Category Archives: Inspiration

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Immeasurable Week: How do you count life?

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Immeasurable Week

True Life is skewed towards how you think on a matter. Look at your life and understand how and what you use to measure joy, peace and success.

Are you counting the right or wrong thing?

When your efforts do not add up…

Making money and life is taking it all…

Are you behind and have no visible progress?

How should you count?

Count hugs – not sales

Count smiles – not profits

Count your physically healthy days

Count the number of days you lived in a free society

Count the days you lived in mental stability

Psalm 121
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help

 

Why count when, you can be thankful?

Why count when, you can give gifts?

Joy comes from knowing that God wishes you to prosper in all situations.

Do you wonder how does God count?

 

A friend came and got me off the side of the Highway, that counts

Having breakfast at a cafe with my wife, that counts

Teaching my son to change a tire, that counts

Sharing French fries with my daughter, that counts

 

Learn how to count and have an immeasurable week! How do you count?

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Christmas list for the week before Christmas

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It is the week before Christmas and you don’t know what to do. 

There is excitement in the air and plenty of things to chew.

 

Well chew on this most of you still have to work and get things accomplished.  It is better to get these things handled early and often.  You cannot procrastinate this week or there is a reward of guilt next week and you don’t want that.  Here are some tips for to make your week better.

1.       Get your house work done

You see it… and you said you would clean it up or fix it. Don’t let it sit there and call your name all during the Christmas week. Move now and peace will be in your house.

2.       Live out of the extras

 

Giving is good, Debt is bad.  Make sure those you love do not send you over the Fiscal Cliff (an upcoming post). We all have a little extra make sure that is our gift giving money. Let your joy be in the overflow.

 3.       Handle all of your business early

Make your calls at the first part of the week.  Don’t set any meetings late in the week.  Go buy your food items now. Pay your bills so you will not forget.  The early bird gets to drink eggnog first.

4.       Realize your limits

Do not promise too much.  If you are not sure you can make it please say this up front.  You are one individual and your friends understand this.   On the other hand do not misuse their kindness show up for the ones you care about.

5.       Slow walk Friday

Take it slow everyone else will.  This is the part that takes patience. You didn’t think I would leave patience out of this equation, did you? Friday, will be great if you have followed the previous suggestions.  Take it easy and add some holiday cheer to your eggnog and walk slow.

 

Your holiday will be grand because you have friends and family that love you. Your Christmas will be grand because Jesus loves.  Make the most of this week because you love yourself.

 

What are some things you can do to make this week go smooth?

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Patience has no fear

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  • Fear and faith cannot exist together
  • Children of God must act on the will of their Father

 

 

Patience has no fear because it knows the outcome will be delightful.  Fear comes to move you off of your path of great accomplishment.  Once I was afraid to commit to working out because, I thought the time would take away from my family. Then I questioned if an unhealthy lifestyle would take away years at the end of my life or cause countless days at the doctor’s office.  Fear has an unstable foundation and will crumble with careful consideration.  A person can live with fear so long, that it becomes comfortable to them.  We let fear speak to us in daily activities, so much that we think fear is our unconscious mind attempting to protect us. We must use our faith, our abilities and the Almighty to combat this enemy.  In the canvas of the mind fear and faith cannot co-exist, one will dominate.  Faith requires action, fear promotes inaction.  When decisions arise today ask for wisdom to recognize when you are bowing down to the calamitous reports of fear.

 

Strive to be a faith giant.  Faith giants move to different states to pursue dreams. Faith giants call businesses with ideas to sell and have no prior experience.  Faith giants claim debt freedom while possessing a horrid debt to income ratio.  God helps faith giants and those of little faith but the more your faith is evident the more He has to work with.  The Bible says,

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”  1 John 4:18

 

So love yourself, love people and love the Creator who continually supports you.  Repel fear and be patient for your dreams.

How have you overcome fear recently?

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Confession for protection: Psalm 91

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The following post is a prayer adaptation that I heard a long time ago.  It is a way to personalize Psalm 91.  There is a link to the original King James Version for your comparison.  I will highlight the altered portions.  You can say this in whenever you spend time with God it also good for your children use it as a prayer.

Psalm 91

I dwell in the secret place of the most High and shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.

3 Surely He shall deliver me from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4 He shall cover me with His feathers, and under His wings shall I trust: His truth shall be my shield and buckler.

5 I shall not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at my side, and ten thousand at my right hand; but it shall not come near me

8 Only with my eyes shall I behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because I have made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, my habitation;

10 There shall no evil befall me, neither shall any plague come near my dwelling.

11 For He shall give His angels charge over me, to keep me in all my ways.

12 They shall bear me up in their hands, lest I dash my foot against a stone.

13 I shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shall I trample under my feet.

14 Because I have set my love upon God, therefore will He deliver me: He will set me on high, because I have known His name.

15 I shall call upon Him, and He will answer me: He will be with me in trouble; He will deliver me, and honor me.

16 With long life will He satisfy me, and show me His Great salvation.

Please share this with your friends and family.  My book is coming soon, join the mailing list.

