Tim Young's Blog, page 6

It’s Not Time To Give Up, It’s Time To Rise Up!

Sitting in the safety of my home office contemplating what to write about this week. My heart is heavy with the recent senseless violence in Dallas where a sniper ambushed and killed 5 police officers and injured many more. An incident that took place some 1000 feet from where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Now cops are targeted across America.

Our tallest buildings have been reduced to rubble. Cities and towns across this country are battered by unprecedented storms, turning thousands into refugees in their own country. Our financial system has been looted while our economy have been kept “afloat” by Ponzi schemes. Riots continue to erupt globally by people oppressed by the money masters and the unrest is spreading throughout the world. With the violence, terror attacks and heightened political atmosphere escalating, America has become desensitized and divided as a nation more than ever before. If you’re like me, you’re asking yourself what has happened?

People that I cross paths with are living in fear. Others have just given up, throwing their hands up believing that everyone and everything is so corrupt that there is nothing that can be done to fix what’s going on in the world today. As a result, many people pursue activities that create a numbing escape from the realities of the world.

We have allowed society to pervert and confound Christian doctrines and have turned morality inside out and upside down. We seem to prefer erroneous and false doctrines of the truth, and we prefer an evil to an upright course of conduct. The agenda of this world is clear: to remove God from everything by denying the very conscience He has given us. Truth is ignored, virtue is ridiculed, evil is praised as good and liberating, and God-given moral standards are mocked as a narrow-minded thinking of past generations.

Before you begin that slow clap, let me challenge you with the following:

We tolerate the murder of our unborn children and call it “freedom of choice”
We tolerate society’s movement against God’s original design and call it “diversity”
We tolerate things not of God (paganism) and call it “multiculturalism”
We tolerate euthanasia of the elderly or sick and call it “compassion”
We tolerate division in the church and call it “denominational-ism”
We tolerate intrusion into our homes by the government and call it “safety”
We tolerate the erosion of Constitution of United States of America and call it “progress”
We tolerate censorship across the board and call it “political correctness”
We tolerate the deterioration of the heart and call it “racism”
We tolerate social policies (rather than accepting our God given responsibilities to be our-brothers-keeper) and call it “charity”
We tolerate massive debt (rather than accepting our personal responsibility to be “good stewards” of what God has given us) and call it “happiness”

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point!

America is in trouble and we are in need of Divine intervention like never before — the next president will not be the hope we are looking for. Only Jesus Christ is the great hope for a nation rampant with sin and a people enraged with evil. God’s word tells us to, “Put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore” (Psalm 131:3). It also tell us that, “When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is God who keep steady its pillars. (Psalm 75:3). Remember, God is still on the throne!

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
—2 Chronicles 7:14

With a deepening poverty, debt, homelessness, crime, physical and sexual abuse, racial division in humanity and the disintegration of the traditional family. Alcoholism, heroin addiction, pornography and other dangerous behaviors are relentlessly chipping away at society. And these are further complicated by diseases of many kinds, including Zika, increases in diseases once thought eradicated like tuberculosis and measles, and sexually transmitted diseases. Combined with earthquakes, physical storms, and natural disasters of many kinds all across the world, one wonders how much longer before we wake up and recognize their significance and our response to them.

This is not a narrative to put the fear of the “end times” into people, but rather a narrative of hope. Yes, we need Jesus Christ like never before, but let the power of God’s Word found in Isaiah 58:6-12 (MSG) stir in your heart — courageous warrior.

“This is the kind of fast day I’m after:


to break the chains of injustice,


get rid of exploitation in the workplace,


free the oppressed,


cancel debts.


What I’m interested in seeing you do is:


sharing your food with the hungry,


inviting the homeless poor into your homes,


putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,


being available to your own families.


Do this and the lights will turn on,


and your lives will turn around at once.


Your righteousness will pave your way.


The God of glory will secure your passage.


Then when you pray, God will answer.


You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’

“If you get rid of unfair practices,


quit blaming victims,


quit gossiping about other people’s sins,


If you are generous with the hungry


and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,


Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,


your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.


I will always show you where to go.


I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—


firm muscles, strong bones.


You’ll be like a well-watered garden,


a gurgling spring that never runs dry.


You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,


rebuild the foundations from out of your past.


You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,


restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,


make the community livable again.

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it!
—Albert Einstein

As the world seems to be falling apart around us, rise above the fear and be hope to a broken people. It’s not time to give up…it’s time to rise up! Remember, you are the light of the world.

                  

20 Quotes To Renew Your Patriotism

Every year, Americans celebrate their independence from Great Britain on the Fourth of July. Because of the courage and tenacity of those who fought for victory during the Revolutionary War; we celebrate that monumental moment in US history with barbecues, colorful parades, flag hoisting ceremonies,firework displays, or maybe a day trip to the beach — all a far cry from what our founding fathers would have done.

