Excel Still More

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

We all have challenges in our relationships at times. There are just some people we tend to argue with. There are some topics that bring out our passion and not always for the best. There are certainly life issues and situations that are very hard and aren't always handled well. This seems confusing. I mean, we are Christians. Christ brings peace. Why is there so little peace, at times, in our lives? The answer is the name we carry. We are to be "of Christ." And this, my friend, means we need Much More Jesus! Literally and actually. We need His presence, His words, His name, right in the middle of every part of our lives. This will, with 100% absolute certainly, make every single thing better.

- Why do we argue with people in our lives so often?

- Why do we let certain issues or situations get out of control?

- Where is Jesus in all of that?  

- What will begin to happen if we put Jesus right in the center of all of that?

- How can we have much more Jesus in every single facet of our lives?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Each of us has a strong collection of beliefs and convictions. People are willing to fight to the death of friendships, families, church, in the name of their own world picture. It's fine to have a strong view of things, but can you admit it may not be right. If we are always learning, and don't stand in the way of new information, there is a chance we can actually see things more clearly and do better. Everyone ones to get better, but few know that changing your view on things is required first. Let's look at how we can each do that today.

- What is a "world picture" and why does everyone have it?

- What has shaped or built your world picture on things?

- Is there room for new information? Is it possible you are wrong?

- Can we start with humility? When is the last time you said, "I don't know"?

- What can T.A.G. do to help us find new perspective and a better attitude about our convictions?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Tonight was special for me. It is Sunday night, just one day before the podcast's release. I was sitting with two special friends, and we stood to sing the final song: "In His Time." I felt like God was surrounding me with beautiful things and people at that moment, and I have great hope for many more in the future, and in eternity!  Do you live with that kind of hope? Do you expect good things from God, marvelous blessings from Him, to be right around the corner?

- Has God placed beautiful things in your life today, right now?

- Are there things in your life that you believe God can make beautiful soon?

- How often does heaven draw your gaze and fill you with optimism and joy?

- Why do so many people focus on what is ugly, or what they do not like?

- Will God reward people with more beauty if they don't appreciate what they have?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Welcome to calmness in a frustrating world! Okay, how about the PROSPECT of such a thing. I'm the kind of person who has immediate emotional reactions that often get me in trouble. I very often look back and think, "If I had just taken a moment to think about that, things would have gone so much better." And, there is a special little phrase that helps me do that.

Today, I will share some personal issues and recent episodes that have discouraged me. I promise this isn't a call to pity, though I am pretty pitiful. But I need you to see how perspective can change everything. Maybe even in your life as well.

- Do you ever get frustrated at things that aren't really that big of a deal?

- Why do we do that when God has done so much for us?

- Are you interested in impulse control, better perspective, and deeper prayers?

- Can a simple phrase, uttered over and over again, really make that big of a difference?

- How can you tell the difference between things that matter and things that don't?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Why can't we just all agree on everything? Why don't people see things like you see them all the time? And does a healthy relationship demand such?  Well, on that last one, I sure hope not! The truth is, we see things differently than even our closest friends. How do we deal with that? I have to tell you, there are a lot of relationships that are defined by the differences. And those relationship are awful. Maybe its a marriage, or a blood brother. All they can think about is how they disagree and why that prevents them from growing.  We can do better. We must.

The MasterCard symbol is here to help. You may not agree with all I have to say about that... but that's kind of the point! ;-) Let's celebrate what unites us and then work on the rest.

- How do you deal with people in your life who disagree with you on things?

- Is every disagreement worth fighting over?  How do you tell the difference?

- What is usually true of every friendship that needs more focus and appreciation?

- Do brethren sometimes let their differences lead to division? Why?

- Is there hope in your home and church and life found in a small orange area?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

I am apologizing in advance. The experiment behind today's episode is pretty morbid. I in no way hope that you find yourself swimming for your life in a oversized test tube. I also feel like the feedback that is coming will ensure no more episodes feature rats, dead or alive. 

However... for today... I have an old scientific experiment to share with you. If a rat can change it's potential by 240X from just a moment's infusion of hope, how much more so you and me? Consider the power of hope in your life, and what it means to believe in God's hand, your own strength, and the support of the people you love!

- Why did a group of scientist drown a bunch of rats?

- Okay that may not be defensible, but what was learned from that experiment?

- What has God done in your life to give you hope for tomorrow?

- What have you done for yourself in the past to build hope in your own strength?

- Who loves you so much that they have come to your rescue and will do it again soon?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

This episode feels important. Sure, I want to talk to you about your influence. I want to talk to you about the love in you and who gets that love and how longsuffering your are with it. And yes, I want to ask about your light. I want to tell you that you reflect Christ and the world needs to see you illuminated in His name. All of that is important.

But it is also impossible. Yes, you heard that right, it cannot be done. Unless... Unless the love of God is real in your life. Unless the light of God warms your soul.  Too many Christians, in my experience, are living with less than great love and with dimmed lights, because that reflects what they see in God. And there is so, so much more! 

- How would you describe God's love for you?

- How would you describe the light of God in your life?

- Is it possible to love others well if we do not know God's love well?

- Is it possible to shine brightly if the light of God is not bright in our own lives?

- And how wonderful will our love and light be if we sob beneath the realization of God's?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

I'm in search of someone who is looking for adventure. Who is ready to step out there and do something that most people will not do. You need to know, it won't be easy. And there are risks that it might not go as planned. And you have no way to predict what will happen next!

But the alternative... being stuck in the system, in the mundane, in a machine that isn't really you and doesn't represent who you want to be... well, I'm done with that. Maybe you are as well. If so, hop in for a big decision. Jordan Peterson wrote a new book giving us 12 more rules for life. In promoting that book, he spoke of the most adventurous thing you can do. 

- Why aren't more people willing to take a risk to get a genuine reward?

- Before the big jump, what is the most satisfying thing you can do day by day?

- Are you sharing your true feeling with others? Or is that just too scary?

- What is the proper process to becoming truly transparent with others?

- What are some tremendous things that might happen when you take today's adventure?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Jon Rahm had his heart broken. He was winning a major tournament, just one day away from 1.7 million dollars. And then, it all went away, all of the sudden. What happened to him was terrible, unfair, and infuriating. But how would he respond? Would he blame everyone? Would he use it as an excuse to behave poorly? Nope. This dude is solid. And the attitude he put on display is an example to us all. Oh, and good attitudes lead to good outcomes! 

- Have you recently had something unfair happen to you in your life?

- How did that make you feel and what did you want to do about it?

- Is it important to keep your cool, put it in perspective and move forward?

- How many people are influenced by how you handle tough breaks?

- Is it possible a bad break today can lead to your big break tomorrow?

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Life is busy. Everyone says this and we all mean it! So how do we keep the stress down and make sure everything important gets done? And done well?

Maybe we need to evaluate how we order elements of our lives. Maybe if we keep putting small things first, we aren't giving big things the space they need to be successful. Let's walk through a visual illustration that can help us order things well and have far less stress. 

- What happens when little things take priority over bigger things in our schedule?

- How can starting with the essential relieve stress and make our weeks more smooth?

- What about if there is just to much? How do you cut things out aren't essential?

- And what if big things in life get HUGE? Like an illness or crisis? Are we ready for that?

- Are you interested in a well ordered, effortless week, where everything just fits?  Me too!