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1 Way To Honor Your Spouse (or anyone else)

I don’t remember who I heard say this, but for some reason, it stuck with me.

It stuck with me enough that it’s become something I practice regularly when my wife walks into the room where I’m sitting.

I stand up.

I know it seems simple, but it’s just my way of honoring her,
of honoring her presence in the room.

It’s my way of acknowledging that her presence means something to me.

What’s one way you honor your spouse, significant other, or anyone you respect?

Would you RT this post to help spread the honor?

Leading While Breathing

Leadership = Influence

The truth is, no matter who you are, where you go, what you do, or who you’re around, you’re influencing (leading) someone.

Whether you realize it or not, your decisions are effecting (or affecting, I get those confused) :-) other people.
Whether you realize it or not, someone is watching you move so they know how to.
Whether you realize it or not, you’re impacting other people.

  • Your family.
  • Your children.
  • Your spouse.
  • Your classmates.
  • Your employees.
  • Other leaders.

Lead well.

Consider others as you lead.
Pursue relationships that can impact you.
Pursue relationships where you can impact others.

Don’t shy away from leading.
Don’t back down.

Lead well.

Who are you leading?
How are you leading?

3 Stages of Understanding

When I come across new music that I like, I rarely just buy one song off of iTunes.

I usually buy the entire album.

After I download it, I listen straight through the CD. My thinking, of course, is that if I like the one song, I may like the entire album.

As I was listening to a new album last week, I had this thought…

I learn music in 3 stages.

And, I don’t think it’s just music that I go through these stages in. In fact, I think much of what I do and understand some how and in some ways tracks through 3 similar stages of understanding…

1. Beat

The first few times of hearing a new song, I get a sense of the beat of the song… I understand the tempo a little. There’s really (at least for me) nothing more to it the first few times. I have a very limited and general understanding. However, I usually make a decision based on that limited information as to if I want to continue to learn the son.

2. Basics

After hearing the song for a few days and weeks, I begin to get a basic understanding. i understand the tempo to the song, some of the instruments used in the song, and some of the words (the chorus mainly). At this point, I have a basic understanding of what the song is about and where the artist is coming from.

3. Details

Finally, after a few weeks of hearing a song repeatedly, I begin to fully understand it. The little things in the song begin to stand out to me. I begin to know what those hard to understand words are (you know, the ones you usually just hum too?). I get the details of it and understand it completely. Now, don’t get me wrong… I still don’t know it as well as the artists.

Why is any of this important?

Because, if we can get through these stages quicker, the possibilities are better. If we can help others understand more quickly, the vision will be closer to becoming a reality.

What about you? Have you noticed this process in any particular life situations? Any unique places/leadership areas?

Paint Your Canvas

When an artist stands in front of a blank canvas for the first time, the possibilities are endless. The artist can paint absolutely anything they want inside the parameters of the canvas and the paint that sits in front of them. They determine what goes on to the canvas, the mood of the painting, and what others will see when they look at the finished art.

Each day, you and I sit in front of an empty canvas that is our life. As we go through our day, it’s painted with the places we go, the people we interact with, the way we effect those people, the way we react to circumstances, and the purposes we achieve for that day.

My challenge to us today…

Paint your canvas.

Dont let someone else come in and steal it from you.
Don’t let tough times rob the joy from it.
Don’t let the enemy convince you that your canvas is void of potential because of its painter.

Paint your canvas.

Your life is a canvas too. At the end of it, something will appear.
What will it be? What will people see as they look at it? What will they remember as they see your canvas in full?

Paint your canvas.
Let God determine the picture.

Is your canvas not what you want it to be?

You’re in luck…

Today brings a completely blank one…
Your life’s canvas can be changed for good. No matter what you’ve been painting, it’s not too late to get a new canvas.

Use today’s canvas for what you talked about doing yesterday.
Use today’s canvas to do what you’ve been wanting to do for months.
Use today’s canvas to make that right but tough decision.
Use today’s canvas to help someone you know needs it.
Use today’s canvas to encourage the person beside you.

Paint your canvas.

What are you wanting to paint today?

