Bridge From God

I was in a meeting this morning with five other individuals in which we were talking about the possibility of something pretty cool happening in our region. We began the meeting by introducing ourselves and explaining a bit of what led us each to this point.

One of the guys (Matt) said that he is continually on the lookout for "bridges from God." He said that what we were about to discuss fit that description. Most people might consider it coincidences that brought us together. In his mind it was clear that God was up to something.

In Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby says that God wants one primary thing from us and that is intimacy with Him. He wants to be close to us. Once that intimacy is established He asks us to join Him where He is already at work. When Matt said he is constantly looking for bridges from God, this is what he's saying. He is looking for areas where it is clear that God is at work...and then he looks to join Him!

When you see something that might be labeled as a "coincidence," perhaps it might be better labeled as a "God-incidence" or a bridge from God and maybe God is inviting you to join Him.

Airline Hero?

Many of you have probably seen the story about Steven Slater (pictured above), JetBlue's flight attendant who has become very well-known recently. It seems that Mr. Slater got into a confrontation with a passenger and got on the plane's PA system and gave a profanity-laced announcement before saying, "I've had it!" He then grabbed a beer from the galley, then activated the emergency slide and slid down onto the runway.

Slater has become an internet hero as many are marveling at how he has stood up to corporate America and basically said, "take this job and shove it." My guess is that many are holding him up because they wish they could do the same thing in their jobs.

The fact that so many are calling him a hero is appalling to me. Heroes are people to be emulated. His actions, in my mind, should NOT be emulated by anyone!

Granted, the passenger was probably rude and out of line and that is uncalled for. And I admit that I don't get this right all the time; however, Slater is an employee of the airline who pays him to do his job, which includes dealing with unruly passengers. The bottom line is that his actions were very irresponsible and could have even been deadly. According to prosecutors, activating the emergency slide could have killed unsuspecting ground personnel had they been nearby.

A friend of mine once asked me, "If someone spits on you, does that make you mad?"

I responded, "Of course."

He said, "No it doesn't. It makes you wet. It is your choice to be mad." He had me...he was right. We cannot control the actions of others, but we can control how we respond. Unfortunately, Steven Slater did not respond appropriately, but because of his new-found notoriety, many may believe he did.

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.

Proverbs 29:11

Thoughts on Thumos

My good friend Scott Earl has been an active blogger for quite a while. He just began a new blog and I wanted to share his first post with you for two reasons. First, because it's very good and second, because I wanted to introduce you to his blog, My Name is Earl.

Here is what Scott had to say:

I have been reading Paul Coughlin's Unleashing Courageous Faith, and the central idea of the book is the concept of thumos. Thumos, as defined by Coughlin, is a "courageous and animating spirit." From what I can discern, it's the part of us that makes us want to fight for what is right, our sense of outrage when we see the injustices in the world, and our drive to do something about those injustices.

I often share with my students an article I read about heroes in an issue of Life magazine years ago. It was written by Wally Lamb, an award-winning author and former high school teacher. He shared a story about his hero. Briefly, Lamb was outside in the courtyard of the school when he noticed a ruckus. As he made his way through the crowd, he could see that several of the jocks were throwing coins at a boy with Downs syndrome. The boy would laugh and bend down to pick up the coins. As the seconds passed, the coins began hitting the boy harder and harder. The crowd cheered the boys on and became louder with every flying coin. Just as Lamb was about to get to the boy, a petite girl busted in front of the crowd, grabbed the boy, and pulled him out of the crowd. Lamb was amazed at the girl for not only risking physical injury by doing this, but also by her courage to risk the taunts and shunning that could have occurred due to her actions. Lamb claims that this girl is his hero to this day.

I get choked up every time I tell this story. Maybe it's because I worked with developmentally disabled adults for more than a decade. Maybe it's because I love to hear about students who do something extraordinary in the face of adversity. But maybe it's because I always wish I was more brave and more able to act when situations of inequity present themselves.

In my mind, this girl was the definition of thumos in action. God did not make us to be meek, mild, and accepting in these situations. Yes, we are supposed to be loving, but we are also built to engage our thumos in the face of injustice and wrongdoing.