It was a historic moment in 1776, when the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. From that day forward the 13 colonies, which made up most of the East Coast from Massachusetts to Georgia, were on their way to becoming a sovereign nation and the first states in the United States of America. A movement that would later hail those who sacrificed and fought as true American heroes.

It’s easy to forget why we celebrate Independence Day, so here are some patriotic and inspirational quotes that will make you proud to be an American patriot.

1) “Where liberty dwells, there is my country.” —Benjamin Franklin

2) “He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself” —Thomas Paine

3) “But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments, of their duties and obligations … This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people was the real American Revolution.” —John Adams

4) “My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!” —Thomas Jefferson

5) “Courage, then, my countrymen, our contest is not only whether we ourselves shall be free, but whether there shall be left to mankind an asylum on earth for civil and religious liberty.” —Samuel Adams

6) “Happily for America, happily, we trust, for the whole human race, they pursued a new and more noble course. They accomplished a revolution which has no parallel in the annals of human society.” —James Madison

7) “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” —Thomas Paine

8) “The winds that blow through the wide sky in these mounts, the winds that sweep from Canada to Mexico, from the Pacific to the Atlantic — have always blown on free men.” —Franklin D. Roosevelt

9) Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed – else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die. —Dwight D. Eisenhower

10) “This, then, is the state of the union: free and restless, growing and full of hope. So it was in the beginning. So it shall always be, while God is willing, and we are strong enough to keep the faith.” —Lyndon B. Johnson

11) “I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure it will cost us to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these states. Yet through all the gloom I see the rays of ravishing light and glory. I can see that the end is worth all the means. This is our day of deliverance.” —John Adams

12) “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” —Benjamin Franklin

13) “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” —Ronald Reagan

14) “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” —John F. Kennedy

15) “America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” —Harry Truman

16) “Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable – a most sacred right – a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world.” —Abraham Lincoln

17) “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” —Theodore Roosevelt

18) “Posterity — you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.” —John Quincy Adams

19) “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” —2 Corinthians 3:17

20) “Freedom is never free.” —Author Unknown

Enjoy your privileges, exercise your right to freedom responsibly and never forget the suffering our founding fathers endured to win this precious freedom.

Base image credit:The Patriot. © Columbia Pictures Corporation. Labeled For Reuse.

                  

Great Moments Are Born From Great Opportunity!

I was looking through some older movies online and stumbled upon ‘Miracle’. It’s the movie that tells the story of Herb Brooks, an American ice hockey player who became the coach who led the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to victory over the seemingly invincible Russian (Soviet Union) hockey team. When Brooks was recruited, the US Ice Hockey committee members were most interested in not being embarrassed at the upcoming Olympics. Coach Brooks takes it up a notch and sets his goals clearly: he wants to beat Russia and take the gold medal. “That’s a pretty lofty goal Herb,” a committee member tells him. “Well that’s why I want to pursue it” Herb responds.

Coach Brooks hand picked his team and what a team he picked. He picked several of his Minnesota players as well as several from their rival, Boston University. To compete in the same arena with the Russian hockey team, coach Brooks put a big emphasis on teamwork and creativity, a difficult thing to do with a two college teams that were bitter rivals. He also focused on peak conditioning, because one of the reasons he thought the Russian hockey team had dominated international competition was that many of their opponents were exhausted by the third period.

Win, lose, tie you are going to play like champions!
-Coach Brooks (1980 US ice hockey team)

I was 11 during the 1980 Winter Olympics and can still clearly remember how awesome it was when the US ice hockey team won a stunning gold medal in an incredible upset over the Russian hockey team. As I watched the movie Miracle, I realized that the coach Herb Brooks had an interesting view of success.

This video shows one of the most powerful scenes of the movie. This scene shows how the coach pushes the team to do better than their best after the game — because they weren’t focused. This scene also shows the incredible determination needed to achieve winning the Olympic gold hockey medal against an “un-beatable” Russian team.

Even though most of the players wanted to give up, they didn’t and with this drill, they understood the key to success. Through all of the pain, they learned an important life lesson: to pay attention and strive towards the goal with an I’m-never-going-give-up attitude. Another example of success we can learn from coach Brook is this powerful quote, “I’m not looking for the best players, Craig. I’m looking for the right ones”. When he said this, he threw the gloves off saying that sometimes the best players aren’t the right ones for the mindset of winning.

When the coach was putting this team together, he didn’t look for guys who had the most talent, he looked for guys that had the most potential…the ones that were coach-able and could work well together as a team. Just a week before the tournament, the formidable Russians trounce the USA team in a warm-up match, having already dispatched the National Hockey League professional all-stars in the same way. But somehow, the USA team is able to turn around their game when it mattered.

Great moments are born from great opportunity.


And that’s what you have here tonight, boys.


