Things I Need to Remind Myself of Everday

“Discipline is Remembering What You Want”

There are so many lessons in life that are timeless and that we need to be reminded of on a continual basis. These are some of the lessons I try to think on daily to keep my life in order, focused, and going somewhere:

• My Life isn’t My Own, it’s God’s, I surrender what I want my day to look like for what He wants it to look like.

• God is My Source

• Spending Time with God is the Most Important Thing I do

• I can’t Make Up Tomorrow what I fail to Pay For Today

• Success is a Journey, Not a Destination

• Because of God – I’m always in the right place at the right time, meeting the right people!

• God thinks I can Do Anything so I’m going to Dream as Big as I can!

• Pay Now, Play Later, or Play Now, and Pay Later

• Interruptions can be Divine Appointments
• 
• I can Change the World One Person at a Time

• If I don’t take control of my schedule, someone else will.

• Everybody I meet is Going Through Something and Needs Encouragement

• Financially – if I live like no one else lives now, later, I’ll live like no one else lives.

• Success is when those closest to me, respect me the most -> Connect with Family

• If I don’t Workout and Eat right – I’m going to get Fat

• Look for ways to create memories that you’ll never forget!

• Connect with 5 people you haven’t talked to in a week -> Send a text, facebook, etc.

• Life is Short ->ENJOY THE JOURNEY – HAVE FUN

What are some things you remind yourself  of daily to make sure your life is going in the right direction?

Everything I do is Pointless, I want to do Something with Purpose

Ever feel like this? I know I have. When I was 18 I started interning at my church. It was an unpaid internship and I had no  idea what to expect out of the behind the scenes work at a church. For almost a year the biggest responsibility I had was washing pitchers of water and organizing bins for youth group. That’s what everyone dreams of when they think of working at a church, right?

“God is more concerned about developing your potential than you are!”

I would sit in meetings and hear my mentor delegate “significant” tasks to the rest of the team only to end with looking at me and saying, “Bubs, organize the bins and wash the pitchers.” After two months of that, I had enough. So when my mentor left for his 8 week sabbatical, I e-mailed him telling him I quit. I didn’t sign up to work for free and wash pitchers.

He got me in contact with another mentor and had him talk to me. He said, “Bubs, have you prayed about this?” Of course I hadn’t. He said, “Give God a chance to speak to your heart, if you come back and still don’t want to, then quit.” God had one chance – if he didn’t speak to me in my devotions, it was over. I opened to Isaiah 49:3.4:

³ He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory.” ⁴ I replied, “But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose.Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand;I will trust God for my reward.”

This verse changed my life forever. I felt like my work was useless, done for nothing, and for no purpose. YET…I leave it in God’s hands – I trust Him for my reward.  I developed this mentality and decided to stick with the internship.

One Thing Leads to Another

For an entire year, I set up bins faithfully every week. At the end of the year, I got asked to give my first offering. I started getting more responsibility. I interned a second year and at the end of my second year, I got asked to speak for the first time ever. Which led to more speaking engagements, more responsibility, and eventually 4 years after I interned, I got hired on staff at my church.

What Would Have Happened if I Would Have Quit Because I thought Everything I did was Pointless?

I wouldn’t be writing this, I wouldn’t be on staff, I probably wouldn’t be living for God. My Conclusion? God has you where you are for a reason, for your development, and if you’ll learn to trust Him for your reward instead of people, in His timing, He will promote you and allow you to do great things for Him, but first, you have to be faithful in the things that seem absolutely worthless.

P90X Delivers – My Review of P90X

I’m on my last few days of my first run through P90X. I absolutely love it. I guarantee it will get you the results you’re looking for if you’ll stay disciplined and go through the program.You can watch the making of p90x here!

I would highly recommend buying P90X if you’re looking to get in shape. Buy it here!

What I love about the program:

1.) You get results! - To be honest, I didn’t diet much during this round because of the holidays, but I saw results, I lost body fat, I became more flexible, and I got a lot stronger.

2.) The Daily Discipline of Working Out - These workouts are usually about an hour and fifteen minute comittment. It takes discipline to schedule them and get them done. You’ll become a more disciplined person through the program.

