Revitalize Your Church

I discovered, long ago, that a wish or desire is not enough to get something done. Every accomplishment starts with an idea, of course -- but ideas, alone, won't make things happen. Even a very strong "want to" won't bring the follow through. Getting something done requires doing something ahead of time! 1. What Gets Scheduled Gets Done. A while back, I shared a great vacation idea with my wife, Cathy. "Hey, we should go on a cruise sometime!" "When are you thinking we should do this?" Cathy wondered. "I dunno. Just sometime . . ." Cathy replied, "Well, the only way that's going to happen is if it gets on the calendar." For years, I said I wanted to author a book, but never seemed to have the time to write it. Then, I actually did it. Here's what made the difference. I put" book writing" on my weekly calendar. When I scheduled a definite time to write -- presto -- the book magically appea...

The noted philosopher, Thomas Carlyle, dressed to speak before a large audience, was walking out the door when his mother spoke to him. "And where might you be going, Thomas?" she asked. "I'm going to tell the people what's wrong with the world." "Aye, Thomas," his mother responded, "But are you going to tell them what to do about it?" It doesn't take a genius to realize that there are a lot of problems in this world. Any simpleton can point out what's wrong. There are flaws and shortcomings in every organization, family, and individual. If you're looking for faults - you'll find them. They're everywhere! In fact, you have a quite a few of them yourself! (If you're not sure about that, ask you family members.) It is no great badge of honor to be a fault -finder. It takes a great person, however, to be a "good-finder". I believe there is a direct link between attitude and emotional health. Nega...

I once heard somewhere that there is a greater wealth of master symphonies, brilliant novels, and revolutionary ideas in a graveyard than anywhere else in the world. In other words, there is a greater mass of ideas that never left the heads of men and women than that actually saw the light of day and had an opportunity to make an impact. -- Steve Furtick

"How, then, find the courage for action? By accepting the human condition more simply and candidly, by dreading troubles less, calculating less, hoping more." -- Henri-Frederic Amiel

I discovered a long time ago, that a wish or desire is not enough to get something done. Every accomplishment starts with an idea, of course -- but the idea, alone, won't make it happen. Even a very strong "want to" won't bring the follow through. If you want to get something done, you have to DO something about it ahead of time! 1. What Gets Scheduled Gets Done. The other day, I shared a great vacation idea with my wife, Cathy. "Hey, we oughta go to Florida next January!" (I think the arctic temps had something to do with that inspiration.) "When are you thinking we should do this?" Cathy wondered. "I dunno. Just sometime in January -- or maybe February . . ." Cathy replied, "The only way that's going to happen is if it gets on the calendar." For years, I've been saying I want to write a book, but never seemed to have the time to write it. This year, however, it's different. I'm really writing the book! How did ...

"People judge you by your actions, not by your intentions. You may have a heart of gold, but so does a hard boiled egg." -- Anonymous

Ideas are a dime a dozen. Millions of people have good ideas, but never get around to doing anything with them. What a tragedy to see so many unrealized hopes and dreams. Why do we put off the important tasks of life? Why do we allow ourselves to settle into the plateau of mediocrity? Here are a few possible explanations for this phenomenon: 1) We tend to value comfort more than accomplishment. When forced to make a choice between the two, most people follow the path of least resistance. 2) Fear of failure can keep us from starting. Of course, the greatest failure is not trying. I'd rather attempt something great, and fail -- than to attempt nothing and succeed. 3) Poor time management keeps us from fulfilling our dreams. If we don't schedule the important things into our lives, they won't get done. Poor planning leads to hectic living - with little to show for it. 4) Our actions reveal our true priorities. We live what we really believe - regardless of what we say. Rethink...

If your ship hasn't come in, swim out to it! -- Jonathan Winters

Happy New Year! Every January, instead of making a bunch of resolutions, I like to develop a theme for the New Year. Sometimes, I make the theme rhyme, such as, “Knock ‘em Alive in 2005” and “Make it Great in 2008.” This year, I’m going off rhyme. (although I could say “Things Will Be Fine in 2009” or “Walk the Line in 2009.” Nope, I’m not going to rhyme it this year. Instead, I want LIVE it. Here’s my 2009 New Year’s Focus: “Listen and Do.” Yep, that’s it. Simple and sweet. Listen and Do. 1) Listen: You and I have been given two ears and one mouth. That’s because we’re supposed to listen twice as much as we speak. However, I’ve discovered that talking is easer than hearing. Explaining is easier than listening deeply. Why is it so hard to listen? Consider this. We speak at 100-150 words per minute. We are able to comprehend at 250-300 words per minute. We think at 600 words per minute. So, if you are a fast thinker (600 wpm) and the other person is a slow talker (100 w...