September 22, 2012
Relationship Journey
Relationships will determine where you go in life and who you become.
You are where you are right now. No matter what you did ten years ago or yesterday; here you are. The reason you are where you are is because of the relationships you formed. Some have had a more direct effect than others, but nevertheless, relationships determine where you go in life and who you become. This is to say, be careful who you allow into your inter circle. You may have many acquaintances but very few close relationships. I am of the sort that I have few acquaintances and ever fewer relationships. If that is you too, you have to be extremely careful who you allow in close. I am very thankful and humbled that I have an awesome wife that is my closest and best friend. Without her I would not have accomplished what I have. God, without a doubt, placed her in my life. Take a good close look at the people you have in your inner circle. You are where you are because of their influence in your life. Where are your relationships taking you today?
June 28, 2012
Listen Intently
Stepping into another person’s world, building trust, establishing relationship, offering hope, giving of yourself. This is how you make a difference.
When you allow another person to share their story with you; you step into their world with no agenda. Allowing someone to just unload their stuff on you is uncommon today. Uncommon when you don’t unload back, but you listen and allow them to just share with you. It can be ugly, what they have to say will not always easy to take. However, people are hurting and have all this messy stuff build up inside them. They need someone to just listen without having to tell all about their life. This is stepping into their world, where they are comfortable. Give them the right to share with you. Give them a sanctuary where they are safe. Listen to them without having to talk about yourself. There will come a time when can share your experiences with them. Right now though they just need someone to listen intently. Be the person that you would want someone to be for you. Is there someone today who needs to just unload on you all their mess? Are you willing to listen intently to their story?
June 26, 2012
Got to be Right
There are two things that seem to mess up most relationships. People’s desire to be right and to correct others.
In most any relationship the want to be right and the need to correct the other person will do severe damage. I am not referring to only marriages but all types of relationships. When we have to be right and then try to make others agree with us; we will drive them away. Also, when we have to correct everyone when we feel like they are wrong, the relationship will suffer. There is right and wrong, but you may not be the one that should determine what that is. No one has it all figured out anyways. When we learn to give and have more patience with others, then the relationship will grow. Understand that you don’t have all the answers or been given the title as “All Knowing.” Relax, let others have their opinion, let them think the way they choose to think. Remember, there are others that have to deal with you and me too. You may just learn something when you listen, and realize you don’t always have to be right, because you aren’t always right. Is there a relationship today that could learn from and make stronger by not having to right or correcting the other person?
April 1, 2012
Showing the Love
Never take the people in your life for granted. The only way you will ever do this is to show them the love you desire in your life. Love them despite it all.
There are people that will come into and then out of your life. There are people that will be in your life for a long season. Whether for a day or for a lifetime, never take people for granted. There is something that they can add to your life and you to theirs. Never take for granted the people that God has placed in your life today. There is only one way to do this; love them. Give them the love that you desire in your life. We all have an innate need to be loved. Show others this love and you will receive that love too. It may not come directly from that person, but that is okay too. We don’t have the right to pick and choose who we love. Love is the only thing that matters. No love, no peace.
March 18, 2012
Rescued
There are people today that need rescuing. Who haven’t you seen around lately? Who doesn’t come to the gym, church, restaurant, or any other meeting place like they used to?
There are folk in your life that have dropped off the radar. Where did they go? Where are they at? Don’t just write them off. Go find them and bring them back to where they should be today. You may have to get your hands dirty. You may have to get rid of your pride and go after them. “Well, I’m not going to chase after them, they know where we are,” won’t cut it. Make sure they know that they are needed, they are missed, they are appreciated and they are loved. They make have lost their sense of purpose, their destiny for some reason. You have a responsibility to go to them, even when they don’t respond. They may need the attention they are seeking. What’s the worse that can happen? You may get rejected time and time again. Don’t give up, keep going after them. You are not wasting your time. Go after the ones that have drifted away today!
March 16, 2012
Never Give Up
It has been said many times in many different ways; “Don’t give up.” It’s some of the best advice anyone could ever give.
There are going to be days when it looks like you have no choice but to give up. That is the day you must stand strong and face the situation head on. There will be times when it looks like you are going to lose your mind if you don’t give up. That is the day that you must make up your mind to not give in to that temptation. There will always be good reasons to give up, but the truth always says, never give up. Don’t give up on your relationships, don’t give up on your finances, don’t give up on your health, your goals are within your reach. It is during the tough times that we find out what we are made of. Know that God did not give you an assignment just to see you fail it. Failure is not a permanent thing, unless you make it such. Giving up should never be an option for you. The truth is you go through tough situations to prove yourself. Grow from, learn from, and go through those hard days. See yourself in a whole new light when you don’t give up, but rather you overcome.
February 26, 2012
Take a Little Time
Before you unload on someone and give them a piece of your mind. Find out why they are acting the way they are towards you. Chances are there is a good reason for their actions.
We don’t know the pain and heart ache that someone may be experiencing. We need to be more sensitive to someone’s situation. When we stop judging people and start healing people we will find their actions towards us will change. When someone is rude to us we feel like we have to be rude right back. We have no good reason for it, but maybe they did in the first place. They may be going through a terrible situation at home. They may be experiencing things you never thought possible. Start loving them, offering them hope, giving them encouragement. Give them a shoulder to lean on rather than the cold shoulder. It may be their fault, they may be in the wrong for what is going on, but we aren’t called to be their judge and jury. We are called to help the hurting, to comfort those that are in distress. Rather than a piece of your mind, give them a peace of mind.
February 15, 2012
Reconciling
Many people have had relationships that for one reason or another ended. It may have been the only solution, but there are others that wasn’t the case.
Is there someone that you have cut out of your life that you need to go and make things right with today. Could be a parent, a child, a friend or even your spouse. There is someone you just thought about. Go to that person and make it right. You may not can do this in person, but find a way to reconcile and restore the relationship today. Even if they don’t accept your attempt; you know that you tried . There is nothing more you can do than try to make it right. Feel the peace, the joy, the refreshed feeling that comes from reconciling and restoring that relationship. You will be so glad you did.
January 12, 2012
Showing Honor
Everywhere we go, we should look for an opportunity to show honor to others in our conversations and the way we treat people. Where there is honor, there is promotion.
If we would show more honor, we would not only have better relationships, but we would enjoy our life a whole lot more. It’s the little acts of dishonor that bring strife and confusion in our lives. At the root of most confusion and lack of blessing is dishonor. Want to see change in your life? Show more respect and honor to those in your life. Set out to honor someone–your spouse, a co-worker, a friend, your parents. Develop a culture of honor everywhere you go no matter who you come across or where you are. The amount of honor show will be directly related to the amount of God’s favor you will see. If you will make it a priority to show honor wherever you go. God promises all will be well with you. Because you’re honorable, you will have honor in return and live a blessed, satisfied, prosperous life.
January 7, 2012
You Are the Difference
Don’t give up; don’t quit. We are one week into the new year and already many people have already thrown in the towel.
You may not have been as consistent as you would like in the past years; even in the past week. However, that does not mean you should give up on your goals and especially not on yourself. You can make a difference in the world today. Look around and you will see hurting, discouraged, hopeless, unloved people walking around acting if all was fine. You can make a major difference in right where you are today. You don’t have to be on TV, radio, the newspaper, or any major platform. Just take the time to notice the people that you interact with each day. There are thousands of people that just need a little inspiration, encouragement, motivation, and love injected into their life. Show the love that inside of you, show the grace, the mercy, the hope that you contain. No matter how it looks in your life you still have the gift that you were born with and it’s still valuable. Today is the day to make a difference.