10 years ago today at 7:30am my dad went on home. He proved to me that a person can change. He over came his demons that he had fought his entire life and became the man/father/husband that he had always wanted to be. The last six months of his life were some of the best days of his life, even though he was battling cancer. I am proud of the changes he made and will always remember our last night together. Remembering you today Rad! Death may take the person but it can never take the relationship.
Monthly Archives: December 2013
December 21, 2013
Skills
When people hear the story of David and Goliath, sometimes they think, “That was all God.”
In a sense, I know it was God, but the truth is that God didn’t sling the stone. God didn’t cause it to hit at just the right spot. It was the skill God gave David that he had developed. Like David, God has put in you skill that can slay a giant. You have skill that can open new doors, skills that can lead to an abundant life, but the key is that your skill has to be developed. Every day that you spend growing, learning and improving, you’re getting prepared for that new level. Today, while you’re waiting for that new opportunity, start sharpening your skills. Study your boss. Study your manager. Learn that position. Be able to step into their shoes. When God sees that you are prepared, then He can open new doors. The scripture says, “Your gifts will make room for you.” Keep developing your skills because there is a giant slayer in you! Are you working on your God given skills today?
December 20, 2013
Being Confident
When God places a promise in your heart, you have to come to the place where you believe it’s going to happen so strongly that nothing can talk you out of it.
It may seem impossible. All the circumstances may tell you that it’s not going to happen, but deep down you have to have this confidence, this knowing, that God is still in charge. He is bigger than any obstacle. He already has a way, and at the exact time, what He promised will come to pass. You have this unshakeable confidence. You know that God is fighting your battles, arranging things in your favor, making a way even when you don’t see a way. Instead of being discouraged, you get up in the morning thanking God that the answer is on the way. Instead of talking about how big the problem is, you go through the day talking about how big your God is. Your mind is set in one direction: victory, favor, healing, restoration. It may be taking a long time, but God didn’t bring you this far to leave you. You’ve seen Him do it in the past, and you know He will do it again in the future. You are fully persuaded because when you know your God, you have unshakeable confidence. How is your confidence today?
December 19, 2013
Growth
If God made everything happen right away, or whenever we wanted it to happen, it wouldn’t require anything of us.
We would miss the opportunity to grow because we grow in the difficult times. We grow when our faith is being stretched, when we have to believe when we don’t see any reason to believe, when we stay in faith when our mind is telling us we’re wasting our time, when we give God credit but we really feel like complaining. That’s passing the test. When you do that every day, your faith is not only increasing, your character is not only being developed, but you are one day closer to seeing the promise come to pass. Today, don’t give up on a promise just because you’ve been waiting a long time. Dig your heels in. Put on a new attitude. God is saying, “Every promise I’ve spoken over you, every dream I’ve placed in your spirit, even the secret petitions of your heart, the dreams you haven’t told anyone about, I still have every intention of bringing them to pass.” Are you digging in today?
December 18, 2013
Miss You Rad
December 18, 2013
Living Excellence
Excellence is not a one time thing, but a habit. You are what you do over and over again.
There was an article out recently that talked about how to reduce the risk of being laid off. There are three main things that employers look for when deciding who to keep. They want to keep people who are positive, people who are versatile, and people who are always improving. Are you focused on developing your gifts in such a way that your company cannot make it without you? Do they notice that things don’t run nearly as smoothly when you’re not there? If you take a week off and nobody misses you, all the work gets done and sales are just as good, unless you’re the owner, it’s time to sound the alarm. If you’re not being missed, then maybe you’re not needed. You need to kick it into a new gear and start producing more than you have been. When we sharpen our skills, when we work with a spirit of excellence, we will stand out. Leaders will take notice. Remember, as you keep doing your best, as you stay faithful and keep growing, God will cause you to be noticed and move forward in the life of blessing He has prepared for you. Are you doing your best today?
December 17, 2013
Playing in Pain
Sometimes in life, you’ve got to play in pain.
