I wish you could have seen his face. For years now one of the older members of our congregation has sporadically shown up for church. It’s just been too frustrating for him to be there. His lack of good hearing, one of our most crucial senses, makes it extremely difficult for him to participate. He wants to be in church. But when you can’t hear well you may as well stay home. But then something happened.

He brought a simple device to church. I wore it around my neck. It fed directly into his hearing aid. And for the first time in a long, long time he heard every word I said. When he walked out of church he was nearly in tears. He gave me a hug and said: “I heard every word.”

It’s like those videos you see online of a little baby putting on glasses and seeing her parents for the first time. Our senses are a God-given gift. When they’re not working properly we are at a definite disadvantage. We’re not able to experience the world the way God originally meant it to be experienced. It’s so great that we live in a day and age where there is technology to help those who have hearing or sight disadvantages.

And it’s also a reminder to those who have fully functional senses. We dare not take them for granted. In fact, we ought to take every opportunity to heighten them and pay attention to them.

I once heard someone speak about this at a pastors’ conference. He encouraged us pastors to walk into our churches and pay attention to all of our senses:

• What do you see? Is there clutter?
• What do you smell? It should be pleasant (not moldy, musty, or bad).
• What do you taste? When your congregation shares meals is the food good and fresh?
• What do you touch? Do people welcome you with a handshake or a hug?
• What do you hear? Is the music too loud or too soft? Is there appropriate help for those who are hard of hearing?

How can you apply all this to your own home or workplace? Pay attention to your senses. How can you enhance the sensory experience for your family or co-workers. One of the things my wife and I like to do in our home is burn Ranger Station Candles. The scents are amongst the best I’ve ever experienced from a candle.

Don’t take your senses for granted. Pay attention to them today. You may just experience something new.

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

Have you ever had one of those weeks? It’s filled with stress, disappointment, and hard work. The moments of rest are few and far between. A family member treats you unfairly. People are relying on you to get things done when your “to do” list is a mile long. You want it to be Friday but it’s only Tuesday. What you need right now is a coping strategy.

I’m in the middle of a week like that. These kinds of weeks don’t happen all that often, but when they do they put me off kilter. I feel burdened for some of the people who have revealed their heartaches and problems to me. My “to do” list is longer than usual because my fall is filled with commitments and speaking engagements. Some of my regular work has been put off, but it needs to be accomplished by Friday. It’s not really all that bad. It’s just that when things like this add up I can’t seem to relax.

Right in the middle of it all I was reminded that we all sometimes need coping strategies to make it through. I’m blessed to be part of a clergy council for our local Christian counseling center. We get together every quarter to learn and to talk. It’s always well worth making the time to be there.

Today we learned about coping strategies. Some strategies distract you, some ground you, and some calm you and relax you. Not all coping strategies are healthy. They might mask your stress, or even make it worse.

But a healthy coping strategy is beneficial and helpful. As we discussed this at our meeting today I realized that one of my coping mechanisms is doing what I’m doing right now: writing. It’s why I try to be consistent by posting right here two to three times a week, and writing other things on most other days.

Here are some other strategies:

• Exercise
• Take a nap
• Talk about it
• Listen to music or a favorite song
• Thirty seconds of deep breathing
• Change what you’re doing for a short time
• Help someone else
• Eat a healthy snack
• Read something enjoyable
• Write or journal

What coping strategies have been helpful for you?

SaveSave

I hope you’re going to look down today. As you know, a wide swath of our nation is experiencing a total eclipse of the sun. People are buying “eclipse glasses,” traveling across state lines, and even having viewing parties. I’m certain you’ve received more than sufficient warning not to look at the sun. People have gone blind doing so during previous eclipses. So make sure you’re looking down today. But not just to protect your eyes…

A solar eclipse reminds us of the miraculous wonders of the creation that surrounds us. Our God created the universe for our benefit. He gave it to us as a gift to live in, and love, and celebrate, and steward, and manage. Instead of looking up, maybe we should be looking down, and around. I suppose that being able to witness a solar eclipse is like seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time, watching the aurora borealis, or studying a hummingbird in flight.

But if we look around us there are all kinds of miracles and wonders every day. Flowers bloom, babies take their first breath, and the tide at the beach comes in and goes out like clockwork. Cars hurtle us down the highway at seventy miles per hour, computers with massive memory fit in the palms of our hands, and TV screens are larger and clearer than they’ve ever been. Some even let us see the picture in 3D.

Martin Luther once said:

So as you appreciate today’s nearly once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon, let it serve as a reminder. The miracles of a loving God surround us. Though we may take them for granted, they bring benefit to us. These miracles comfort us, make life more convenient, and deliver health or healing. Sometimes they even amaze us.

Look up today for a moment or two (with the proper eye protection). But then take a look around and notice the miracles that happen everyday.