If Christians are to always answer to the question, "What would Jesus do?", then we should look at what Jesus was capable of doing in the face of injustice and wrongdoing. In Matthew 23:23-39, Jesus shows a side of himself -- a side of God -- that we rarely hear about in church. He berates the pharisees for their pious ways, calling them names and yelling at them for their hypocritical behavior. By doing so, he was literally risking his life for justice.

While this barely scratches the surface concerning the content of Coughlin's book, it is a good start to understanding what our thumos should be doing. Injustices are not to be ignored or handled with white gloves. We should not turn the other cheek when others are being subjected to the pain of injustice.

Lord, You have endowed me with Your thumos...help me tap into it and use it for Your good, Your plan. Help me be a better man for You.

Two Are Better Than One

This past weekend the NFL inducted seven new members into its Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Included in that group was Emmitt Smith, the amazing running back from the Dallas Cowboys.

I did not watch the induction ceremonies but I did catch some of it in highlights and I was extremely moved by what Smith said and how he said it (check out the short video above).

Football fans know that a running back needs a great offensive line for the back to be great. However, many forget about the role that the fullback plays in some offensive systems. In many cases, the fullback must sacrificially give up his body to help his running back and his team. Yet, most of the time, the fullback goes unnoticed while their backfield mate gets all the credit.

On Saturday, though he wasn't the one being inducted into the Hall of Fame, one fullback didn't go unnoticed. Daryl Johnston (the Cowboy's fullback when Smith played) was singled out by Smith in a very emotional moment shown in this video. He recognized him for his sacrifice and shared that this day wouldn't have been possible had it not been for Johnston. It showed real class and humility for Smith to do this.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and no one to help him up!
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Do They Make You Want To Vomit?

Today at the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit, Bill Hybels delivered the opening message and it was right on. He talked about a time a while back in which he was in a leadership slump. Nothing seemed to be going right and it seemed like he couldn't solve any problem, big or small. As a result, he was losing confidence in his leadership abilities.

Then, while spending some intentional time with God, he heard a gentle whisper from his heavenly Father saying, "You can lead. Look at what you've done. You have it in you!" This encouraged him and then God shared with him four foundational leadership principles.

One of those was something that, on paper, looks very elementary...but in practice, it is anything but. One of the principles Hybels referred to was that it takes fantastic people to move anything from here to there, in other words to make significant progress.

In discussing this point, he said that a leader's job is to recruit, train and develop talented people who will flourish in your culture. He said there is a great way to determine how your team stacks up, give them this test.

If you were to receive a text message right now stating that a certain person on your team has just resigned, which of the following would be your response?
1. "Whew! I sure am glad they're leaving!"
2. "Ughhh! They are such a good person and they're doing a good job. Now I'm going to have to find someone else!"
3. You want to vomit on the spot. "This person is a fantastic person with a fantastic attitude and they are a fantastic fit in our culture. They are irreplaceable."

Hybels went on to say that they spent an incredible amount of time going through this exercise with their entire staff at Willow. The time was very well spent, though.

Hybels said that they then met with every staff member and shared with them the results of this exercise. To those who were in the third category they would say something like, "You make me want to vomit (with obvious tongue in cheek). Really, if you left this organization, that is what I would want to do. You are a fantastic person and you are doing a fantastic job. We hope you are here for the long haul. Now if God calls you someplace else, we'll throw you a party but our hearts won't really be in it. But we want you to know that we hope you will be with us into the future."

Could you imagine being on the receiving end of something like that? It would feel pretty good, wouldn't it? Hybels shared that these meetings helped to build increased loyalty and passion for the vision that God has given them. It was an extremely beneficial thing to do.

After Hybels was finished, we heard from Jim Collins who discussed the importance of having the right people on the bus in any organization before you can talk about growing the organization. The exercise Hybels mentioned is a great way to determine if you really do have the right people on your bus.

So will you do this with your team?

Just Ask Kenny Rogers

Tate Publishing is the company I selected to publish my first book, Bleedership, Biblical First-Aid for Leaders. They are a group of some really neat people who do a great job.