In other words, you’ve got to keep going even when you don’t feel like it. You have to keep pressing forward even when it’s not easy. Every voice will tell you, “You’re done. There’s nothing good in your future.” No, don’t believe those lies. God sees your effort. It’s one thing to do the right thing and make good decisions when everything is going your way. That’s great. God honors that. But when times are tough and nothing is going your way, when you’re hurting, when you should be on the sidelines nursing your injury but instead you’re still in the game; you’re still getting to work on time; you’re still being good to someone, you’re still expecting God to turn it around, that gets God’s attention in a new way. I believe God has a greater victory for people who are faithful in the tough times. If that’s you today, know that God has His hand on you. He’s walking with you through the valley. He’s preparing streams in the dessert. Keep working your process. Keep believing. Keep moving forward knowing that God is with you, and His comfort will guide you to the place of blessing. Are you in pain but still playing?
December 16, 2013
New Year Time
This time of year, people often take time to reflect and set goals for the New Year.
Have you ever set “perfection” as a goal on your list? Now, that may seem a little strange or unobtainable to many; but really, in God’s eyes, perfection isn’t about performance. In fact, it isn’t about behavior at all. What God is looking for is a heart that is perfect toward Him. Scripture says that man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart. That means He is more pleased with someone who has a heart toward Him who may mess up than He is with someone doing all the right things for all the wrong reasons. The condition of your heart is extremely important to God. When you have a right heart, you are humble before Him. You look for His ways. You get up each day with a desire to please Him. You submit every area of your life to Him, and you are willing to make adjustments and receive correction so you can grow and come up higher. As you prepare for the coming year, make knowing Him your number one priority. Yield yourself to Him and let Him shape your character. Serve Him with all your might and let your heat be perfect toward Him. Are you ready for the New Year?
December 15, 2013
Game Time
Find your passion and make it happen. Be on a mission and live your life on purpose. Be motivated by your desire to achieve.
It’s easy to have a good attitude and pursue our dreams as long as everything is going our way. That doesn’t take a lot determination. But what about the difficult times — when a relationship doesn’t work out, or you get a bad health report, or a friend does you wrong? It’s easy to lose your passion when you’re hurt. Too many people are sitting on the sidelines of life because they’re injured. Now they’re nursing their wounds, not moving forward because of what they’ve been through. You may have a reason to feel sorry for yourself, but you don’t have a right. God promised He will give you beauty for those ashes. He said He would pay you back double for the wrongs, but you have to do your part. If you’re going to see the beauty, you have to shake off the ashes of self-pity. You’ve got to shake off the discouragement and get back in the game. Every person has injuries. We all have wounds, but you can’t let a loss, a health issue, a divorce or a hurt be an excuse to sit on the sidelines. Today, get back in the game. Know that your best days are ahead. Know that He is working things together for your good, and He has victory in store for your future. Are you ready to get back in the game today?
December 14, 2013
Visualize It
If you don’t see yourself succeeding, or you don’t feel deserving, you will sabotage yourself.
One of the keys to seeing your dreams becoming reality is to see them come to pass in your mind’s eye first. One of the greatest baseball players of our time told me that all through the day he sees himself hitting the ball. Before he gets up to the plate, he visualizes getting on base. He has this picture of himself succeeding. It’s gotten deep down on the inside, and now he’s moving toward it. Of course, it takes more than just visualization to see our dreams come to pass. It takes obedience; it takes prayer, and it has to be a part of God’s plan for our lives. But what I’m saying is that if you’ll keep the right pictures in your imagination, seeing yourself winning, seeing yourself healthy and whole, that’s going to get deep down on the inside and set the course for your life. When your mind is in agreement with God’s Word, it will help guide you toward your destiny. You will have a supernatural strength and power to see those dreams and desires come to pass in your life. Do you see it?
December 13, 2013
Time to Receive
Limits begin where vision ends.
God has greater blessings in store for you! He has favor in your future like you’ve never imagined. He wants to take you places that you’ve never dreamed. But in order for us to partake of all these blessings, we have to increase our capacity to receive. Think about this: if you have a one-gallon bucket, and someone has fifty gallons to give you, the problem is not with the supply. The problem is that you don’t have the capacity to receive the fifty gallons. But if you get rid of that small container and get something larger, then you will be able to receive more. It’s the same way with God. If we think we’ve reached our limits, the problem isn’t that God doesn’t have the resources or the ability. The problem is that our container is too small. We have to enlarge our vision and make room for the new things God has for us. Our attitude should be, “Even though the economy is down, I know God is still on in charge. I know wherever I go His goodness and mercy follow me.” When you have that kind of attitude, you’re increasing your capacity to receive so that you can live the abundant life He has in store for you. Are you ready to receive today?