Tag Archives: #purpose

Spirituality

Faithful

Old Faithful is the most famous geyser in Yellowstone National Park. It erupts on average every 90 minutes. And it has done so since the year 1870!

What do you think of when you hear the word faithful? Perhaps you think about your dog, or a lifelong friend. Maybe you put your faith in your employer that they will pay you without fail.

Faithfulness or some variation of it is listed about 300 times in the New Testament alone. It’s a central theme. The Book of James says it best: “Faith without works is dead.” This is applied faith. You can say you have faith, but show me, the author writes.

Everyone uses faith in their lives. Atheists do, too. If you get on an airplane you have faith the pilot knows how to fly the plane. You have faith that other drivers will follow the rules and stop when the light turns red.

You were given a purpose. My encouragement is, take that leap of faith, get out of your comfort zone, and go accomplish your purpose. Don’t wait another minute. There’s no better time than the present…

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Spirituality

Philo Farnsworth

You may have never heard of Philo Farnsworth, yet most people use a device he created every day. Please allow me to tell you more.

Milo was born in Utah in 1906. When he was 12 his family moved to Idaho. The home Milo’s family moved into had electricity, and this became a lifelong obsession for Milo.

As a 14 year old farm boy plowing a field, Milo had an idea. He saw the straight rows he had plowed and thought, “why can’t images be transmitted in lines rather than the complicated spinning discs used at the time?” He drew outlines of his thoughts on the blackboard for his high school chemistry teacher, Justin Tolman. Tolman kept the drawings which eventually were instrumental in winning a patent lawsuit against RCA (another fascinating story).

The electronic television set was invented by a 21 year old boy who had no college education, no connections and very little money. Milo had something more powerful than those things combined. He had a dream.

Dreams are given to us by God. It’s up to us to do the work to bring our dreams to life. The deep purposes imbedded in our hearts are there for a reason. We will find fulfillment when we use our gifts for the betterment of mankind. Dream big, worthwhile dreams and do the work…

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Spirituality

Don’t Be That Person

So many people are living hollow lives. They are drifting through life, waiting for the weekend yet they rarely do anything special on their days off. Don’t be that person. Rise above.

There is nothing random about this life. We were created with a purpose in mind. God gave us our unique gifts to accomplish His purpose for our lives. It’s not about us.

You know in your heart that this is true. You know you were created for more than frustration and mediocrity. And I want you to know that God is serious about your purpose. He didn’t create anything without a reason. This includes you!

Life is meant to be lived, not merely existed through. If you want to get started on living out your purpose and don’t know where to begin, start with a simple prayer. Then keep praying…

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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, 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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Spirituality, Uncategorized

The State of Discontent

People change when they want to. I’ve heard many alcoholics say they “got sick and tired of being sick and tired.” They embraced sobriety, worked the 12 steps of AA and changed their lives.

Contentment can be an ambition killer. We are here for a purpose, a purpose that impacts others for good. Going to work, coming home and watching television then doing it all over again the next day won’t get you where you want to be. When you get discontented with your life then you will change. The pain of staying where you are is worse than the uncertainty of moving forward.

Fulfillment comes when we are working at something greater than ourselves. We are contributing to the greater good. And when you see someone trying to make a change, offer some encouragement to them. Your words might be what they need in the moment.

Find your purpose. You have one. In fact, you may have several. Keep going when you find it, no matter what happens. God gave you the purpose. He will see you through…

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Spirituality

Nothing But Net

When you nail a beautiful basketball shot and it slides through the net without touching the rim, the shooter says, “nothing but net!” But today I want to focus on a different kind of net, the safety net.

Many people say they don’t like change. Routines and predictability reign supreme in their lives. It’s like having their own built-in safety net. The truth is, all of us are living life without a net.

God shaped us with unique talents to accomplish His will on this side of eternity. He never said it would be easy or without risks. He did promise He could take any bad situation and bring good from it.

When you decide to pursue your calling, get ready to grow. You can’t avoid it. Stay committed and remain hopeful no matter how hard it gets. If you are pursuing God’s calling on your life, no force can stop you…

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Spirituality

Blended

Do you own a blender? Mine gets used regularly. Taking dry powder and mixing with a liquid until it becomes smooth got an upgrade with the invention of the blender rather than mixing by hand!

What about people? There are those who just want to fit in, go with the flow and be part of the crowd. You might say they have blended in. There’s nothing wrong with that, until there is. Let me explain.

Everyone wants their life to matter, to make a difference. This can cause some discomfort. You might be called to do something that requires you to stand out. You will be exposed as being different, set apart from the comfort of the crowd.

You can choose to remain silent, staying in the background while you know you have to stand up and stand out. In these moments, it’s important to remember that you have outgrown the crowd. This is your moment, your leadership moment.

My encouragement to you is to take the chance. Separating from the flow, getting uncomfortable is where growth happens. Embrace it. Don’t run from your calling.

The critics will be there. You know, the ones who never do anything worthwhile. They complain but don’t offer any creative solutions to make this world better.

When you’re taking a stand for what’s good and right, you will be doing what God smiles at. Keep going…

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Spirituality

Rote Religion

The recurring theme throughout the Bible is that God wants the heart of man. He gives us free will to love and worship Him. It’s never forced upon us. It’s our choice.

There has been a trend over the last twenty years or so. People refer to themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” That’s a safety net because people don’t know God, really know Him. Many believe if they start to get to know God then they would turn into religious freaks or weirdos. God created us to be who He created us to be, not a weirdo.

My encouragement to you is to spend some time in Scripture. Study the life of Jesus that’s found in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. You will see the character of our Creator. Then allow God to work on you and through you.

Then you will have crossed the line from rote religion to a meaningful relationship…

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Spirituality

Are You In The Boat?

When Jesus walked on the water to get to the boat the disciples were in, the disciples thought they were seeing a ghost. Peter said, “Rabbi. If it’s really you, then let me walk out to you.” Jesus told him to “come on.”

Peter stepped out of the boat and took a few steps toward Jesus. Then Peter got scared, took his eyes off of Jesus and started to sink. He cried out, “Lord. Save me!” Jesus pulled him out and they got in the boat.

Life can be a bit like this story from Scripture. Staying in the boat, playing it safe might get you to your destination. That’s merely existing. God wants more for our lives. He wants us to use our unique talents to help others. We must get out of the boat and take chances. Otherwise we will miss our calling.

If you choose to pursue your dreams, then you must get out of your own boat. Take a risk. But remember to keep your eyes on God. Then you won’t sink…

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