What regular miracles do you often take for granted?

*Special thanks to Charles P. Arand for the ideas behind this post and for bringing to my attention the above Luther quote.

SaveSave

SaveSave

When I was babysitting my grandson the other day, I noticed something. Babies’ emotions can change on a dime. At one moment Crosby would whine, almost to the point of crying. But all I had to do was read him a book, play with blocks, or distract him in some other way and he smiled or laughed. When he started to get just a little fussy, I changed his environment and took him outside. Crosby loves to be outside. When he’s out there he’s often as still, as quiet, and observant as a baby can be.

Emotions are a funny thing (get it?). Today I experienced a wide variety of emotions in the adults with whom I interacted. I laughed heartily with a group of people as we shared common experiences. A man called me on the telephone to tell me he got the job he hoped for. He was so full of joy and thankfulness that it brought him to tears. I heard the fear in the voice of a woman who has family members facing medical issues.

Emotions are a blessing from God. They make life interesting. Emotions give us a truly human outlet for the variety that life delivers. We express them already as babies. They help others know how to respond and react to us.

Unfortunately, as adults we tend to muffle them, cover them up, or mask them. We learn to “control” our emotions rather than give ourselves the permission to set them free. When I watch Crosby I realize that since he cannot yet talk he uses his emotion to communicate his needs and desires. And maybe that’s why they change so quickly. When a need is met his emotion changes. But he most certainly isn’t afraid to freely express his emotions.

Sometimes I wish I were more like Crosby. I know it’s not socially acceptable to openly and freely express my emotions. But I wonder how much better I would feel — and how much better people would be able to help one another — if we adults would be more open with our feelings. Even if that means our feelings change on a dime, as they sometimes do.

So I give you permission today to do an experiment. Express your emotions a bit more freely. Be sensitive to the feelings of others. Then react and respond in kind. And I really mean: in kind.

What would our world be like if this would happen more frequently?

SaveSave

Recently I received a request from a reader of my blog. He was looking for tactics to help complete a project that had been on the back burner for years. The project is a writing project, and the questioner is fully capable of doing exactly what he wants to do. He can check this item off the bucket list with just a little concerted time and effort. Here’s his exact question:

What type of encouragement do you have for someone that has this innate desire to accomplish a task, but yet it seems life keeps getting in the way?

 

Is there something you want to do but feel like you don’t have the time? Here are six tactics to help motivate you to get going starting today.

1. Get up. Every single person has the same amount of time in the day. Yet some people seem to accomplish more than others. One of the ways they do it is by getting up earlier in the morning. It can be very difficult for those who aren’t “morning people.” But if you promise yourself it’s just for a month or two while you accomplish an important task, it’s very doable.
2. Stop wasting time. Do you watch TV after the kids go to bed? Turn it off and work on meaningful things instead. Are you spending time on Facebook or other social media? Start a timer and limit that kind of activity. Then use the rest of the time to work.
3. Set manageable goals. If you’re a writer, set a goal of writing just 500 words per day. Sometimes it’ll be a struggle to write those 500 words. But other times you’ll get on a roll. When you do, keep going. The same applies for all kinds of other activities, too.
4. Use the Pomodoro Technique. The Pomodoro Technique is, in a nutshell, doing a task for 25 minutes, then taking a short, three to five minute break. Do that four times in a row, and then take a fifteen to thirty minute break. You’ll be surprised how much this tactic will help you accomplish.
5. Pray. Ask the Lord for more structured time in your life, more free time, and for the ability to juggle everything well and in good balance.
6. Use a Deadline. Deadlines are powerful motivators. They are even more motivating when you tell someone else what your deadline is and ask them to hold you accountable.

Sometimes simple tactics used consistently can help you accomplish that one thing you’ve always wanted to. Try these six things and watch yourself do the thing you’ve wanted to do for months, or even years.

What tactics do you use to accomplish an important task?

SaveSave

SaveSave

It was a summertime week night in Volterra, Italy. That little town is one of the most stunning places I have ever been in my life. It sits at the top of a Tuscan hill, and the views become even more spectacular as the sun sets. We spent a nice afternoon in that historic little town. On a quaint corner a shopkeeper invited us in for a wine tasting and we took him up on it. We sat in a private room with some friends as he brought out a few wines and some beautiful charcuterie. Then he went the extra mile.

He told us his family ran a restaurant down the street. It was one of the most well rated places in the town. A phone call made sure we had a table in the place at prime time. We would watch the sun set over the Tuscan hills as we ate our dinner. Sure enough, we made our way down the street and there was a table waiting for us.

As we sat down my wife, Tammy, noticed the silverware on the table was set in an interesting way. Each knife and fork was placed on a little “rest” that was made of clay. She became obsessed with them and wondered how we might be able to take some home. That’s when our waiter went the extra mile.