I remember speaking with Richard Tate, the company's founder when I was trying to choose a publisher. He told me something that really stuck with me. He said, "Jim, don't think that by having this book published that you are all of a sudden going to get rich. This is just the beginning. You will need to work to help market it." I didn't fully understand this until after my book was released and I attended the Christian Booksellers Convention in Denver. There I found out that I really was a tiny minnow in an enormous ocean. Richard was right, it was going to take a lot of effort. And this is true in anything we do.

Tate sends out a regular newsletter to their authors and in the past issue were these words on this very topic from Richard:

The sad issue today is that many new authors and artists think that because they have a good book or great music that it should just “happen” for them and that it is the total responsibility of the publisher or label to do all the work. It takes work, persistence, and lots of effort by the author or artist alongside their publisher and label. Trust me, it is all worth it, and Rita and I have a million good memories as a result of those years and made a fine living on the road. You can as well if that is your dream – and if you are willing to work with your team.

Last fall I was outside our house standing in the driveway talking with my son Ryan, who is the effective President and CEO of our companies, when my cell phone rang. The voice on the other end was our good friend and country music legend Kenny Rogers. He was calling about his upcoming trip to our location and wanted to go over a few things with me and Ryan. Here is the “kicker” to the conversation.

I said, “Kenny, you sound a bit tired, my friend!”

He replied, “Just a bit, Richard. We have the Fiftieth Anniversary tour coming up in January with Dolly Parton, and I have been working ten hours a day on the phone and on the computer calling venues, newspapers, radio and TV stations, and promoters working to get the crowds out. I have been doing this for half a century and it is still a lot of work.”

Kirt Webster, who works with us out of Nashville and manages Dolly Parton, told me at our dinner there recently, “Richard, I have never seen anyone work harder than Dolly. She is after it hours and hours every day to stay successful.”

Lee Greenwood, who is a new part of our music and publishing family and the author of “God Bless the USA,” told us in the conference room at his last visit that he worked for years and years in every kind of venue that would book him, large or small, before his career took off and he became the legend he is today.

Two-time country music entertainer of the year Neal McCoy is doing several projects with us. He was Entertainer of the Year TWICE and said to me from his bus one night after a packed out show, “It took me thirteen years, Richard, before I had a hit. Thirteen years of any and every kind of gig until things took off. I work harder today than ever to keep us on the road doing what I love.”

We love our relationship with the Oak Ridge Boys and their long time manager Jim Halsey. I was visiting with Joe Bonsall when the “Boys” were here recently (they still do over 100 shows a year), and I asked him what he would tell some of our new and aspiring authors and artists. He did not even hesitate. “They have to be willing to work. They have to be willing to sing or speak to 5 just like they would to 5,000. Most people think they should get their break because of the record label. Not so. It takes the label and the artist working hard every day. You don’t deserve that booking, you have to work for it and it HAS to be about your music or the message of your book first of all.”

Our marketing and publicists work hard to make each artist and each author as successful as possible. But the biggest mistake I see authors and artists make is to think they deserve it, and it should just “happen.” It takes hard work even after you have become a legend in the industry.

Just ask Kenny Rogers.

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.

Hebrews 10:36

Golden Rule in Business?

Herb Kelleher is an interesting leader--very different from other leaders. He is the founder of Southwest Airlines and he has broken many of the traditional rules when it comes to leadership. While building the airline, he knew that his people were what was going to separate his company from all the others.

As a result, he and his team have paid very close attention to those they hire as well as how they as a company treat them. In fact, from a customer service perspective, they treat customers very well; however the customer is right behind the employee in terms of importance. This flies in the face of the "customer is always right" mantra.

In the book, Nuts, examples are told of irate customers who accused an employee of mistreating them. If the employee disagreed, the airline always took the side of the employee, even though it meant that they would have a very unhappy customer. However, what this has done is to produce a very loyal workforce who love what they do, which in turn helps to produce more happy customers.

Southwest is all about treating their employees as family members. They show them love and respect and as a result, that love and respect is returned to the company and to the customer. They also encourage fun.

If you've ever flown Southwest, you have probably experienced some pretty zany stuff. This is all encouraged by Southwest and it really separates them from most airlines and it shows the love they have for their jobs. Take a couple of minutes and view the video above of a flight attendant announcement with a bit of a twist, but do this only if you want to smile.

