Monthly Summary for September

4 Steps to get Past Your Limitations
Getting past the limitations we put on ourselves...

My "Tweets" from Randy Hahn's GIC Sermon
"How awesome would it be for God to look at us and think that we look just like Him while we reflect His greatness!"

Running Past Your Limitations
"The best pace is a suicide pace, and today is a good day to die." (Prefontaine)

Twelve Marks of a Great Leader
My attempt at crowd-sourcing leadership...

When the Alarm Sounds in Your Life
A very funny story of an alarm in the middle of the night...

Prayer and The Circle Maker
My first highlights from Mark Batterson's "The Circle Maker"

Monthly Summary for August

On the last day of August, I though I'd try something new and offer  a summary page of the post from August. I appreciate the many readers who tell me they enjoy my content. I encourage you to share the stuff that you feel is "sharable." All it takes is a "Copy and Paste" routine with the URL (website address) in an email, Facebook or Twitter. If you are a SUBSCRIBER (you get the email when I post...if you want to join them, find the big arrow on the right) all you need to do is forward the email. I would love to connect with new readers.


Guest Post: Logan Morris, "Swallow the Big Frog First"
While I was in Nicaragua, I asked my daughter Logan to post in my place. She did a great job. She actually garnered more comments that I usually do...

Smiles From the Trash Dump
This is my summary from my visit to Chosen Children Ministries in Nicaragua.

Get Out of the Way
Sometimes God wants to do great things, but we tend to get in the way.

No - I'm not on Facebook and Twitter all day!
Due to some tactical procedures, I give the impression of being on Social Media sites "all day." Here are my secrets...

How to Answer Your Kids' Questions
A simple strategy to slowing down in your parenting and engaging with your children.

What is Success?
My response to how a Christian defines success.

What Is Success?

Photo credit: http://7toolstosuccess.com/

Someone recently asked me, "What does success look like for a Christian?" 


"Success is a journey, not a destination." - John Maxwell [Tweet This Now]

Before I offer my answer, let's look at how most people answer that question.

Wrecked - Getting Messed Up In a Good Way

I was privileged to get a pre-release of Jeff Goin's new book Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams into Your Comfortable Life. In exchange for the sneak peek, I was asked to write a review. 


Very Good Stuff
I'll go ahead and confess, I'm not sure if I can do that effectively. The book has so much great content, that to attempt to whittle it down into a summary may not do it justice. I have a different approach that I want to use. Before I do share, let me set the stage with this simple overview.


Wrecked will make you pause and look back over your life at the moments when your life collided with the world and in those moments, your eyes were opened to a new perspective. More than likely, those experiences altered the direction of your life. Jeff attempts to help us understand those experiences and how the people around us respond to their own Wrecked moments.

Are You Raising a Nimrod?

Before you answer that, are you sure you would know a Nimrod if you saw one? My guess is that most people would say a Nimrod is synonymous with an idiot. In fact, recent American use of the word lends itself to a negative tone. Some even link its origination to its constant use in the ridiculous battles between Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd (I know, I just dated myself…).  However, that’s not the Nimrod I want you to consider. I’ve used capital “N” because there was a man named Nimrod and you find his story in the Bible, Genesis 10:8-9.

I Don't Change Oil, I Change People

[This post was inspired by my pastor, Mike Hamlet, as he recently reminded me of someone we both know and how this person leverages his life for God's glory.]


Like most people, I make my tri-monthly trip to a local "quick-serve" garage to get my oil changed. Actually, it's more frequent than that as I have three vehicles to maintain. None-the-less, I have become a familiar face to the guy who works in the oil bay. His name is Joey.

Are You a Dream Maker or Dream Breaker?

Back in the Garden of Eden, when God created Adam, He recognized that "it was not good for man to be alone." He knew the value of relationships and having other people in our lives.  His solution was what the Bible calls "a helper" also known as Eve. Eve's task was to help Adam fulfill the responsibilities that God had placed on him...in essence she was to help Adam be successful.


In our world today, most everything we do involves relationships with people. People we know, people we don't; people we see everyday, people we see once and never again; people we love, and people with the capacity to be loved although we don't pursue it. There's not much that we do in our daily routines that does not involve people.


