What's The Difference?

What is the difference in Sam Walton (founder of Wal-Mart) and your next door neighbor or Oprah Winfrey and your best friend? Some would say fame. Others might suggest fortune. I would like to offer a 12 letter word...PERSEVERANCE.

Today I heard the story of "The Luge Man," Ruben Gonzalez. He was raised in Houston, Tx, did not excel in any sport throughout middle or highschool nor in college, began training for the Olympics at 21 years old. Yet, he competed in four winter Olympics in three decades in the sport of luge. How can anyone from muggy, humid Houston become an Olympian in the LUGE? Doesn't that require snow and freezing temperatures?

As Ruben shared his story, several statements settled in my mind.
1. The only difference in people who have books written about them and me is PERSEVERANCE. Every person who has achieved a dream has the same story - dream, challenge, perseverance.
2. Very few people remain standing when the challenge fades - only those who persevere - the bulldogs. When Ruben arrived at training camp, the coach said only a handful of you will survive this training. Ruben immediately thought, "Good for me. I can win by attrition."
3. People who face the challenge with joy, faith, and resolve reach their dreams.
4. Challenges and trials are simply learning experiences from which to grow, change, and become better.

What is the difference between Bill Gates and me or Billy Graham and you? It's a long word that carries much weight.

"Consider it all joy my brother when you face trials of many kinds because you know the testing of your faith produces perserverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:2-4

Discover & Develop

Do you dread it when people talk about talents? Have you ever thought, "I don't have a talent!"
Because society has labeled "talents" for us, we don't see the gifts we've been given as talents. A talent is simply a natural ability.

Last night at church we had Champion Forest Student Ministry's Got Talent. We had gymnasts, violin and violists, singers, tuba players, and more. Melissa, an 8th grade girl, and I did a headstand routine. Yes, we stood on our heads for a rather long period of time and did amazing moves with our feet and legs. That may sound strange and it did bring much laughter from the audience, but how many people do you know can stand on their heads and for a long period of time? That is a gift, strange, but a gift!

What are your natural abilities? What are the things you like and do well that other people can't do? In what areas do people compliment you?

For example...
Can you keep a plant alive?
Are you a quick and easy problem solver?
Do you enjoy cooking and the results are always yummy?
Can you decorate a home and make it beautiful without much effort?
Are you good with animals?
Can you read and follow instructions to put something together?
Do you naturally encourage people?
Can you design a website?
Are you musically inclined?
Do you enjoy teaching or coaching?
Can you climb, swim, run, or bike without effort?
Do you make decisions easily?
Are you a good conversationalist or are you better at listening?
Do you enjoy drawing, writing, or designing?

Because Americans watch approximately 8 hours of television in a 24 hour period and spend valuable time on the computer, we are loosing our talents. We don't think we have talents because we haven't spent time discovering and developing them.

This week think about something you enjoy and do well. Ask friends and family what your talents are and try something new that you have always wanted to do. Who knows, you might discover a new gift and you too could be on CFBC Student Ministry's Got Talent.

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us." Romans 12:6

Is There Ever A Perfect Sunday Morning?

I got up early Sunday morning, put the roast in the oven, cleaned the kitchen, spent time in the Word, hummed quietly to myself as I applied mascara when I heard a knock on the bedroom door.
"Come in," I responded.

My daughter with bed hair and puffy eyes scowled, "Where is my anti-freeze?"
I gently replied, "I don't know sweetheart," recognizing that the wrong tone or choice of words could possibly send her into a teenage fit that I really did not want to endure while trying to prepare to go and "worship the Lord."

"Where did you put it?" I quietly asked.

"It was on my floor in my room and you put it somewhere when you vaccuumed," she grimaced as she glared at me with a look that could kill.

The conversation went from bad to worse in a matter of seconds. After dad got involved and I resorted to getting within millimeters of her nose and angrily saying words that really didn't help the situation, a voice in my heart said, "Hello. This isn't right."
I walked away from the heated moment which had moved from my bathroom to hers and told her, "I'll be back in a minute."

That small voice whispered deep in my soul, "Peace MAKER. Is what you are doing making peace?"

At that moment I realized, when she asked about the anti-freeze I should have replied, "What is your anti-freeze?" I would have quickly learned that it was the bottle that I thought was empty and threw away on Friday. At that point I could have apologized for accidentally throwing away the anti-freeze and maybe the whole situation could have gone from bad to better.

I walked into my daughter's bathroom and explained how I could have made peace instead of creating a disaster. As I apologized for my behavior and told her how I didn't like it when people got within millimeters of my nose and that I should not have done that tears began to roll down her cheeks, she grabbed me and gave me a big hug.

WOW! What a big difference 2 words can make. "I'm sorry."

I learned a very valuable lesson Sunday morning. Apologizing breaks down barriers and opens doors to relationships. Those 2 words are powerful and mandatory tools in the art of Peace MAKING!

"Those who are peacemakers will plants seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness." James 3:18