All this has happened because a leader dared to lead his company by following the Golden Rule.

"Do to others as you would have them do to you."
Luke 6:31

Let Your Yes Be Yes

Last Friday at the Point O' Woods Golf & Country Club during the Robert Trent Jones Senior Men's Invitational, something pretty incredible happened. A caddy won a car without even swinging a club. Here's how it was described in the local paper:

Club member Stan Andrei of Muskegon was on the last tee of the last day of the two-day tourney when he turned to his caddy, Dave Maxey, 23, of Dowagiac, to recommend a club for the ninth hole.

Maxey admitted that Andrei hadn't been hitting the ball well that day, and he recommended a five-iron for the 165-yard hole.Andrei didn't think it was enough club, but Maxey, who had been caddying at Point O' Woods since he was 14, stuck by his guns.

Sitting near the course was a brand-new black Jeep Wrangler 4X4, valued at $26,500, provided by Don Brookfield Jeep Chrysler of Watervliet as a prize for anyone who hit a hole-in-one.

"If I get a hole-in-one, do you want a big tip or the car?" Andrei asked his caddy.

"I need a car so bad," said Maxey, who has been driving the same vehicle since high school. He chose the vehicle.

The breeze let up as Andrei teed off, and the ball hit left of the pin at a spot where it will usually kick left. But this time it kicked right.

Because of the rolling contours of the course, Andrei and Maxey couldn't tell whether the ball had gone into the hole. Another caddy indicated to Andrei that it was in.

"Dave, you've got yourself a new car," Andrei announced.

And, true to his word, Stan Andrei did give the car to his caddy. I wonder how many people thought about themselves in this story. Would you have given up the car after winning it or would you have figured out a way to wiggle out of your commitment?

"Let your 'Yes' be yes, and your 'No,' no, or you will be condemned."

Matthew 5:37

Forgiveness For A Running Back

He went from being loved by the Buckeye Nation to being one of the most disliked players ever. In 2002, the Freshman phenom was one of the key cogs in Ohio State's national championship run. Shortly thereafter it all fell apart...all due to poor decisions on his part. It got so bad that he was released from his scholarship and tried to take his coach, Jim Tressel down with him. He accused Tressel of violating major NCAA rules causing Tressel to go through some uncomfortable media scrutiny before he was proclaimed "clean" by the NCAA.

I'm talking about Maurice Clarett who was just released from prison where he has spent the past three and a half years. He not only was released, but he has enrolled in classes at Ohio State. No, he is not going to play football, but the fact that he is in school is something incredible.

The really incredible part of this story is that Jim Tressel, the very guy Clarett tried to take down, has been helping to make this happen for Clarett. “We've been working for the last three months try to get the i's dotted and the t's crossed to get him back in and move him towards a degree,” Tressel told reporters Tuesday.

While Clarett was easily the most hated man in Columbus, this was obviously not the case in the Tressel household. In an article on one of my favorite web sites, The Ozone, Tressel had something to say that we all can learn from.

“Anytime someone is part of your life, even if it doesn't go well, you've got to continue to be there for him,” Tressel said.

“That's just the way we do things.”

Although Tressel continue to reach out to his embattled former player, Clarett’s life continued to spiral out of control, eventually landing him the slammer in 2006, three years after he was released from the Denver Broncos without playing a down in the NFL.

With his return to classes at Ohio State, Tressel is optimistic about Clarett’s chances of transforming his life story from tragic to inspirational.

“It's what you hope for,” he said.

“We all make mistakes...some are different mistakes than others and there are always consequences for whatever the mistake is and if you take care of that, usually the world is a forgiving world.”

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."

Matthew 6:14

Faithfulness

Faithfulness. Not a word we use very often today. Yes, we know what it means. But typically we know what it means because of things or people who are unfaithful. It could be our old car, a relationship or even the balance in our 401 (k)! But one thing is for sure...our God is faithful. In fact, He never changes and He is always in our corner.

Yesterday, our student ministries pastor, Keith Luke, delivered a well done message on this fruit of faithfulness. He said something that really caught my attention.

He described the path that he and his wife have been on the past couple of years and how they have ended up where they are. He said, "If I were to write my story, I certainly wouldn't have written it like God has written it. I would have made the path much straighter and smoother."