[Free Stuff - Click the image above to view it full size and save it to your iphone or mobile device. Set it as your homepage wallpaper. The text falls directly below the last row of apps and above the dock. (of course, RT's appreciated #PaintYourCanvas)]

Chores Are Opportunities

I don’t know about you, but there are some things that I have to do on occasion that I just don’t wanna do. Sometimes it’s something that I agreed to do beforehand and sometimes it’s just something that I notice needs to be done and am convicted to do.

It’s not that I want to do it or that I’m necessarily good at,
it’s just one of those chores that I have to do.

As I was muddling through another one of these chores the other day, it hit me…

Some chores are hidden opportunities.

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the show on the Food Network called “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”, but the basic idea is that they find the best little hole in the wall restaurants and spotlight them on the show. It’s those places that look kinda bad on the outside but offer great food on the inside.

I think sometimes our chores are like those diners and dives.

The seems so nasty and unappealing thinking about them and doing them time and time again, but they can sometimes be hidden gems.

If we’re faithful with them, sometimes they lead to a blessing.
If we give them our best, sometimes they provide a bigger end.
It we make them a priority, they can really make a difference.

I don’t know what ‘chores’ you have to do today or any other day,
but don’t just suffer through them.

See them as opportunities.

Colossians 3:23 Whatever your work is, do it gladly. Do it as you would do it unto the Lord and not for people.

What chores do you have that may be opportunities?

#Linsanity – Determination, Hard Work, & Seizing Opportunity

I don’t know how many  of you have heard the story of Jeremy Lin and his sudden rise to stardom in the NBA, but here are some of the details about this guy…

  • Not offered a single athletic scholarship out of high school
  • Walked on for Harvard University
  • Undrafted out of college
  • Signed and cut by 2 NBA teams
  • 4 string pointguard for the NY Knicks
  • Starting pointguard for the Knicks on Feb 4th because of multiple injuries to other players.
  • 4 straights 20 point games.
  • Scored 38 points Friday night to help the Knicks beat the Lakers.

How’d he do it?

  • He didn’t listen to all of the people that said he couldn’t.
  • He didn’t pout when rejection came knocking, he used it as fuel to get better.
  • He was prepared for the opportunity that was given to him.

The time between now and your opportunity is crucial.

What we do between now and the opportunity is what determines our level of success.

What we do while we’re waiting on our opportunity to present itself is critical to the result when the opportunity arises.

Preperation can be a hard thing.
Displaying patience while you have a burning desire can be torturing.
Working hard between the dream and the opportunity can be a seemingly endless process.

Regardless of what you’ve been called to-do.

No matter what your dream is…

Prepare for the the future opportunities today!
Take advantage of the opportunities you’re given.

Go for it! 

What opportunities are waiting for you to seize them? What are you doing now to prepare for them? What’s stopping you?

You Need Three Loves

With all of the things you and I have going on.
With all of the responsibilities and appointments, it’s impossible for us to invest in everyone.

So, we have to choose. We have to love everyone (Jesus teaches us this), but we can’t love everyone in the same way… to the same degree.

It’s impossible… our time is limited.

I can’t love everyone as much as I love my wife.

I can’t get to know everyone and love everyone as much as I love my close friends.

But, I have to love everyone.

So how to I balance it?

I love with a plan.

1 Thessalonians 2:8 We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.

Here are 3 loves that you and I should have…

Common love.

It’s righteous to love others. Jesus teaches us this when He says, “Come to me all who are weary.” We have to love everyone. We are commanded to put others before ourselves and to care about their eternity… to share God’s love with them.

Close love.

This goes deeper and shares more of life than common love. You show close love to your friends and people that you believe in and that believe in you. You pull these people closer, spend more time engaging them and more time sharing yourself with them. You usually hold something in common with these people (hobby, church, personality, place of work, etc.).

Cherished love.

This is that close circle that you know and love best. These are the people that you’re willing to share the deepest parts of your life and emotions with. We trust these people and cherish our time with them. It’s a mutual love and respect. No one holds the upper ground in this relationship, you’re there for each other and go through difficult times together. These are our family and close friends. These are the people we rely on most and go to first when we need someone.

Knowing thses 3 levels of love can really help us love the way Jesus did. They help us make more time for the things and people that matter most while still loving the world. I’m betting that many of us already have this in place and just didn’t know it.

Thoughts?

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