Optimism

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!'

He was a natural motivator..

If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, 'I don't get it!'

'You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?'

He replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or...you can choose to be in a bad mood

I choose to be in a good mood.'

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or...I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested.

'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.

You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life.' I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business.. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw him about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?'

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied. 'Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live.'

'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked.

He continued, '...the paramedics were great.

They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of thedoctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action.'

'What did you do?' I asked..

'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said John. 'She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped work ing as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity''

Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude...I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' Matthew 6:34

Don't be a pessimist. Don’t you realize that all that happens or can happen is for the best?—Your optimism will be a necessary

consequence of your faith.

After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

Unthinkable

Time is Short, We are not promise tomorrow.

For some the Unthinkable is a love one dying, for others maybe it is divorce.

To me the Unthinkable is someone going to Hell.

Jesus in his ministry had many Unthinkable occasions that he used to show that He is the only way. Coming into Galilee a Royal Offical begged Jesus to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

"Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."

The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live."
The man took Jesus at his word and departed.While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour."

Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed.John 4:43-53

In a country that has so many freedoms and a church on each street corner. We still have people daily dying and never accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

Some find that they have no time for a Savior in their Life

They might be waiting for a miracle in their life.

Jesus is the miracle that God gives us.

Take advantage of this Gift of Eternal Life.

Accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Commit to Excellence

The First step toward excellence is to be grateful for the gifts and opportunities God has given.

The Second step is Humility “Who then am I” Solomon said, “To build a Temple for Him?” Remember who’s really in charge.

"The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. But who is able to build a temple for Him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain Him? Who then am I to build a temple for Him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before Him?” 2 Chronicles 2:5-6

Calling ourselves Christian should automatically entail commitment to excellence. Sadly, this is not always the case. Far to often we use being Christian as an excuse for being less than excellence. This is tragic and reflects poorly on the One we love and serve.

We are not called to compete with others. We are only called to “give our best to the Master.” A place to begin is in three very simple areas of our lives.

Speak when we are spoken to. This means returning our phones calls and answering our mail as soon as possible with answer someone needs. Remember, Jesus never puts anyone on hold, never said, “I’ll get back to you on that.” His level of responsiveness should be our goal.

Don’t Lie. This means what we say we will do. It means showing up on time. It means accomplishing a task when we say we will. It also means don’t start your statement with “This is the Truth,” because to me everything else must have been a lie. Excellence means being careful with the truth.

Say Thanks. Of all the people on the planet, Christians have the most for which to be thankful. We should be the most proficient and prolific at saying THANK YOU.

Excellence doesn’t mean being better than everyone else, just being your best.

You may not feel like you have the time to do everything Well.

But doing everything well is what time is for.

Here's my prayer: "Lord your word says if we draw near to you you will draw near to us Jas 4:8. As we commit ourselves to faithfully doing that, may you fill us with your immeasurable, priceless, glory-filled presence. We are hungering and thirsting for you. Amen."

You Know What..

Have you ever tried to do things your own way?

Where you seem to fight an uphill battle and everything is a struggle?

When you are trying to do what YOU want instead of what God’s will is?

Me too!

Recently going to the Grand Canyon and hiking the Bright Angel Trail with my bride of 30 years, I found that going downhill was easy going at least the first 6.1 miles, but going up hill took the breath and energy out of me. A drop in elevation of 3,015 feet into the canyon....whew..

Coming out it took much encouragement and breaks on what they call switchbacks going up the canyon. I had my backpack with water, some snacks and one rock from the bottom of the canyon. The weight seemed to increase with each step.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Like the verse we need to throw off everything that hinders us and for us to fix our eyes on Jesus.

That day in the Grand Canyon, I for sure need extra help and God sent people to encourage me to reach the top...

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:2-3

In life’s up hill battles God is Faithful to send us encouragement from His Word, also Angels

to help us.

Thank You Jesus for caring enough for me..

Video of Bright Angel Trail

The Grand Canyon Sunset

My wife and I visited the Grand Canyon just last week for our 30th Wedding Anniversary. It has to be one of the most majestic sites on earth. We search for all the best spots to take pictures and look at God’s amazing creations. It seemed that every place we went to view was just breathtaking.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." - Hebrews 13:8

On the third day we decided we wanted to watch the sun set on the canyon. It was a frigid 30 degrees with a constant gust of wind. Waiting for the sun to set can take a long time, while shivering with a camera in hand. It was getting close and the camera was taking the best shots it could take to record this beautiful event. Finally it had set behind the ridge of the mountains. Now we could say that we watched this awesome event in the Grand Canyon.

Sometimes it's like that with God. We come to experience Him in an awe-inspiring way. But eventually, the mountains of life seem to block Him out: disappointment, rejection, suffering. It's like God is nowhere near.

But trust me, He has not moved. He is as sure and as near as the Sun was to us that day in Grand Canyon, even when we could not see it. So, when the mountain ridge blocked the Sun, it's time to show God you really do have faith.

For in time, the Mountains of life will lift and you'll see that God has not moved - He was there all along.

How's your Vision?

Do you want to have a clearer vision of God in your life, family, community, and church?

“Where there is no vision the people perish” Proverbs 29:18

Has the Lord given you a vision? Has He given you an assignment to accomplish? Now is the time to lay hold of that vision and continue to fulfill your calling. It may not happen as you planned or expected…but be confident of this fact…that your work in the Lord is not in vain!

Don’t settle for what the Lord has already accomplished through you. Yes, it’s always nice to be reminded of how God has already used you – but never lose sight of what He still wants to do with you in the future, and how He may want to build upon what He has already done in the past. So renew your vision of His will for your life, for your future, – and walk in it!

In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams. Acts 2:17

In this world where nothing appears clear for long, through Jesus doing "Lasik surgery on our 'spiritual eyes' ", our lives, community, and church can gain the clear chart of God's plan.

Tested Words

Not to many people remember the days of black and white TV. But people who lead with integrity still see things that way, right or wrong.

Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason." Job 2:3

Notice that God was the one pointing Job out to satan. He is apparently willing to let the devil take his best cracks at God’s most faithful folks.

"Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face." Job 2:4-5

Don’t be surprised when your integrity is challenged. You can’t know how strong it is until it is TESTED.

His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"

He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Job 2:9-10a

There will always be people like Job’s wife handing out easy-way advice. Be careful whose counsel you take stock in.

“In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.”

Job 2:10b

Words can be a key Integrity indicator.

B.Briner Leadership