssays).  Over the last couple of years I have had to restrict the number tweets I actually get to my phone.  But Tim’s tweets still come directly to me – why?  Because what he says is always uplifting and beneficial.

That is why, when he sent out a request for folks to preview his upcoming book, Today We Are Rich, I jumped at the chance.  I received the book in the mail last week and dug right in.  Now I must confess, I am not a big believer in the power of positive thinking.  Don’t get me wrong, I know that there is significant power in positive thinking.  But I don’t prescribe to a pie in the sky idea that we can change our world by simply looking at things with a positive attitude.

I love how Tim approaches the subject.  His thesis is this, “Positive thinking is an outcome, not a prescribed behavior.  It requires much effort and discipline.  It’s a lifestyle decision.”  In the book, Tim gives 7 principles to follow in building a lifestyle that will promote positive thinking and thus, result in more confidence to live as God intended.

One of the most meaningful aspects of the book for me is this:  Tim is internationally recognized as a Fortune 1000 consultant and speaker.  He has already written a New York Times Best Seller in Love Is The Killer App.  He is sought after to speak all over the world in the area of leadership and business.  But at no point in his book did he shrink from letting his faith influence his words.  He boldly speaks of his discipline of reading the Bible every day as a means of staying grounded and “putting good stuff” into his mind.  How many business and leadership books have your read in which the author’s faith was discussed openly?

Tomorrow I will give you a few more of my thoughts on the importance of Tim’s book, Today We Are Rich.  But for today, I have two challenges for you:  1)  Find someway to contribute to someone else’s success today – even if you will gain nothing.  And 2)  Make plans to buy this book on Tuesday when it is released (You can take a sneak peak here).  I can promise you, it will be worth every penny and even more worth your time!

Be a blessing today!

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Show Us the Father

Posted in Community, Hope, Missions, Motivational on March 24, 2011| Leave a Comment »

With all the things going on in the world today, people are looking for answers.  They are looking for direction and guidance.

Things weren’t so different 2000 years ago.  Jesus’ disciples were looking for guidance too.  In John 14, Jesus was trying to reassure his followers by telling them that he was paving the way for them so that some day, they could be together again.  Thomas replied, “We don’t know the way – how can we get to where you are going?”  Jesus answered him by saying:

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Then Philip jumped in with, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

I think many people I run into on a daily basis would second Philip’s request.  And that is where you and I come in.  As believers, we may be the only Jesus someone sees today.

Will the Jesus you present in your life today be enough?

 

 

 

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Skiing Without a Clue

Posted in Formation, Motivational on March 23, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Last week, our family spent two days skiing at Wolf Creek Pass.  It was a great time!  We had good snow and good weather.  The lines were not long at the lifts and no one got hurt – a few bruises, but nothing serious.  Our time together as a family was wonderful!

We had never skied at Wolf Creek before.  Overall, we enjoyed our time there.  Our only real complaint was the lack of direction on the mountain.  The trail map was clear enough.  We could look at it and decide which lifts to take to get to the runs we wanted to ski – that was no problem.

The problem came when we made our way off the lift (which is always a major event) and began trying to translate the information from the map to what we saw in person.  The map was clear, but without markers along the trails, we never knew if we were on the right path.  In a sense, we were skiing without a clue as to where were headed.

We have skied on many other mountains and never have we experienced the lack of direction that we faced last week.  In some instances in life, having a map is enough.  If you make a wrong turn, you can simply turn around and go back.  But when you strap on a pair of skiis (or snow board in Jared’s case) and head down a mountain, one wrong turn can lead you to a point of no return where you are looking down a double black diamond slope with drop-offs and huge moguls.  Just so that you know – I have done my fair share of black diamonds but I am the guy everyone looks at from the lift and says, “Wow, that guy does not belong on that run!”

So without markers along the path, not only does the skiing experience take on more of  a challenge, it is also very frustrating.

Our spiritual lives are just like that!  We have a great trail map to help us on the journey – the Bible.  We can see where we are and where we need to go.  But where we often get frustrated or side-tracked is in our inability to see the markers along the way that help us to know we are on the right path.  Unlike my experience on the slopes last week, more often than not, the markers are there, we just choose to ignore them.  There are markers all around us every day – we just need to slow down long enough to pay attention to them.

