Energized by His Power - In Touch Ministries - Dr. Charles Stanley 2010
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Sunday, January 31, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
A Different Type of Apology
Are you someone who has a difficult time saying, "I'm sorry"? For me it's a matter of pride. It's not that I don't feel badly when I do something wrong or hurt someone. It's just that I hate myself for doing it, and saying I'm sorry just reminds me of my failure. Yes, I know it's a sad excuse. It's just one of my imperfections.
Some helpful information is contained in Jeff Gitomer's "The Golden Book of Yes". He provides an excellent alternative. If saying sorry is difficult, say "thank you". He suggests saying something like, "thank you for bringing that to my attention. I will take the necessary action to correct my mistake. And then of course, take the necessary action.
The reason for the effectiveness is that it demonstrates action. If said sincerely, the other person will believe that we are serious about correcting the mistake. Even though sorry is not said, it is understood. I have used this method at home, work, and anywhere else where my many mistakes are made, and it does make a difference.
I challenge anyone to try this. Saying a sincere I'm sorry is great. The problem is that many times it lacks sincerity and is said by someone just to get out of the situation. By saying thank you and implying action, one not only corrects the mistake, but goes above and beyond making things right. There is no doubt in the sincerity of that.
As my my tired mind is having problems gathering my thoughts, I apologize. However, I thank you for bringing it to my attention if I am confusing you, and promise to write with a much clearer head next time.
Have an excellent day : )
Some helpful information is contained in Jeff Gitomer's "The Golden Book of Yes". He provides an excellent alternative. If saying sorry is difficult, say "thank you". He suggests saying something like, "thank you for bringing that to my attention. I will take the necessary action to correct my mistake. And then of course, take the necessary action.
The reason for the effectiveness is that it demonstrates action. If said sincerely, the other person will believe that we are serious about correcting the mistake. Even though sorry is not said, it is understood. I have used this method at home, work, and anywhere else where my many mistakes are made, and it does make a difference.
I challenge anyone to try this. Saying a sincere I'm sorry is great. The problem is that many times it lacks sincerity and is said by someone just to get out of the situation. By saying thank you and implying action, one not only corrects the mistake, but goes above and beyond making things right. There is no doubt in the sincerity of that.
As my my tired mind is having problems gathering my thoughts, I apologize. However, I thank you for bringing it to my attention if I am confusing you, and promise to write with a much clearer head next time.
Have an excellent day : )
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
I Locked My Keys in the Car
I wrote this a couple of years ago on another site. Due to the winter weather and being reminded of the theme of this message lately, I decided to share it here.......
Yes, I admit it. My title is true. I was at work and it was snowing. The car was covered. Since snow here in Buffalo is not an unusual event, I have the routine of starting my car and putting the defrosters on full blast to help get rid of the snow faster. The problem is that I also have the habit of locking the car doors as I am getting out.
There is nothing wrong with having these routines. That is, unless they are done together. I got out of the car to brush off the snow, locked it, then closed the door. Yes, the keys were still in the ignition. As the car was still running, the inside was toasty warm as I was now freezing outside in the cold, realizing the mistake I had made. The sad part is that this is the second time I've made this same mistake in recent months. So it's official. I'm 42 and already senile.
On this day we had a family obligation to get to at a particular time so, unlike the last time, I couldn't wait for AAA to arrive and bail me out. You can imagine how happy my wife was when she found out she would be the one to drag herself and the kids out driving in the snow and cold to come rescue helpless Daddy.
I waited, and waited, and waited. It was taking them much longer than I anticipated to arrive. I knew the drive would be slow, but it had stopped snowing, and the roads had been cleared for the most part. After a while I began to worry as they still hadn't arrived. Finally they pulled into the parking lot. My wife apologized and said they were late because there was a bad accident on the road and traffic was backed up as a result.
As I humbly drove home after this incident I passed by the accident site. It was cleaned up by then, but then I realized something. Based on the timing, it seemed that this accident occurred right around the time I would have been there had I not locked myself out of the car.
This really made me think. Could this have been me if I had left work on time? I cannot say that for sure, but I thanked God anyway for the protection. It made me think further. How many times has God protected me from things where I didn't even know I was in danger. How many times have I "locked my keys in the car" or been inconvenienced in some way to avoid a major problem?
