September 20, 2013

Finish Strong

September 20, 2013

Word of Encouragement

Someone said that a single word of encouragement in rough times is worth a dictionary of words during good times.

Very often, we see potential in other people that they can’t see in themselves. When you speak vision into them, when you tell them what they can become, you can help set the direction for their life. Your words have the power to push people into their destiny. I believe that the reason some people are not living at their full potential is because no one has ever spoken faith into them. No one has taken the time to say, “Hey, you’re great at this. You’ve got a gift here. You’re going to do something amazing.” I believe that one of our assignments in life is to call out the greatness in other people. Look around at who God has placed in your life. They’re not there by accident. Take time to study them. See what they’re good at. What are their gifts? What do they excel at? Don’t just think about it, speak vision into them. Tell them what they can become. Let your encouragement ignite the greatness on the inside. Help them rise up in confidence so they can be all God has called them to be. Are you speaking encouragement to the people in your life today?

September 19, 2013

Stressed

In this day and age, many people are filled with worry about their future.

They live stressed out, wondering, “What’s going to happen if I get laid off?” “How am I going to handle it if my loved one doesn’t make it?” Or, “My parents are getting older. How can I take care of them and my own family as well?” Here is the answer: God’s grace is going to be there at every stage of your life to help you do whatever you need to do. See, God’s grace is what saves us, but that’s not all. Grace is God’s enabling power. His grace will give you the strength, wisdom and favor to accomplish what you could not normally accomplish on your own. His grace is sufficient for whatever you need in your future. If you’re in a difficult marriage, if you’re raising a child that’s hard, if you’re facing a sickness, one thing you can count on is that the grace of God will be there. Receive His grace today, by faith, and let Him empower you to walk through that difficulty into a place of victory. Are you stress free today?

September 18, 2013

Motivated

Motivation gives you a reason and a passion to do the things you love to do and to push through the things you don’t like to do.

There are people who don’t like motivation because it only last for a short time. Taking a shower only last for a short time. So motivation has its place in your life, just like taking a shower. Motivation when used right will enable you to do great things. The main thing that motivation does though is it gives you passion and determination to do what needs to be done. There are going to be tasks in your destiny that you love to do and then some that you don’t want to do. Motivation is the key to both. It will give you that extra something you need to push through the task that you don’t like. At the same time it will give you the passion in doing the things you love to do. Motivation definitely has a place in your life. Listen to motivational material every day. Make sure it is sound, truthful and foundation building in your life. Motivation is only motivation when it motivates you. Are you motivated today?

September 17, 2013

Be Still

When was the last time you can remember being still?

I don’t mean sitting in traffic or standing in line at the store. In today’s fast-paced culture, people are constantly multitasking, trying to do more in less time, constantly on the go, constantly seeking information, constantly checking off to-do lists. And there is nothing wrong with any of these things. But if we are going to see the Lord fight our battles, if we are going to embrace the victory He has for us, we have to make it a priority to be still before Him. Being still means taking time alone in the presence of God. Being still means being quiet before Him, listening to His voice and meditating on His Word. But, we need to also keep our hearts and minds still no matter what else we are doing. Being still means silencing the negative voices in our minds. It means choosing right thoughts and putting our trust in Him. That’s why it’s so important to keep His Word first place in your life because when you know His Word, you know Him. When you know Him, you trust Him. When you trust Him, your heart and mind will be still before Him, and He will lead you into victory all the days of your life!. Are you being still today?

September 16, 2013

Principles and Values

Be respected for the principles and values that you believe in.

I am sure you have heard the saying; ‘if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.’ Make sure that your something is something that you respect. When you respect your principles and values then others will respect you. They may not always agree with what you stand for, but you will be respected for it. See, respected doesn’t necessarily mean agree. You can respect someone but not always agree with them. So, be careful that what you stand for is in fact worth standing for. Your principles and values are what will sustain you during the tough times of life. They will even keep you from some of the tough times. Principles and values are your foundation. Make sure they will stand the test of time. Be sure to keep them simple and basic. Don’t want to have to do a lot of thinking when in  difficult situation. I encourage you to choose your principles and values carefully, because they are your life line. Are you respected for your principles and values?

September 15, 2013

Demand Excellence

Simply put, you must demand excellence. Anything less can’t be acceptable.

It’s one thing to demand excellence from others, but you first have to demand excellence from yourself. When I talk about excellence I don’t mean perfection. Excellence is when you focus on the positive and eliminate the negative through positive focus. Perfection is when you only focus on the negative and never find any positive. Excellence is not only within you it is in you. Excellence is not an occasional thing, but an every day occasion. Refuse to accept anything less than excellence from yourself in everything you do; big and small. Excellence is the only way to achieve your goals and your destiny. You can be a person of excellence. You were created with excellence. Not perfection, but excellence. Focus on what you can do and do it. Stay focused and work with intensity until you are done. Dedicate yourself to being a person of excellence. Separate yourself from average and become who you were created to be. Make excellence a lifestyle. Are you living an excellent life today?

September 14, 2013

Full of Joy

Did you know that it is God’s will for you to be joyful always?

God wants you to be happy and carefree. He wants you to love your life no matter what your circumstances look like. In fact, when you have joy in the midst of difficult circumstances, it’s the evidence that you have to trust that God is going to bring you through. God’s supernatural joy is strength. When you have His joy, you can stand strong no matter what’s going on around you. You might say, “Scott, I’m just not a real jovial person. I’m more serious. I never laugh much.” I realize God made us all differently, but you can train yourself to laugh more. I read where the average child laughs over 200 times a day, but the average adult only laughs 4 times a day. What’s happened? We’ve allowed the pressures of life, stress and more responsibilities to, little by little, steal our joy. Make the decision today to get your joy back. Decide that you are going to look beyond your problems and look to God to see you through. Ask Him every day to fill you with His supernatural peace and joy so that you can live in His strength and victory all the days of your life. Do you have joy today?

September 13, 2013

Be Smart

Be patient after failure, and be smart. Tweak your process, but drastic measures are rarely necessary.

Having a process that you use in life will not guarantee that you don’t experience failure. As long as you are making a difference, working toward your destiny, and climbing your personal mountain you will go through the valley of failure. When you experience failure that is a good time to make some changes in your process. Usually small changes are all that are necessary. Sometimes we want to make all kinds of major, drastic changes that we will never be able to maintain. I understand that there will be times when major changes are needed. However, when you take a good honest look at your life and your process; chances are you will see that only a few small adjustments are needed. I have had major failures in my life and changes were made. However, small incremental changes have made a major difference. You are making a difference in your world. Don’t let failure knock you out of the game permanently. Don’t let those who try to tell you that you are not good enough stop you. Keep getting back up, dust yourself off, tweak your process and get back in the game. Do you need to make some small changes in your life today?

September 12, 2013

Leader in Learning

Great leaders know how to follow. They listen and learn from others.

You have been called into a leadership role. You may only be leading your own household right now, but you are a leader. You are a leader in training, but all leaders are in this position. Leaders are learners. The only way to learn is by listening to those that know more about what you are doing than you do. In my case, this isn’t hard to do. If you a leader that thinks that you know everything and no one can tell you anything, then you won’t be leading for very long. Be sure that you are humble enough to listen. This has been the downfall of many leaders. I have experienced this on more than one occasion. Don’t be a know-it-all, which is an oxymoron. No one knows it all, but rest assured there are those that know more. There are those that have been through more. Take the advice of those that have experienced the adversity and overcome it. Listen to those that have been there, done that and learned from it. Be a life long leader by being a life long learner. Are you a leader in learning today?