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Have joy in the small things

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Do you pray for the small things? A small prayed I said recently was, “Lord I thank you that nothing is lost, therefore I thank you that I find my pocket knife.”  It seems trivial to ask the God of the universe for something as inconsequential as a pocket knife but I was thinking about it so I asked.  The knife was out of my possession for about 6 months

I was looking for my keys in the drawer that I normally keep my keys and way in the back I saw the knife.  The joy that I felt was overwhelming.  My heart was warm and the smile on my face was one of those cheek burners (the kind of smile that make your cheeks hurt because you’re smiling too hard).  What struck me as odd is that I haven’t felt this way in a while. What caused me to feel this way about this small tool?

We are thankful for the things that give us joy more than the ones that make us happy.  Sometimes we take our joy for granted. Joy normally comes from gifts that keep giving.   Do you have people or things that are in your life that you do realize are truly significant? So why did I have so much joy in finding this small part of my Life?

 

Here are some reasons I have joy over this knife hopefully you will have more meaningful things and people that give you joy

  1. My knife is useful

This particular knife is a Case brand knife that is maybe 4 ½ inches long open and thin but it is not fragile.  It is strong enough to turn screws.   It can whittle branches to nothing and perform delicate razor operations

2.   A little attention makes it perform better

The second thing I did after I put it my pocket and tapped it a couple of times, was to sharpen it.  If I take care of it, it will cut anything I ask of it.  Just like the people around you.   Don’t take anyone or anything for lightly.

3    Joy is small enough to hide in plain sight

Many things that give us joy are right in plain sight.  This knife was tucked away in a drawer that I use daily and when I have it I throw it in my pocket where it stays until I need it.  Moments are precious – look around and be thankful.

 

The Bible quote that completes this thought is:

Philippians 4:6 (KJV)

Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

 

God is interested in your well-being and your joy.  Look for the people and things that promote the warm feeling of joy and ask God to increase your awareness of them.

 

What gives you joy?

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Letter #2 to Hurricane Sandy Victims

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This is the second letter that I would write if I had a friend that was victim to the tragedy of this great Storm Sandy.  It can serve as a letter to anyone that has been through a life altering experience.

Hello,

I was going to wait a week to send you another letter but I realized that the weekend was coming and you probably have a million thoughts running through your head.  Cast down all of your negative thoughts and replace them with thoughts of gratitude.

Help is coming, just not the way you think.  You may be out of luck, but you have plenty of favor, grace and blessings.  If you are reading this letter you have more physical and mental blessings than you can count.  I know it seems like you have been fighting a long time to keep it together, but that is just the fatigue and shock of going through this change.  You must continue to take a long term view to keep your mind right.

I know you have a lot of personal pride but please except help and assistance where it can be found.  Now that I have said that, get out and handle all of your business.  Do not be deterred from putting your life back together.  You will recover in the process of rebuilding.  You cannot wait to recover and then rebuild.  Move forward with tears in your eyes and the love of God in your heart.

A final note: If you feel like you are not strong enough to stay and fight then make your mind up to move on.  There is no shame in shifting your efforts elsewhere.  This will cause immediate intense heartache but will give you relief quicker than fighting through this trouble.  Ride with peace and your decisions will be easy.

 

Praying for you,

William J. Spencer, IV

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What kind of Ambassador are you?

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Be an Ambassador

  • Realize that you represent a higher cause
  • Your response or lack thereof must demonstrate control

 

Ephesians 6:20 For which I am ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

The idea of an ambassador is fascinating because you represent all the power and honor of the organization you represent however you are not the focus of that privilege.  Whatever cause you represent whether it is Boy Scouts, a multinational corporation, a family or a country the cause is greater than you as an individual.  Realizing that you represent more than just yourself should add restraint to your regimen.  Your actions now carry more weight which is good when positive motives are in play.

When you are a diplomat you have to decide whether to use Hard Power or Soft Power. Here is a quote from my forthcoming book “Patience to Dominate”

While it is rational to stay patient and focused on your goal, there are actions and mannerisms that can be used to diffuse tense situations and still allow you to emerge victorious.  This method is termed, soft power.  Soft power is used in diplomacy to enhance relationships and still influence the current situation in your favor.

Conversely some negotiations require a drastically different approach.  This diplomatic approach is called hard power. Hard power is like and eagle spreading his wings to demonstrate his majesty.

When you are serious about your position on a matter or an end goal, many times, the thing that challenges you will have less leverage.   “Patience to Dominate” the book

 

Ambassadors have many decisions to make on behalf of those they represent. Patience is needed to decipher what course to take when presented with a situation.  In all situations control over your tongue, your gestures, your finances and your time articulate the position of those you represent.

 

 

2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

How will you be diplomatic today.

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Failure is an option, do not choose it

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulobrandao/I am not failure, Patient Leadership uses failure as another opportunity to achieve greatness.

