Author Archives: John Harrell

Spirituality

Watchers

I never watch the weather. You see, only old people watch the weather and I like to stay young!

Everyone is always watching something. We watch the road when we drive, watch television, watch the bats (in Austin, Texas), and we watch each other. There are always eyes on us.

God watches over us all the time. He is there when we sleep and He’s here right now. Some believe God is looking to catch us doing something wrong. That’s just not true. He sees those things, but He sees everything else as well. When we do something good for mankind we don’t need to blow our own horn about it. The only one who matters sees it. And He remembers.

The world is watching. Give them something worth their attention…

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Spirituality

Show Yourself

You have read where I said, don’t waste your pain. Don’t waste your talent, either. You were given unique abilities to be used to advance God’s Kingdom on this side of eternity. Everything we have is for God and His purpose, not our own.

You know what you are good at. Something inside of you lights up when you are using your talents. You are the only one who has your ability. My encouragement to you is to work on improving yourself so you can be effective. If you keep your talents hidden, that’s selfish.

You will only find the fulfillment God has planned for you by bringing your talents to the surface. Be fearless. Find your purpose.

I will say it again. Don’t waste your pain. Don’t waste your talent, either…

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Spirituality

Lead The Way

Upon occasion, everyone has been placed in a position of leadership. Leadership isn’t confined to the workplace. You can lead there, but you are called to lead your family and friends as well.

Great leaders don’t boss people around. They set the tone and empower their followers to think for themselves, use their creativity and get things accomplished. The best leaders are those who have the heart of a servant.

Consider Jesus, if you will. He took a ragtag group of men with different backgrounds and personalities, and he led them by example. After Jesus died, his disciples (now called apostles) were equipped to build the church. They had learned well because what they started is still going over two thousand years later.

If you are in a position of leadership, allow your people the ability to grow. Teach them well, and get the hell out of the way. Give guidance when needed, and allow your people to make mistakes.

Lead well…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Remorse

Have you ever felt remorse? Of course you have, and so have I. By definition, remorse is a deep regret coming from a sense of guilt for past wrongs.

You can stop feeling remorse. If you have wronged someone, apologize immediately. Commit to not speaking rudely or judgmental towards someone else again. Then keep your commitment. Treat others well going forward. Accept them as they are, where they are in life.

Let go of guilt if you are truly sorry for your actions. You cannot change the past, but you can resolve to do better going forward. If you find yourself constantly beating yourself up for sins of the past, you can stop that now.

If you are working on improving yourself, keep working! And remember to be kind to yourself along the way. Growth takes time…

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Spirituality

Constructive Dialogue

There’s a lot of people tearing each other apart nowadays! In case you haven’t noticed, people love to argue about their political opinions. Many are dying on that hill daily.

This has been going on for a very long time. The advent of social media has brought the battle into the public. But one thing I have observed is, no one has been changed because someone is yelling at them. What a waste of time.

Constructive dialogue builds relationships. You can only learn about others by listening to them and observing how they act. We should respect others for what they believe. They have their reasons and it isn’t our place to try to change others. People can make decisions for themselves.

Ask yourself if what you are about to say is helping or hurting. There has been a lot of hurt heaped on other people because they believe differently.

Be different. Be helpful…

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Spirituality

Rebirth

Are you fulfilled in life? If the answer is no, you are not alone. During the course of my life I have met countless people who want more, but fear going after it. The universal truth in each of their stories is that they know they have a greater purpose than they are living.

Here’s some good, no, great news! It’s not too late. You are still living and breathing. It’s time to rewrite your life.

You have been given a good mind with the ability to think. Take some time to consider what you really want from this life. Then decide to go after it. Turn your desire into a white-hot flame that no man can extinguish. Visualize yourself succeeding. Allow nothing to stop you, no matter how hard things get.

Be patient with your progress. Your new life won’t be created in a day. But it will come to fruition if you stay with it.

And remember to thank God along the way. He gave you your purpose as well as the tools to make it happen.

What are you waiting for? Get going…

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Spirituality

Sanctimonious

Do you like to be lectured to by someone who feels like they are morally superior to everyone else? I don’t. These self-righteous people are a turnoff.

We learn more when we listen. By rearranging the letters in the word “listen” you get silent. I believe this is on purpose. If we are constantly running our mouth then we must believe we know it all.

Healthy, stimulating conversations require two parties. There should be some give and take. And whether you agree with the counterparty or not, your worldview expands.

Listen more than you speak. And avoid the sanctimonious as best you can. They will suck your energy dry…

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Spirituality

Doing The Impossible

Have you ever tried to move a mountain? It’s possible.

How we see things will determine whether or not we will overcome them. Forgiveness is hard. Some people have hurt you, really hurt you. You hold onto the pain because you aren’t sure you can release it. Once you start to believe you can heal, the process of forgiveness has begun.

Jesus told us that “With God, all things are possible.” He didn’t say some things, or even most things. All things are possible. The challenge lies with us. We see things through human eyes. God’s vision is unlimited.

Ask God to allow you to see situations through His eyes. Expand your vision. Deepen your wisdom. And increase your faith.

You can move mountains. Even if it’s one shovel full at a time…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Be Calm

The new week is here. Chaos has started. There are kids to get to school, work deadlines, traffic commutes, plus whatever else hits the fan that you didn’t see coming. Life can feel like a storm with you caught in the middle of it.

Be at peace. Be calm. God is in control and we are not. Focus your attention on that, not the noise coming from the backseat or the negativity the news brings. Not everything is a crisis although your children might see it differently! Stay in the moment and don’t think too far ahead.

Staying calm during the craziness of life is possible. Start your day with a short prayer, asking God to see you through whatever the day brings. Then believe He will fulfill what you asked. Talk to God during the day. He listens.

He will deliver every time. Guaranteed…

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Spirituality

Powerless

The power of your mind is unlimited because it is the portal to the spiritual realm. Our only limitations are those we place on ourselves. You must understand this before you read another word: what we believe will come to pass.

Take inventory of your beliefs. Start with yourself. Are you capable of thinking and feeling? Do all five of your senses work? Can you see and hear? If the answer is yes, you are already way ahead. Obviously I’m being facetious. The point is, you are equipped with everything you need to create the life you want. It’s your mind that needs redirection.

Picture yourself succeeding. See yourself living the life you want to live. Be creative and be audacious. Do not allow any negativity to enter your thoughts. You can control your thoughts if you work at it.

You can get everything you want in life. Others are powerless, not you. You just have to believe it’s possible…

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