That’s what you’ve earned here, tonight.


One game.

If we played ’em ten times, they might win nine.


But not this game. Not tonight.


Tonight, we skate with ’em.

Tonight, we stay with ’em, and we shut them down because we can!


Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world.


You were born to be hockey players — every one of ya.


And you were meant to be here tonight.


This is your time.


Their time — is done. It’s over.

I’m sick and tired of hearin’ about what a great hockey team the Soviets have.


Screw ’em!


This is your time!!


Now go out there and take it!

Lets orient this theme towards you and your life. When that decisive moment comes in your life, what will you do? Will you deny, ignore, make excuses or run? Or will you realize that God has put you on the Earth for such a time as this and resolve to face up to your responsibility and go?

Focusing on the central theme from the book of Esther, the heart of the story ( and yours) lies in these echoing words, words which I hope make your stomach tighten just as much as if Mordecai were saying them to you today. “Perhaps you have come to this place, to this moment, to these people, to this challenge, for just such a time as this.”

Will you recognize the moment in which you are called upon to exercise your gifts for the opportunity before you?

Base image credit:Miracle. © Walt Disney Pictures. Labeled For Reuse.

                  

How To Navigate The Reality Of Life

What is wrong with us?

For some reason we choose to journey through life on our own, without the Lord, and bounce from one sin or train wreck to another looking for that escape from the turbulence of life. Maybe this turbulence involves a relationship, a divorce, an affair, loss of a child, pride, lust, nonforgiveness or even religion; maybe its alcoholism, a drug addiction, depression, an eating disorder, or a chronic illness where a cure seems hopeless. Whatever is at the center of your turbulence, be assured you are not alone. We must come to an understanding that no matter how desperate our circumstances are we can find our answers and our hope in Jesus. Jesus healed the paralytic despite his obvious doubt and despite the fact that he didn’t even know who Jesus was. I don’t know what you are going through or why. I don’t know the plans God has for you, but reach out to Him.

Jesus brings to us a peace that we all search for and yearn for. He brings a hope that we all long for and the wonder of His message that He speaks to us through His word is that He understands the realities of life, how it feels. The good and the bad.

Life is tough! Many of escape the realities of life through drugs, alcohol, stuff, career, affairs, divorce, fill in the blank ________, in the hopes of numbing the pain. Remember, God never promised us an easy life. Far from it! He promised that He will meet us in the middle of the storms and walk it out with us. The solution that Jesus brings to the realities of life is not to escape or to move into a place of numbness where we never feel again, but to allow Him bring to our circumstances into the beginning of new things.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. –Isaiah 43:19

To restore suffering to joy, despair to hope and our desperate longings with love. I am learning on this journey that what our soul is really searching for can never be satisfied with the things this world has to offer. Our soul is searching for the God who created us.

(Excerpt from Heartstone Copyright © 2009 by Tim Young. All rights reserved.)

Of course navigating life would be much easier if we were given a compass, a life plan or a clear path to start walking down. Something. Anything, that would make it a bit clearer what is truly important for us to do, and how to start doing it right now. Here is the rub. We don’t get the master plan — have you ever wondered why? The reason is simple and well…disruptive. God wants us to reach out to Him and seek Him, to learn to walk it out with Him, and honestly we probably wouldn’t do it if we had a plan to follow instead. Right?

Time for a quick gut check.

Have you been trying to satisfy the longing of your soul with stuff?

Have your circumstances become overwhelming, everything crumbling, and your world was falling apart?

Have you convinced yourself that someone will fill the void, hoping that human love will be enough?

Have all the things you bought, your career, success or fame giving you fulfillment you’re looking for?

God steps into human history to take our suffering upon Himself. The scriptures tell us that Jesus took upon Himself the suffering for all humanity and suffered on our behalf so that through death and suffering on the cross that we might find life in Him. The Psalmist (84:2) shares that, “My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.”

Talk about the solution human suffering and the realities of life!

Here’s the kicker…life will throw everything it’s got at you, but it’s only in the midst of this is where we find His promises. So I ask you, have you come the place in your life where your soul cries out — “Jesus!”

Are you ready to start seeking Him? Are you ready to start reaching out to Him? Are you ready for Him to rescue you?

Image: ‘Drowning – An Emergency’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0TV_.... Labeled for noncommercial resuse.

                  

A Letter From A Big Sister: 24 Truths About Men

Hey Tim here — wanted to kick off this awesome guest post with a bit of commentary. Although, Melanie wrote this powerful letter to her sister I think it’s a great testament of what women are looking for in an authentic man. To all the women out there, despite what people tell you, there are good men out there and perhaps this checklist will help you find yours. Ok, enough from me, here is that letter!