This has been a reminder ever since. I thank God regularly for protecting me, especially from things that I can't even see. I am also less likely to become upset when I am delayed, inconvenienced, or faced with sudden changes of plans. I realize it can be God protecting me from another problem, accident, or even something worse. I am eternally grateful for that.
I challenge anyone else to think about that the next time you miss that light, wake up late, or get sidetracked in some way. Just don't lock your keys in the car :)
God Bless!!
Yes, I admit it. My title is true. I was at work and it was snowing. The car was covered. Since snow here in Buffalo is not an unusual event, I have the routine of starting my car and putting the defrosters on full blast to help get rid of the snow faster. The problem is that I also have the habit of locking the car doors as I am getting out.
There is nothing wrong with having these routines. That is, unless they are done together. I got out of the car to brush off the snow, locked it, then closed the door. Yes, the keys were still in the ignition. As the car was still running, the inside was toasty warm as I was now freezing outside in the cold, realizing the mistake I had made. The sad part is that this is the second time I've made this same mistake in recent months. So it's official. I'm 42 and already senile.
On this day we had a family obligation to get to at a particular time so, unlike the last time, I couldn't wait for AAA to arrive and bail me out. You can imagine how happy my wife was when she found out she would be the one to drag herself and the kids out driving in the snow and cold to come rescue helpless Daddy.
I waited, and waited, and waited. It was taking them much longer than I anticipated to arrive. I knew the drive would be slow, but it had stopped snowing, and the roads had been cleared for the most part. After a while I began to worry as they still hadn't arrived. Finally they pulled into the parking lot. My wife apologized and said they were late because there was a bad accident on the road and traffic was backed up as a result.
As I humbly drove home after this incident I passed by the accident site. It was cleaned up by then, but then I realized something. Based on the timing, it seemed that this accident occurred right around the time I would have been there had I not locked myself out of the car.
This really made me think. Could this have been me if I had left work on time? I cannot say that for sure, but I thanked God anyway for the protection. It made me think further. How many times has God protected me from things where I didn't even know I was in danger. How many times have I "locked my keys in the car" or been inconvenienced in some way to avoid a major problem?
This has been a reminder ever since. I thank God regularly for protecting me, especially from things that I can't even see. I am also less likely to become upset when I am delayed, inconvenienced, or faced with sudden changes of plans. I realize it can be God protecting me from another problem, accident, or even something worse. I am eternally grateful for that.
I challenge anyone else to think about that the next time you miss that light, wake up late, or get sidetracked in some way. Just don't lock your keys in the car :)
God Bless!!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Stress Free
Is it possible to be stress free? I was asked this question today, and it took some time for me to answer. I decided that it definitely is possible.
For anyone thinking that it is impossible, I will ask this... How does stress appear in our lives to begin with. Does God put it there? Does it just show up? The answer is an obvious no. It is we ourselves who put the stress in our lives. How? Just by allowing it and letting it take over in our thoughts.
I write this because I am completely succeptible to this. I am less stressed than many in my life. Even then, I believe I allow myself to be stressed much more than I should.
I would agree that it would be highly unlikely to go through life totally stress free. If you can do it I want to know your secret. However, by focusing our thoughts on the positive and deliberately removing the negative ones, I think we can take the necessary steps to decreasing and eliminating much of the stress in our lives.
We were created to enjoy this short time we have on earth. One of our Heavenly commands is to be joyful always. Let us take the steps to eliminate the stronghold of stress in our lives. We will benefit, and so will those around us. I can't stress that enough.
Have an excellent day : )
For anyone thinking that it is impossible, I will ask this... How does stress appear in our lives to begin with. Does God put it there? Does it just show up? The answer is an obvious no. It is we ourselves who put the stress in our lives. How? Just by allowing it and letting it take over in our thoughts.
I write this because I am completely succeptible to this. I am less stressed than many in my life. Even then, I believe I allow myself to be stressed much more than I should.
I would agree that it would be highly unlikely to go through life totally stress free. If you can do it I want to know your secret. However, by focusing our thoughts on the positive and deliberately removing the negative ones, I think we can take the necessary steps to decreasing and eliminating much of the stress in our lives.
We were created to enjoy this short time we have on earth. One of our Heavenly commands is to be joyful always. Let us take the steps to eliminate the stronghold of stress in our lives. We will benefit, and so will those around us. I can't stress that enough.
Have an excellent day : )
Monday, January 25, 2010
Why Wait?
I am constantly hearing the voice of Christian singer Natalie Grant in my head lately....."so you want to change the world? What are you waiting for?"