He said they were made at a little shop just down the street. So he actually ran over to the shop to see if it was still open and, if so, we’d be able to purchase some. Unfortunately, it was closed. But our dinner was outstanding. As we ate an incredible meal we watched one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen. The next day the restaurant went the extra mile.

Our friends who had been at dinner with us checked back the next day to see if they could purchase some of the clay silverware rests from the restaurant itself. It turned out that they had extras on hand, so they went the extra mile and sold them to us. Tammy now had a remembrance of Volterra, and that restaurant, that would be set on our table for years to come.

The extra effort made the the wine tasting host, the waiter, and the restaurant didn’t cost them anything at all. But the gestures they made were valuable to us as tourists. Sure, they got business out of it. But our experiences created memories that will last our entire lives. If we’re ever in Volterra again, I want to patronize those places.

What can you do today to go the extra mile for someone else? Your effort might just create a memory, a connection, or a relationship that will last far longer than you could have hoped. Something that costs you nothing could bring great benefits. Go ahead and give it a try.

What does your extra mile look like?

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

If you want to see confidence in the midst of adversity, just take a look at Jordan Spieth. Talk about adversity! Spieth took the lead into the final round of the British Open Golf Tournament (one of golf’s four major championships). But he began to give it up in the middle of that final eighteen holes. Shots went awry and his score began to climb. Most people would have let their confidence lag. But not Spieth. If you’ve got a few minutes you can see how he handled it here.

In the middle of what could have been an epic implosion, Spieth’s caddy, Michael Greller, gave him the boost he needed. According to the New York Post, this is what transpired:

“Do you remember that group you were with in Cabo last week?’’ Greller asked Spieth when they were on the seventh tee, referring to some time he spent with Michael Jordan and Michael Phelps. “You belong in that group. You’re that caliber of an athlete. But I need you to believe that right now, because you’re in a great position in this tournament. This is a new tournament. We’re starting over here.’’

From there Spieth took control and won the tournament. He made long, dramatic putts, hit shots out of the sand, and made great drives all the way to victory. It all boiled down to confidence in the midst of adversity. And a little boost from a friend.

I’m not going to compare anything I do to the intense pressure of millions of eyes watching my every golf shot. But everyone goes through their own share of adversity. For instance, many churches face a significant downturn in attendance over the summer months. Our church is no different. People travel, participate in activities, or are simply lazier in the summer. To be completely honest I sometimes wonder if I’m the reason people are staying away.

But I have a wife who gives me a vocal boost when I need it. She reminds me of what’s important and why I should be confident. And I carry on doing my job and fulfilling my vocation to the best of my ability.

So these are the benefits to confidence in the midst of adversity:

1. It keeps your focus on the goal instead of on distractions.
2. It keeps the people around you calm.
3. It gives you inner strength.
4. It taps into your natural competitiveness.
5. It gives you something to go on in the future.

When you find yourself in adversity listen to those who know you best, keep your eye on the goal, and remember how you have previously overcome.

How do you overcome adversity?

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

How much determination do you have deep down inside of you? It might not take much to find out. One couple found out pretty quickly when they were on their honeymoon in the 1970’s. They decided to take a year to backpack around South America. On that adventure they ended up in a plane crash. After the crash in a remote place the only place for shelter was in a prison. After being rescued they kept their adventure going. They missed a boat to Bolivia so they built their own raft. They used it to float down a dangerous Amazon tributary. A severe thunderstorm threw them off course and left them eating frogs and slugs. You can read all about it here.

The couple survived their ordeal because of their determination (and a whole lotta God’s grace). But a turning point came for them in the midst of a dire time when they feared they would never leave the South American swamp alive. In the midst of hunger and survival mode, the wife, Holly, suddenly  discovered deep within herself the desire to have children at some point in the future. She did not want to die without having her own offspring.

So she convinced her husband to fight.

And they fought to live with all the determination they could muster. After surviving twenty-six days of bad weather, terrifying sounds from the jungle, and eating South American creatures, they were rescued by some natives.

The human spirit is much stronger than we often realize. Our bodies, when tested, can do far more than we think they can. Sometimes determination is forced upon us. But when it is, strength from deep within us wells up and moves us forward.

Yet far too often we wait until we find ourself in a difficult circumstance before we muster up gumption and strength. We sit around in our comfortable homes and offices and wonder why we don’t have motivation. In all seriousness, it might be beneficial to expose ourselves to some discomfort every once in while. It helps us perform better in stressful or less than perfect conditions. (Tim Ferriss talks about that here.)

Here’s the point: Try to muster up more than usual determination today to do something you’ve been putting off. Use The Five Second Rule and make it happen. Count down out loud and jump right in.

You’ll probably surprise yourself.

How do you muster up determination?

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave