Stop trying to impress God…
I heard someone say this during a conversation I was a part of this past week, this stopped me cold when he said it.
If God is really God – creator of the universe, savior of mankind, the essence of love & goodness & holiness & all that… how in the heck am I supposed to impress Him?!
I can serve Him, love Him, honor Him, and so on – but impressing Him is about trying to perform/tap-dance my way into his good graces… which is ridiculous!!!. In Christ, I am LITERALLY in His good grace(s).
My Point: do you (or I) REALLY think so highly of ourselves, that we think we can impress God?
MORE HIM, less me
brent
And the journey continues…
As you may have picked up on by now… I’m on a journey right now… a journey of health… I have discovered (or rediscovered) our bodies affects us. Good or bad, it has a direct impact on your self-image.
We are all affected by our body image. Granted, some are less affected than others, but they are the minority. Most of us are quite conscious of our body. And rightly so. Truth is, the shape (health) of our body has a direct impact on everything we do in life. Period. When we are in better shape, we perform better in most things. When we are in poor shape, we perform worse than our potential. That’s just the way it is. So, it really doesn’t matter whether you are comfortable with your body image or not. What really matters is are you making your body work for you? Or, is it, and all of its cravings, or laziness, working against you?
How do you take charge of your body? ONLY 2 areas for now (more later): eating & exercising. That’s it. Only 2 things to focus on. Yet, how huge are both of them when it comes to your body.
My Point: Realize the power of each & every decision you make.
MORE HIM, less me
brent
A piece of delicious looking cake…
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 – 10)”
“A huge piece of delicious looking cake was on the table at the graduation party I went to today. It was my favorite … it was a PARTY … and it was free! But I was one week into my healthy eating adventure, which excluded sugary confections. But inside, a different dialogue was playing in my mind, “It’s not fair!”
I think this is one of the biggest tricks Satan plays to get us to give in to temptation. Saying “It’s not fair!” has caused many people to toss aside what they know is right for the temporary thrill of whatever it is that does seem fair. We complain, “It’s not fair that I gain weight so easily when everyone else seems to eat whatever they want and stay trim.”
“Now, realize that the dessert itself is not the problem. But if one piece of dessert leads to two and that leads to other compromises, which leads to wrecking our whole healthy eating plan, then the downward spiral reflects how temptation traps us in so many areas of life. I’ve experienced this vicious cycle myself, and I’m here to give you hope that it is possible to conquer it.
My pity party or not being able to eat that DELICIOUS looking piece of cake was a clue that I was relying on my own strength—a strength that has failed me before and will fail me again. So, when justifications swirl in my mind—“It’s a special day … with a bunch of friends … what’s the harm in sampling?” — I know I have to grab hold of God’s strength. The only way I’ve found to do that is to invite His power into the situation by mentally reciting truths such as, “I’m more than a conqueror,” “With God all things are possible,” or “Let the peace of God reign in your heart,” “Your gonna stay fat.”
My Point: “There is a good reason why we have to face our temptations. The struggle to say “no” may be painful in the moment, but the process is working out something AMAZING within us.”
Challenge Ahead… Don’t read unless you’re ready!!!
This past week in my devotional time, God’s word CHALLENGED me in an area that I have struggled with my entire adult life… as a matter of fact, this word was a “BAD” word in our home…(well, at least it was in my book…)
19 You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own. 20God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God. (1 Corithians 6:19-20)
I fully realize that my body, as a temple, may not be God’s most beautiful dwelling. However, I want to lift up to God my willingness to dedicate my exercise as a gift to Him AND myself. This one act un-divides my heart and reminds me of the deeper purposes for moving my body.
My Point: over the next 60 days, I am going to be treating my body as a temple, offering up my exercise, my mind, my body & my thoughts to body INTENTIONALLY to God… join me, if you will!!!
p.s. – Healthy looks different to each of us… “Skinny” DOES NOT = Healthy… Healthy means Healthy… Healthy is not about looks…
MORE HIM, less me
brent
A full plane & crying kids = peace & quiet…
I was looking back and reading my journals from the past few years and found a letter I wrote.. I have to admit, it was written while reading a book that really spoke volumes to my soul.. This was written after a long flight I was on that included two young kids, a crying baby, and a full plane!!! the problem was, none of the kids were mine!!! my only relief was my “Noise Canceling Headphones”!! This is an excerpt…
“Lord, I confess to you that it’s hard for me to be quiet and silent. I want to hear your voice, but my world is filled with so much noise that I usually miss your gentle nudges. The craziness of activity in my life drowns out your voice. I feel disconnected. I don’t fully understand why it is so difficult to be still and rest in you. I often feel like a rubber band that is stretched too tightly.