I could really relate to that statement. I look back over the past five years of my own life and I could say the same exact thing. The fact is that we all want comfort and ease. However, comfort and ease typically don't help us to grow the way adversity does. God knows this.

Jesus told us in John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” He promises us trouble...BUT, He also gives us great news that He has overcome the world!

So, yes, our lives will not be easy. Yes, we will go down paths that we would rather not go down. Yes, we may even be uncomfortable. But our God is faithful and He knows what is best for you and me.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

Integrity Of A Bean

I recently read a story about one of America's best known companies in the book, Faith Based Marketing, that I found very interesting. Here is the excerpt:

In our opinion, one of the best U.S. companies in terms of integrity is L.L. Bean. Founded in 1912 as a mail order retailer, it sold one product: a waterproof boot called the Main Hunting Shoe or "Bean Boot." But in its first year of business, it faced a huge crisis. Fully 90 percent of the boots it shipped were defective. To get his new company off the ground, founder Leon Bean had offered a full money-back guarantee on his boots. Returning the revenue on 90 percent of his first shipment threatened to sink his business, but he made good on it. The result? High-level consumer trust that continues to this day, establishing L.L. Bean not only as a financially successful company, but one known for its stellar customer service.

Integrity is crucial to the success of a business...and to the success of an individual. Integrity doesn't just happen. It's an ongoing, deliberate effort to be who you say you are and to do what you say you are going to do...in other words, to be trustworthy. This is a choice we all have. We can choose the easy road or we can choose the more difficult path, the path of integrity. So what will you choose?

"Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'"

Matthew 5:37a

Two Are Better Than One

Connie and I just returned from a memorial service for the mother of one of our friends from college.

During the service, two grand-daughters got up to share a poem about their grandma. They alternated verses until about the third verse, when one of the girls broke down. After a little hesitation, grand-daughter #2 stepped in and read several verses in a row to relieve her grieving cousin. Then they were able to continue as planned.

To me it was a beautiful picture of teamwork in action and a great reminder that we need to do life in community.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Failure Is Never Fatal

For about the past year, each week I have been reading a chapter of a book that I choose with my 14 year-old son Robbie. Lately we have been reading Failing Forward by John Maxwell. This past weekend we read about the importance of taking a risk.

In the chapter, Maxwell had this to share:

The reality is that everything in life is risky. If you want to avoid all the risk, then don't do any of the following:

* Don't ride in an automobile--they cause 20 percent of all fatal accidents.
* Don't travel by air, rail, or water--16 percent of all accidents result from these activities
* Don't walk in the street--15 percent of all accidents occur there.
* Don't stay at home--17 percent of all accidents happen there.

In life there are no safe places or risk-free activities.

This reminded me of something I heard about Michael Jordan and Babe Ruth. Michael Jordan is said to have missed more game-winning shots than anyone in NBA history. However, he has also made more than anyone. The same is true of Babe Ruth, one of baseball's greatest home-run hitters. He also has struck out more than most players.

Look back over your life. Wouldn't you agree that some of your most valuable experiences have come through mistakes or failure? In order to succeed, you must also fail along the way. In fact, the more you risk failure and fail, the greater your chances for success. So don't let fear keep you from moving forward!

"Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It's courage that counts."

John Wooden

Your Days Are Numbered

My wife left this evening to serve on the team for the Women's Walk to Emmaus in our area. This is an incredible 72 hour experience based on the story told in Luke 24:13-35, which I highly recommend to everyone.

I wrote a letter to Connie that I will take over to the church sometime this weekend. I can't explain why, but I started the letter this way:

"6,868 & 10,368. Do you know what those two numbers represent? Believe it or not, the first number is the number of days I lived before we went on our first date. The second number is the number of days since then. Can you believe that almost 2/3 of my life has been spent with you? I am so thankful that God has placed you and me together!"

Putting my time on earth in terms of days really impacted me. I began to wonder how many days I have left. How much of my life have I lived? (Go here if you'd like to calculate the number of days between two dates).

As I was pondering this, I realized that my days are truly numbered. I then told myself that I don't want to waste one of the precious days I have left. How about you?

Carpe Diem!