Yes, I want to impact my world positively. However, if you are like me you may have a tendency to hold back. Why do we wait, even though we are anxious to reach our goals and see our dreams come true? I believe there are several main reasons:
1. We don't know exactly what to do
2. We are afraid to fail
3. We feel like we can't do it all by ourselves
There may be other reasons, but I believe these are the most common ones. As these doubts creep into my mind (or sometimes completely take over my mind), I can begin to see God shaking his head. "When is he going to learn?", he asks. Then He reminds me:
1. He knows exactly what to do for every situation.
2. By relying on Him we CAN NOT and WILL NOT fail.
3. We don't need to do things all by ourselves. His power is far greater than ours and can overcome any obstacles.
So why wait? Instead, step out in faith in any endeavor and see the great things that can happen. I believe we CAN change the world. So what are we waiting for?
Have an excellent day : )
Yes, I want to impact my world positively. However, if you are like me you may have a tendency to hold back. Why do we wait, even though we are anxious to reach our goals and see our dreams come true? I believe there are several main reasons:
1. We don't know exactly what to do
2. We are afraid to fail
3. We feel like we can't do it all by ourselves
There may be other reasons, but I believe these are the most common ones. As these doubts creep into my mind (or sometimes completely take over my mind), I can begin to see God shaking his head. "When is he going to learn?", he asks. Then He reminds me:
1. He knows exactly what to do for every situation.
2. By relying on Him we CAN NOT and WILL NOT fail.
3. We don't need to do things all by ourselves. His power is far greater than ours and can overcome any obstacles.
So why wait? Instead, step out in faith in any endeavor and see the great things that can happen. I believe we CAN change the world. So what are we waiting for?
Have an excellent day : )
Thursday, January 21, 2010
It's How You See It
Is the glass half empty or half full? This is, of course, a common question. We consider those who see it half full as optimistic, while we label the "half empty" folks as not so optimistic.
I'm discovering more that the way we look at things does make a difference. I read a great quote from Dr. Wayne Dyer. It says "change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change".
How true is this? We know that the things we look at don't literally change in front of our eyes. However, I can think of some of examples of the truth of this statement in my own life. When I began teaching at my current school, I was very optimistic. However, some negative things happened and I became disillusioned. So much so, that I began to hate the place. It was difficult for the first month or so, until I made the decision to see things differently. Instead of seeing the school as negative and a roadblock to my career success, I thanked God that I even had a job. I thanked Him that I still had the opportunity to positively impact young lives. I thanked him for the patience to deal with 7th and 8th graders on a regular basis. In a short time, things quickly turned around and became positive. Now, in my second year at the school, it has become my greatest teaching success.
How did this job go from negative to positive? After all, it was the same place, the same job,and the same people I was working with. I know 100% it was that I changed the way I looked at it. It wasn't easy, and I could have never done it it without God's help, but it was when I saw the job as a blessing instead of a negative that the blessings actually began to appear.
Is it always easy to change our way of thinking in a negative situation? Sometimes it's not. However, it's nice to know that we always have control of the situation, and we have the free will to adjust our thoughts to the positive. No one can take that from us.
As we go about our days I find it helpful to put things in perspective. When I think I don't have enough money, I need to remember I am richer than 90% of this world. When I complain about being tired from getting up at 5:30 am, I need to remember that my family and I are very healthy. When I complain about my job I need to remember many people in this country don't have one at this time. The list can go on an on.
The bottom line is that life is great. That is, if you see it that way.
I hope your glass is half full today. Have a great one : )
I'm discovering more that the way we look at things does make a difference. I read a great quote from Dr. Wayne Dyer. It says "change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change".
How true is this? We know that the things we look at don't literally change in front of our eyes. However, I can think of some of examples of the truth of this statement in my own life. When I began teaching at my current school, I was very optimistic. However, some negative things happened and I became disillusioned. So much so, that I began to hate the place. It was difficult for the first month or so, until I made the decision to see things differently. Instead of seeing the school as negative and a roadblock to my career success, I thanked God that I even had a job. I thanked Him that I still had the opportunity to positively impact young lives. I thanked him for the patience to deal with 7th and 8th graders on a regular basis. In a short time, things quickly turned around and became positive. Now, in my second year at the school, it has become my greatest teaching success.
