2010

Well... it's the new year. A time of resolutions. Can you feel the breeze? It's all that "turning over a new leaf" that's happening today. Don't worry...the breeze will calm down soon.

I've done it and so have you. This wanting to be a better person is actually a good thing! Don't ever stop trying to better yourself...accomplish new goals and overcome shortcomings in your own life. That's a part of living!

On the other hand... don't beat yourself up over not losing that 30lbs in the month of january that it took you 20 years to put on. Sometimes those resolutions are the right ones to make but they have their own timeframe. Just roll with it...do it TODAY. After all, you don't know what will happen tomorrow!

I've done some studying on the brain over the past few years. Interestingly enough the human mind takes what you say or believe as fact and your body follows.

So guess what? The book of Proverbs really was right when it says: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

Decide today that this is going to be a great year. Then no matter what comes your way...it will be.

Living Beyond The Ego

I am constantly struck by how many of us operate out of the ego rather than what we think we're doing... we think its out of love, friendship, civic duty or even religious conviction at times.

I challenge you to do this. Evaluate every action you make today, every word you say and thought that you think. See how many of those are really about "YOU". Maybe it's not the blatant egostitical behavior that we've al seen in others but I bet you'll see the subtle ways we try to get our way or "work" it to our benefit.

I'm in no way saying I've got this area handled in my life...but I'm trying. And.... that's what we're supposed to do...live everyday becoming a better person.

Live beyond your ego and see God move in your life in unexpected ways!

Airline Recession?

Okay, here's the deal....

I have been sitting in the Miami airport trying to get home all day....and I mean ALL day. It's interesting to see just how many people are flying to Dallas especially since it isn't a big tourist spot.

So if this many people are flying...and the airlines are overselling EVERY flight..what the heck is going on with the economy?

If I write a book about President Obama do ya think he'll talk to me too?

:)

Sorry, Pres...

First Church of the Front Porch

I was in Haiti.

Not in the bustling city of Port au Prince but far outside any normal civilization that we would recognize. The land is barren, the temperature is hot and humid and the sky is darker than anything you’ve ever seen at night.

While I was there I had the chance to slow down and chat with new friends I had made on the front porch of the building we were staying in. Some brilliant soul had brought rocking chairs from America. There’s something about a rocking chair that says “Chill…sit down for a spell. Let go for a few minutes. Relax.” So we did that. We sat. We rocked. And we talked.

Over the next few hours we talked about our life experiences, our triumphs, our tragedies and our dreams. We got to know each other. We encouraged each other and we laughed at each other.

It’s been a few days since we all left and went back to our individual lives in different parts of the States. But I realized something. Out there on that porch in between swatting mosquitoes and trading stories we had experienced something that brought us all closer together. We had church on the front porch. We didn’t sing songs, have announcements or even take up an offering. But nevertheless we did indeed have church. Confessing your faults to one another, encouraging each other, and having good relationships with those around you. Isn’t that what church is supposed to be? Maybe we didn’t crack a bible open but we did more “church” in that time than I’ve experienced in some 4 hour “church” services. Didn’t He say He’d be there in the midst of 2 or 3 that are gathered in His name?

Maybe we ought to return to the front porch concept for church. Put down all your religion and all your pre-conceived ideas of church and just be real. Let God use you in the most “real” way He can. Get to know new people…make friends. After all, it’s not about you is it?

Funny how I had to go to Haiti to have good fellowship… Maybe I just slowed down long enough to recognize it when it came “rocking”.

So here are my new 4 Steps to Success for a Happy Life:
Sit. Rock. Relax. Share.

The First Church of the Front Porch…come on... pull up a rocking chair…

Recession Confessions

Before you get all weird on me and think I've gone overboard again...listen up!

What is inside you WILL expand into your life. This is a fundamental truth! If you are thinking you are getting sick...guess what? You'll get sick! If you think the economy is bad and you might lose your house, your job, your cars, etc... you will!

I am in no way minimalizing real life issues many of us are going through in this present economy. BUT... what I am saying is do not let those thoughts dictate your outlook on life!

Did you ever notice how you don't want to hang around a negative person too long? Why is that you ask? SIMPLE...we don't like to be around negative input....it only brings you down. Pretty soon you'll be thinking about your own negative issues. What's fun about that?!

So... cheer up! And as my Dad always says: "Look up! You'll see more!"

Best-Seller

What is it about a book that can change your way of thinking? Maybe even your way of life? Books have been around a long time.... even the most primitive writings are the earliest forms of communication we've seen.

Don't believe it? Look at the number 1 best selling book of all time: the Bible. This single book, no matter what version it sells...continues to blow away all the competition.

It's truly a book about changing lives. I've only written one book and am working on the second. It's a long arduous process yet rewarding at the same time. Not that I will ever compete with the Bible mind you!

Just like this blog....writing releases what's inside you and gets it "out". I encourage you to write. Even if no one sees it. It does you more good than you could ever know.

