Does It Bother You When Others Get the Credit?

If you've ever watched the NBA you're aware that this professional league is made up of teams. Each team is made up of players, who in theory play as a team towards a common goal, winning. But if you've ever watched the NBA or other professional team sports, selfishness, pride and egos are rampant when it comes to these professional leagues. I guess that's why it's so refreshing to watch a Jeremy Lin burst onto the scene in the NBA. I'm amazed at the garbage that goes on between the huge egos of players who are on the same team. One of the most obvious areas with this is seen is when it comes to getting credit. When it comes to a team, if the the members on that team have the same goals, should it really matter who gets the credit? If I take the winning shot and win the game, does that mean that I'm the one who should get all the credit for winning the game? Absolutely not! I may take the winning shot, but it's the team who played the game and helped achieve the outcome. Did one shot win the game? No. It's the teamwork over the course of the game that won it. Unfortunately, when we look around in culture, this same philosophy takes place. People are always trying to get the credit for things, even when it deserves to go to someone else. If you're part of a team, don't get hung up on who gets the credit for success. Do your best to help your team succeed, regardless of whether you're recognized or not. I love watching great teams succeed, especially when there's no superstar on the team. They win because of them working together and not because of the abilities of one team member. Today, if someone on your team gets credit for something, rejoice with them. Don't let envy or jealousy make its way in. Don't let it bother you when others get the credit :) Heed the warning in James 3:16, "For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind." God will do incredible things on your team if you're not worried about who get the credit.

Thanks To All of You

Everybody loves celebrating birthdays and I'm no exception. Yesterday I celebrated my 45th birthday and I want to use today's blog to thank everyone who called, texted, emailed, dropped by or Facebooked me, to wish me a happy birthday. Like so many other people, my love language is words of encouragement. So when people say even the simplest thing, with me they get a huge bang for their buck. I always cherish words of appreciation and encouragement. It's easy to think that a person like me never needs encouragement or affirmation, but you'd be wrong. I think everybody appreciates kind words spoken to them every now and then, especially me. In our culture, it's such a breath of fresh air when people give those around them encouragement and show them kindness. I am so blessed to have so many amazing people in my life. People who seem to say the right things at just the right time. To all of you again, thank you for making my day so meaningful and special. I appreciate every single one of you :) May your day be blessed!

Never Underestimate the Impact You Can Make

When I think about making an impact, I think about all the possibilities we have before us as Christians. Every day we have opportunities to let the name of Christ be seen through our lives. One of the easiest ways this can be done is in our work. Whether it's at our full time job, a part time job, volunteering, or something else, never underestimate the impact you can make. As Christians we're called to be lights that shine brightly. In how we live, those around us should be able to see that there is something different about us. And that difference is our relationship with Christ. How is your reputation when it comes to work, job or commitments? We are called to be excellent, hard working and reliable. Colossians 3:23 in the Message tells us, "...don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God..." If we lived this way we'd make a huge impact. When others do the minimum, we should go above and beyond. When the goal of others is to simply get by, ours should be to thrive. When others settle for mediocrity, we should aim for excellence. When others work to please man, our focus should be to please the Lord. The goal of everything in our lives should be to bring honor and praise to the Lord, and not ourselves. Today, you will have many opportunities to make a huge impact in this world. What will you do? Who will it affect? How will it touch others? Will it point to Jesus? Take the plunge and never underestimate the impact that God has called you to make in this world today.

It's As Simple As Trusting God

Trust is one of the most important things found in a culture. Once trust has been broken, it can be very difficult to restore. Think about this for just a moment, when it comes down to it, who or what do you trust? Everyone experiences something or someone letting them down from time to time. But there is someone and something we can fully trust, without ever having to worry about being let down. These two things are God and His Word, the Bible. Two of my favorite Bible verses (quite possibly my favorites) are Proverbs 3:5-6 which say, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."A lot is being said in these two simple verses, and yet the fruit of doing what they say can be priceless. The command for us is to "trust" in the Lord, which implies a waiting upon Him, full of faith and hope with joy, without complaining or doubting. Not only are we to do this, but we're also not to lean on our own understanding. How many examples are there in the Bible who did this, and suffered the consequences? Why is it so easy for us to assume we're always right or think we know what's best? Not leaning on our own understanding can often mean walking by faith and not sight, which opposes the very thing we think is right. If we choose to acknowledge God in every area of our lives, the reward is huge. The promise to us is that He shall direct, or make smooth or straight, our paths. Often we want the path before us to be obvious, clear and straight, yet what we do can hinder this from happening. How you might ask? By not trusting God with everything, by leaning on our own understanding, and by not acknowledging Him in everything. Think about it and choose to live the golden nuggets of wisdom found in this verse :)
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Hair and Wisdom

