Standing Up to Fear

A bird at our neighbor’s house was not scared when we walked near her. Wondering why she was not frightened, we then realized she was sitting on her eggs. We could get right up next to her and it would not fly away. Nothing was going to frighten her away from protecting her eggs. She stood up to fear because she was driven by a purpose more important than her own security. The bird was fulfilling her purpose with passion.

Photo Credit – whitegadget.com

http://www.whitegadget.com/pc-wallpapers/143280-birds.html

I love seeing photos of mountain scenes. What a great inspiration they can be. These great rocks have stood firm over time. They can shield from bad weather or protect from enemies during wartime. Nature is a great teacher like the examples above and we can also learn lessons of courage from history, from TV/movies, and in life experiences.

Even though TV shows may not be reality, there are still lessons of courage depicted. When my daughter was younger, we got in the habit of sitting down to watch episodes of Little House on the Prairie. One of the characters in the show named Mary received a teaching job in another county. A resident in this county didn’t want the school to succeed but Mary had the courage to stand up to her and get everyone thinking her way. Sometimes you have to ruffle some feathers and not be as friendly in order to get people moving in the right direction; it’s called leadership.

To make an omelet you, have to crack some eggs. There is a need for leaders to have courage to stand up and point out a problem so they can nip it in the bud before it grows out of control.

Think of the terrible shootings in the late 1990’s in Littleton Colorado Columbine High School and the recent shootings in the Aurora Theater or at Sandy Hook. The killers involved in these incidents showed many warning signs that were not followed through with. Was it because of a lack of time or attention by those around the shooters? Or was it a lack of courage to stand up and nip it in the bud before it got out of control? The killers in these tragedies all had planned in advance, and had problems with their behavior leading up to the events.

Do we simply need more courage to do what’s right? There are many stories that do demonstrate courage. I heard a story one time that a man fell 18 feet off a ladder onto an iron fence post. It jabbed through the man's side and out the other.  A neighbor had the courage to take action immediately. He cut the post stuck in him and hurried the man to the emergency room. The post was surgically removed from the man’s body; only missing his heart by an inch, bruising several internal organs, and severing some main arteries. The amazing thing about the story is that the man was recovering at home within a week.

Stories like the one above demonstrate to us that everything is in God's hands and we should have courage because God is in control. He has given us control over our thoughts and the thoughts of fear can be mastered. The starting point is desire. We all can control our own destiny by reaching a decision to have courage. When we go about our day and see or hear negative words or actions from others, we can be courageous for God is with us.

For building faith in God’s power, limitless, and promises there is an on-line devotional I’m using to keep me on track. I invite you to join the journey or check in from time to time for some inspiration by liking or following at the links below:

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Just Finished the Book Seven Days in Utopia

I just finished a great book titled “Seven Days In Utopia: Golf’s Sacred Journey” by David L. Cook. I had the opportunity to attend a seminar he gave at my church about eight years ago. In fact, David is from Waco and his parents are members of the same church I attend. He married the daughter of a long time pastor who served at First United Methodist Waco for many years.

David is one of the country’s top speakers and coaches on Peak Performance and served as “Mental Training Coach” for the San Antonio Spurs from 1996-2004 that included two World Championships.

He now has a consulting firm that bridges the gap between the sports and business arenas to help individuals reach peak performance. His clients include companies like Exxon Mobil, Sprint, and American Express among many others.

The book was made into a movie in the summer of 2010 with Robert Duvall as lead actor and released in theaters across the country September of 2011. I would definitely recommend the book. I found it to inspire each of us to look at life in a different way so we can overcome the hazards, give it our best shot in life, and reach our maximum potential.

Affects of Good Physical and Mental Health on Society

Good physical and mental health helps a society tremendously. Without it, the quality of life can be in terrible shape. Some third world countries have poor health because of unclean food and throughout life children have difficulties.

A vacation my family once took was to Moody Gardens in Galveston Texas. What started out as a place to help those with paralysis, Moody Gardens has become a place to learn and relax. The major attractions there consist of pyramids that house animal and plant life. Also there are great 3D theaters that show educational short movies. I remember one movie that explained how the health of humans and nature relies on the health of our oceans.

