John Harrell's Blog, page 142

Starting Line

Sometimes life feels like a race. Everyone is trying to win, and the competition is good. We are, in actuality, running our own race. Our only real competitor is ourselves. We should self-evaluate how well we are doing by how much effort we put into it. Give it everything you have in you. Finish strong…

Activity

It has become an honor to be known as the busiest person around. Has this become the culture of America? I hope not. We must make time for what matters most: people. If we gain wealth but have no real friends and our family merely tolerates us, we aren’t winning the game of life. Examine your focus. Recommit to the people who care about you…

Spectator Sports

I love watching great athletes. My dream when I was a teenager was to play safety in the NFL. My dream wasn’t to become a reality because I didn’t possess the physical gifts to play at that level. So I’m content being a spectator.

Life isn’t a spectator sport, though. We must get in the game every day and give it everything we have. All of us are gifted in some special way. You know your talents. Use them for the benefit of others. You will benefit, too…

Death and Taxes

Benjamin Franklin told us the only certain things in life are death and taxes. Old Ben left out a few. Today’s short examines another certainty in life…struggles.

Anger

There are times when we should get angry. It should piss us off when we learn of child abuse, sex trafficking, physical and emotional abuse. Jesus got angry when he saw how people were disrespecting The Temple…God’s house. He made a whip to drive out the animals and traders.

Righteous anger is okay. Getting angry when someone cuts us off in traffic to the point where we want revenge isn’t okay. In fact, it’s just dumb…

Evil

Evil exists in our world and will always be present. We live on a broken planet, and nothing this side of Heaven will change that. There is hope, though. The heart of mankind can be transformed through acts of kindness and compassion, two of the things that connect us with each other. We cannot legislate evil out of the hearts of men, but we can examine our own hearts and be kind…

Your Voice

Everyone has a voice, but not everyone has a worthwhile message. Make sure your voice is used to speak truth…

The I’s Have It…

Today’s culture says “look at me!” We are regressing to a focus on ourselves rather than on others. People feel empty, frustrated and alone. A “me first” attitudes leads to spiritual poverty. Shift your focus to people, and watch how your cup fills…

100%

Whatever you do, give it everything you have in you. If you only give 80%, you are cheating yourself. There’s a difference between hard work and commitment…

Times Really Does Fly!

Today is my 65th birthday. While many people think of that as retirement age, retirement has never crossed my mind. In fact, I’m more ambitious now than I have ever been. There’s much to accomplish to continue bringing light into the lives of others. We are born into a period of time that is according to God’s plan, and every life has a greater purpose. Find yours and pursue it with everything you have in you. Age exists only in our head and our heart…