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

James 4:14

LeBron Shames

I have been a LeBron James fan since he first entered the NBA immediately from high school. I have thought that he has done a wonderful job of handling himself, especially considering his young age and the incredible pressure and scrutiny that is placed upon him. I have especially been impressed with the humility that LeBron has shown. However, his image has been tarnished in my eyes.

As many of you have heard, LeBron made the decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and join the Miami Heat in a much publicized hour long special broadcast on ESPN. A few days ago, the Miami Heat held a welcome party for James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade which was, to me, way over the top.

When LeBron was asked about the number of NBA championships his new team would win, he answered (as seen in the above video) that they would win, "Not six. Not seven..." These comments in the video are very disappointing to me (as is the way this entire thing has been handled). The tag of "humble" does not seem to fit him anymore, at least not in the past week. It's a shame.

The book of James (interesting that this appears in this book, huh?) has this to say about predictions like the one LeBron made:

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16)

Mixed Emotions

Yesterday was a sad day...and yet an exciting day.

We helped our oldest daughter Kristin to move out into her own apartment. She has been living at home since getting her first "real job" as a nurse last fall. So now she is off on her own.

This is very sad for us because we love to have her around. This also foreshadows what is soon to happen with Molly and Robbie in the months and years to come. Empty nest syndrome. I never thought I'd be saying that about our home, and yet, here it comes. Can you pass the tissues?

On the other hand, this really is exciting because we're watching Kristin spread her wings. She is going out into the world with all that she has learned from us and others and we get to see her become who God made her to be. We could not be more proud of her.

I keep trying to focus on all that really good stuff, but I still have an ache in my heart. I sure hope it goes away soon!

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Alone

This morning I had the privilege of facilitating the first roundtable meeting of our fourth Truth At Work group in the Toledo area. These groups of 10-15 business and ministry leaders gather together once each month to act as a board of advisors to one another in helping each another to grow their organizations in a God-honoring way while at the same time helping them to grow personally and spiritually.

Each time a new group forms, I am eager to see what will happen as each group develops a personality of its own. As I have been with each of our other three groups, I was amazed at how God just seemed to integrate everyone together in a short period of time this morning. It was incredible.

Being a business or ministry leader can be a lonely place. The leader really can't, or doesn't want to, share everything with their employees, their partners or even with their spouse. As I said, it can be very lonely. Today I sensed from each of the members that they were relieved...like they truly felt they were no longer "alone." What a great thing!

So who can you share everything with? If you don't have someone, I encourage you to make this a priority in your life!

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:25

No Success Without Sacrifice

I recently became aware of a great Blog in which Bruce Johnson shares letters containing life principles and lessons with his two daughters. I have been sending these to my two daughters each time he posts a new one.

Late last week, he had this to say about sacrifice and hard work:

As I’ve mentioned before, most people like the idea of being better or being more successful or being fit or being happy or being in a great relationship—but yet they don’t really want those things—despite what they might say. Why do I say that? Because they’re not willing to do what’s necessary to obtain the very thing they say they want.

I’m sure you’ve observed this phenomenon among your peers. You probably have friends who’ve told you that they’d like to get good grades, yet they’re not willing to do the hard work necessary to get good grades. Instead they continue to play and party all day and night with their friends. Or you probably have friends who say they’d like to get healthy and in shape, yet they aren’t willing to change their eating habits or get up early to go to the gym. So do they really want to be healthy and fit? I don’t think so.

If you really want something—and it’s more than just a “like to have” or “sounds like a good idea” kind of thing—then you’re going to have to avoid doing what most people choose to do—and instead make some sacrifices. Why? Because there is no success without sacrifice.

The American ideal of, “You can have it all!” is a flat out lie. No one can have it all. In order to obtain anything worthwhile in life, you have to make sacrifices. You have to give up something NOW in order to obtain something that you perceive to be better LATER. It’s always been that way and it always will be. Remember, first you make your choices, then your choices make you.

1. If you’d like to be healthy and fit, then you have to be willing to say, “No!” to most of the food choices put in front of you. And you’re going to have to give up some other activities (which could include some sleep) in order to get some exercise in. No one gets healthy and fit by eating whatever they want and not exercising. Sacrifices have to be made. Why? Because there is no success without sacrifice.