3.) You Don’t Need Much Equipment - I used bands, a pull-up bar, and push up bars -> all very inexpensive.

4.) Anyone Can Do It - Though the workouts are very intense, someone is always showing you a modified way to do the moves. You’re encouraged throughout all the workouts to simply “Do Your Best, and Forget the Rest” and in time, you’ll improve.

5.) The Variety of Workouts - It’s not just lifting and cardio. After a week – you feel like you’ve worked you’re entire body and you feel great.

6.) Tony Horton - Some love him, others hate him. I happen to love the guy! He makes the workouts fun, he pushes you, and he has tons of memorable quotes that you get engrained in your mind!

Potential “Downfalls”:

1.) The Time Commitment - 90 Days is great, an hour and a half a day isn’t bad either, but sometimes I did found it hard to workout 6 or 7 days a week, not because I was lazy, but I just didn’t have an extra hour and a half that day.

2.) Working out at Home - I actually loved working out at home as opposed to a gym, but when i talk to some people about the program, they insist they have to work out at a gym. My advice would be go through the program and implement what you learn when you go to the gym.

P90X is made up of 12 Workouts:

1.) Chest and Back - An hour of mostly push-ups and pull -ups – I love this workout!

2.) Back and Bi’s- 2 back exercises followed by two bicep exercises – Brutal! The Corn Cob pull-ups are killer!

3.) Core Synergetics - I think this was my favorite work out – it destroys you’re core!

4.) Plyometrics - Jump training! This is probably the hardest of all the workouts. Tony calls it “The mother of all P90X workouts” – a well deserving name.

5.) Yoga – This was the most surprising! At first you’ll hate yoga and think it’s stupid and a waste of time, by the end of the 90 days, you’ll be looking foreword to every chance you get to do yoga. Here is what Tony thinks of yoga!

6.) Legs and Back – Wall Squats… enough said!

7.) Cardio – This ended up being my Saturday workout – a mixture of yoga, plyo, core, and kempo!

8.) Kempo – This workout is fun, a lot of punching and kicking, but it was my least favorite. I never felt like I got a great workout in after I did it. I ended up replacing this with Cardio.

9.) Chest, Shoulders, and Tri’s – This workout is tough, but awesome! 1-handed push-ups..Tough!

10.) Shoulders and Arms – The glamour muscles! Gotta love this workout!

11.) XStretch - Your optional Sunday workout – when you can get it in, it’s worth it – so relaxing!

12.) Ab Ripper X - This is killer! It’s a 16 minute ab workout that you do after 3 of your workouts throughout the week!

Warning: If You Pray This, It will Happen

Everyday I pray this prayer, and everyday it comes to pass:

God, I open up my heart to you today. I’ll do what you want me to do, say what you want me to say, go where you want me to go. Let the right people come across my path today so I can point them to you and lift them with your word and your love . . .

Smith Wigglesworth would not go to bed unless he had led someone to the Lord that day. That is awesome, and I’m not there yet, but I don’t want to go to bed until I have pointed someone to God. I don’t want to go to bed until I know I’ve been used by God to lift at least one life.

In his brilliant work, “Spiritual Leadership“, J. Oswald Sanders talks about interruptions he would receive during the day:

‘People would walk into my office and say: “Well, I just had two hours to kill here in between trains, and I thought I would come and see you.’ That used to bother me… Then the Lord convinced me that He sends people our way…So now I take interruptions as from the Lord. They belong in my schedule, because the schedule is God’s to arrange at His pleasure.”

Pray this prayer today – view every interaction you have today as an opportunity to point people to God. I promise you, if you’ll do this, you’ll have more opportunities than you can imagine to be a witness.

Be a Great Number 2

Serve Your Way to the Top – 7 Lessons I Learned While Serving My Way onto a Church Staff

Lesson 4 – Be a Great Number 2

This is very similar to the last lesson, “Serve as Though You Were on Staff”, the difference – this one you’re actually on staff. Most people have aspirations of going to higher levels as a leader. Higher levels of leadership comes through higher positions.

