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 game is scheduled.  We have to play it.  We might as well win!" -- Bill Russell former NBA star of the Boston Celtics

Over the years, I’ve seen lots of articles on how to succeed, but never one on how to be a failure. Thus, I’ve composed the following list: 40 easy ways to fail. 1. Focus on all the reasons why it won’t work. 2. Don’t bother praying. 3. Intend to begin, but don’t start. 4. Stop proceeding at the first speed bump. 5. Facing backwards, try to recreate the past. 6. Whine and complain often. 7. Fear making an investment. 8. Put in only what is required. 9. Be a self-centered pig. 10. Find someone to blame. 11. List a dozen good excuses, and use them all. 12. Absorb and reflect negativity. 13. Ignore wise counsel. 14. Hoard. 15. Manipulate people for personal gain. 16. Belittle yourself and others. 17. Fail to write down your goals and dreams. 18. Major on the minors and minor on the majors. 19. Don’t prioritize your use of time. 20. Don’t budget your money. 21. Live humorlessly. 22. Over-react when someone disappoints you. 23. Carry grudges and ...

"The ONLY obstacle that will ALWAYS keep us from success: Not starting." -- John Maxwell

How do you define success?” A good friend asked me that question recently, and I’ve been mulling over it. Many people define it as MORE: More money. More toys More vacations More luxuries More things. Others define it as BETTER: Driving a better car. Living in a better house. Having better vacations. Being promoted to a better position. Still, others define it as ATTRACTION: Being beautiful Being intelligent Being popular Being acclaimed Some define it as POWER: Influence Authority Strength Conquest But how does the Bible define success? Read the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. They are considered wisdom literature, written by Solomon, noted as the wisest man who ever lived. How is success defined in the world’s greatest wisdom guides? 1) Trusting God. 2) Being Faithful 3) Seeking Wisdom and Understanding 4) Enjoying your Work 5) Enjoying your Relationships 6) Staying Sweet 7) Doing Good 8) Blessing (Refreshing) Others In other words, true success goes far deeper than the outward a...

Fail Selectively

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

A great post by Tony Morgan: Ten Reasons Why You're Probably Going to Fail.

Reach for the Sky! “To make your life small when it could be great is sin and heresy!” -- Elton Trueblood When babies are born into this world, they are really cute – and they are characterized by helplessness, sensitivity, and unfulfilled potential. Now, that’s perfectly normal for a baby – but not a grown up. God gave us all potential so we can discover and live it! You have to grow to grow up! Maturity means you can’t allow yourself to stay helpless. Don't let yourself harbor hurt feelings. Strive to be your best, and refuse to settle for mediocrity. As the wise old bard once said “The saddest words in tongue or pen are simply these: It might have been.” What is Potential? NA + SD + D + P + FOF + WTL Natural Ability + Self Discipline + Drive + Persistence + Faith Overcoming Fear + Willingness to Learn = Potential! How do you determine your potential? P – Prayerfully determine what God wants you to do with the rest of your life. O – Organize your life around this mission T – ...

Seth Godin passed along this thought provoking post (Thanks to Jerry for pointing me to it). It's a clock, turned off, not ticking, showing no progress, encased in a beautiful glass sculpture. When you're ready to make the leap, to commit, to make something happen, you break the glass. The sculpture is ruined. All you have are shards of broken glass. And a working clock. It's alive and it's changing and moving forward. Interpretation??

The successful person has the habit of doing the things failures don't do. They don't like doing them either necessarily, but their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose." -- E. M. Gray