Dealing With Success

Success is something all of us strive for in our lives.  The definition of success varies for us all, but reaching it is a grind and can wear on us physically, mentally, and emotionally.

How we respond to those effects makes all the difference.  The first thing we must do as we seek success, as we gain success, and yes when we have setbacks, is to pray.  Prayer is not for the benefit of God to hear us, I believe that He always does.  It is for us to be heard in a different way.  Prayer is an acknowledgment of our humanity and insufficiency.  God is pleased when we seek to communicate with Him.

Next we need to take a break from the ruts that we find ourselves in as we grind.  Today I am writing from Little Rock and plan to be in Memphis later today as we take a break from our routines.  This morning we will be worshipping with our Christian brothers and sisters at the Pleasant Valley Church of Christ and gaining encouragement from their services. 

Finally refocus.  Once we have committed to prayer and taken a diversion from the norm it is time to assess our new state, and make some definitive plans for moving forward.

Where are you in this cycle today?

Give this cycle a chance and MAKE TODAY GREAT!

Midweek Motivation

Midweek Motivation

This morning I was scrolling through Instagram and came across a meme with the following quote:

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."

T.S. Eliot

Are we living in a good enough, just enough to get by mindset?  In order to find the successes we seek, good enough will not get us to the ends we desire.  Take a close look at your mindset today and if necessary take your first steps to begin a change.

Monday Morsel #44

In the words of The Captain and Tenille,
"Love Will Keep Us Together."

I know it sounds odd, especially since they recently divorced.  Who doesn't like cheesy bubble gum pop from the 70's anyway?

Expect the Unexpected

Expect the Unexpected

Friday my brother-in-law and I began the first of a few renovation projects on the house that Angie, Olivia and I call home.  As with any project of this nature we had sky high expectations for success.   Unfortunately, as with any project of this nature, there were unexpected obstacles.

As experienced DIYers this did not discourage us and we pressed on.  One of the great things about having experience is that it teaches you to roll with the punches.  Having been down this road also had shaped our thinking to analyze the situations as they occurred and create workable solutions.  For example on Friday we had purchased a new vanity to install as one of the big ticket items for the renovation of our hall bathroom.  On Saturday when we did a dry-fit prior to installing the flooring we found that there was not enough space allowed at the rear, behind the lower drawer to fit the plumbing up through the cabinet.  This led to a unique situation where there were 5 of us huddled around this drawer twisting, turning, and spinning it in every direction shooting out ideas.  Eventually through some merging of a couple of the thoughts we came to the conclusion to take the bottom panel out of the drawer cut it down by two inches, do the same for the center divider of that drawer and re-attach.  Solution executed flawlessly!

This story can be a metaphor for life as well, and even more so when it is a Christian life.  When we walk through this world, we are told:

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, 

prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

I Peter 5:8 NASB

The lion's prey rarely knows what is about to hit them.  The lion stalks, plots, and approaches in a very skillful way.  We too often fail to see the approaching lion that is Satan, and the plots and temptations he is bringing into our lives.  When we fall victim to his plotting the fate of the victim awaits us as well, death, not only a physical death, but a spiritual death.

In spiritual matters it pays to be like an experienced DIYer, and use the wisdom we have gained in the past to help us through the struggles of the present.  Knowing that anytime we start a renovation there will be unexpected obstacles keeps us from being overwhelmed by them.  The same can be said of our journey of faith, the pitfalls that we face can be minimized by using the experiences we have collected from our past.  The fact that scripture provides many examples of not only successes of its heroes, but the struggles as well, provides us rich fodder to understand the challenges we too may face.

This week rely upon the experiences you have encountered to guide you in solving new problems. Let your intuition work for you, as it has been developed and refined over time to aid you when troubles come calling.  With experience comes insight, use it well and MAKE TODAY GREAT!

Monday Morsel #43

Monday Morsel #43

I came across this simple but powerful phrase while reading a book titled "A Trip Around the Sun" by Mark Batterson and Richard Foth. 

"The greatest freedom is having nothing to prove."

I hope you will look at this, roll it around in your mind and consider how powerful this really is for our lives.

Bless This Mess

Bless This Mess

Yesterday I spent the biggest part of my day working on setting up a filing system for our home.  Yes, you heard that right, up until yesterday my "home filing" system could have been considered neither filing nor a system.  It was time to get my game on and really consider how we manage the limitless articles that come through our doors, and it was more daunting than I had considered.