Be a great number 2, and when your time comes, You’ll be a Great Number 1

A lot of people want to have the position of the person they report to. Unfortunately, they go about this by trying to out do them, talk poorly about them, some just flat out tell the person – I want your position and I’m coming for it. None of these approaches are healthy or effective. My advice – would be the same advice a mentor gave me a long time ago – “Be a great Number 2″

What does being a great number two look like?

1.) Supporting Your Supervisor No Matter What -believe in them regardless of anything that comes up that upsets you.

2.) Submitting to Your Supervisor no Matter What - If you’re not the #1 guy – that means that it’s not your organization. You don’t get to make the decisions, they do. When you have your own, you’ll call the shots. Until then – always give your input, but once a decision as been made – you submit and support it, no matter what!

3.) Allow Him/Her to Focus on the Big Picture - #1’s shouldn’t have to set-up/tear down, sweat the small details, or anything else along those lines. They need to be freed up to focus on the vision of the organization, provide direction, and then lead. Take care of everything else!

God said if you’re faithful with little, He’ll make you faithful over much. If you’re faithful as a number 2, you’re time to be number 1 will come. When it does, you’ll be grateful you were a great number 2.

Act as If

Serve Your Way to the Top – 7 Lessons I Learned While Serving My Way onto a Church Staff

Lesson 3 – Serve/Work as Though You Were on Staff

Work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. – I Peter 2:10

I remember before being on staff I set up a meeting with my youth pastor and the youth assistant at the time. They were and still are both very close friends. I told both of them, guys – I want you to treat me as if I were on staff. Give me the same responsibility, same expectations, etc. It opened the door to do some great things. I ended up doing that at ever job I’ve had. I’d meet with whoever my supervisor was and say, “I want more. Treat me as if I were at the next level.”

Some Things I learned from acting as if you were at a higher place than you currently are:

1.) Go the Extra Mile with What You Have – Whatever you are in charge of, make sure it’s getting done with excellence.

2.) Take a Load off Your Superviser - Ask them if there is anything you can take off their plate. What can you do to bless them? What can you do that nobody else would want to?

3.) Make Everyone Else Look Awesome - Make your team better! Compliment them in front of others. Sharpen them! Encourage them to dream bigger. Come along side them on a project and help them through it!

4.) Make Sure the Job Gets Done - Bottom line any leader is looking for is someone who gets the job done. Make sure you’re being labeled as someone who gets the job done, no matter what!

Act as if you were at the next level, act as if you’re good enough to go to the next level, act as if you’re the most faithful person on the planet – because with that attitude you will be all of the above and watch the doors of opportunity swing open for you.

A Tragedy to lots of People

Serve Your Way to the Top – 7 Lessons I Learned While Serving My Way onto a Church Staff

Lesson 2 – Be Comfortable With Yourself

As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it. – I Cor. 12:18

I received a card from a student the other day that really blessed me. At the end of the card it read, “You’ve taught me so many things over the years, but I think my favorite is that life is always best when you can be yourself. Please never stop being you. It’d be a tragedy to lots of people.”

“Please never stop being you. It’d be a tragedy to lots of people.”

I read those words over and over again. Why? Because isn’t it easy to think life would be better if you were someone else? If you were doing what someone else was doing? The truth is – when we’re not ourselves – it’s tragic to others and to God.

I’m learning more, now than ever, to be comfortable with myself. The grass is never greener on the otherside. The truth is, if we were in other peoples shoes, did what they did, or had what they had long enough – we’d feel the exact same way we do with what we do and what we have. So in what areas should you be comfortable with yourself in?

1.)  How You Look - None of us can change our genes – we’re never going to look like anyone else. So quit trying!

2.) Your Calling - I Cor. 12:18 says God put every member of the body of Christ where it has pleased Him. The place God has called us to is the best place we could ever serve in. Stop wanting to do what other people are called to do, and focus on what He’s called you to do.

3.) Your Weaknesses – We all have them! Everyone already knows we have them – so stop trying to cover them up and admit them!

4.) Your Strengths - You’re gifted because of God – He’s given you your strengths. So give yourselves to them and develop!

When you’re comfortable with yourself, people will like you, people will follow you, doors will open, and God can use you more often! When you’re not yourself – it’s a trajedy to everyone around you.

