J.R. Lee

Here is a great quote from a book I am reading entitled Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance by Tony Dungy..

The above sentence is a little misleading as the quote is actually from Mark Twain but nonetheless:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore. Dream. Discover.

I know so many people that are contemplating their next move in life.  Don’t sit back and see what life throws you.  God created you for so much more than that!  Follow hard after the heart of God and He will lead you on the greatest and most exciting journey of your life!

Contrary to what some would teach – there are several things in life worth fighting for.  Wayne Cordeiro had some good things to say on that very subject…

One day after years of ministry with a wonderful congregation, I will say my good-byes, pack my bags and, with many tears, walk out of the church.  But when I walk out of the church, there’s only one place I can walk into.  Family.  While everyone in our great church loved our family, I have come to realize that nobody is fighting for my family.

That’s great insight for a guy like me.  I was called to be a follower of Christ, husband, and father long before I was ever called to be a Pastor.  As much as I love Freedom Church, loving my family is a higher priority.

This isn’t even close to an exhaustive list, but I fight for my family through prayer,  by dating my wife and daughters as well as spending significant time with my son.  If need be, I’ll chop someone up with a machete as well

I hope you would do the same.

Focus is undoubtedly one of the most important qualities of leadership.  Knowing the right thing to do is vital, but actually doing it, is the result of focus and determination.

You don’t necessarily have to be smarter or better educated to succeed.  Your power lies in your ability to focus on doing what is important.  If you focus on the right things, and work at them often, you will achieve exceptional results.  -  Mark Sanborn

Don’t just focus on  getting things done.  Focus on the most important things you need to accomplish.  Usually, there is a world of difference.

I read an interesting blog post that I thought was encouraging on one hand and an indictment on the other.

America’s poor donate more, in percentage terms, than higher-income groups do, surveys of charitable giving show. What’s more, their generosity declines less in hard times than the generosity of richer givers does. “The lowest-income fifth (of the population) always give at more than their capacity,” said Virginia Hodgkinson, former vice president for research at Independent Sector, a Washington-based association of major nonprofit agencies. “The next two-fifths give at capacity, and those above that are capable of giving two or three times more than they give.”

Since giving is an issue of trust – I wonder how trustful and trustworthy you and I really are?

A mentor of mine sent me a book recently that I can’t seem to put down.  Tons of great insight from a Pastor named Wayne Cordeiro who leads New Hope Christian Fellowship – a great church in Honolulu.  Here is something he wrote that resonated with me…

Knowing the remedy doesn’t necessarily complete the healing; the difference comes when we apply it.  Reading the menu doesn’t fill you up; eating the food does.

How true is that!  Knowing the solution is NOT enough.  Proper execution comes with correct application.  Most of the issues in my life haven’t arisen because of a lack of knowledge – they have sprung up because of improper execution.

It’s great to know the right thing to do but doing it is even better!

What decision has been sitting on the shelf?  What will it take to move you to action?