I’m sure the diagnosis involves taking a hard look at my drivenness and performance mentality. I also know that I need to own this. I am not a victim of circumstance or situation. My lack of solitude is a reflection of choices that I make. I just want to tell you that I need you and desire to change this area of my life. Help it to be enough just to be with you.”
I want to to make choices that give me both the connectedness with Christ and the business of ministry… I love staying busy!!! I love connecting with people, I love being around people!!! But I also need to remember that times of solitude are crucial…
My Point: Take time to LIVE LIFE, but also take time to put on your Noise Canceling Headphones…
MORE HIM, less me
brent
Please Like Me!!!
I used to be cursed with being a “people pleaser”. I was ever since I can remember. I wanted people to like me and think highly of me. I was motivated by compliments and the approval of my peers. The converse is also true. As quickly as a compliment would brighten my outlook, a critique would pull me down fast. It would linger in my mind far longer than it should. I wasted energy and time analyzing it.
Then I realized, God wants me to seek approval from Him.
“Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ” Galatians 1:10
Obviously it’s good for people to like you. In 1st Timothy, Paul talks about the importance of being likable. But our motivation needs to come from pleasing God. Our value should come from God. My motivation and value come from Him.
If you knew me a few years ago, then this is probably not news to you, just something I am continually working on…being content that I am doing what God wants me to do and knowing He is pleased.
My Point: Who are you trying to please?
MORE HIM, less me
brent
5 Lessons (on a Barf Bag)…
9-year-old Caine Monroy spent his summer vacation building an elaborate DIY cardboard arcade inside his dad’s used auto parts store, and asked people to play. The entire summer went by, and Caine had yet to have a single customer, until one day, a filmmaker named Nirvan Mullick stopped to buy a door handle. What happened next inspired this movie, and launched a movement to foster imagination and creativity in kids everywhere.
Watch part 1 of the movie here… TRUST ME, it will be the best 10 min. you spend today…
Caine’s Arcade Video
Here’s part 2… (8 min.)
Caine’s Arcade 2
Several takeaways from this story and video’s…
#1 – Imagination, Creativity, Innovation and the Power to Inspire has no age limit!!!
Hopefully you were inspired during these video’s… (I got something in my eye while watching this story unfold, or maybe it was allergies!!!)
#2 – The story talks about a movie becoming a movement!!!
Isn’t it about time we start something that becomes a movement… Jesus did!!
#3 – The 5 lessons we can learn from Caine…
1. Be nice to customers.
2. Do a business that is fun.
3. Do not give up. (Caine circled and underlined this one three times)
4. Start with what you have.
5. Use recycled stuff.
My Point: If you’re not moved by this, go to the hospital NOW, you may be dead and not even know it!!
MORE HIM, less me
brent
Chick-Fil-A Leadercast part 2
Here are two more dynamic speakers from this years Chick-Fil-A Leadercast…
JOHN MAXWELL QUOTES FROM THE CHICK-FIL-A LEADERCAST
“It doesn’t start with simple, it starts with simplicity.”
“Geniuses take the complicated and reduce it to the simple. Subtraction can be more effective than addition.”
“Shallow + Fast, Deep + Slow, or Deep and Fast? Pick one”
“Deep and Fast is what you want in your leadership, your business, your relationship.”
“Are leaders born?” Of course they are! I’ve never met an unborn leader! I don’t want to!
“Leadership is influence. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
“Experience is not the best teacher. We all know people that are getting older, but they’re not getting better.”
“Business schools reward complex behavior but it’s the simple behavior that makes you successful in life”
“Connectors do the difficult work of keeping it simple. Don’t confuse simple with simplistic!”
“An educator takes something simple and makes it complex, A communicator takes something complex and makes simple”
“Just because you’re in a position of leadership doesn’t mean you’re a good leader.”
“Leadership is simple: Add value to people everyday.”
“You do not have influence in your weaknesses. You have influence in your strengths.”
“I can’t make everyone happy. I’m a leader, not a clown.”
One of my favorite speakers this year was Jack Welch, (born November 19, 1935) He is an American business executive, author and former chemical engineer. He was chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001. During his tenure at GE, the company’s value rose 4000%.
JACK WELCH QUOTES FROM THE CHICK-FIL-A LEADERCAST
“When your boss asks you to do something, OVER-deliver!”