(To the person who wrote me that card – Thank you so much and know that it’s blessing more people than just me because I’ll teach that everywhere I go).

SYWTTP Part 2 – Develop a Personal Growth Plan

Serve Your Way to the Top – 7 Lessons I Learned While Serving My Way onto a Church Staff

Lesson 1 – Develop a Plan for Personal Growth

Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress.

-I Tim. 4:15

“The motivation behind personal growth: The conviction that you value yourself and that there is value in your dream.”

One of the best decisions I ever made was the decision to do something each day to intentionally grow in three areas:

1.) Grow in my Relationship with God- Nothing is more important than this. Without God, you can not do anything worth doing. Everyday I spend time with God, I get in the Word, and I listen to sermons.

2.) Grow in Leadership – If Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less, then we are all leaders in some aspect. I believe everyone should continually be doing something to grow in their leadership. There are tons of book and cd’s you can get your hands on. Perhaps the greatest thing you can do to grow as a leader is what Bill Hybels said, “Always be leading something.” – Nothing helps you grow like actually doing it!

3.) Grow in the Area of my Gifting and Passion - Want to know what you’re supposed to do in life? What are you passionate about and what are you good at? When you find those two – I promise it’s linked to your call. Once you find these two – give yourself to them. Do everything you can to grow in those areas.

Everyday I read, everyday I file, everyday I write, and I try somehow, to get mentored everyday.

If you don’t grow – you’ll go.

Do you have a plan for personal growth? What are you doing intentionally to grow?

Serve Your Way to the Top

This series I am starting came from an opportunity given to me by Pastor Larry Bettencourt. He puts on servant-leadership conferences for youth ministries around the nation.

He asked me to put together a lesson for youth ministry leaders. The lesson God gave me was, Serve Your Way to the Top - 7 Lessons I Learned While Serving my Way onto a Church Staff.I hope you’ll apply these principles in your own life.

These Lessons:

1.) Might Seem Like Common Sense – though we hear the same principles over and over again, we must always ask ourselves, I may know this, but am I doing it. It’s only in practice will these help you.

2.) Will Work Outside of the Church World – Though I learned these lessons serving at a church, if you’ll apply them in any arena, you’ll start to see yourself improving and climbing the ranks!

3.) Do Not Guarantee You’ll Get on Staff at Your Church – Though these were lessons I learned, the reason I am on staff is because God opened a door – PERIOD. These lessons will allow you to stand out, and as your faithful, God will open up doors and God will promote you. Trust Him for your future.

The 7 Lessons Are:

1.) Develop a Plan for Personal Growth

2.) Be Comfortable With Yourself

3.) Serve or Work as Though You Were on Staff

4.) Be a Great Number 2 – Become Indispensable

5.) Grow Something

6.) Recognize that Changed Lives, Not Popularity is what Matters

7.) You’re Not that Bad

I’ll break each of these lessons down over the next few days. My hope is that they’ll help you serve your way to the top wherever it is you are working or serving.

Dream Big and Go For It

²⁰Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do super abundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, dreams] -Ephesians 3:20

I recently heard about a pastor who read this verse and thought, God, you want to do things way beyond anything I can ever dare ask, think, pray for, hope for, or dream of. I want that to happen in my life. He said that God spoke to his heart, “Well, when are you going to start dreaming big ? You haven’t given me anything to work with. ” He said, now every time he wakes up he dreams of what could be done through his life, dreams of what he can do to reach people, nothing is off limits!

“Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.”

I am convinced that God wants to do unbelievable things through our lives. God is looking for people who will dream big for Him. He wants to change the world through us. But in order for that to happen, we need to allow God to shape our dreams and to believe Him that ALL things are possible to him who believes.

One of my mentors told me a long time ago, “Bubs, dream big and go for it.” I’ll never forget that.

So dream big this year -  Dream of how you can impact people this year. Dream of what you can accomplish this year. Dream of who you want to meet and  where you want to go. When you dream of this year make sure you’re THINKING BIGGER than you ever have, TALKING BIGGER than you ever have, GIVING MORE than you ever have, and ENVISIONING MORE than you ever have. Give GOD something to work with.

Next Page »