Make it Count!

Make it Count! Every failure, hurt, pain, and disappointment counts. It's important to view these experiences as stepping stones and lessons of life. Many shy away from failures, but failures are pivotal to successes. Failures allow us the opportunities to improve and become better. Failures can get our attention and at times put us on the right track.

Hurts, pains, and disappointments are inevitable in this life. These experiences can be paralyzing. They can also distance us from those who truly have our best interests at heart. If we are not careful, a wall begins to grow that may take years to come down.  We were created to be relational. Making it Count positions us to be strength, support, and encouragement for someone else. We travel roads others have traveled as well as roads others will travel.

Traveled or traveling Make it Count!!!

Matters!

We've all been asked the question, What's the matter? This question may stem from a response, a facial expression, a non-response, or just the air we give off. We all have matters, matters of life encountered each day. Matters are not necessarily negative or positive. Whether the matters are personal, professional, ministry, etc. we have them. It's important to know and understand your matters. Prioritizing your matters can alleviate a lot of stress as well as a lot of wasted time and energy. If we think back over our lives, there were matters highly prioritized that are now less important. Our current lenses may differ tremendously from our past lenses.

Weighing in on our matters can be approached by evaluating, re-evaluating, prioritizing, and re-prioritizng. This should be done periodically as matters are completed, resolved, on-going, or shifting. Some matters can interrupt our dreams and goals. It is true there are unavoidable times where matters prevail. Other times,  matters co-exist with our dreams and goals which can be our reality.

Don't let your matters lead you, but lead your matters in your everyday life.

A small Celebration!!!

As we embark upon this New Year 2016 and anticipate great things, I want to ensure we maximize the small things. Sometimes we have the habit of pushing the small things aside and viewing them as irrelevant. I admonish you to view the small things from another angle by embracing, cherishing, and learning from the small things. Great lessons and blessings are derived from the small things. Take a moment to reflect. Can you remember or have you forgotten?

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin..." Zechariah 4:10

Let's be mindful to celebrate the small. You're being watched, "Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a little; I will put you in charge of much." Matthew 25:23

The 2016 loaves we will celebrate in approximately 12 months will take determination, endurance, persistence, and diligence. Before the loaves are formed we will need the slices, and before the slices we need the crumbs. Crumbs: A small Celebration now!  

Less is best and leads to Much. What you do with Less determines your Much. If you look down on Less you can't look up on Much.