In your "world," how do you engage with those people? When they see you coming, do they walk toward you or away? Do you add value to their lives or suck the life out of them? Are you a Dream Maker or a Dream Breaker?

How to Run a Half-Marathon without Training, Part 2

My wife recently ran a Half-Marathon without one mile of training. It wasn't that she set out to show how this could be done. It was more about a spur of the moment decision to do attempt something she has wanted to do for a while.


This is the second installment of "How to Run a Half-Marathon without Training." I am sharing the components of her story as they unfolded during our weekend trip to Myrtle Beach. If you would like to backtrack to the beginning, here's a link to How to Run a Half-Marathon without Training, Part 1.


5) Encouragement that matters...

When she announced that she was going to run, immediately, the others in the group began to say, "You can do it." I must confess. I wasn't as optimistic. It wasn't that I thought she could not do it. It was simply I did not think anyone could do it. Seriously, how many people just up and decide to run 13.1 miles without any adverse consequences? In years past, I had seen countless runners walking back to the Starting Line after just a few miles of race under their feet. I had seen numerous people receive medical care, even airlifted to hospitals. And these were people who had trained for the race.

I soon recognized Angela's resolve. I also sensed that the encouragement she wanted the most was mine. Keep in mind that just a few hours earlier she had been challenged to create change in her life. Who was I to disrupt that notion? I relinquished my hold to common sense and said, "You should do this and I'm going to do it with you."

 6) You never leave your partner in a fire...

How to Run a Half-Marathon Without Training, Part 1

Half-Marathon T-shirt at the Expo

I just returned from one of the annual highlights of my calendar year. Angela and I traveled down to Myrtle Beach, SC for the Myrtle Beach Marathon/Half-Marathon Weekend. We look forward to this trip as we join three other couples close to our age for food, fellowship and fun. Preparations begin in late October as we all begin our training regiment to prepare for the long and taxing 13.1 mile run along the coastline of South Carolina. Angela has never joined the running aspect of the trip. While running a 5K (3.1 miles) is on her "Bucket List," finding the time to train for a race while tending to our family is nearly impossible.


So you can imagine the thoughts dashing through my mind when she announced on Friday afternoon, the day before the race, that she thought she just might sign up to run the Half-Marathon. That's right, the 13.1 mile race...without ONE mile of training. She didn't even have running apparel. (She did happen to have her shoes.) Let me go ahead and give you the punch line in case you need to move on to something else: She did it! She got up on Saturday morning, put on her shirt, shorts and shoes and ran 13.1 miles in less than 3 hours (2 hours, 45 mins).

Are You Cheating?

I'm sort of an unusual bird when it comes to running with an iPod. Where most people listen to up-tempo music to help keep their pace strong, I choose a much different genre. I like to listen to podcasts that range from ministers to marketing. It's just another way I can continue to grow as an individual. One of my favorites is Andy Stanley, pastor of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, GA. His dad is Charles Stanley, the popular pastor of First Baptist Atlanta.


Recently, as I was on a run, my iPod finished the podcast it was playing and rolled right into the next one which was Andy's popular sermon, "Choosing to Cheat." This was a pleasant surprise as I had heard him mention this sermon (and book) on a previous Leadership Podcast and that he had re-branded it as "When Work and Family Collide: Keeping Your Job from Cheating Your Family ." It had been a while since I heard this sermon, so I was anxious to get refreshed.

Are You Speaking Your Sweetheart's Love Language? [online tool]

As Valentine's Day is approaching a lot of effort is given to picking out the right card or the perfect gift. We want to find a way to express our love to the object of our affection. But have you ever stopped to consider that you may be giving a lot of time and energy to say "I Love You" and the person to whom you're saying it never hears it? The reason for this is simple. They have a unique way they perceive love.


Dr. Gary Chapman is credited with the notion of every person having their own Love Language. The concept is that we give and receive love in one of five primary ways. The following is a list taken from Dr. Chapman's website, http://www.5lovelanguages.com:

Words of Affirmation

Actions don’t always speak louder than words. If this is your love language, unsolicited compliments mean the world to you. Hearing the words, “I love you,” are important—hearing the reasons behind that love sends your spirits skyward. Insults can leave you shattered and are not easily forgotten.