To my beautiful little sister,

I love you so much. When I think of you, I picture your pretty smile and glimmering eyes. I love to hear your laughter, and although I know you understand loss, I cannot bear to think of you experiencing anything but the joy of God in your life. So this is why I am writing to you now. You see, your big sister has learned a lot through life experience about the opposite sex. I’ve dated them, worked with them, fellow-shipped with them, I married one, and now am raising 3!

What I am about to share with you, I pray you will cherish, for I know what it’s like to feel so hurt and confused, to scour the internet for helpful advice. And it is all based on this one profound premise:

Treat EVERY member of the opposite sex simply as male, not as a man, until they prove otherwise over an extensive period of time!

MALES V’s MEN: 24 Truths

A male wants to control your spirituality, whereas a man will encourage you in your own relationship with Jesus.

A male desires a female, whereas a man desires a wife.

A male will push your sexual boundaries, however a man upholds them.

A male has ideas, but a man makes plans and follows through.

A male degrades, whereas a man compliments.

A male will not want you to change, whereas a man will want you to grow.

A male feels inferior, however a man is proud of his intelligent wife.

A male fails in communication, whereas a man thrives upon this with you.

A male needs continuous help, but a man can take advice and help himself.

A male is stuck in addiction, but a man breaks the chains.

A male thinks the world owes him, yet a man feels privileged.

A male thinks you’ve done good to get his time, but a man is awed to have you in his life.

A male dictates, whereas a man leads alongside.

A male cannot control his words or actions, yet a man prides himself in doing so.

A male is lazy and expects service from you, whereas a man goes the extra mile for you.

A male doesn’t provide or save, but a man does both.

A male is too busy for his children, whereas a man understands quality time.

A male has sex, but a man makes love.

A male is possessive, yet a man is secure.

A male slanders others, including his ex, however a man admits his past mistakes.

A male is quick to judge, whereas a man is careful in his judgments.

A male makes rash, emotional responses, but a man makes careful and wise choices.

A male settles in life, however a man works to improve all aspects of his own and his community’s.

A male pretends to listen, whereas a man listens carefully.

Let me finish, my beautiful sister in saying that true beauty resides in dignity. No male is worth binding yourself to; it will only result in heartache and brokenness. Keep firm in your resolve to honour The Lord first and foremost in purity and wait…yes, wait my dear sister, a man is rare these days but worth the wait. Melanie.

Melanie Baker is an Australian Christian woman, and mother of 3 sons. Melanie is a creative person, who expresses herself through writing, art and music. Melanie has a passionate heart for local ministries, and having obtained a Bachelor of Ministry/theology works as a pastor and school chaplain.





Head over to Amazon.com and check out Melanie’s book, “Beauty from Ashes”. Beauty from Ashes contains 12 studies all on various Christian living topics, each concluding with a discussion/meditation, prayer and further study scripture hyper-links. Beauty from Ashes is also filled with Melanie’s own reflective Christian artwork and photography.





You can connect with Melanie on her blog or Google+.





Interested in writing a guest post or being featured on this blog? Check out my guest post page.


                  

Why “Real Men” Are Romantics At Heart

The big assumption on this topic is that romance is something exclusive to women, which doesn’t make much sense to me. When I think of a grand romantic gesture like a candle-light dinner at a nice restaurant or a surprise getaway, there’s usually a guy involved. Right? Ok think of it this way…in order for a woman to get whisked away for a weekend, someone has to be doing the whisking. Right?

Chick flicks, candle-light dinners and long walks on the beach may not be the first things that come to mind for a guy on the topic of romance, but many woman might be surprised how romantic a good man can be. Of course we like to hold our breath and puff out our chests to look strong, but despite our tough guy exteriors, women might be surprised to know that most men desire romance with the right woman — just not always the kind of romance women might have in mind.

Men like adventure and want to go out and do things together. Spending quality time and playing (get your mind out of the gutter) with their woman makes a guy feel close and loving and intimate; it offers an escape from the ordinary, a time to focus on each other — all things that women want from romance too. Right?

Of course it’s important for guys to have a “band of brothers” and do guy things, but most guys don’t want to abandon their girlfriend/fiancée/wife to always do “guy things.” They want to do “guy things” with their girlfriend/fiancée/wife. If you see a woman out hiking or going to the range with her man, I guarantee that all the other guys are jealous. Ladies, perhaps you have been thinking about this all wrong and have been missing opportunities to enjoy a romantic time with your guy…just because you didn’t realize it was romantic. Now I’m not saying that buying flowers, taking your woman out to a romantic dinner is not important, because it is. It’s really important! I’m just saying that there might be more to the whole romantic thing between a man and a woman.

To be apathetic is literally to be without passion.
 —Erwin McManus

Of course there’s a lot of knuckleheads out there that only see women as sex objects, but forget shows like “Sex and the City,” because the truth is most “real men” want to be husbands and fathers. When a guy gets down on one knee, he has not made this decision lightly. He has thought about and choreographed the moment in his mind over and over, fearing anything less than a joyful response. Ladies, news flash, romantic risk-taking doesn’t get any bigger.