Drama Finds Me

The last few years for me have been one bizarre personal episode after another. After awhile I started thinking I was crazy but then...I realized three things:

1) Sometimes I did things that brought on issues and problems. In other words, I made mistakes. I hate to admit it...but it's true.

2) Sometimes other people make mistakes too. Unfortunately, those mistakes have fallout...and you have no control who is in the fallout zone. It stinks, but it's true.

3) When your destiny you decide to pursue there will be many people who are intimidated you are ready to step out in faith and do something you never did before. It reminds them of their own failures and their acceptance of mediocrity. Unfortunately these people are usually the closest ones to you.

I heard someone say a long time ago: "If you are going to stick your head above the crowd, expect a few tomatoes!" I never realized how true that is!

What's my point? Well let me sum it up with something I heard someone say a long time ago; "When you are in a barn and there is activity there, you're going to have to deal with the crap."

If nothing was happening there would be no need to muck the stalls. There would be no crap!

So here's to activity...and the part that comes with it. Why? Because something is happening! There is activity, there is progress!

Lighten up. We all deal with crap in life.

Interesting quotes I found...

If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.~Benjamin Franklin

If I have been able to see farther, it was only because I stood on the shoulders of giants.~Sir Issac Newton

This is courage … to bear unflinchingly what heaven sends.~Euripides

Unbreakable

When you say the word "unbreakable" the first thing that comes to my mind.... my first black plastic comb I got when I was a kid.

It was cheap and you could do anything with it. As a kid seeing that word molded into the comb meant one thing: I had to try to break it! I would twist it, bend it, fold it and contort it every way I could to see if I could somehow break the unbreakable. But... just as it was labeled, it never broke!

One thing I didn't expect was with all that contorting to my comb it didn't go back to perfect shape. It didn't break but it sure wasn't the same. Never could get all the kinks out.. the teeth were bent beyond repair. But it still worked. It wasn't broken just beat up a little. If I had never put my comb through all that torture it would have remained the same indefinitely.

We can learn something from my little black unbreakable comb. People most of the time don't break. We're pretty resilient but not perfect, we may be bent up in a few places and show a lot of wear..but we're not broken.

In our relationships with our spouse, our family, friends and colleagues we need to be cognizant of how we interact with each other. A little more tenderness will go a long way. Our words can bend and bruise each other. Even when we don't mean it and we try to put things back in place...sometimes it just isn't the same.

Take a look around you. We're all bent up and bruised a little...but unbreakable.

2007 - Year of Open Doors

2006 was a brutal year for me. A 23 year marriage ended and a lot of introspection obviously followed. Hurt feelings over things said and done led to the realization of how fragile life's friendships and relationships really are. It was a hard lesson to learn.

A new year always brings hope for change and resolutions abound in our personal lives and career goals. Me? I'm happy to be here...everyday. A counselor told me once "You can't hurt a dead man." While that may seem morbid, depressing and self-loathing the reality is we can't carry all of life's hurts around. When I finally realized I couldn't change people's opinion of me even if they were right or wrong... I became free to be who I am. Warts and all!

I have made many mistakes the past several years and I'm sure more will come. But I do know this one thing: God is faithful. When I don't deserve the mercy He gives it. When I really shouldn't receive grace He bestows it.

So here's to 2007... a new year full of change and promise. Hope to see you around.....

Sleep When the Wind Blows

Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received A steady stream of refusals.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him.

"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, Hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk,? and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up!? A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!"

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm.

To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured.? Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life?

The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.

We secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God. We don't need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the middle of storms.

I hope you enjoy your day and you sleep well.

Rhythm of Nature

Okay....at the risk of sounding like I've totally snapped here goes:

Did you ever notice how many normal everyday events have rhythm or frequency? When you're stopped at a traffic light istening to the radio....do you notice the people crossing the street in front of you seem to walk with the beat of the song playing in your car? Weird, huh?

Birds flap their wings in rhythm, a cat has a built in pace when it walks or runs...otherwise it would trip over itself. The seasons have a cycle...or a frequency to them... all in sync with the climate. The rain blows through and the sun comes out... the daytime follows the nighttime. And so on...

What about your personal life? The human body has a frequency or rhythm. Any husband can attest to this dynamic! What about relationships? Ooooo... really getting spooky now, huh?

Who could deny a higher power with all this rhythm in our world. And more importantly....why is it that some people just...can't....dance?

Lighting Up

Recently I was at the Las Vegas Airport where there were many signs notifying the public of the fines associated with taking lighters and/or matches on the plane. Even checked baggage was to not have lighters, etc.

Big boxes were strategically placed in the security lane to allow those last minute smokers to dump their arson making materials before a hefty fine would be imposed...

The only trouble with all that was....

Once I got on the other side of security and made it all the way to my gate I noticed 2 smoking areas with dozens of people in there. I thought nothing of it...then it hit me. How could they light up?
Guess what? They had lighters! and matches!

Where did they get them? I shudder to think of the possibilities....