I'm off to get a haircut this morning because it's that time. We all know that as you get older, some people do tend to lose some of their hair. I'm no different and yes my hair is thinning out on top a little. But just because I don't seem to have thick locks of hair right now, doesn't mean that I never have. I found a picture from my senior year of high school, and as you can see I do have a lot of hair. In fact I think my wings look pretty sweet :) As we're all aware, as you get older your body does go through changes. Maybe you don't have as much hair, strength, energy or stamina you once did, but there is one thing that only continues to grow, if you allow it. That thing is called wisdom. Have you ever noticed that people who have been around a long time can have a lot of wisdom? Usually it's because of the many life lessons they've been able to draw from or the experiences that they've lived. The Bible values wisdom as such a precious thing and even says in Proverbs 4:7, "Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom." Wisdom can be such a priceless thing to a person. Wisdom can be the difference maker in decisions, and which in direction to go. It can be also be the great equalizer in battle. Wisdom is something everyone should desire. In fact it really is available to us as James 1:5 says, "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking."Need wisdom? It's available, just ask God. But always be on your guard not to become wise in your own eyes, as the Bible warns. Wisdom is such an amazing thing and if you'll allow it, it will only grow as you get older.

It's a Pleasure to Meet You Jackson

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Jackson for the very first time. He's a quiet, yet very inquisitive young man. Healthy, strong and already growing. And let me tell you, his hair is amazing! So thick and dark, making me wish mine looked like his :) Actually Jackson is the 2 day old son of an amazing woman named Emma. It was such a privilege to hold him and admire the intricate details of God's handiwork. Life truly is a miracle! Just 48 hours ago Jackson was enjoying the warmth and protection of his mother's womb. What a difference a day or two can make. All of a sudden it's hello world and he's breathing on his own, eating, sleeping, crying, being held by people he's never seen before. Plus he's become one of the main attractions at the hospital. To look at little Jackson and see all the details that go into making his body, let alone those I can't see, how can you not believe that God's not involved? This young life is a miracle from God Himself. According to Psalm 139:13-14, "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it." As I admire little Jackson, I see a young life that's been knit together by God. A life that has so much purpose and destiny. A life that's been made by God to do His bidding. Life is indescribable. It's sometimes too deep to even try to wrap your arms around it. As I held this little miracle, I couldn't help but think about all the great plans God has in store for him. I look forward to seeing God use him mightily.

Fear Failure?

As believers, fear is something that we must guard against, except when it comes to a healthy fear of the Lord. There are many kinds of fear we must fight against, but one of the most vicious and destructive is the fear of failure. This aspect of fear usually goes hand in hand with fear of man. It's very easy in our lives to allow our focus to be on pleasing man, instead of pleasing God. If your goal is to please man, fear of failure will become a giant in your life. It means that everything we do will be done with an emphasis on satisfying and pleasing a person, which can easily get our focus off what God wants. If we make our priority pleasing the Lord, it will free us from living to please man. Proverbs 29:25 in the Message says, "The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that." Think about this for a minute, but what's your motive for saying what you say and doing what you do? Is it to please man? Or is it to obey the Bible? In our culture we can get so tangled up in human opinion and what we see, read or hear, that it becomes our priority, rather than living the Bible and desiring to please its author. So how do you get breakthrough in this area? Live to please the one who died on the cross for you, loving what He loves and hating what He hates. This means focusing more on what the Bible says rather than what man, TV or the internet says. If you believe everything you see, hear or read, you're airing on the side of foolishness and not wisdom. Choose to please the Lord today, and you won't be disappointed. If you do fail in something, make things right, and get back up on your feet, trusting the Lord completely :) Proverbs 24:16 brings such encouragement to us with this, "The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again..."