Ok, if you’ve been reading my stuff for awhile, I’ve blown it in the marriage space in the past. But here’s some awesome news…God has brought an incredible Proverbs 31 woman into my life who has become my best friend. Yeah, romance for us includes: flowers, talking, dreaming, whisking away, candle-light dinners, traveling together, going to the range and yup I even asked her to marry me. And, she said yes! How awesome is that!

But it doesn’t stop there guys! It’s doesn’t stop there ladies!

So yes, I plan to keep the romance alive with all the stuff that one connects with romance, including adventure. And before I end this article, here is a poem I stumbled upon that really captures my fiancée and I. Btw…I shared this with her and it brought joy tears to her eyes.

I am a sailor, you’re my first mate.


We signed on together, we coupled our fate.


Hauled up our anchor, determined not to fail.


For the heart’s treasure, together we set sail.


With no maps to guide us, We steered our own course.


Rode out the storms when the winds were gale force.


Sat out the doldrums in patience and hope.


Working together, we learned how to cope.


Life is an ocean and love is a boat.


In troubled waters it keeps us afloat.


When we started the voyage there was just me and you.


Now gathered round us we have our own crew.


Together we’re in this relationship.


We built it with care to last the whole trip.


Our true destination’s not marked on any chart.


We’re navigating the shores of the heart.


-John McDermott

So guys…man up and kick it into 5th gear with the romance!

Base image credit: Pixaby. Free for commercial use.

                  

Face Lift: New Design For 2016!

This year the Heartstone Journey website comes into it’s 5th year. I don’t tackle a redesign every year, but I do try my best to switch things up for my readers by keeping the site fresh and relevant. Because of these thoughtful redesigns, I’ve continued to receive great feedback and the Heartstone community has grown because of it.

There was intentional design time in the new crisp images on the home page and major adjustments to lots of lines of CSS/PHP code, but getting more comfortable with the WordPress space, these redesigns are taking me less time.

Since 8Bit decided to close up shop back in 2013 and kick the Standard Theme over to Woo Themes, I began looking for a new theme platform. Spent many hours researching and finally landed on the Genesis Theme platform from Studio Press and it was definitely the right decision. If you want to create a beautiful website without all the crazy effort, I highly recommend starting with one of the themes from Studio Press gallery — it’s the framework that powers this website and the only one I recommend. I started out with the Remobile Pro theme and decided to move to the Altitude Pro theme.

Intentionality

This year I thought it was time for a major face lift of the site; to create a better experience for the reader with easier navigation, better imagery and crisper typography across all devices. And I think it’s really made a difference. I believe that a website should stay on message and tell a great story. When I began the redesign it was important to stay on my message and do my best to continue to communicate it to my tribe. Old and new!

I can’t tell you how important it is to be intentional and take a deeper dive on design choices. I’ve been growing my tribe and building the Heartstone brand with this in mind over the past 5 years. The right choices take time and the redesign is very cool, but I decided to bake simplicity into the mix. Heartstone Journey is a gathering place for people who want to live courageously from their hearts, a place of vision and perspective, thought provoking articles, helpful resources and inspiration for living life to the fullest. So any design choices I made had to be tribe-focused, clutter free and visually engaging.

Typography

Typography is probably one of the most important design choices you will make for your website, because its what people will read. Like all the Genesis themes, Altitude Pro, has a beautiful typography making the reading experience a pleasure. It looks stunning when reading from a laptop or your favorite mobile device.

Typography is the craft of endowing human language with a durable visual form.
 —Robert Bringhurst

For this redesign, I was very specific about the typefaces I chose for better readability and visual rhythm. After some research and feeback, I decided the best reading experience for my tribe would be to use the default font typeface Ek Mukta with a size of 28px, weight of 200px and line height of 2…to ensure readability across multiple devices.

Calls To Action

Life is a verb and I wanted the story of Heartstone Journey to be nothing less. Calls to action should pop and make it obvious that they are interactive. So when I created the new buttons there is a consistent hover effect across the site. When you navigate your mouse over these “calls to action”, they change showing you that they’re interactive. Looks like this:

I hope these new hover effects pop, so let me know if these inspire action.

The Epicenter

The home page for Heartstone Journey has gone through an evolutionary transformation since I kicked it off back in 2011. When I jumped into the blogosphere I had no featured content areas, no visibly stunning images and my writing was still evolving as I was finding my voice. I really didn’t know what I was doing at all, but it didn’t stop me from bush whacking and blazing my trail.

