Author Archives: John Harrell

Spirituality

More Intervention

This coming Sunday through Wednesday I was supposed to be out of town. For years when I had made hotel reservations, I made non-refundable reservations. This time was different.

When I was making reservations online, this time I had a feeling. My hotel offered the non-refundable option but I chose the refundable one. God was guiding me in that moment and I saved some money. Of course I can’t prove it, but I know it to be true.

God is talking to us all the time. Are we listening? Admittedly it’s difficult because there is a lot of noise out there that blocks our attention. We need to slow down and listen for the small voice.

God will never lead us astray. The evil one wants us to believe He will and that His word is irrelevant today. But Satan is and always has been a liar.

Trust God. He is good…

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Spirituality

True Divine Intervention

Last Friday I had a small stroke. Fortunately I was in a restaurant with a friend of mine and not at home alone. There are several miracles that happened on Friday. Let me tell you about the first one.

Without warning, my speech became a mess. I knew what I wanted to say, but I couldn’t form the words properly. Then it felt like I was in a tunnel. Life was moving in slow motion. My friend kept asking if I’m okay. By this time I couldn’t reply.

A young woman was serving her customers a few tables away. She looked up and saw what was happening, ran to the table and kept me from falling. Then she started barking orders at people, telling them to “call 911” immediately. She was holding me up while reassuring my friend that “I was going to be okay.” This bright young woman had formerly been an ER nurse. She was taking a break from nursing. Coincidence? No. Divine intervention? Yes.

God is always working in us, on us and through us whether we realize it or not. He was certainly watching over me last Friday, and He hasn’t left my side since. He’s watching you, too…

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Spirituality

A Stroke of Genius!

Hello everyone. On Friday afternoon I experienced a very small stroke. The blood clot that lodged in my brain was so small the doctor almost couldn’t see it.

Having a stroke is really bizarre. My words wouldn’t come out right. It felt like I was going in slow motion. The Emergency Room team took great care of me. Within two hours I was back to normal. Well, as normal as I get!

Tomorrow morning the surgeon will place a stent in my carotid artery. This should make me well. What I ask of you is, if you are a praying person, please say one for me. I’m certain that God is in control. He knows the outcome.

I’ll be back to writing soon. I hope you will stick around! Thank you…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

No Time to Waste

When we are young we believe we are immortal. While we have all felt that way, the truth is that our time on this side of eternity is finite. So, the burning question is, what am I doing with the time I have?

I’m not focused on death. Not at all. My focus is on living every moment I have while keeping my mind on the eternal. In 2 Corinthians 4:18, we are reminded to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

The unseen realm is unknown to man. We get glimpses and Scripture reminds us that there is a spiritual battle raging all around us. Then there is Heaven. Jesus described it as paradise. Even with this description we cannot fully comprehend it.

You and I have no time to waste. God gave us a purpose for being here. He doesn’t deal in randomness. If this side of eternity was random, all hell would be breaking loose. But there is order. And He gave us enough time to accomplish His purpose for our lives.

It’s time to get started. As John Wayne said, “we’re burning daylight.”

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Spirituality

Fatalism

Fatalism is the belief that every instance in our lives is predetermined. Outcomes have been set in motion and we have no control over them. So why try?

Let’s say you are a student who is about to take a test. A fatalistic person would believe that whether you pass or fail has already been determined. I call bullshit on that. How much you studied and understood the material determines how well you will do on the exam.

Personal responsibility is big in my book. Fatalism takes responsibility out of the equation. Being fatalistic is an excuse for being lazy and selfish.

At the same time, when tragedy strikes some people will say, “well, it’s just God’s will.” But I call bullshit on this one, too. God hates when his children hurt and therefore cannot cause pain. It goes against his nature.

This wonderful life is filled with choices. We can think things through and weigh the potential consequences of our choices. And yet I still do stupid stuff. Is it fate? No, it’s just me…

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Spirituality

The iLife

We have iPhones, iPads and iTunes. Apple went from being a boring little computer company to a powerhouse in what seemed to be an overnight sensation. The truth is, it was marketing genius.

Co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, had been fired from his company. It was a move that would have humiliated many, but Jobs was cut from a different cloth. In 1997, he returned to Apple, first as interim CEO which became permanent in 2000. The company was on the brink of bankruptcy when Jobs created iTunes. iTunes changed the way we bought music, and it saved the company.

Today, we see the results of Jobs tenacity everywhere. My iPhone is like my girl Friday. I’m practically lost without it.

In some ways Apple has grown comfortable with its success. But don’t count them out. The company is full of creative people, the type of people who change the world…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Make More Mistakes

In order to do something great with our lives, we must be willing to take risks. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained” as the saying goes. The fear of failure can be a deterrent, but only when you believe you gotta get things right every time.

We learn through our mistakes. When we do something correctly we aren’t required to learn a new, better way. Mistakes and setbacks are part of this imperfect life we are living.

Years ago, I was asked to be a guest teacher for a business principles college class. The curriculum I put together for the class was a list of eighteen lessons I learned during my career from mistakes I had made. We only got through five of them. Teaching the class is something I will always remember.

Success is a growth process. It rarely happens overnight, but it will happen when you work hard, work smart and refuse to quit when things get tough. You must be tougher!

Edison made mistakes. So did Einstein. Musk has blown up a lot of rockets while trying to figure out how to get one into space. We remember these individuals and others for their accomplishments. None of them published a memoir of their mistakes, but they could have.

Be willing to try and fail. Then be willing to try again. And again. And again. Until you find success. A dream without action is a waste…

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