“The team that fields the best players wins!“
“Rules don’t lead; standards do. Rules define our behavior. Standards are beliefs that we own.”
“Welch calls business schools “Fat, lazy institutions that charge too much money.”
“Every great leader has a generosity gene.”
“Make your boss smarter than they are and you will become indispensable.”
Work Atmosphere –> “You ought to love to be here, but be ready to leave”
Have healthy skepticism and fear BUT go for it!!
Jack Welch’s keys to success: 1) Love what you’re doing, or you’re never going to win. 2) ALWAYS OVER-DELIVER
Self-confidence, simplicity and speed. Three great qualities in leadership.
“Too many leaders are DOING when they need to be TEACHING.”
Jack Welch GE CEO says free online education will revolutionize education. Esp. Those schools who charge 2 much for 2 little
“Work all the time to bring new insights to the job”
“To become a great leader, love what you do and over deliver on what you do. That is how to succeed”
“Create a whole new education for your boss. Make him smarter than he was before he met you.”
“You have no right to call yourself a manager if your employees don’t know where they stand.”
“A good personnel move is worth a thousand speeches.”
“High performing jerks destroy companies.”
“You’ve got to love what you’re doing or you’re never going to win.”
“As a leader you’re never as good and never as bad as the people paint you.”
“What is a budget review? A personal review with numbers”
Jack Welch: Spent 70% of time teaching leaders; the team that fields the best players wins.”
“Lack of transparency is the cruelest form of management.”
“Be deeply interested in your people. The generosity gene is in every leader…promote, develop your team.”
“If you have self confident leaders, they will hire self confident players. Then the whole Team gets upgraded!
“If you don’t like people…this job stinks.”
“if you weren’t currently in your business, would you get into your business today?” Know where you stand
Chick-Fil-A Leadercast
This post is going to be a little different… I attended a Leadership Conference this past Friday with over 120,000 other leaders in over 750 locations across the globe… I am going to share my notes and several comments from others… While sitting at a conference, it’s very hard to take notes and gather as much as you can, so I use both my iPad & twitter to take and have a record of my notes…
So, here you go!!!
ANDY STANLEY QUOTES FROM THE CHICK-FIL-A LEADERCAST 2013
“Complexity is the enemy of clarity”
“Growth creates complexity, which requires simplicity.”
“What is your one-sentence job description?”
“If you’re the only hot dog stand in town, you’re hot dogs don’t have to be good.”
“What are we doing? Why are we doing it? Where do I fit in?”
“Dirty little secret of leadership: Leaders don’t always have all the answers.”
“Poor delivery trumps content, if your a terrible speaker, doesn’t matter what you are saying.”
“The mist in your mind will eventually become a fog in your organization.”
MIKE KRZYZEWSKI (Coach K) QUOTES FROM THE CHICK-FIL-A LEADERCAST 2013
“Rules are externally applied but standards are internally owned”
“Don’t focus on winning, develop a culture of success”
“Being an outstanding leader is an everyday thing.”
“A good leader puts his people in a position to be successful all the time.”
“Leaders create an environment that is conducive to success”
“A good leader recognizes that no job is too low for him; every job/role is important.”
“In order to learn you have to get out if your comfort zone.”
The most important thing about leadership is : communication”
“Two is better than one when two perform as one.”
“Never delegate. Always empower.”
“Every job in our organization is a job you should be willing to do“.
“When you say something is important, you back it up with a personal move”
My Point: I really want to share some of the insight that I have gleaned from this conference, but if it’s just information… Then WOW, you can read…here’s another quote, “Action Produces Traction”… Go do something with it!
Network Marketing
“Advertising doesn’t create interest; at best, it creates awareness. And, that is not always a good thing. Cancer has awareness, and nobody wants that. Nearly 70% of consumers say they are interested in products that enable them to block out advertising.”
This is a statement in a book I am reading AGAIN…
Sometimes I feel “the Church” over-promises and under-delivers. I guess that’s part of feeling as if you’ve been sold a bill of goods. It promises love, joy, peace and purpose. It says give and you’ll receive. It says be a good person and good things will happen to you. Become a Christian and your life will change. Yeah, sorta…
It reminds me of a network marketing organization (many of which, by the way, are launched within church setting). You have a bunch of people who aren’t good at sales out trying to sell with a little bit of information about their product. They over-hype and make promises they can’t possibly keep. It’s a second-class, circus-like sales organization that people don’t take seriously.
My Point: What is it that we can truly promise a seeker or a believer? I believe we can do better. We just need a better plan.. Let’s not forget, “He (Jesus) came to bring us (ALL of us) life, and life more abundant!!!”