If you fall, fall on your back. If you can look up, you can get up.
Les Brown

The other night I could not sleep and it was entirely my fault. It was the night after the Toastmasters Table Topics contest, where I came in second to better competition. I believe if I would have done my best, I still would have been challenged to succeed…. BUT, I stunk, my words were garbled, my eye contact was weak and my sentences were tangled. Worst of all I conveyed the personality of a sad toad. Maybe, this a little harsh but I believe I rank with the best speakers God put on this earth. Granted I am still evolving, I believed this was a step towards my achievable dreams. All that being aside, I went home with my head hanging down. And lost sleep thinking of how many; many times I have captivated the crowd in these situations. Truth is, I failed and I needed to figure out how to right the ship and right my mind. Oh, this was my first contest of this sort, so how could a person who teaches on patience be upset.

Upset I was so I called the Magic City Toastmasters, President, Alex Bumpers and he gave me his philosophy on how I should handle this situation.

Steps to take after a failure.

State of Reflection
Allow your mind to go over the details of the events. Give yourself some time to digest and process all the events. No judgment, just contemplation

Strategic Phase
New Vision is necessary to proceed. You had a vision of what success looked like and now you have to decide if you have the same desires. Queen Janetta said,”
You have to decide if you even want to play that game anymore.” Some goals are worth going for again and others are just proving grounds for the better life.

Action Plan
“Roles and Goals”. Define who’s going to do what and when. Make decisions that will propel you to the next level. My one reason for joining
Toastmasters was to improve my skills as an inspirational speaker. After my last performance, I can see there is aspects of my craft that need enhancement.

Implementation
Alex Bumpers says, “You can’t be successful from 40,000 feet in the air, you have to get down in the trenches.” Hands on enactment are vital to the success of any
venture. Put your dreams into action. All babies need milk to grow. See and do it. The future belongs to those who are about their business.

Success or Failure
After following these steps you will either have success or failure and in both events you should go back to the Reflection phase to gather more intelligence.
By continuously repeating this process you will eliminate failures and multiply success.

Anytime you suffer a setback or disappointment, put your head down and plow ahead.
Les Brown

What process do you use after a failure or success?

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First Lady Michelle Obama: Moving Forward…with patience and wisdom

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Our First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a wonderfully moving personal message in which she named patience and wisdom as core values for success. To be
specific she was referring to the character and Patient Leadership and Clear Vision of her husband President Barack Obama. I believe she was also calling on the character of our entire nation. In the short excerpt below there are numerous keys like “Barack never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise” that demonstrate what it takes to have success in life.

Here’s a link of some speech highlights.

And I love that even in the toughest moments, when we’re all sweating it – when we’re worried that the bill won’t pass, and it seems like all is lost – Barack never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise.

Just like his grandmother, he just keeps getting up and moving forward…with patience and wisdom, and courage and grace.

And he reminds me that we are playing a long game here…and that change is hard, and change is slow, and it never happens all at once.
But eventually we get there, we always do.

She adds to the core values, “courage and grace”, these traits of Patient Leadership are the part that make it look easy. Like politics, in life we are “playing a long game” and by remembering this we can keep your heart rate low and reduce stress over small issues. The United States of America is stronger now than it was four years because of people like the Obama’s and those that lead before them. I am stronger now because have more time to spend with my wife and children.

I am grateful to the Father for this time to bond with my family it has blessed me in areas that a booming personal economy can not provide. In 2 Peter 1:5-7 the Bible says

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

All of these character traits point to Patient Leadership and make us better all around. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are an American success story and now we see at the heart of this success is patience and wisdom.

I know if you add “patience and wisdom and courage and grace to” to your endeavours will you have an abundantly fruitful life in four more years?

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Live your life from the Inside Out

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El Ojo – the Eye

I heard this first at my Toastmasters group by a wonderful orator, who “Lives his life from the Inside Out”, by the name of Jerome. I asked his permission to share it with you on this blog. Jerome has a magnificent baritone voice and his demeanor is that of a giant angle when you meet him it is hard not to hug him. His story is one of perseverance and inner strength. He exemplifies Patient Leadership. Jerome says there are three keys to focus on if you want to “live your life from the inside out.

1. Know what you are doing and early
To live life from the inside out you first have to know who you are. The best way to do this is to search your own inner Spirit to see where it meets with the Spirit of God that is inside of you. At this place you will find your compass. When you do this early the challenges will not sway your course.

2. Act on your own
Wanting agreement and help on life’s assignments is natural because we are social beings but there are some actions that demand personal courage. Only you and God know your true purpose and it is wonderful to act on your own. When you believe in your dreams others can see the light radiating from inside of you.

“Take the bull by the horns and run with it.”

3. Believe you are capable to handle anything that life brings you
The first three words, “Believe you are capable” should be a confession you make to yourself every morning. Believing you are capable is the highest part of achievement because it is the beginning. The Creator believed in you and gave you talent to perform the assignment He entrusted you with. You can handle anything that life brings your way because you know what you are doing, you know how to act on your own and you believe you are capable.

Jerome says if you find yourself asking, “What can I do to handle these challenges?” follow these three steps and “Live your life from the inside out”.

How will you can you use these steps to overcome your challenges?