Just Lead

For some time now, I have felt to right a blog on leadership in the family.  Well, today is the day.  This problem is not just our area, but similar problems even occur half way around the world.  I believe that men need to take more ownership in leading their families. 

Now, I will acknowledge that we do a pretty good job leading in some areas, and there are even some men that are just great overall leaders, but I think for the most part men in general take a back seat to some areas of our lives.  We are told in 1 Timothy 3:4, "He must manage his household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive."  He refers to the husband/father and we are commanded, not asked to manage his household well.

Men do a great job leading their families when it comes to discipline, athletics, and some other areas.  But the one area that causes concern is leadership of the family in faith.  I think sometimes that men are uncomfortable with leading their families in faith.  Like I mentioned before, there are some men that do a great job, but there are some that are just not comfortable in all parts, such as, worship, volunteering, and faith in the household.

How can we get better?  First and foremost, we can take care of the household.  Lead a faith reformation in each of our homes.  Take the time to make sure that faith is an aspect, not only an aspect, but a cornerstone that we are building our homes on.  Then we need to take our leadership into our churches.  We need to volunteer within the church.  Each of us has a skill that can be used in the church, but so few are using the skills and talents that God has given us.  And we need to take an active roll in prayer and worship.  If for no other reason, to give thanks for all He has given us.

This message was short and straight to the message but it is something that has weighed heavy on me.  If we all start today, just think, not only do our churches benefit, but so do our families and homes.

Stay Positive

Below is an article that I shared in another publication.  Please enjoy.

Each day that I come to work, I influence others, whether I try or not. It doesn’t matter if you put effort into it or not, your attitude influences others, and attitudes are one of the most contagious influences. Attitudes are also 100 percent in control of each of us.

Many studies have been done on the benefits of a positive attitude in the workplace, and in life in general. Studies have been completed by credible sources, including the Mayo Clinic, John Hopkins Medical Center, Harvard, and others. These studies have found that having a positive attitude has many benefits that not only improve the workplace, but also one’s life.

The benefits of having a positive attitude include an increase in productivity and a more positive work environment where employees are encouraged to participate productively in problem-solving. Through increased productivity, the business runs more smoothly and allows employees to learn from mistakes rather than go through disciplinary events.

Other benefits of a positive environment in the workplace include more cohesive units, better staff retention, fewer sick days, and the ability to achieve more organizational goals. When all these things are working together, studies have proven that there is better retention and recruitment of good staff.

A personal benefit of having a positive attitude is better overall health. Positive attitudes are contagious. Positive minds attract positive events, lower stress, and lead to higher motivation. One of the few things that you can actually control is your attitude. On a daily basis, we all have the opportunity to feed ourselves with positive or negative energy. Knowing that energy/ attitudes are contagious, we need to put the effort (another controllable) into breathing positivity into our lives so that we can be contagious for others.

As far as the workplace goes, I want to share a story. About two years ago, I had the opportunity to meet and listen to Author Jon Gordon, and he shared the following:

There’s a story about when President Lyndon Johnson visited NASA and as he was walking the halls he came across a janitor who was cleaning up a storm, like the Energizer bunny with a mop in his hand. The president walked over to the janitor and told him he was the best janitor he has ever seen and the janitor replied, “Sir, I'm not just a janitor, I helped put a man on the moon.” See, even though he was cleaning floors he had a bigger purpose and vision for his life. This is what kept him going and helped him excel in his job.

So, just like this janitor, our way of thinking changes how we view everything. If we can all work for one common goal, with the right attitude, great things can be accomplished.

The 12 Days of Christmas

As many of you know, Christmas is a very special time of year for me.  I know this is a bit early, but I thought that I would share my version of the 12 Days of Christmas in hopes that we may share these during this Christmas season.

On the first day of Christmas, our true love gave to us LOVE. I start with love because everything, including life itself starts with love.  In John 3:16, possibly the most popular bible verse out there, we are told, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  It starts with love.

On the second day of Christmas, our true love gave to us LIFE.  I feel that life is a great place to go after love.  Most people start dying the minute they are born.  They know that at the end of every life is death and that is their focus.  But the more we focus on that, we stop living.  You see, each day we need to awaken with a plan to live life to the fullest.  As Kirby Puckett told us, "Tomorrow is not promised to anyone." 

On the third day of Christmas, our true love gave to us DREAMS.  You see, dreams develop our goals.  They are two very different things but if we let our goals road map us to our dreams, they are very intertwined; but as long as we remember to let our goals guide us to our dreams, we know that anything is possible.  We are told in Luke 1:37, "For nothing will be impossible with God."

On the fourth day of Christmas, our true love gave to us FREEDOM.  Yes, in America, we have had others fight for our freedom, but even before that, we are told in John 8:32, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  If we accept Christ, we will have eternal life and be able to live that way.  This is one gift that often gets taken advantage of, but if we focus more on the original freedom, things will come together for us.

