John Harrell's Blog, page 11

Fear Not

Fear has killed more dreams than lack of talent ever has. Fear will hold you back, keep you where you are rather than where you want to be. Unless…you are willing to break free and live in the unknown.

Should you choose to chase your purpose, you won’t be running the road by yourself. Did you know that in the Bible God tells us to “fear not” 365 times? That’s one for every day of the year. Coincidence? I think not.

Everyone has a battle within themselves. This is the conflict between where you were and who you are becoming. You can choose to go through the motions of life, living in frustration and safety. Or, you can sever the ropes that are trying to mire you in mediocrity and begin to live in the fullness you were created to live in. It is and always will be your choice.

I encourage you to step out and live your purpose with faith at your side. Embrace the fear you may feel and press on. All of life is an unknown, so keep going no matter what happens. Be adaptable…

A Rare Talent

Andy Warhol is credited with saying, “in the future everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” He said this decades before the first iteration of social media had come to be. Warhol’s flippant remark is something many in society are trying to fulfill.

People will work like hell to be called “influencers.” But what does that really mean? Influencer has the allure of someone you might want to look up to. Politicians have influence. I don’t consider them to be role models, though. The guys who created “Jackass” are considered to be influencers. All they did was some really outrageous things to gain viewers. Yet, I wasn’t influenced to do any of the crazy stuff they did!

It is a rare person who goes about their life, doing good work, taking care of others, yet they are not seeking attention. Jesus was one of those people. He healed many, yet never sought his own honor. He brought people back to life after they were dead, but told the witnesses to “tell no one.” His influence has lasted for over 2,000 years.

I have been privileged to meet people who are rare finds, they are truly treasures among us.

Good people are out there. Sometimes you gotta look hard to find them, but they are there. My encouragement to you is to follow their example. It doesn’t matter how many people notice or give you credit. We are only here for an audience of one. God will see what you did, and that’s all that matters…

Forgetfulness

Sometimes I walk into a room and forget why I went in there. Or I will open a new browser to do a search on something important, yet I can’t recall what it was a half second later! Everything gets done so I guess I eventually remembered!

One of the things I never forget are the brave men and women who fought for this wonderful country I live in. Free speech, peaceful protesting and owning a gun are rights I have because of the sacrifice of others before me. I may never know their names or their life stories, but I’m grateful for them.

The United States is an imperfect country, no doubt. We will continue to have challenges for as long as we will be a country. But we rise up and help each other when the need arises. I don’t forget the goodness people extended to me to help me in life.

Take a moment to give thanks for the people who have helped you. No matter how much we argue or disagree, it is my hope that we never lose our good heartedness. That’s something worth remembering…

Rigid

Do you consider yourself to be open minded? Perhaps you see the world in black or white. The truth is, there’s a lot of grey area in between the two contrasts.

Much good has come from straightforward, objective analysis. For example, we wouldn’t want to drive across a bridge where the engineers had said their structural load calculations were, “close enough for government work!” No, we want their best work.

Adaptability has the greatest correlation to success, well above intelligence. Anyone who has ever been involved in buying a home understands this. Real estate transactions rarely go as smoothly as planned.

I encourage you to view the world with childlike curiosity. Question things, even your own beliefs and convictions. Listen and learn from others who see the world differently.

It’s not an affront to you to consider the views of other people. They may be right…

In The Pit

Life isn’t always easy. There will be times in the lives of some people where they get to the breaking point. My encouragement to you if this is where you find yourself, bend but don’t break. You can get through this.

God never promised us a carefree life. In fact, Jesus himself told us “in this world there will be trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” When I think about this statement, it reminds me of how big God is.

Your challenges may be a surprise to you but they aren’t to God. He exists in the past, present and future all at once. Beginning to end. I’m not minimizing what you are experiencing. Not at all. But the God who created the universe and everything good in it can handle your problems. And mine.