The Little Things

Listening. Smiling.

Holding. Loving. Sharing, caring and laughing.

Saying "thank you". Holding the door for someone. Allowing that car to cut in front of you and have that coveted parking place.

All of these things are free but mean a lot to those you come in contact with. Maybe we should live today and "pay it forward".

See what happens.

Friends

At the risk of sounding too sappy I must admit one thing: Thank God for real friends. We need them. Last year I spoke at several seminars across the country that dealt with health. My part was on the mind...or the spiritual side.

All day people heard about the physical issues and answers we face from time to time. When I spoke the atmosphere always changed a little. Start talking about emotional issues and watch what happens. People turn on and get riveted to any hope you may share about how to feel more accepted, more likable, and obviously more loved.

Friends are one avenue that do that for us. Sometime you just need to vent a little. Your friend who really could care less about your situation cares about YOU. So they endure the ramblings to allow you some quality time. Odds are they might need it next week.

Getting divorced after 23 years is quite a shock to the emotional part of your life. Friends have allowed me to vent, ask questions, and even get emotional about it all. Just like the human body needs touch...so does the human psyche need friendship.

Somehow it makes us all feel a little more acceptable in this world we live in.

Fear of Discovery

One thing that has struck me as intersting on this whole blog thing is how people respond. Those of you out there who have a blog know what I'm talking about. Many people cruise by but not many will actually respond on the site with a comment.

Why? Fear.

We have become so concerned with others viewpoints about us that we have become a society of politically correct humanoids. No one wants to go on record for fear they might be discovered for not agreeing with someone else. Then again maybe it's just fear that somehow a hacker will magically derive your social security number from your posting and clean out your bank account! Whatever the reason people are hesitant. It's okay with me though... I understand. Your opinion may cost you something.

Take me for instance. Stand up for what you believe and many won't stand with you. In fact...some stay away for good!

Gone in 60 Seconds

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that
wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will.

You will have your heart broken probably more than
once and it's harder every time.

You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.

You'll fight with your best friend.

You'll blame a new love for things an old one did.

You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose
someone you love.

So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of
happiness you'll never get back.

DaVinci Code Round 2

Well, the movie is finally coming out in May with Tom Hanks and an all-star cast based on the best-seller by Dan Brown.

There was a lot of complaining and rumblings in the church when the book came out months ago. I was in several church services and never did hear convincing truth about the book or it's pretenses one way or the other. Now don't get me wrong. Much of the book is pure fiction with bits and pieces of facts thrown together with clever novelist writings. But not all of it bogus.

The fact is the church better get ready for another round. The church needs to be ready not only as to explain the book or its bogus claims but mainly to point people to Code Master of all time: Jesus Christ. Pastors, be ready for the harvest. They are coming to your doors in May.

Parking Places

This is an excerpt from one of my new books. I thought it seemed appropriate to include today in the blog.... Tell me what you think!
-Gene

Someone once wrote, “The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.” While most people tend to lose heart and surrender their dreams during life's horrible times, top performers learn these universal principles:

 You must discern the difference between temporary setbacks and permanent losses.
 Obstacles are there to strengthen you.
 Obstacles offer progressive measurements of your growing strength.

Difficulties actually accelerate your success, especially when you understand the value of opposition. Muscles never got stronger from inaction; much to the contrary, unused brawn tends to atrophy.

One of the most amazing stories of sheer courage in the face of tremendous odds is that of Nancy Merkl. Stricken with polio at ten, she was condemned to wear heavy braces and later crutches. Yet in four years, she became a swimming champion who, when asked by Franklin Roosevelt how she overcame such odds, said, “I just kept trying, Mister President!”
Her parents had taken her to a man named Jack Cody, swimming coach at an athletic club in Portland, Oregon. It took a year to teach her to swim the length of the pool. But she was determined. Finally, the coach realized that this young girl was not only interested in swimming as a mean of restoring her health and the use of her limbs, she also wanted to be a champion.
Four years from the time she was stricken with paralysis, she came in third at a meet in Santa Barbara, California. At the age of nineteen, she changed her style of swimming and emerged as the national champion.
Nancy Merkl kept on trying. So can you!

Old Cars

I borrowed an old classic car today to drive for a few hours. It was great..nothing like a car made from real metal and cloth. Not a sign of plastic anywhere.

I had to stop and put air in the tires since it had not been driven in so long. As I was wrapping it all up a man walked over and wanted to look inside. Took him back to his high school days he said. Then he made a remark about a girlfriend and something that happened in that car. Almost immediately he snapped out of it and told me he had to get back to his wife in the car.

I am obviously leaving out a few details here. My point is here we were 2 strangers talking about a car and high school like we were long lost childhood friends. Kinda cool what an old car will do!

Maybe if we all dwelt on what we have in common with each other more we might enjoy our lives more as well! I felt as if I made a friend all because he wanted to talk about a car from his youth.

It would've never happened if I was driving a Toyota Camry ya know....