It truly is amazing how many different classifications of "stuff" makes it into our lives.  I bought a package of 25 file folders for this project, and though I have a few left, could easily have used many more in this little adventure.  Deciding how to start was among the greatest challenges.  I used David Bach's "Finish Rich" (https://davidbach.com) filing system as a starting point to think about setting up my categories.  I quickly found out that Mr. Bach and I are not yet on the same plane of thought, nor are our lives constructed in quite the same manner.  Anyway, it did serve as a guide to catch the major categories, some of which I sub-divided into smaller more manageable, for me, groups.

This exercise was not only good from the aspect of getting the papers that describe a good portion of our lives organized, but it allowed me to purge a lot of documents.  My wife, Angie, will be so proud (she is a minimalist in this area).  The next step is to walk her through the arrangement so that she can know where to turn in the event of an emergency.  Before doing this I have two additional actions to take.  First I need to create an index to keep in a known and easily accessible location that details where to find each of the most important items within our home, not limited to files only.  Second, I need to label the drawers on the file cabinet to provide further clarification for myself and others. 

The older I get, the more it seems that I crave organization.  I'm not sure if it is the positive influence of my wife, a divine leading, or an admission of guilt, but it has become a drive that has taken hold of all areas of my life.  The funny thing is that most of you still would say, "looks pretty messy to me, what are you talking about?"  It is a drive, but is also a work in progress (maybe its just a long drive), and my propensity for distraction continues to work against it.  Oh well, life goes on and over time with continued effort it will improve.

To now pull this into the realm of faith lets look to:

 Ephesians 2:10 

For we are His workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus for good works,

which God prepared beforehand

so that we would walk in them.

or

Luke 14:28

For which one of you,

when he wants to build a tower,

does not first sit down

and calculate the cost

to see if he has enough to complete it.

In the first passage it speaks to God being organized when the writer says "which God prepared beforehand. . . "  While the second is an admonition to us to be organized and go about our lives considering things before we act.  Who couldn't benefit from this line of thinking?

I do hope that God will bless this mess, and that my drive for organization will continue to provide positive results.  My further hope is that this might stimulate some thought, and perhaps action, on your part.  If we take these types of positive action it will help us Make today GREAT!

Midweek Motivation

One of the books I am currently reading, "A Trip Around the Sun," laid out a couple of great thoughts this morning:

" I want to be famous in my home."
What a great concept, the fame most seek to achieve in public is fleeting and typically not well grounded.  The fame we achieve in our homes is far more likely to last and hold long term meaning.

The author also said, "success is when those who know you best respect you most."  What a great thought to keep in mind as we set our priorities.

Monday Morsel #43

The start of a new week, is it dread that many of you have as you roll out of bed?  If so then change is in order.  Open your mind, do a gut check, and recalibrate your attitude.  Each day we determine much of the outcome by the attitudes we bring to it.  Yes events can have an impact, but beginning with a positive outlook or can-do spirit will go a long way to improving your experience.  Dr. Steven Covey calls it "carrying your own sunshine" in his classic book, "The 7Habits of Highly Effective People." 

That Sunday

That Sunday!

Today is that Sunday, the one that comes around annually that seems to capture the attention of so many Americans.  Yes, it is Super Bowl Sunday, a very American tradition that celebrates both the best of American exceptionalism, and the worst of American excess.

Growing up I was a sports nut, if it used a ball and involved competition I was all-in either as a participant, observer, or quoter of stats.  To be honest sports was my passion.  As the years have grown longer this is no more the case.  We each have only so much capacity for passion, and how we direct this passion will go a long way toward determining the joy or heartache within our lives.

With Super Bowl Sunday there is so much hype, so much excitement, and so many new commercials that it is hard to look the other way.  I am thankful, as an American, that we have the opportunities to grow traditions, seek success, and enjoy the fruits of our freedom.  However, there is a cost that cannot be discounted. Our unabashed love for sports diverts our attention from more pertinent pursuits, and can become a source of conflict between ourselves and those around us.

I now ask, how do you rate your passions?  Today take a look at your life and determine what you are passionate about, and then consider whether or not you are being consumed by passions that may overtake your well being.  Is there enough room in your life to have a passion for God and His word or work, or a closer relationship to your family, perhaps a deeper passion for serving others in your work?  There are any number of other things that we can be passionate about, and the choices we make governing our passions will set a course for our lives that only we can alter through close self-examination.

Make this week GREAT!  Live with proper passions, and love those closest to you fervently, while seeking God in a closer way, with a renewed passion.