Today, I hope to challenge you. What do you dream about? What have you always wanted to try but have always invented reasons not to do? What would you like to accomplish? Well, you say, I gave up on my goals a long time ago. I can't, couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't, am not talented enough, not smart enough, not good enough.... I guess you get my point. We all have things like that. When I was in high school, I saw the movie Top Gun with Tom Cruise and I was convinced I wanted to be an F14 pilot. I wanted to go to the US Naval Academy and fly jets for the Navy. Well guess what, it never happened. Why not? Because I didn't want it bad enough. If I had really wanted it, I would have tried harder. So I went to TCU to study business I wanted a college degree but I was more concerned about chasing girls than studying. Which resulted in terrible results. See I wasn't good with girls and my grades suffered to boot. I was just plain lazy.
Now, I am really a fairly intelligent guy (please no comments from my friends or family!). If I put my mind to something, I am capable of learning just about anything. So why didn't I graduate Magna Cum Laude from TCU? Well there were some pretty smart people at TCU and I just plain didn't want it bad enough. Oh sure, if it came super easy I would have made straight As but since it required reading and studying, I didn't. Plain and simple right? Well are there areas of your life where you could have done better and didn't? Sure there are. Does that make you a bad person or a failure? Of course not. Don't be ridiculous. All it means is you didn't want it bad enough.
Now let's get back to the mental list you made from our first paragraph. What things are on that list that you want to do but don't? Why? Are you going to go through the whole could have, should have, and would have list again like we just did? I know there are areas in my life now where I need to work on this.
Let me tell you one area of my life where I decided to try something no one really thought I could do. Remember there will always be people telling you that you can't. They will aways have something negative to say to talk you out of trying. If you aren't careful, you might actually believe those people. But one of my favorite sayings is, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." Now I don't believe in dog fighting or cruelty to animals in any shape. It's absolutely wrong but I like the saying. What it means is that the person who looks the best on paper with the most talent and ability isn't always the person who succeeds. It's the person who tries his hardest and believes he can that normally does. You can do anything that you put your mind to.
OK, so let's get back to my little story. I graduated in the top 10% of the bottom 1/3 of my class at TCU. Like I said, my grades were terrible. I think I had a 2.25. Now another of my life dreams was to go to law school. So one day, I decided to try. I decided to apply and just see if I got in. Well I did pretty good on the LSAT and was accepted to a law school here in Fort Worth. Then I did something remarkable that set the tone for my whole law school experience.
I went out to dinner with my then wife, my cousin and his wife. I remember we went to a comedy club downtown and then we went back to my cousin's wife's house. As we were all sitting around talking and having a good time the subject of me going back to school came up and this is what came out of my mouth. I said, "I'm going to go to law school and give it my best shot. I am going to do my very best and see what happens. I don't want to look back 20 years from now and say I could have, would have or should have. If I flunk out after the first semester, I will do it knowing I tried my very hardest." See I had the right attitude now. I was going to try with everything I had. Notice where my focus was. It wasn't on doing this well or doing that well. It wasn't on being the best student or making the best grades. My focus was on being the best I could be. I didn't look at anyone else but me. If I gave it my all and failed I could live content knowing I gave it may all.
Where do you face challenges like that in life? I still face many of those same things today. There are times when I don't want to work that hard or I want to quit trying something. I believe if you give life your very best and the key is to make sure you know you are doing all you can, then you can hold your head up high no matter what the outcome. Because you know that no matter what, you did your best.
And I guess, that's another Opinion .... Oh wait a minute. Would you like to know what happened to me when I made the decision to try my hardest? Well, God was able to bless all that I did in school. Not only did I finish law school, but I graduated Cum Laude
And that's another Opinion of the Minion
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Game On, Mr. Minion
Today I want to talk to you about being ready. Being ready for what, you ask? Well you will have to answer that question, I can't. But let me explain what I am thinking. Are you ready for the opportunities that cross your path. If you met that special someone, are you ready? If someone gave you the dream job of a lifetime, are you ready? If someone was going to send you to the college of your dreams, are you ready? Lastly, and most importantly, if you died tonight, are you ready?
See I think we spend way too much of our time complaining about our circumstances or pushing too hard to make things happen the way we want. We are so focused on us that we aren't ready for the great opportunities that God places in our life. Now let me say, that I don't believe that we should just sit around and wait for everything to fall in our laps. That's not smart. That's being lazy. I'm talking about being ready when something comes along.
Let me illustrate this with a story of mine. Sometimes God has divine appointments that you don't expect. If we aren't ready when they do, we can miss the whole opportunity. I go to Starbuck's at least once a day (please no comments about the actual number from my friends). For several month's there was a certain lady that I wanted to talk to but never did. This was primarily because I am a pretty shy guy most of the time. I like being around people and most who know me are very comfortable around me but talking to a total stranger is not something I normally do. Well, I always liked this girl's face because it looked so kind. (To the girl who I am talking about - I know you will read this and yes you have a very kind face. Turns out the personality matches the face. Don't even think about arguing with me on this point!) I saw her at Starbuck's for several weeks and never talked to her.
