important

I think we could all agree that everyone likes to be around someone that makes them feel important.  I was blessed to have a Dad that specializes in this.  It doesn't matter who he is talking with, what their background, their age, how much money they make, he always makes people feel important.  Because of this trait, people like to be around my Dad.  The other key to making people feel important, is to really mean it.  People can spot a fake a mile away.  Personally, I hate it when people make someone else feel important, but they have an ulterior motive.  My Dad makes people feel important, because he truly sees them as important.
Do you see people as important and do you treat them as important?

hardest thing = greatest thing

"Many times, the hardest things that can happen to us, may be the greatest things that can happen to us."  
- The truth is, the soil of our lives is some of the most fertile, during times of pain and suffering.
- We almost always learn more in the hard times, that in the easy times.
- Resistance, just like a muscle, makes us stronger in the long run.
- When going through a difficult time, allow God to reveal what needs changed inside of us and allow Him to do it.
- Embrace obstacles, for they are many times God's teachers.

investment

A question that was posed in a meeting yesterday that grabbed my attention.  "Are we living a life of worthy of the investment, that has been poured into us?"
Even if we feel that we have not been poured into by parents, leaders, etc, Jesus gave His life for us.  Another question would then be, "is the life we are living, worth Christ dying?"

The Call of God

The Call of God is His responsibility, but the development of that Call is ours.

What am I doing with what God has entrusted to me?
Am I developing the Call, gifts and resources that God has entrusted to me?
Am I taking responsibility for what I have, by utilizing for His Glory?

What did you expect?

My devotional this morning asked the question, "what did you expect?"  Many times when things get rough following Christ or leading a church or in ministry, we begin to complain.  But really, what did we expect?  I mean dying to ourselves and taking up our cross and following Jesus is not easy.  Jesus never said it would be easy and when we look at His life, we see suffering.  If our King was crucified and we are His servants, what should we expect?  If we are going to follow Jesus in obedience and allow Him to shape us, it's not going to be easy.  But in the end, if we accomplish His Will for our lives and truly know Him, it will be all worth it.

Perseverance

Perseverance.  This is an easy word to say, but a hard word to live.  Perseverance is the toll that must be paid, in order to travel where very few have gone.  Many fall by the way as the journey gets long and the road gets hard.  But those with perseverance find a way.  For me, my motivation for persevering is different depending on what it is.  In an Ironman triathlon, it has been, my inner will or what story are my kids going to tell about me someday.  With ministry, it has been, I just want to make myself trustworthy to God and I want to honor His name.  Why do you persevere?

motion

Jeff Leake says "Don't just do something, start something in motion."

I want to live this.  To live thinking intentionally about where and how I am stewarding my time, talents, influence and resources.  That everything I do is not just an end all, but rather going to create movement that continues on even after I walk away.