You might be at a point in your life where you want to give up. Don’t. You have a great purpose to fulfill.

Place your reliance totally on God. Trust him to see you through. Then give him the glory…

Offer Encouragement

The struggle continues for many of our friends and neighbors. Mental health was already compromised and then the pandemic hit. Isolation is never a good thing. Suicide rates reached levels not seen since 1941.

Encourage others. Don’t offer fake encouragement because people see right through it. Just take a moment to check on people. People need to know that someone cares about them. And guess what! You benefit, too. What we give out we get back!

We can be selfish by nature. Practice selflessness. Instead of thinking of yourself, think about others. By doing this you will be demonstrating a rare form of humility not often seen in today’s society.

In conclusion, if you are in need of some encouragement, reach out to someone. Anyone. Crisis hotlines are overwhelmed with incoming traffic, so hang on don’t hang up. Help is available. What you are going through won’t last forever.

Stay hopeful…

Eyesight

Do you view a half glass of liquid as being half full or half empty? And just how big of a glass are you looking at? Today’s post is about what we see.

Admittedly, I’m a good finder. I see the good in every person and every situation. While I’m usually happy with this trait, sometimes I hang on to people too long. When I don’t use discernment and solid judgment, it can be a character flaw.

Others are pessimistic about the future. They can be the Eeyores of the world. Those types of people see a problem in every solution!

My hope for you, and me, is that we see the world around us through God’s eyes. He sees everything. Let’s focus on seeing the beauty in creation. This applies to people and animals as well as nature.

Peer into the heart of mankind. See and acknowledge the good works people do for others without expecting anything in return. There’s beauty there, too…

Interview with Kerie Hamilton

Kerie Hamilton is a remarkable young woman. She’s an entrepreneur, a model, a mother, and the host of her own podcast, I Am with Kerie Hamilton.

Kerie’s childhood was anything but idyllic. Her stepfather was a cruel, demented person who would verbally and physically attack Kerie and her sister. She was deathly afraid to tell anyone because this monster told her, “next time will be worse” if you tell.

Click on the link to listen to her story of healing from her past, including a stalker boyfriend who couldn’t take no for an answer. Somehow, through all this, Kerie is a kind, caring person. Funny, too!

I Have Heard That Voice

A little history today. Six years ago I started posting new content to this site every day. Prior to June 9, 2019 it had been an occasional blog. Then things changed.

In late May of the same year, I kept hearing a nudging voice. It was telling me to write every day. The voice wasn’t audible, but the message was clear. And here’s the truth! I didn’t want to write something daily. But the voice wouldn’t go away, and so I finally gave in. I’m glad I did.

Backing up to October 2015, the same voice came out of nowhere on a Tuesday morning and told me to write a blog. There I was, 7:20 in the morning, driving to work and thinking about my day ahead, and there it was. It was bizarre.

So, back to present day, I’m going to take some of what I consider to be my best writings and put them in a book. My hope for the new book as well as my daily messages is this: I want to provide some encouragement, strength and hope for others. Our world needs hope, now more than ever. We all have a part to play.

Thank you to everyone who reads, shares and comments. I appreciate you all…

Unstoppable

Watching your children learn to walk is both exhilarating and a little stressful. They pull themselves up, take a step or two, teeter and fall. And what do they do? They get right back up and try again! We all eventually got it right because we don’t see adults crawling around from place to place.

Adopt the mindset of a child. You have dreams and desires for your life. Big dreams. Sometimes they fade into the background because, well, life gets in the way. Or perhaps life has knocked you on your ass so hard you are afraid to get back up. Face your fears and get up anyway. You weren’t created to stay down.

When our dreams and desires are aligned with God’s purpose for our lives, we cannot be stopped. This doesn’t mean you won’t have setbacks, challenges or hurdles get in your way. You will. But when you have a white hot determination to succeed, you will.

It’s impossible to stop a person who refuses to give up. So, it’s time to rekindle the fire that lives inside you. Start today…