There’s the story of a Rabbi who told his students that if they studied the Torah it would put Scripture on their hearts. One of them asked, “Why on our hearts, and not in them?” The Rabbi answered, “Only God can put Scripture inside. But reading sacred text can put it on your hearts, and then when your hearts break, the holy…
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Disappointing people is part of the deal in life. We can disappoint others by poor attitudes, bad decisions, and ill behaviors. But I’m not talking about that kind of disappointment. I’m talking of disappointing people because… …you didn’t live up to their expectations. …you didn’t give them what they wanted. …you said no. …you went…
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On a previous post I talked about the cursed dry-mouth in public speaking. I recommend that post as a precursor to this one. I shared the top 3 ways you can prevent having dry-mouth 36 hours before you stand before your audience. Your audience can range from an event, to a meeting, to a tough…
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Are you stressed? Drained? Depressed? Exhausted? I’ve found myself in these flames too many times. You may or may not be a fan of the Bible, but I want to take us there to meet a prophet named Elijah. Elijah experienced a debilitating episode of burn-out. Much to learn from him. I often turn to…
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I look to hire people not with just a bachelor’s or master’s degree, but a “suffering degree.” In interviews, I ask candidates to share where they’ve suffered, how they navigated it, and who they are now as a result. I care more about the suffering degree than the others. Having all the degrees is a…
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“Please make me good at this.” I prayed those words in 1997. Exactly 20 years ago to the month. I’d just been hired as a student pastor. But my prayer was about public speaking. I was terrified of public speaking throughout my college years. I would meet with professors and ask them not to call…
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There are specific appetites in your life that you must own or they will own you—then ruin you. Whenever you find one of these appetites heightened, watch out. I came across an acronym years ago that best reveal those appetites: H.A.L.T. I have since added a letter: H.A.L.T.S. It’s with these five appetites you are…
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Dry-mouth. Aaarrrgh. You’ve worked hard. You’ve prepared well. You’re passionate about your message. You love your audience and want to improve their lives, fuel their joy, and bring them hope. Then hello, dry-mouth. M.a.d.d.e.n.i.n.g. Trust me, I know this well. And it’s distracting—not only to you, but to your audience. You’ve been there. You gulp…
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You have two minutes. In two minutes the audience will make up their mind about you—whether to tune you out or give you a chance. If you love people and deeply want to influence their lives with your message, those first two minutes are mission critical. So here is the #1 way to immediately grab…
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“I still can’t wait to get my pants on in the morning,” said three-time Pulitzer Prize winning American Journalist, Thomas Friedman. Does this describe you? Or are you the person that wishes morning happened at noon? Perhaps you’re more like American writer, Nicholas Baker, who stated in an interview with Mason Currey, author of Daily…
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Are you one of those who can’t figure out how to enjoy life? Many people are experts on making themselves (and others) miserable. So how can you flip-flop it? Here’s a start: * Lighten up. G.K. Chesterton said that angels are able to fly because they take themselves lightly. So don’t take yourself so seriously. And…
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Beware. Beware of imagining yourself at the center of drama. Beware of emotions getting the best of you. Beware of grudges. Beware of taking anything personally. Beware of dwelling upon words and actions of others and arriving at conclusions without evidence for those conclusions. Beware of ingratitude. Beware of not believing the best of others…
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The time will come when we must confront someone(s) with truth to protect them from themselves and/or protect others from them. But truth must always involve love. And love must always involve truth. If you have truth but not love, they will hear nothing you say, only the way you say it. If you have…
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I have a journal entry from December 14 asking myself a simple but piercing question. “Am I hiding anything?” “Am I hiding anything from my wife and/or my children?” Am I hiding anything from those whom I influence and lead? Am I hiding anything from those who consider me an example? A role model? How…
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The late comedian and actor, George Burns, once said: “Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.” You might especially agree after the holidays! But what about those loved ones—friends and family you deeply loved—who left you? Someone else said: “The hardest grief is when the person you love is still…
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