Here is a quick history fly by…

Most blogs are well just that…a blog. I wanted my home page to be that tribal campfire experience that really grabbed my reader and not just that first page of a blog. Of course people get slingshotted right onto one of my articles (blog post) by a social link, search result or an email that I send out if your on my list. For those who happened to discover and land on the Heartstone Journey home page as their first touch point, I wanted to capture them with the power of story.

Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They are the currency of human contact
 —Robert McKee

I restructured the navigation experience to provide the reader with intuitive signposts to orient them to every corner of the Heartstone Journey experience. I also added an animated search function with the power of Google. If you want to add this cool search animation to your site head over the tutorial written by Sridhar Katakam. With some styling tweaks, the new search was Heartstone ready.

In this newly redesigned version, I’ve made the home page entirely about the story of Heartstone Journey…even if you haven’t read the book. I’ve also included some legit community proof to show some credibility — to cut through all the noise out there. Check out my ‘About’ page or LinkedIn profile for a deeper dive on credibility.

Oh, by the way, even though I’m right “here” on the Heartstone Journey evolution timeline…this will always be a work in progress.

The Articles (Blog)

There’s now so many places to explore here on Heartstone Journey but the motivating articles are one of the cornerstones here on Heartstone Journey. I’ve really focused on ensuring that the reader’s experience has the most freedom possible with eye popping images that set the context for each article. I’ve been writing for many years and you will notice the connectedness with every article I publish. Also, take the time to check out the updated series section of the site because sometimes a single article just isn’t enough to cover a topic. It’s not Amazon, but I’ve also redesigned the shopping experience so check it out.

Mobile Responsive

As the Heartstone Journey experience evolves, the mobility experience evolves too. I have always tried my best to offer a great experience across all devices because more than 85% of my traffic comes from a mobile device. With this redesign, I baked in more time to go through just about every page on multiple mobile devices looking for all the problem areas and adjusted them accordingly. If I missed anything, please let me know.

Heartstone Journey has never been more attractive on mobile devices than it is after this face lift.

Bringing It All In

Keep on the look out for Heartstone Journey to evolve as I too am constantly learning and evolving. I hope this article was informative, provided some insight into my though process as well as the inspiration on how I approached things for the site face lift. Remember…your writing and web design all work together to tell your story, so how you’re telling that story is everything in creating the brand you want your tribe to get excited about.

Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.
 —Robert McKee

Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today, but storytelling has always been the best tool to communicate ideas and capture the imagination of others. My tribe has told me (and I believe) that this redesign kicks @$$, but instead of me trying to convince you, I’ll let you decide as you walk through the new story oriented site. Believe in what you do, do what matters, and do it with love!

Explore and let me know what you think.

Base image credit: Pixaby. Free for commercial use.

                  

Why It’s Important For Guys To Act Like Men

With all the headlines about young men being confused about their sexual identity or masculinity, I think it’s time for men of God to rise up and model out authentic manhood. If you haven’t figured it out, there is an exploding subculture that is built on a foundation of accepting people who feel they cannot fit into the mainstream. Today’s culture, instead of being shaped by Jesus Christ, is being shaped by; hashtags, celebrity personalities, music, politics, do whatever you want, fill in the blank ________ that’s proving attractive to young adults.

Seems like every person has specific experiences and reasons for how their sexuality has developed. I still affirm to Scripture’s blueprint, which maintains that sexual identity except that of a heterosexual male or female is outside of God’s original intention and plan for human sexuality. The attack on manhood is on a steep trajectory and the message is clear that masculinity is a cultural cancer, unless you’re a woman pretending to be a man.

Ok, so in a world so confused with identity where do we start?

Well lets level things a bit with this recent research from YouGov. The research reveals the scale of the generational shift in terms of how young people perceive their own masculinity, and to a lesser extent femininity. On a scale of 0-6, where 0 is completely masculine and 6 is completely feminine, only 2% of young men (aged 18-24) define themselves as totally masculine, compared to fully 56% of men over 65.

Although these results of from British men, 42% of American men view themselves as masculine compared to 28% of British men. The results are better on the manhood scale in the US, but it’s sad that it’s under 50%!

What’s going on here?!?!?

Well guys, for starters we need to start acting more like men and model it out in vivid clarity. Back in 2015, our men’s group went through the ‘Stepping Up Series’ and the one scripture that stood out to me as “that call for men” was 1 Corinthians 16:13-14; “Be watchful. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men. Be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”

The courage we desire and prize is not the courage to die decently, but to live manfully.
 —Thomas Carlyle

Seriously, what more could a guy ask for? Short, straight to the point and quick direct commands.

1) Be Watchful

We have to act like men, and the first part of that is to “be watchful.” The idea comes from back in the day when ancient cities were surrounded by walls. The men had the responsibility to keep the bad guys out and protect those behind the walls. Today: our wives, children and rest of the family can rest rest because they knew that you the watchman is alert and on the wall. It’s time for us to quit being so passive, and step up and do something! God help us to be watchful over our homes!