2. If you want to be a successful employee, then you have to be willing to do some of the things most employees won’t. You’ll have to sacrifice some of “your time” so you can do work before or after the hours you’re required to work. You’ll have to read more or take more courses. You’ll have to say, “No!” to getting together with friends from time to time in order to get a project done or to volunteer for an extra assignment or to make sure you get to bed on time so you can be fully engaged at work the next day. Why? Because there is no success without sacrifice.

3. If you’d like to be in a great relationship with a guy (yeah, I know, I can’t believe I just wrote that either :-), then you have to be willing to make some sacrifices. One of the things we clearly learn from Jesus’ example is that love is all about sacrifice. Love is not about convenience (a mistake too many people make). Love is about putting someone else’s needs above your own. Note: don’t read anything more into that statement than is intended. Your needs still matter and you shouldn’t be in a relationship with a guy who doesn’t get this principle. Love is a two-way street full of mutual love and sacrifice. And hopefully, your mother and I have modeled that well for the two of you.

4. Finally, if you’d like to change anything in your life that you don’t like, then just realize that you’re going to have to make some sacrifices. The bottom line is this—if you could be different just by wishing you were different, then you’d already be different. But you’re not, because you can’t just wish to be different. If you want to be different, you have to give up some of the things you’re currently doing, in order to get something better in the future. It’s always been that way, and always will be.

If you want to succeed at anything in life–and I don’t care if it’s playing the piano or starting a business or getting straight A’s or winning a tennis tournament or being a great parent someday–never forget the title of this post. Make it one of your mantras. Write it on a bunch of stickies and place them around your home and workplace. Why? Because there is no success without sacrifice! Period.

P.S. And as Zig Ziglar likes to say, “You don’t really pay the price, you get to enjoy the price.”

Dabble

Brian Keel, a friend of mine who serves in upper level management at our local YMCA, publishes a weekly devotional which is always inspirational and thought provoking (if you would like to sign up to receive these via email, please email him and request that here). The one I received last night was no exception. Here is what he had to say:

I sat on my patio on the evening of July 3rd and watched four different sets of fireworks play out in the night sky. Some were far away; some were obscured by the trees in the corn field beyond the fence. I could only hear two of them at all. The show was diverse…I didn’t have to fight crowds or traffic…and food and beverage were only a few steps away. But did I really get the best firework experience possible?

The answer must be “no”. I didn’t really experience the fireworks… I merely dabbled. Dabbling keeps us at the fringe of an issue...far from the joyful experience of diving in full force. Fireworks are best viewed up close where the colors are most vivid, the reverberations felt and not just heard. Up close where the exclamations of those around us increase our own appreciation for what is going on.

“Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God.”

1 Chronicles 22:19

God is best experienced in the same way. We should not just dabble around the edges enjoying the show from the comfort of our easy chair. We should jump in with both feet. Embrace the saving grace of his son Jesus. Study his word on a regular basis. Participate in worship with others. Pray and listen for his answers. God meant for us to experience his full measure of greatness up close and personal. The reverberations in your life will be felt and not just heard!

Winning Over Our Enemies

Pictured above is our grand-puppy, Tysen. My oldest daughter Kristin got him last November much to my chagrin. You see, I didn't want a dog in our house. It's not that I'm against them, I grew up with one, but I just didn't want the extra hassle that comes with a puppy. As a result, I haven't always been the most loving "Grampa" to him, at least in the beginning.

However, Tysen has won me over. Every time I have come in the door, he comes running to me with his tail wagging to say "hello." He has done this whether I have recently ignored him or whether I've played with him. No matter my attitude, he is showing his love to me.

Abraham Lincoln once said, "I destroy my enemy by making him my friend." Well, that's exactly what Tysen has done to me in winning me over. He has made me his friend.

Now for the really ironic thing. My daughter is moving out to her own apartment in the next couple of weeks...with Tysen. I'm going to miss not having Kristin here every day and, I can't believe I'm going to say this, I'm going to miss Tysen.

Does this mean we're going to get another dog? Well, I wouldn't go that far...but hopefully we will see Tysen regularly!

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
Matthew 5:43-44