MORE HIM, less me
brent
My First Car…
“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
Proverbs 25:11”
As a teenager I drove a 1965 Chevy Biscayne. It definitely was never featured in any muscle car magazines, but my parents always said that beggars can’t be choosers. It ran pretty well, but I had a tendency to live on the edge and rarely filled the gas tank until it was running on fumes. Of course, that meant that I spent some time on the side of the road with my Biscayne after miscalculating the number of miles left in the gas tank.
When you’re driving, even very slowly, it takes just slight pressure with a finger to turn the direction of the car. However, have you ever tried to steer a parked car? It’s amazingly difficult. When you’re out of gas and need to push the car to the side of the road, it can take all of your efforts, and you still may not be able to budge the steering wheel.
My Point: I had the privilege of hearing a very well respected Pastor say something years ago that I’ve NEVER forgotten… “Grow Daily or Die Gradually” You can’t change for the best, if you’re not moving forward!!!
MORE HIM, less me
brent
Work…
“If you were to calculate the hours worked from 16 to 65 working 40 hours per week with 2 weeks vacation every year, you would see that you are going to work for nearly 100,000 hours in your lifetime.”
“5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” Ephesians 6:5-8
It’s AMAZING that God’s Word gives us EVERYTHING that we need to know about our life… Maybe not exactly, but principles to guide us through the “Life MORE abundant”
My Point: Work is more than a place to make money, “It isn’t what is expected that gets done, it is what is inspected.” Whatever we do as a Christian impacts others view of Christ. What is the view from those you influence?
MORE HIM, less me
brent
Charlie Brown’s Teacher…
“We don’t need just information in our heads, but transformation in our hearts..”
How many times have we sit and listened to someone speak, talk, teach? They show us, tell us, teach us stuff, some of us, weekly… We gather information, hear information, give others information… But does this information cause transformation? Is it just “wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah…? if the only thing we have is a lot of information, then the world may never see our potential…Transformation with information means that we act upon the speech, talk or teaching we’ve been given… Then true change can happen!!
My Point: we have to take the information we receive, and allow that to transform us and make us better than before we heard the information…
MORE HIM, less me
brent
Math…
I am attending a roundtable meeting today that is discussing the spread of God’s Word around the world… There is about 60 other people attending… The speaker, Dr. Ronald Maddux, the Director of the Northern Asia region is speaking on the “Untold, the Unfolding and the Changing face of Northern Asia… He shared some statistics from the last 64 yrs… In 1949 there were 1,000,000 believers in China, in 2013 there is 108,000,000 believers in China… WHAT?!?!? That means that they have influenced 107,000,000 people to take a step of faith in 64 years!!!
Am I doing enough? If you added the number of people that you PERSONALLY have shared God’s Word with PLUS everyone THEY have shared God’s Word, PLUS, etc, etc, etc…. would that add up to 107,000,000 people????
My Point:
I’ve got A LOT of work to do… I need to be a better influencer..
MORE HIM, less me
brent
Important..
“Surround yourself with great people and repeatedly tell them why they matter.”
This might be one of the greatest leadership lessons I’m learning right now.
Life and leadership seems to be getting increasingly more complex. I have more responsibility and opportunities than ever before and with that more opportunities to really jack it all up if it weren’t for the people around me.
Each day I’m reminded of the value of the people that God has put in my life, both personally and professionally. I have people who bring expertise to situations, others who bring encouragement, co-workers who own their responsibilities and play their part, friends who counsel and make me laugh, family who support in all seasons… the list goes on.
Some days I want to slow everything down and get it to a nice manageable pace where I feel like I’m in complete control, but I’m learning that living on the brink of perceived chaos (in my desperate-need-for-order mind), is where I’m most able to see the gifts of others shine.
My Point:
Who has God placed in your life?
Have you told them how much you appreciate them?
Simplicity…
1. Simplicity unclutters our lives
Daily living becomes jammed with stuff, activities, urgent tasks, chores, appointments, responsibilities and information. When we simplify, we choose to eliminate a lot of this. An uncluttered life is an untied life. Simplicity gives us back the life we have given up to all the clutter.
2. A simpler life gives us more time to relax
By eliminating much of the excess in our lives, we have more time to relax. Our possessions no longer require so much of our time. We don’t have to work as hard to maintain our lifestyle which gives us more time to unwind. A relaxed mind is more creative and effective. Simplicity frees us up to do what we want instead of what we have to do.