Stop working all the time, get off the phone, get off the couch, shut off your computer, stop tinkering in the garage; and act like a man! Your son needs you and yes, your daughter needs you. So be watchful men!

2) Stand Firm

We have to act like men by being firm in our faith and being servant leaders in our home. Become part of the fellowship of the unashamed. Step over the line and become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Don’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. This world and our families need men to armor up, stand firm in their faith and wave the banner of Jesus Christ no matter what comes at them! So stand firm men!

3) Be Strong

We have to act like men by being strong. Just to be clear, this is not a call to be macho or a lunk head. Its a call to be strengthened in your inner man, in your soul, in your character, in your integrity and in your fidelity to the truth of the Living God.

Guys remember that Jesus Christ is our strength (Philippians 4:13). Also, Jesus didn’t say, “Hey buddy, thanks for saving me. Now step aside and watch me go live an awesome life for you!” He’s inviting us to walk it out and live our lives in Him (Colossians 2:6). Yes, He is the only way to salvation but He is the strength to live out the Christian life.

Also, it’s vital to have a band of brothers to be accountable to. It’s not easy to find other men you can trust, have deep connections with (non-sexual), and can share personal stuff with on a regular basis…but if you don’t have a “band of brothers”, find them. Men don’t go into battle alone and neither should you!

4) Be Loving

Guys typically go extreme on the side of passivity or extreme on the other side as a macho lunk head. Yes we are to be strong, but we have to temper that with a loving heart. To be balanced, like our role model Jesus Christ.

Here’s a reality check men…It’s not about you! It’s about sacrificing. It’s about serving. Biblical leadership requires putting others before yourself and putting the needs of others before yours. It’s about living out love for others! Also, its not location specific — it applies to your home life, your business life and your personal life. It applies to ALL aspects of life!

So guys…ACT LIKE MEN!

The history of man’s relationship with God is the story of how God calls him out, takes him on a journey and gives him his true name. He created Adam for adventure, battle, and beauty; he created us for a unique place in his story and he is committed to bringing us back to the original design.
 —John Eldredge

The expression “act like men” is a call to maturity, it’s a call to conviction and it’s a call to be courageous in a world culture that is redefining authentic manhood. “Be watchful, stand firm, act like men, be strong AND let all that you do be done in love”. In these five powerful statements, is the call for men to lead our families and those around us to a foundational quality of masculine Godliness. It’s a call for men to be courageous and its a call for men to — act like men.

If more guys would heed this call, then maybe there won’t be so much confusion on what it means to be an authentic masculine man and perhaps research will later reveal much higher percentages of men who view themselves as masculine!

Guys…let’s start a bold movement of authentic manhood that leads men to live a Godly life of truth, passion and purpose! Want more? Check out my series called, Answering The Question, “Where Have All The Men Gone?”

Base Image credit: “Normandy landings” via Wikepedia. Labeled For Reuse.

                  

Men Your Words Have Power, So Speak Life To Your Kids

First things first men. How much time are you spending with your kids? Doing life with them, having fun, teaching them whats important and leaving a legacy? If you spend quality of time with your kids, awesome. If you don’t, you need to get your head out of your @$$ and start.

For most men we have our sights set on stuff such as; a house (and a vacation home), car, boat, money, climbing the corporate ladder, fill in the blank ________. Most of us don’t leave much room for things that really matter and our values become our kids values.

Ok guys, here’s a test. You’re walking on the beach and a genie bottle washed up onto the shore. Of course all your senses tell you it’s not real, but you rub the lamp anyways out of curiosity and out pops a genie. Here’s the catch…instead of three wishes, the genie only gives you one wish.

What do you wish for?

Of course there’s no such thing as a genie but we all have thought about what we would wish for if they existed and we found one. Whether its daydreaming about a genie’s three wishes or winning the lottery, we all hope one day that this will happens to us, don’t we. We all compile a list of things in our head and ranking them in order of what we want most, don’t we.

Well excluding the few that win the lottery, there was a man who was given one wish and that man was Solomon. When Solomon took over as the King of Israel from his father David, God appeared to him in a dream and gave him that one wish. In 1 Kings chapter 3 we read, Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.”

Ever been just a little bit jealous of King Solomon? I have.

Ok back to the story. Does Solomon ask for some material item from his list? Nope — he asks God for wisdom to lead the nation. Wait a minute, what?!? You get one wish from God and that’s what he asked for? Would you ask for that? Well lets see what God does. God was so pleased with Solomon’s response that He gave him the wisdom and discernment he asked for. Oh wait, it gets better. Solomon’s answer was so good that God also gave him everything else he DIDN’T ask for: wealth, long life, the death of his enemies, etc.

Not sure how old Solomon was when he took over for his dad, but how many people do you know, given a blank check for anything they want, cash it in for wisdom?