Quality Time

In the vernacular of Quality Time, nothing says, “I love you,” like full, undivided attention. Being there for this type of person is critical, but really being there—with the TV off, fork and knife down, and all chores and tasks on standby—makes your significant other feel truly special and loved. Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful.

Receiving Gifts

Don’t mistake this love language for materialism; the receiver of gifts thrives on the love, thoughtfulness, and effort behind the gift. If you speak this language, the perfect gift or gesture shows that you are known, you are cared for, and you are prized above whatever was sacrificed to bring the gift to you. A missed birthday, anniversary, or a hasty, thoughtless gift would be disastrous—so would the absence of everyday gestures.

Acts of Service

Can vacuuming the floors really be an expression of love? Absolutely! Anything you do to ease the burden of responsibilities weighing on an “Acts of Service” person will speak volumes. The words he or she most want to hear: “Let me do that for you.” Laziness, broken commitments, and making more work for them tell speakers of this language their feelings don’t matter.

Physical Touch

This language isn’t all about the bedroom. A person whose primary language is Physical Touch is, not surprisingly, very touchy. Hugs, pats on the back, holding hands, and thoughtful touches on the arm, shoulder, or face—they can all be ways to show excitement, concern, care, and love. Physical presence and accessibility are crucial, while neglect or abuse can be unforgivable and destructive.

Once we know our sweetheart's Love Language, we can begin to say "I Love You" loud and clear.


If you would like to discover your Love Language, here is an on-line tool that will reveal it and give you a few tips. I suggest you and your "sweety" take this test and sit down and talk about the ways each of you like to receive love from each other, based on the results.

[Link]: The Five Love Language Test

Do You Have A Vision You Will Never See?

A new year is underway. As "Dr. Phil" would say, "How's it working for you?" Did you draft any resolutions or goals? Did you write out your Year In Review letter for 2012? Or did you just get up and keep moving like you did before taking a break for the holidays? If so, there's always time to get a plan and get moving. Remember: "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time."


When you think about the "you" that you want to become in 2012, let me encourage you to think about the "you" that you want to be in 2112. Wait...that's 100 years from now. It's highly probable that we will not be alive in 2112. So why would we concern ourselves with a life that's non-existent?


It's called our Legacy. It's how we want to be remembered and how we leverage our lives now for the success for others later. It's allowing those who come behind us to stand on our shoulders. The choices we are making today can set the tone for the success of our family, our co-workers and our peers tomorrow. We need a vision that we will never see.

The Family That Serves Together, Spends Time Together

When I look at my role as a parent and consider the many responsibilities I have to lead my kids, none gives me greater joy than simply spending time with them. One of the first bits of wisdom I received as a new parent was to cherish the time I have with my kids. Conventional wisdom says that they WILL grow up and leave the nest...no matter how much we might resist.

A friend of mine tells the story of her husband coming home one day to find her sitting in her closet in a complete emotional meltdown. It was just a few short days after they had brought their newborn son home from the hospital. Apparently she had just come to the realization that her precious bundle of joy was already growing and changing and, in her mind, would be leaving for college tomorrow. Her husband just chuckled, "Now, now...It will be OK." 

Fast forward to that very event. It's the night before her firstborn leaves for college and the family is sitting at the dinner table. By this time, there's a second son added to the family and he's so giddy, he can't stand it. Why? He's about to get a promotion. He's moving into his big brother's room and his enthusiasm only announces one thing: the first born had grown up and is leaving home.

Who's Talking About You?

Yesterday, I heard a story and knew immediately that I wanted to share it with this audience. It was shared by my friend Donna Ward, whom I hope to see joining the "blogosphere" in the near future. She has a great perspective on the Bible, loves teaching it and does so with much passion.


Donna shared how she was in the midst of a challenge in her life. At the same time, her teenage daughter, Hannah, was having her own challenges that frequently raise their head in the life of a teenager. As any mom would do, Donna was carrying both challenges, seeking resolution and closure. As she lay in bed one morning, praying through her situation and feeling as though no one had ever been in this place before, the Lord asked her, "How do you think Hannah feels?" It was as if He was reminding her that she wasn't alone and that others are in the same boat.