3. A simpler life means fewer interruptions
We have time to have a conversation. All our activities and engagements are constantly tugging us away from quiet time with those that matter the most to us. In the end, how much of what we are doing is going to matter? It is usually the least important things that force us to put the truly important on the back burner.
4. Simplicity allows us to focus
Narrowing our field of view allows us to focus on what is really important. Things creep into our life until it is so crowded that we can’t decide where we should apply our attention. It takes effort and some difficult choices to simplify, but it is worth it because simplification will allow you to accomplish more on what really matters.
I think the perfect picture of simplicity is the Gospel… To many times, we make God to complicated… He gave us two simple things to do…Love God, and Love Others… Pretty simple..
I’m convinced, I will simplify my life…
MORE HIM, less me
brent
Stuck in a Funk?
Stuck in a Funk by Tony Morgan has now become my “Go To Book”…
If you’re unclear about your vision, then read this book, If your systems are unhealthy, read this book, If you’re trying to generate better online content, read this book!!! Tony has really taken the series of ebooks he had written for the Leisure Suit series and combined them into one of the most useful books I have ever had the privilege of reading.
If your Church isn’t moving forward, then it’s moving backwards… We can’t continue to be satisfied with the status quo… “Until we look at our methods, our message really doesn’t matter.”
This book is not just filled with “Information”, it’s filled with content to help you become “UN-stuck”!!!
If you’re looking for a book that you will go back to time and time again, “Stuck in a Funk” is THAT BOOK!!
There’s an App for that!
CouchCachet
Unleash your living room!
“Wouldn’t it be great if there was an app that showed you all of the cool parties, bars and restaurants that you could be hitting tonight? Of course it would. But you know what would be even better? A social application that will lie and say you are already doing those things while you sit at home in your pajamas.”Some tag lines from the site; “Life, without the hassle of Living”, also, “ I can finally be who I want you to think I am. ” and last but not least, “ I spent hours researching fun things to do, but I got too tired to actually do them. ”
Seriously? Who wants to live life without living? Well, this app allows you to be somewhere you’re not, Live life to the least and make everyone else think you’re living it to the fullest,
Is this really how people want to live? I for one, am GOING to live life to the fullest… I’m GOING to spend time with my wife, kids & grandkids… I’m GOING to develop healthy relationships… I’m GOING to go on adventures… I’m GOING to love God and love others…
What are you GOING to do?
(I wonder if this will catch on in Church?)
My Point: Be who you are, and be WHERE you are…
MORE HIM, less me
brent
Desperately seeking a leader…
We have witnessed a worldwide event over the past few days, more than 100,000 people from all over the world gathering in Rome to take part in a historic event… Flags from all over the world as people crowded into St. Peter’s square to be part of something bigger than themselves.. Sanding for hours in the wet, cold weather… All eyes on a smoke stack, waiting for the sign of white smoke to billow out signifying the election of the new leader of nearly 1.2 million Catholics all around the world…
We need to allow people to feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves… Something that can and will change their lives forever…
Here is one Catholic commentators Job Description for the Pope: “Well, of course what we’re looking for is someone who’s holy, someone’s who’s intelligent, that knows theology, that knows the teachings of the church. But also somebody who can communicate. You know, can communicate to the average person, not just the scholars. And finally, there’s been a lot of talk about the need for someone who can re-organize and (get) the Vatican under control because bishops are upset about the leaks, about allegations of corruption and everything else and they don’t like that so you put all that together and it looks like Jesus Christ with an MBA..
That’s a pretty tough job description for anybody and there’s obviously nobody who fits it perfectly so I think we have to be realistic in terms of whoever gets elected Pope, He’s NOT PERFECT, there was only one person who was and we killed him!!
My Point: People are looking for a leader, they are looking for someone who can be holy, someone’s who’s intelligent, someone who knows theology, somebody who can communicate to the average person, not just the scholars, someone who looks like Jesus Christ with an MBA
Lets be that somebody!!!
MORE HIM, less me
brent
Discipline…
“Discipline Reveals Character…” Over the last week, my wife and I have been blessed to have both of our grandsons here at our home… It’s been, lets say, challenging at times… We’re NOT used to having little ones around the house, & we ARE used to being able to understand them when something’s wrong… My youngest grandson (Isaiah – 6mths old) has been difficult at times, we know he’s eaten, he’s clean & he’s safe…SO WHY ARE YOU CRYING???!?!?!? We don’t know if his tummy hurts, he doesn’t like the way were holding him, or not holding him, if he’s too warm, or too cold… WHAT IS IT??? I can understand when a baby who can’t communicate any other way but to make a noise, but a two year old, who understands most of what you say? OH NO HE DIDN’T just throw a fit…”ain’t nobody got time fo dat”
My Point: When we are disciplined by our boss, reminded of who we are by a friend, reminded who we are NOT by our parents, what is revealed in our reaction? What oozes out when we’re squeezed?