Ever wonder how Solomon knew to ask for wisdom? We may find some answers in 1 Chronicles 22:12 where we find King David on his death bed death. David calls for his son Solomon to his bedside and speaks these words of life over him, “…may the Lord grant you discretion and understanding, that when he gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the Lord your God. Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed.” David didn’t pray for his son to have wealth, long life or reprieve from his enemies. He prayed that he would have wisdom. And when Solomon was given a chance to ask for whatever he wanted, he knew what what was most important because of the words his dad had spoken over him and so he asked for wisdom. I wonder what Solomon would have asked for had David not spoken these words of life over his son?

Men, this serves as a great reminder to speak words of life and meaning into our kids. So start today and speak the words of life you want to see in your kids.

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
 —Proverbs 18:21

I don’t think we as dads fully comprehend the amount of life-changing power (good or bad) we have when it comes to speaking into the lives of our kids. Men, we are a powerful force in the lives of our kids and with that comes great responsibility and accountability. Men, we have be intentional to speak words of life and encouragement and empowerment into our kids. Men, we have to be intentional in bridling our tongues to avoid speaking destructive words that will haunt them for their entire life. George R.R. Martin, the author of Game of Thrones, shares this powerful quote, “Words are like arrows…once loosed, you cannot call them back.”

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up.
 —1 Thessalonians 5:11

After my big wake up call from chasing the wind, I have been more intentional about speaking words of life to my kids.

Some of the words that I speak to my kids are: integrity, courage, compassion, vision, etc. I also pray over my kids daily and ask God for the right words of life for each of them. By doing this, every day they will be reminded of what I see in them and who God created them to be. So speak life men!

We pursue these things from “our list” mostly for validation and we don’t seem to look for it from God! I may never have the stuff on “my list”, but if my kids grow up with their identity secure in Jesus Christ — I’ll take that over that stuff any day! How about you?

Base image credit:“Words Have Power” via Pixabay. Free for commercial use.

                  

26 Of The Best Business Books I’ve Read

Iv’e shared my daily reading list and have provided my book recommendations, but often times people ask me specifically which business books have impacted me the most.

Of course I’m not the authority on all the best business books out there, but I’ve been navigating the business world my entire professional life. So, yes I understand why people the gravitate towards the impact of a great book.

I’ve learned over the years, mostly the hard way, that diving into the right book at the right time can give someone a crucial advantage. So here you go, here are the 26 business books that have personally made a huge difference for me in the business space.

“Big Picture” Stuff

These are all books that have changed the way I think. They have created a noticeable shift in the way I think about business and how I do business. Some of these are about virtues and core values that support ones ability to navigate the business world effectively but they’ve all had a direct impact on the success I’ve experienced so far.

Good to Great by Jim Collins


Safe People by Henry Cloud, John Townsend


Put Your Dream to the Test by John C. Maxwell


Humility by Andrew Murray


Seeing David in the Stone by James B. Swartz


Boundaries by Henry Cloud, John Townsend


Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing

Strategy

In sports, in life and in business you need to have a plan. Sometimes we get so focused in the business (short term) we often forget to focus on the the business (long term). Of course we have to focus on our key performance indicators that keeps the business healthy; but it’s essential to focus on the business if we want to keep it thriving, moving ahead and growing.

Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins


The Pheonix Project by Gene Kim


Start with Why by Simon Sinek


The Future of Management by Gary Hamel

Productivity

Personal and professional development are high value targets for me, which is why I like to read up on how be more productive without effecting my quality of life. You’ve heard the saying before; work smarter, not harder!

Margin by Richard Swenson


Fish by Stephen C. Lundin


QBQ by John G. Miller

Leadership

As a father, a corporate executive and a leader of a ministry, leadership is more than a concept; it’s my life blood. A few of these are not straight on “leadership” books, but they’ve been very influential in developing my leadership perspective.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell


The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey


Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley


Nehemiah and the Dynamics of Effective Leadership by Cyril J. Barber


Leading at The Edge by Dennis N.T. Perkins


Tribal Leadership by Dave Logan

Marketing

Marketing is an area that we can all learn more about. Whether its about a product, a team or a brand…the ground in this space is always shifting. These books represent philosophies, strategies and tactics for successful marketing in today’s competitive environment.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell


Tribes by Seth Godin


Groundswell by Charlene Li


Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt

Presentations

I’ve been public speaking more these days and presentations are a key part it. Learning to do this well is critical to success and it’s definitely been key for me to learn how to do it better.

Resonate by Nancy Duarte


Talk Like TED by Carmine Gallo

Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.
—Harry S. Truman

Some of these books are a compass for navigation, a journey into core values and a handy toolkit. But they’ve all been very influential in helping me achieve and navigate this space. I hope this list of books helps you to better navigate the business world.

What business books have been critical to your success?

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