Everything consists of cycles in our world. An example is the water cycle where rain water fills lakes and rivers which flow into our oceans. Then evaporation causes the collection of moisture in the atmosphere to produce more rain. Stress also causes a cycle but it’s a bad cycle which cost our healthcare industry an astronomical amount of money. What’s been discovered is that stress leads to heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidental injuries, and suicide. It pushes many to drinking alcohol which can lead to cirrhosis of the liver for individuals but it can also harm others like in auto accidents.

Refuel and Recharge

Speaking of autos, they can get you many places and go far distances but they have to contain fuel to go. It’s the same with us as everyone needs to refuel. God Himself rested on the seventh day.

So since we’ve established the fact that we all have to refuel, where do we get it? There’s no better fuel than God’s Word. A cheerful heart restores the mind and body; therefore we can be in good spirits by reading the good news of God’s Word, accepting His kindness, and building faith by knowing Christ. The refueling station is His church. Sundays should be a day to take it easy. It should be a day to worship God and be appreciative. It should be a day to slow down and enjoy the comforts of your home.

Our fuel for the soul which Jesus provides is inner peace and abundant life that is full of meaning; infused with purpose, contentment, and joy. With the explosion of computer technology, we sometimes forget that it is only a tool. The greatest machine ever made is you; God has made you to be the most efficient and productive machine ever known. Then He’s provided the fuel to make you go called the Holy Spirit.

Next time, we will look at how good physical and mental health provides abundant life with a bright outlook. Please connect with me on facebook at this link.

 

Workers Deserve a Holiday

What is “Labor Day”? It’s a federal holiday in the United States observed on the first Monday in September to celebrate the economic and social contribution of workers. Workers deserve a holiday. Think of the issues faced at work; people issues, personality issues, change issues, and technology issues. The people that work for any organization are very important and valuable for its success. 

This past week, Texas Farm Bureau Insurance recognized this value in giving employees a free lunch and a fifty dollar gift certificate in appreciation for winning the J.D. Power “Highest Customer Satisfaction Among Auto Insurers in the Central Region”. We had the highest score in the central region and second highest score among all Auto Insurance companies in the United States.   

Another way the company I work for has demonstrated the value it places in its employees is to set up a state of the art physical health workout facility at the state office headquarters. The better people feel, the better they can serve their customers. Some companies realize the tremendous benefits of their employee’s health so like Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, they’ve set up workout areas at the business and allow their employees to increase their physical health on company time. 

Studies have also been made to show that faith has a positive effect on physical and mental health. Real faith is not just something you say or believe; it’s something you do. The athlete gains stamina and strength with exercise, the Christian gains faith by reading the bible and applying this to help others. To develop the "Just do it" attitude, we need self discipline. Keep in mind that the bible tells us that our bodies are the dwelling for the Holy Spirit so this should motivate us to have good habits that maintain our bodies. Also, through prayer we can receive directions and develop plans to be more self disciplined.

The mission of another blog of mine at this Link is to demonstrate an instrument for Bible study that uses technology to develop a better way to study the Bible by integrating the principles or core values God gives into our daily lives at work and at home. The Bible teaches how to recharge our batteries. It is up to us to listen and receive the Spirit. Be excited about the future and live each day to the fullest. Today is the first day of the rest of our life. We should learn from the past but not dwell on the mistakes of the past. We should determine what we are enthusiastic about and what inspires us. It may be things like music, friends, Christmas, church, books, movies, travel, eating out, romance, gardening, painting, or sports. 

In the old testament of the bible, the temple was burned down. The people put in a lot of hard work and time to rebuild the temple because it was so important. In 1 Co 3:16 Paul says "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit lives in you?" We all need to respect each other as the Temple of God. With this mindset maybe societies would be more self-disciplined. Proper eating habits and exercise would make everyone healthier. Young people would study and learn making the education system much better. Crime would hardly exist. There would be no stopping the economy as companies would flourish. 

Next weekend, I will continue my thoughts on integrating good physical and mental health as a key principle or core value that God gives us to live an amazing life.