Month: January 2014

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Tributaries

I was doing some reading on the plan last week and I come across this statement in a book by A. W. Tozier.

A river grows larger by its tributaries.

I find this statement to be quite profound. Spend some time thinking about it today. Who can you grow larger from by spending time and learning from? Who can you make larger by emptying yourself into? As you go around doing, make sure you are contributing to others in a way that helps them grow larger and do!

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3, 4 ESV)

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Only Make

This little image ended up in my inbox in mid December in a sporadically published email from creative Blaine Hogan. When I read it again last night, I just had to share it.

20140113-232419.jpg

I think it’s good advice to us as we get going on doing stuff this year. Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t pay attention to rules that were made for other times. Remember that artist deep inside of you, the one that proudly and effortlessly created refrigerator worthy pieces back in early elementary school. Let it out and find creative ways to influence the world around you.

Make! Do! But do not fear!

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you;do not be dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you;I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

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One Important Part

With all this talk of doing over the last few days, there is one important element that should not be overlooked. As you get out there and do stuff remember the one important element that will make that thing worth doing.

Let all that you do, be done in love. 1 Cor. 16:14

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Assumptions

“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.” – Isaac Asimov

Wow, this is so true.  I experienced this so much last week as I was thrust in a collaborative training environment with over 400 people who I did not know.   It was eye-opening for me to test my categorization of people.  I noticed quite often that some of my initial judgements ( and fears and assumptions) were way off base once I spent a few minutes with them.  I also noticed this same effect with my first thoughts about a few of the exercises.  Wow, was I way off once things got started, and I was able to reflect on how much I was able to extract from them.

This is not to say that I was being harsh in my judgements or overly critical of the events.  I was making these judgements based on experience and created future assumptions of how I thought the person would be, or the event would unfold.  As we all do!  I learned the greater lesson that Asimov is talking about.  This week, let go of some of your assumptions about people, events and places and see if approaching things with a more receptive open mind ‘lets some new light in” and provides you will ways to grow and new things to do!

It reminds me of this section of the Proverbs

8 Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame. Proverbs 25:8 (KJV)

 or maybe this version is easy to think through

Don’t jump to conclusions—there may be a perfectly good explanation for what you just saw. (MSG)

 

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counting marbles Daily Post

Counting Marbles – 51

It’s Friday again, the end of week 2, and the spending of the second marble.

I had an incredibly challenging week this week. It was not the challenge of trouble shooting a broken heat pump from 5 states and several hundred miles away, nor the challenge of directing a nervous teenager via a phone call to find the water value while water from a burst pipe rained down on him. No my challenges were more mental ones as I spent the week surrounded by incredibly brilliant people in a training seminar. Although I could share lots of fresh ideas about leadership, teams, and my own strengths and weaknesses, the one thought I want to share with you was shared as a closing remark in the opening keynote. As this rather successful business profession closed the session that morning she was asked a what motivated her to action( or something like that). She answered with this statement. (Or something similar )

My mother impressed on me at a young age the truths in the statement ‘to whom much is given, much is expected’.

Maybe because this statement was spoken by my favorite human being of all time it resonated with me so strongly. It felt like it was perfect to share on this Friday as head into the weekend.

Luke 12:47-48 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Take some time to think about that and have an Friday and a weekend worthy of your gifts !