Here three markers we can all watch for in our lives to help us along the way:

1)  Am I following the teachings of Jesus in the way I live every day?

2) Am I building relationships with other believers through involvement in a faith community or small group?

3) Am I striving to make a simple difference in at least one life each day?

There are many, many other markers, but I encourage you to think about these today.  And never forget, we also have a guide along with us – and that never hurts!

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I’ve Got This

Posted in Hope, Motivational on March 14, 2011| Leave a Comment »

What are you worried about today?

You may be concerned about safety.  After last week’s horrific earthquake and tsunami in Japan that would be understandable.

Or maybe you are worried about the economy.  Retirement is out there somewhere but will there be enough or will I have to work until I die?

There are any number of things we could concern ourselves with today, but I want to remind us of one simple truth – God is in control.  Matthew 6:25-26 says this:

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

In the midst of all that is going on around us, remember, God is saying, “I’ve got this.”

Be blessed today!

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The Legacy of Relationships

Posted in Community, Leadership, Motivational on March 3, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Last week we finished our class on Wednesday nights over the book and study series by Max Lucado entitled, Out Live Your Life.  Over the past 6 weeks, I have done a lot of pondering about what I am leaving behind.  When I am gone, will people say, “I am glad he was here.”?   Or will anyone even notice I am no longer around?

It is an intimidating question!  But it causes me to think about what I am doing (or not doing) today in order to insure that my life is going to count for something.

As a minister, I have been to the threshold of death with many, many people and watched them step through that doorway.  As I sit and listen to people in their final days, or with the family members who are left to carry on after a person dies, there are always a number of topics of conversation.  We talk about their life-long career, their family or maybe their church and community activity.  But without fail, the most meaningful memories are the personal stories – the memories of how the person impacted a life.

At the end of this existence, what matters most is relationships.  The most important relationship of course is the one a person has with Jesus.  That makes all the difference.  But as we remember a life, the accomplishments of that person fade in comparison to the relationships he or she built while here.

So I am back to my question – what kind of legacy will I leave behind?

How about you?  Are you building a legacy?

More on this subject tomorrow – be sure and stop back by!

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A Day of Love

Posted in Marriage, Motivational on February 14, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Today is the day of love.  February 14 – Valentine’s Day.  Guys, if this is the first you have heard of this, it’s not too late, but it may cost you!

Why is it that we have a day set aside to remember our significant other?  Is it because we only care on this day?  Is it because we just needed something else to celebrate in February?  Or is it that we tend to take those we love for granted and so this is a way to make sure we think of them at least once per year?

Honestly, it may be a combination of the latter two.  But at any rate, this is the day we set aside to tell our special person we love them – that we care – and that our lives would not be the same without them.

Kristi and I very rarely purchase gifts for one another.  We used to, but when the kids started coming along, we decided that we would rather make sure we could do things for them.  So we have found other ways to express our appreciation and love for one another – dinner out, special favors around the house, phone calls, etc.

The point is this – if you have a special person in your life today, you need to make sure they know you love them.  Just follow these three easy steps:

  1. Tell them you love them
  2. Make them feel special and appreciated
  3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 each day for the rest of you life

Not difficult but it does take commitment.

What will you do today to make the love of your life feel special?

 

 

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Heed the Call

Posted in Hope, Leadership, Motivational on January 24, 2011| Leave a Comment »

I have mentioned before that I am reading through the Gospels with this specific question in mind:  “What was important to Jesus?”  I have made it all the way through Matthew 4.  As I read of Jesus’ calling of the disciples, I am reminded of the fact that Jesus called common folk.  Jesus didn’t approach community leaders and politicians.  He did not approach the religious leaders of his day and ask them to follow him.  He went to the working class and even to the undesirables – to fishermen, tax gatherers, terrorists.

What do I take away from that fact?  It tells me that what was important to Jesus was not the person’s standing in the community but the person’s character and willingness to follow.

That is still the case today!

I don’t know about you, but that brings great hope and challenge to me today.  Jesus calls each of us, regardless of our position in society.  The expectation of us is to use what we have been given to affect the greatest influence possible.  Each of us has a sphere of influence – and each one is different.  Jesus calls us to impact our sphere for him.

That is his call!

That is what is important to him.

Shouldn’t it be important to us as well?

Heed that call today!  Go make a difference for Jesus!

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