January 1, 2022
Grow in 2022
Have you ever seen a palm tree in the midst of a great storm?
That tree may be bent so far over that it’s almost touching the ground, but when the wind finally stops, that palm tree bounces right back up. What’s interesting is that while that palm tree is hunched over under the pressure of the storm, it is actually becoming stronger. See, the reason God said we’d flourish like a palm tree is because He knew there would be difficult times. He knew things would come against us to try to steal our joy and victory. But God said, “You’re going to be like a palm tree because when the storms of life blow, you are going to come right back up stronger than before.” As you reflect on the events over the last year, remember, the storms you have encountered have only made you stronger. You are wiser, you are more alive, and you are headed for victory. Your brightest days are right out in front of you! Always remember that with God on your side, nothing can hold you back. Are you ready to grow in 2022?
November 2, 2021
Let It All Hang Out
How do you recognize a person that is hurting on the inside? How do you know if the person sitting next to you right now is going through a really tough situation? Chances are if you around folk today that most of them are hurting in some way. There is a chance, too, that it could be you.
It can be hard sometimes to know if someone is going through a valley type situation because we hide it so well. We don’t want other to know that we don’t have it all together. We try to keep it a secret and make others think that we are tough. If we tell someone about our hurts, disappointments and fears then they may think less of us. Trust me, when we tell them is not when they find out about it. Most times those that know us already know when we are hurting and they too know fears. Truthfully though, does it really matter if they didn’t know? What if we were to open ourselves up and expose our inner most parts? Is getting all the mess out worse than dealing with them and living with them every day? For me I thought it was better to keep it all in, but I have realized that it is much better to get it out. It is true that you have to be careful who you open up to, but find that person. Talk to your spouse, your parents, a teacher, a coach, a pastor. Find that one person you can talk to and be safe.
January 3, 2021
A Good Word
Some people are discouraged because they don’t know how to encourage themselves.
Don’t spend your life waiting for someone else to pick you up, encourage you and get you going. Be a self encourager. Learn to speak words of encouragement to yourself. Each day when you wake up, start the day by speaking positive, encouraging words to yourself. No one has to hear it, but you need to. You hear every word you say. You “hear” every thought you have too. Use your words and thoughts to help you in your daily life. As we get this new year started, let’s start it off right. Begin the new year by encouraging yourself. You will then see it spread to others. When you are encouraged you will be an example others will follow. Change your perspective and attitude about yourself, your family, your friends and see your complete life change for the better. Be a self encourager today. Are you speaking words of encouragement to yourself every day?
November 19, 2017
Surrounded
Let go of those who bring you down and surround yourself with those who bring out the best in you.
When you’re working your process to be the best at what you do there will be people that will try to bring you down. They don’t want you to be successful because it makes them look bad. It’s the crab in the bucket cycle. When you put crabs in a bucket and one starts to climb out the others will pull the crab back down. These are the type people you want to avoid. However there are people that are working hard too. They will be bring the best out of you. These are the people that you want to surround yourself with. They will push you to work smarter and harder everyday. There more than likely won’t be as many of these type people around. So choose wisely when you choose your inner circle. Who are you surrounding yourself with today?
July 19, 2017
Help Someone
One of signs of greatness is wanting something better for others. It’s the willingness to take second place if it means willfully moving others higher.
It’s easy to be someone’s friend when they’ve got it all together, when they’re walking in blessing and prosperity. Anybody can believe in people after they’re successful, after they graduate, after they’re promoted, after they get their big break. But, people need our support the most before they get their breakthrough. They need us to look past their faults and failures and see their potential. Most times, people just need a little “push” of encouragement to keep them moving forward. We should always put ourselves in the other person’s shoes and see things from their perspective. You may have some good advice that could save them a lot of heartache and pain. Don’t keep it to yourself. Pick up the phone. Help them win. Maybe you excelled in a college course that they’re struggling in. Don’t sit back and think, “Too bad. They’ve got to learn it the hard way.” When you help others rise higher, you are fulfilling your mission. Today, share your love, support and encouragement. Invest life in others, see their potential. Is there someone you need to help move higher?
July 23, 2015
Never Be Satisfied
Never satisfied, never content, always pushing higher and higher is the mark of a Champion.
Being unstoppable means you never let up. Always looking for ways to get better. A Champion is a Champion because they never give up. If you’re going to be the best at what you do then you can never be content where you are. You are learning and growing everyday. As we continue toward your goals, I want to encourage you to make the changes to be a Champion. There is something you do that no one can do like you do. You have a gift/talent that was given to you for a reason. To be the difference in someone’s life. Are you ready to be a Champion?
February 13, 2014
Healthy Competing
It’s easy to be tempted to go through life competing with everyone around us.
When we see someone who’s more talented, better looking or has more gifts, instead of running our race and being comfortable with who we are, oftentimes we feel inferior and think, “I’ve got to catch up to them.” The problem with this unhealthy competition is that it’s a never-ending cycle. There will always be someone ahead of us. But, it’s a very freeing thing when you realize, “I’m not competing with you. I don’t have to have as big a house as my neighbor to feel good about myself. I don’t have to keep up with my co-worker. I don’t have to be a certain size. No, I understand that I’m not in competition with my friend, my neighbor or my co-worker. Instead, I’m going to be the best me that I can possibly be.” Friend, that’s an attitude God can work with. When you focus on being who God made you to be, that’s when you’ll rise up higher and position yourself for every spiritual blessing He has in store for you. Are you being the you that you can be today?
January 1, 2014
Grow in 2014
Have you ever seen a palm tree in the midst of a great storm?
That tree may be bent so far over that it’s almost touching the ground, but when the wind finally stops, that palm tree bounces right back up. What’s interesting is that while that palm tree is hunched over under the pressure of the storm, it is actually becoming stronger. See, the reason God said we’d flourish like a palm tree is because He knew there would be difficult times. He knew things would come against us to try to steal our joy and victory. But God said, “You’re going to be like a palm tree because when the storms of life blow, you are going to come right back up stronger than before.” As you reflect on the events over the last year, remember, the storms you have encountered have only made you stronger. You are wiser, you are more alive, and you are headed for victory. Your brightest days are right out in front of you! Always remember that with God on your side, nothing can hold you back. Are you ready to grow in 2014?
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?
November 13, 2013
Keep Growing
Too many people suffer from “destination disease.”
In other words, they’ve reached a certain level or obtained a goal, now they’re coasting in life off of what they’ve already learned. Studies tell us that 50% of people, after they graduate from high school, will never read an entire book the rest of their life. One reason is that people see learning as a period of life instead of a way of life. They think, “I’m out of school. I’m done with my training. I’ve got my job.” Whether you’re 90 years old or 9 years old, you should be constantly learning, improving your skills, and getting better at what you do. The key is that you have to take responsibility for your growth. Growth is not automatic. What steps are you taking to get better? Are you reading books? Listening to teaching CD’s? Are you taking any courses on the internet? Going to any seminars? Do you have any mentors? Don’t just coast through life relying on what you’ve already learned. You have treasure on the inside. Develop your talent and become all that God created you to be. Are you still growing today?