One day, I realized that I was never going to say anything to her because it really isn't in my nature to do this so I just forgot about it. Well, two days later, I walked into a restaurant by my apartment and saw a guy I knew. Guess who was sitting at the table with him? Did you figure it out? Yup, it was the girl from Starbucks. Over the last few months, we have become good friends. She is someone who's opinion I really value and she has really helped me through a tough time. I think I have been able to do the same for her. Just think, none of this would have happened if I hadn't walked into that restaurant that day. That connection was the Lord's way of saying to me, "I've got a million ways to bring people into your life," and it really blessed me to hear that from Him.
When I would see her, I thought about trying to break the ice and say hello but I never did. Then when I finally decided to let it go, things worked out on their own. Now this is about a friendship but it applies in all areas of our life. Where are you pushing hard to accomplish something. Where are you getting so worked up and stressed out? Is it possible that while you are trying to figure out how to make something happen in your life that you can't see God setting you up to bless you? Where are you so focused on someone who is a negative influence in your life that you can't see that amazing person who wants to be part of your life? Stop and look around.
While I try very much not to preach in these Opinions, I must ask this one thing. If you were do die tonight, are you ready? Well, you might say, "I go to church." That's not what I asked. You might say, "I'm a good person." Again, that's not what I asked. What I am asking you is have you ever met Jesus and made him Lord of your life. He is a very close personal friend of mine. He is a real person that you can touch. Guess what - No matter what you have done in this life, He deeply passionately loves you. As I write this, I am thinking about His love and it brings tears to my eyes. He's out to get you but not in a bad way. He wants to love on you. He wants to help you. He will never give up on you and never quit you. He knows your secrects and His love sees right past that to the inside of the Box He created. I am not asking you to join a church or become part of a denomination, I am asking you if you have met my Jesus. If the answer is no, would you please consider praying this simple prayer.
Just say, "Jesus, I ask you to come into my life. I ask you to be my friend and show me your love for me. I ask you to be my Lord and Savior."
If you prayed that prayer with your heart, you just became my brother or sister. Welcome to the family! Please let me hear from you. Knowing you made that decision will be the best thing I hear today.
If you didn't pray that prayer, know this that God loves you very much and because He first loved me, I can honestly say that I care about you too.
That's the Opinion of His Minion
See I think we spend way too much of our time complaining about our circumstances or pushing too hard to make things happen the way we want. We are so focused on us that we aren't ready for the great opportunities that God places in our life. Now let me say, that I don't believe that we should just sit around and wait for everything to fall in our laps. That's not smart. That's being lazy. I'm talking about being ready when something comes along.
Let me illustrate this with a story of mine. Sometimes God has divine appointments that you don't expect. If we aren't ready when they do, we can miss the whole opportunity. I go to Starbuck's at least once a day (please no comments about the actual number from my friends). For several month's there was a certain lady that I wanted to talk to but never did. This was primarily because I am a pretty shy guy most of the time. I like being around people and most who know me are very comfortable around me but talking to a total stranger is not something I normally do. Well, I always liked this girl's face because it looked so kind. (To the girl who I am talking about - I know you will read this and yes you have a very kind face. Turns out the personality matches the face. Don't even think about arguing with me on this point!) I saw her at Starbuck's for several weeks and never talked to her.
One day, I realized that I was never going to say anything to her because it really isn't in my nature to do this so I just forgot about it. Well, two days later, I walked into a restaurant by my apartment and saw a guy I knew. Guess who was sitting at the table with him? Did you figure it out? Yup, it was the girl from Starbucks. Over the last few months, we have become good friends. She is someone who's opinion I really value and she has really helped me through a tough time. I think I have been able to do the same for her. Just think, none of this would have happened if I hadn't walked into that restaurant that day. That connection was the Lord's way of saying to me, "I've got a million ways to bring people into your life," and it really blessed me to hear that from Him.
When I would see her, I thought about trying to break the ice and say hello but I never did. Then when I finally decided to let it go, things worked out on their own. Now this is about a friendship but it applies in all areas of our life. Where are you pushing hard to accomplish something. Where are you getting so worked up and stressed out? Is it possible that while you are trying to figure out how to make something happen in your life that you can't see God setting you up to bless you? Where are you so focused on someone who is a negative influence in your life that you can't see that amazing person who wants to be part of your life? Stop and look around.
While I try very much not to preach in these Opinions, I must ask this one thing. If you were do die tonight, are you ready? Well, you might say, "I go to church." That's not what I asked. You might say, "I'm a good person." Again, that's not what I asked. What I am asking you is have you ever met Jesus and made him Lord of your life. He is a very close personal friend of mine. He is a real person that you can touch. Guess what - No matter what you have done in this life, He deeply passionately loves you. As I write this, I am thinking about His love and it brings tears to my eyes. He's out to get you but not in a bad way. He wants to love on you. He wants to help you. He will never give up on you and never quit you. He knows your secrects and His love sees right past that to the inside of the Box He created. I am not asking you to join a church or become part of a denomination, I am asking you if you have met my Jesus. If the answer is no, would you please consider praying this simple prayer.
Just say, "Jesus, I ask you to come into my life. I ask you to be my friend and show me your love for me. I ask you to be my Lord and Savior."
If you prayed that prayer with your heart, you just became my brother or sister. Welcome to the family! Please let me hear from you. Knowing you made that decision will be the best thing I hear today.
If you didn't pray that prayer, know this that God loves you very much and because He first loved me, I can honestly say that I care about you too.
That's the Opinion of His Minion
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