On the fifth day of Christmas, our true love gave to us GRACE.  Grace is what sets us free. We are told in Romans 11:6, "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."  Jesus' death on the cross guarantees us the grace we need for eternal life if we accept Him into our lives.

On the sixth day of Christmas, our true love gave to us COURAGE.  Joshua 1:9 says, "Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." I have felt this in my backyard, as well as, half way around the world.  As long as we accept Jesus, we can be strong and courageous.

On the seventh day of Christmas, our true love gave to us HOPE.  There estimates that there are over three billion people in the world that have never heard the Gospel.  They have never had the opportunity to experience walking a day with Jesus.  So many take that for granted..  As Charles Spurgeon told us, "There is no hope without Christ."

On the eighth day of Christmas, our true love gave to us WISDOM.  Proverbs gives us so many examples of this, that is is often called the Book of Wisdom.  Ironically there are 31 chapters in Proverbs, one to read every day.  Wisdom gives us the ability to know right from wrong.

On the ninth day of Christmas, our true love gave to us GRATITUDE.  Bottom line, we need to be thankful.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 we are commanded, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  We are not commanded to give thanks in some or give thanks in the ones we choose, we are told to give thanks in all circumstances.  We need to be thankful for the things that are challenging to us because there too, we become stronger.

On the tenth day of Christmas, our true love gave to us JOY.  We have to stay positive and have joy in us.  Proverbs tells us in 17:22, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."  Joy is good medicine.  Right there we are told about the contagiousness of attitudes.  If we can live with a joyful heart, it heals us and those around us.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, our true love gave to us GUIDANCE.  If you use the Bible as a workbook for our lives and let God's instructions in the Bible Guide us we can't go wrong.  When God makes it clear the path that we are to follow, we need to focus on that and not get distracted to those that re guiding us down a different path. 

On the twelfth day of Christmas, our true love gave to us ETERNAL LIFE.  It starts with John 3:16, and it ends with John 3:16.  Through the cross, we have been given eternal life.  Jesus paid our dues for us and we need to follow the path that He has lit for us.

These are the gifts that I give to each of you.  We  don't need to wait until the 12 days of Christmas to start sharing these. Be the light in others lives and share these gifts with those you see during this holiday season.

Thanksgiving 2017

As I was trying to think of my next blog, I thought that a Thanksgiving post would be in order.  Timing and a thankful heart  guiding me.  In Colossians 4:2, we are told, "Devote yourselves to prayer, be watchful and thankful." The first thing about this is the fact that it is not formed in a request but more so a demand.  Devote ourselves in prayer, then be watchful and thankful for the blessings that we are given in life.

So, where to start with so many things to be thankful for.  First and foremost, I am thankful to God for the walk of faith that he guided me on this year.  Travelling half way around the world to serve Him has been a life-changing experience for me.  And also thankful for all of the people that helped me get there through donations, prayers, and guidance.

I am also very thankful for the family that I have.  I know many men say, but I have truly been blessed with the best wife and children for me.  Even as I recover from a surgery, the giving heart of my wife is seen on a daily basis.  She is relentless in making sure my needs are met even when I try to maintain my independence.  And my children, the decisions that they are making and progress in life that they make are very encouraging.

But, in my family, the term family extends past the people of my home.  My father, with his ever-giving heart, showing his heart to everyone he meets.  For a mother, that no longer with us on earth, still guides many of the steps I take daily.  My sister, though a single mother, working endless hours to provide for her four children, inspires me daily.  Tami's parents and brother always being there when things are needed.  And my niece and all of those nephews, each in their own way, striving to be their best at what they are doing.  And  that doesn't even get into the best group of aunts, uncles, and cousins that I have.

The friends that I have.  Two families that I consider family pushing me to be my best, but all of the other friends that that I have acquired.  Awesome memories with all my friends that in their own way have helped me become the person that I am today.

So many other things to be thankful for.....

My dog, for her unconditional love that she teaches all of us everyday

My job, for allowing me to provide for my family and give us the home and vehicles that we have.

A team of young men that I have the pleasure of coaching and guiding.  Looking forward to another great season with them.

A community where I live and where I work.

This list could continue for ever.  I am so thankful and grateful for all the things that I have in my life.  I am thankful for the breakthroughs that I have had this year and am encouraged by the many that are yet to come.

Happy Thanksgiving 2017

#MO1

A few years back, I went to a clinic of baseball coaches and while there, I listened to a coach talk about the Magnitude of One.  The coach used it as reference to improve every minute at whatever you are doing at that moment.  He went on to elaborate that this mantra didn't just follow them in baseball but should carry over to all aspects of their life.

Since that time, I have adopted this as our own team motto but expanded a little with some help from other coaches and research that I have done.  #MO1 isn't just something that we use when we participate in baseball activities but it is something that we try to carry over into our lives.  Magnitude can be defined as of great size.  I like to think of it as of great meaning or the impact that one can make.

We took a team trip and had a coach talk to us.  He also used one but in a different realm.  He tries to get his wrestlers to improve one percent every day.  I got thinking, "Hmmm, what other ways does one effect us?  What really is the Magnitude of one?"

Another way that we can use One is to make it a personal goal to positively impact one life every day.  It can be something intentional or unintentional.  It can be anonymous or worthy of credit.  When we consider the impact that could be made if each of us set out each day to impact one person's life, think about the changes.  It reminds me of the movie Pay it Forward, but instead it is just the Magnitude of One.  This could be the greatest influence in society.

If we think in Biblical contexts, it brings me back to John 14:6, "Jesus answered, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"  You see, there is only one way, one truth, and one life.  Jesus is the one way for us to get to the Father. 

As you can see, improvement in your life, and the impact you have on others comes down to the number ONE.  The number one can change you life and the lives of the people around you.  Strive to improve daily and impact one other life, and things can change. 

GIFTS

This morning, I had the privilege of listening to about gifts that you have received that have impacted your life.  As I reflected on this, I have thought about the gifts that have impacted my life.  Today, I am going to share three of the many gifts that I have received.  Some of them are recent, some not so recent.

The first gift that I want to talk about is the gift of being grounded.  I received this from a friend of mine that I often dream and talk about future goals with.  He doesn't come right out and say it but based on what he says, at the end of the day, his decisions remain grounded on his faith and values.

In 2 Timothy 2:15, we are told, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." If we ground ourselves in the values of God and present ourselves as individuals that are working in His word, His truth, then the rest will take care of itself.

The second gift to share is of a positive attitude.  The friend that I received this from, sees positivity in every situation, even when others don't see it.  It's not jus the fact of having the positive attitude but sharing it and getting others to buy into that vision.  It's one thing to have positivity, but if you can find a way to share it with others, that is when something awesome can happen.

In Philippians 4:8, we are told, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."  People waste so much energy and time on thinking and living in a world of negativity.  We need to start thinking positively and things will change for the best.  In Philippians, they tell us to think about the positive things, yet we still choose to think negatively, it doesn't make sense.  We can either be fertilizer or Round-Up.  Let's stay positive and help others grow, and not be the Round-Up in people's lives.

And the last gift that I am going to talk about, is the gift of faith.  I received this gift half way around the world from a group of people shining light in a dark place.  These people, that have become great friends, live their lives in faith.  All things are going to happen though Jesus, and we have to trust that.  My wife recently shared with me after being gone for 10 days that she noticed a change in me.  She shared that no matter the situation, I stay calm, that I have faith that things will work out. 

Mark 11:22-24 tells us, "And Jesus answered them, 'Have faith in God.  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to a mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.  Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.'"  We need to have faith, not only in God but in God's Word.  But even when we believe it, we have to pray on it in prayer and in thanksgiving.  Huge factor, give thanks for the things you have already received.

Now, these are not all the gifts I have received in my life, but what I am asking you to do is to reflect on some of the gifts that you have received, and in gratitude, think about those have impacted and changed your life.  If you have moved away from those gifts, get back to them.  They were given to you for a reason, so use them.

The Return

Recently, I was out of the country for 10 days.  It was the first time I had been that far from the comforts of Faribault, MN, and the first time I have been away from my wife, Tami, for that amount of time.

After the jet lag settled, Tami and I finally had time to process my return.  While out for dinner, Tami mentioned that I seemed different.  I went on to ask her what exactly she meant by that.  She responded by saying, you just seem so at peace, so calm.  You appear that no matter what happens, you have faith that God will guide you through.  Strangely as it seems, I had to agree.  While I was gone, something happened to me.  I was filled with a faith that was like no other.

That night, I really focused on Phillipians 4:6.  In that verse, we are told, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  Man, this couldn't be any more true.  If we just spend time each day, thanking God for the things he has given us, and asking him for his hand in any troubles we would have, then we could stay more relaxed and just let faith guide us.



After we finished talking about my faith, I shared with her that I too felt a difference.  I told her, "Before I left, I thought I loved you as much as possible.  But now that I am home, I love you so much more."  It's something that you cannot explain but only feel.  Once you truly feel the loving hand of Jesus in our lives, we are able to love so much deeper.  There is so much more possible.



In 1 John 4:16 we are told, "So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.  God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him."  We cannot be afraid to let Jesus guide our love.  Because of the time that I have spent with Him and felt His love, I am able to love much greater.  



If we let our love guide us and our faith comfort us, there is no telling to what differences we can make in our lives.