How did this job go from negative to positive? After all, it was the same place, the same job,and the same people I was working with. I know 100% it was that I changed the way I looked at it. It wasn't easy, and I could have never done it it without God's help, but it was when I saw the job as a blessing instead of a negative that the blessings actually began to appear.
Is it always easy to change our way of thinking in a negative situation? Sometimes it's not. However, it's nice to know that we always have control of the situation, and we have the free will to adjust our thoughts to the positive. No one can take that from us.
As we go about our days I find it helpful to put things in perspective. When I think I don't have enough money, I need to remember I am richer than 90% of this world. When I complain about being tired from getting up at 5:30 am, I need to remember that my family and I are very healthy. When I complain about my job I need to remember many people in this country don't have one at this time. The list can go on an on.
The bottom line is that life is great. That is, if you see it that way.
I hope your glass is half full today. Have a great one : )
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Envision Success
Where does success begin? The answer is simple. It begins in our minds. Isn't it true that all great accomplishments began as a thought in one's head?
I am seeing more and more how important it is to see success in our minds, even though we may feel we are nowhere near it. We need to see our goals being accomplished, even though we have no clue how it will happen. We need to remain faithful, even though we may have no reason to believe our goal will be realized.
Somehow, some way, we will see our dreams realized. We just need to have faith, and maintain the knowledge that by doing our part, and letting God do His, great things will happen. The key is to imprint these thoughts on our minds and carry them with us wherever we go. By living them out in our minds, they seem to eventually appear in real life right in front of us. I am realizing more each day how true this is.
I do not mean to sound "preachy". It's just that I feel such a new confidence as I follow these principles, and I can see the positive changes beginning to occur in my life. I feel the need to share these ideas with anyone willing to read them in the hopes that they would feel the same confidence that I do. As always, I encourage your feedback and would love to hear your success story.
Have an excellent day : )
I am seeing more and more how important it is to see success in our minds, even though we may feel we are nowhere near it. We need to see our goals being accomplished, even though we have no clue how it will happen. We need to remain faithful, even though we may have no reason to believe our goal will be realized.
Somehow, some way, we will see our dreams realized. We just need to have faith, and maintain the knowledge that by doing our part, and letting God do His, great things will happen. The key is to imprint these thoughts on our minds and carry them with us wherever we go. By living them out in our minds, they seem to eventually appear in real life right in front of us. I am realizing more each day how true this is.
I do not mean to sound "preachy". It's just that I feel such a new confidence as I follow these principles, and I can see the positive changes beginning to occur in my life. I feel the need to share these ideas with anyone willing to read them in the hopes that they would feel the same confidence that I do. As always, I encourage your feedback and would love to hear your success story.
Have an excellent day : )
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Second Blog.....Three Years Later
Actually the second blog on this site. I was bitten by the blog bug (say that three times fast) almost 3 years ago. I did this post, and never did one again until the beginning of 2008. Since then I have been blogging consistently at other sites. I was happy to receive some positive feedback and loyal readers.
At this point, I feel the need to come back to where it all started(my whole 1 blog).
I wanted to bring it to a place where more people would be able to read it. One site I used is quite unknown, and the other is a pay to read site.
Why the blog? A few reasons. One is that I simply enjoy writing. I've always written journals and other things, even though I was pretty much the only one reading them. I started blogging partially to see if anyone else would read my writings. My questions were answered in the positive.
The main reason for maintaining this blog now is that I have grown so much as a human being and a Christian, especially during the past 3 years. I have learned of the power of living with a positive frame of mind, and how a positive attitude results in a positive life. My goal is simply to share what I have learned (and continue to learn)in hopes that others will benefit and grow as much as I have.
I look forward to any comments and suggestions you may have, and look forward to hearing about your positive experiences as well.
At this point, I feel the need to come back to where it all started(my whole 1 blog).
I wanted to bring it to a place where more people would be able to read it. One site I used is quite unknown, and the other is a pay to read site.
Why the blog? A few reasons. One is that I simply enjoy writing. I've always written journals and other things, even though I was pretty much the only one reading them. I started blogging partially to see if anyone else would read my writings. My questions were answered in the positive.
The main reason for maintaining this blog now is that I have grown so much as a human being and a Christian, especially during the past 3 years. I have learned of the power of living with a positive frame of mind, and how a positive attitude results in a positive life. My goal is simply to share what I have learned (and continue to learn)in hopes that others will benefit and grow as much as I have.
I look forward to any comments and suggestions you may have, and look forward to hearing about your positive experiences as well.
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