Later that morning, Donna was sharing this experience with her daughter. She was simply trying to encourage her by telling her how God's Holy Spirit had brought her situation to mind. (This is where it gets good.) As she continued about her morning routine, she noticed the room had grown silent. She turned around to see her teenage daughter standing there with a tear gliding down her cheek.

Donna: "What's wrong, Hannah?"

Are you a Risk-Taker?

When I was in college, a group of friends and I were out trekking through the woods on a hot summer day, near Lake Hartwell, SC. As we made our way along the bank, someone in our group said, "What's that?" We all looked up to see a rope-swing dangling from a branch that reached out over the lake.


There was no question as to what to do next. We scurried over to make our accent up this tree to see who would be first to fly through the air with Tarzan-like grace and into the cool, refreshing waters of Lake Hartwell. Somehow in this race of champions, I made it to the tree first and ascended to the launch site. The last guy there had honor of retrieving the dangling rope.


As the end of the rope was passed up the tree, I began to pick the best spot for  my descent. I took the rope, gave it a tug and....


Wait, I took the rope, gave it a tug and...and....and...

What Gets Rewarded Gets Repeated....Maybe

This week we received a hand-written letter in the mail from one of our children's teachers. She was writing to share her observations of how hard this particular child had been working in her class. Needless to say we were proud parents and wasted no time sharing this letter later that night.

As a former teacher, I loved using this practice: What gets rewarded gets repeated. I would do the same as this teacher did or just pick up the phone and call parents. I wanted my students to know that I was in their corner and wanted them to succeed in my class. I was constantly looking for strides of success so that I could quickly draw attention to it and thus motivating them to continue their hard work.

That same day I observed someone in a position of authority completely blow an opportunity to reward someone who had worked very hard on a task. What surprised me the most was my own emotional charge. I tend to be a very mild-mannered guy, but being an innocent by-stander, watching this unfold I was...simply put...ANGRY!

Marriage Annual Review: 10 Questions

Does your marriage need a check-up? The next 60 seconds can change your marriage, but you have to keep reading. 


I have had the opportunity to meet with many couples for pre-marital counseling. As we began our journey to their wedding day, I approach each one with this mindset: I'm not a travel agent - telling all the places you can go and what to do; I'm more like a tour guide - we're on the journey together.  One offer I have made to every couple is the opportunity to meet together once a year for a time of reflection and celebration.  It's always fun as we catch up and reminisce about the wedding or some other experience we all shared along the way. It's also a joy to see that they aren't too busy IN their marriage that they can stop to work ON their marriage.

"Some people are so busy IN marriage that they forget to stop and work ON their marriage." - Click to Tweet 

Unplugging Your Kids

It's gearing up to be one of those crazy weeks. School is in full-force and we're about 10 days out from our first Cross-Country race. The anxiety is building. Both girls are in a strong groove right now. I think they both are ready to see how they stack up.


The week is about to get "crazy" because our church (www.firstnorth.org) will be hosting 54 missionaries this week. We will have the opportunity to love and appreciate them for the work they do around the world. It's nice to be appreciated..."People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Have you had a "collision" today?

Do you ever think to yourself that there has to be more to life than what you're currently getting? I have found myself in a tidal wave of influences that are following the same thread...life is too short to "endure." We're all equipped with abilities and talents that make us unique. The challenge is to find a way to connect those things with the time we have to give...maybe during our "eight hours" of work each day and get paid for it.


I would submit that one way to make a change is to embrace the opportunities to meet new people and learn from them.  I call them collisions. When we "collide" with others, we have the opportunity to Listen, Learn and Leverage what we learn. It's a great idea.  Look for people to collide with and see what happens.  I've created something to capture these moments. Take a look: www.creatingcollisions.com.

Grabbing the Handles

A good friend of mine, Brent Crowe (http://www.brentcrowe.com) shared this recently...


If you're looking for ways to connect with your teenager or any teenager, here are three "handles" you need to use:



1) Evolution is the norm.  In other words, change is the only constant in their lives.

2) Entertainment is their medium.  Put another way: they are very visual.  They need a visual hook on which they can hang all of the information they receive.

3) Experience in their community.  They long for connection more than answers.



Good stuff!