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8 NIV)
MORE HIM, less me
brent
Modern Family…
We have started a new series at CapCity called “Modern Family” – we are discussing issues in the family… We’re really excited about this series… You see, Family is the very first institution created, and it remains the foundational institution for mankind. The reason society is in a falling apart is because the foundation of the family is crumbling.
Pastor Shane shared some stats this morning that REALLY hit me hard and challenged me… I want to share those with you..
// Young men who grow up in homes without fathers are twice as likely to end up in jail as those who come from traditional two-parent families…
// 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes
// 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes
// 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.
// Kids living in single-parent homes or in step-families report lower educational expectations on the part of their parents, less parental monitoring of school work, and less overall social supervision than children from intact families.
// 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes
// Boys who grow up in father-absent homes are more likely that those in father-present homes to have gender identity troubles and more likely to mistreat women.
// Researchers observed “greater levels of aggression in boys from mother-only households than from boys in mother-father households.”
// Children from low-income, two-parent families outperform students from high-income, single-parent homes. Almost twice as many high achievers come from two-parent homes as one-parent homes.
// Only 13 percent of juvenile delinquents come from families in which the biological mother and father are married to each other. By contract, 33 percent have parents who are either divorced or separated and 44 percent have parents who were never married.
My Point: God has a plan for YOUR family, but YOU have a responsibility… based on the above stats, YOU have to do YOUR part… Be who God has called you to be!!
Armpits?!?!?!
“Everybody has an Opinion…” Have you ever heard that said? NOW, have you ever added the rest of that statement??? sayings like, “opinions are like elbows”, or “opinions are like ears”, or “opinions are like armpits”. Or, you fill in the blank… When you say that, are you responding to someone else’s opinion about a topic? or are you preempting a comment that you are about to make?… First off, what makes you think that people need to hear YOUR opinion? Is it because you feel that you need to say something because everyone else needs to hear it, or do you have a legitimate comment to ADD to the conversation?
I attended a mtg with a lot of leaders yesterday, they were leaders of all different size churches and ministries from different types of cultures… During the breaks, they talked, asked questions and mingled with each other… I intently listened to many of those conversation (not like stalking, or in a creepy way). I was in the conversations, but CHOSE not to add my input… I wanted to see who added there own input and why…
My Point: when you decide to add your two cents to a conversation, think about why you’re going to say what you are going to say, and WHY are you going to say WHAT you’re going to say? Go ahead and comment on what you have heard or said…”Opinion are like _______”
Living a Blessed Life…
Over the past 7 weeks, we have had the opportunity to see and lead people through life changing decisions… It’s been one of the most blessed times of our lives… It’s been a whirlwind experience… People have made decisions to show outward examples of inward victories, people publicly sharing God’s blessings, people publicly totally changing there lives, and on and on!!! We have seen the blessing of God, it seems like on a daily basis…
The funny thing is, when you are seeing and experiencing God’s blessings, the things that use to be huge obstacles, are no longer an obstacle… You see those obstacles that once seemed SO BIG you couldn’t see ANY possible solution, are more like non-events… It’s not that those obstacles don’t happen, but it’s your perspective has changed, you see that God hears, see’s, knows your situation, that He has GREAT plans for you, that HIS purposes are good, that He LOVES and CARES about you!!
My Point: I’m looking forward to continuing to see all Life Change Ahead!!
MORE HIM, less me
brent
Ain’t nobody got time for that…
“If you want to know what people mean by what they say, watch what they do. Actions not only speak louder than words, they interpret an individual’s words” – Deep and Wide (Andy Stanley)
I remember growing up and hearing my parents telling me this every time I did something I shouldn’t have done… What your doing is speaking so loud, we can’t hear what you’re saying…Now, as a parent, I find myself telling that to my kids… When there actions were not lining up with what they were saying, I repeated that statement…
As a follower of Christ, I find my self hearing those words again… Not in an audible voice, but in my mind, my heart. When I’m doing or not doing what I should or shouldn’t do… I’m so glad I serve a God who loves me enough to help me be a better me…
MORE HIM, less me
brent
A blog about my random thoughts... 