Idaho Farm boy to Beverly Hills!

Most people have never heard of John Earl Shoaf, who is that ?  Well I bet you have heard of Jim Rohm if you  have been in sales for any length of time your manager has recommended or placed into your hands literature of CDs  by him.  Jim was reponsible for mentoring some of the greatest entrepeneurs of  our time, including Mark Victor Hansen, Tony Robbins, and many others.

He started out as farm boy in rural Idaho. He  worked as a clerk and at  25 wanted more.. one day he went and heard a speaker named John  Earl Roaf. This man, Roaf, from very humble beginnings himself rose to Executive  Vice President of a company selling nutritional products. Jim applied everything he had been taught and went from being a average worker to a millionaire in six short years, by the time he was 31 he  was well on his way to  a new career and new opportunities.

He published "The Five Missing Pieces of Lifes Puzzle" and many other works. Check outjimrohm.com and you will find an abundance of helps.  Due to his early success as a motivational speaker and  promoting himself as "Idaho farm boy moves to Beverly Hills"  he was invited to speak at luncheon and seminars all over the country... and a new career was born. He was one of the founding fathers of the success-self help movement.

Many thousands maybe millions have benefited from his ideas and story. The reason for his success early on was  focus. Focus is the driver that made him unique and stand out.  I say to you the same thing and to me as well. The key to your success in life will be your focus.  While many of us tend to shift from one idea to another the ones that really get ahead are the ones that lock down on good thing (objective) and bear down on it to its completion.

Jim Rohn our overcomer in this  Overcomer series.

Another  great man mentored by Jim is Jack Canfield author of Chicken Soup for the Soul

You can get some free helps by going to chickensoupforthesoul.com
 Join the online club and participate..
Have a good one!-

Have you ever really been hungry?

The World Hunger Organization has stated that of the nearly 7 billion people in the world, almost one billion will go hungry... and thats only counting the ones that are nearly starving.  Many more get by one meal ( if you can call it that) a day.

Have you ever been truly hungry? I mean a gnawing hungry that would make you want to eat anything that moved?  I rarely fast and most Christians dont fast for  more than a  day at a time: can you imagine going days without food?

Meanwhile here in the States, this Thursday and going through all the weekend we will have more than we can possibly eat. In fact our leftovers will be used to feed the poor.. Well sit down and have a grand meal with family, then have seconds later, maybe the piece of pie with ice cream  and coffee. Some people will gorge themselves with food, never taking a moment to consider their largesse.

Morever there are many who just as soon get swept up with the commercial tide that sweeps down on stores  all this week including Black Friday. They may toss a dollar bill in the salvation army basket,  but the fortunate nature of their existence doesnt really register with them. I  mean thats the way it has always been. They reckon that it will always be this way, but beware: It may not.

The Bible does say, in James 4:13-15  paraphrased,  We should not presume that we will do this or that, make plans without God. Rather we should say, "If the  Lord will, we will do this or that!" I  have been very presumptive about the good things in my life.   God abundantly supplies us with benefits, as Psalm 103 says and we should not assume that it shall continue. Sometimes we have to be prepared for the good times and the not so good times. Most of us have not experiened real persecution or famine in our  lifetime.  Paul knew how to enjoy the good and the bad,. "I have learned in whatesoever state I am therewith to be content!"

  * Out grocery stores are well stocked
  * Our water supply is continuos

  *  Our oil supply ( at least for the moment) remain unbroken

 * Our health is for most of us good and for others robust


Thanksgiving is a time of reflection and praise. Lets keep it that way, and focus more on the needs of others than it being a time of self agrandizement. As Christians, we are conduits of Gods blessing, How can we be that if we are imitating everybody else out there?   Ask yourself how you can be  a channel of blessing to someone today and the rest of your life. The old song says "Make me a channel of blessing today"

Here is a interesting linkhttp://www.thp.org/learn_more/issues/know_your_world_facts_about_hunger_and_poverty







Remember that the true hunger  that all humans have is for God. Our mission is to bridge that gap and show them that He can fill that hunger. 

Lets Revive True Sportsmanship!

A recent article by Jerry Kreber a scout for the Cleveland Indians, and coach for many years in youth leagues and teams has laid his finger on the pulse of a  problem, THE LACK OF SPORTSMANSHIP!

Notice I didnt say Christian Sportsmanship, although that would be nice. No.. any kind of real sporstmanship. He says that technology has played a role in making people more prone to taunting and excessive celebration in games.  First of all let me say that technology is a  wonderful tool, if used well, however the net and chat rooms have made the bantering sink to new low levels. There is no real accountability for words, in fact the  NFL sometimes encourges this by allowing it on the field.

Today athletes can post their own websites, and you tube their personal videos adds to idea of personal promotion rather than team concept.  In sports modesty is condemned and laughed at, and vanity is encouraged.. As Christians, we know this  concept is wrong  and harmful to  a  Christians walk.  Imitating the wold, is not the way to be authentic.  The way I see it, thank God for your abilities your good health and give the ref the ball. I recently watched a local Furman game and saw good sportmanship. Score, have fun but dont taunt  and trash talk.  It only demeans you!  Am i saying a certain amt of self promotion for college and pro days, no.  Its just we need to know how to draw the line!

Witness the taunting of the Detroil Lions defensive lineman as they sack Tim Tebow. No its not enough to celebrate a good play, they have to..

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2011-11-02/does-some-of-the-tebow-mocking-cross-the-line

Or an excellent article by Jeremele Hill of ESPN:

http://espn.go.com/espn/commentary/story/_/id/7177658/lions-players-disrespected-tim-tebow-faith

In it she talks  about  the way that the media and the world looks at true Christianity. The smug mocking attidude doesnt befit a true sportsman let alone a Christian. The issue is not in the taunts and celebration, its more of why Christians, specifically serious believers are targeted?

Does a fleeting moment of exposure mean that  its ok to mock a mans faith?  She remarked that people have a hard time accepting a  a strong believer because it makes them  uncomfortable.

Back to our topic of sportsmanship. It all starts at the home and with coaches,, if they allow these kind of things  then the attidude will prevail.  Whatever happened to just saying great play or going back to the huddle? why do you have to mock someone else in the process?   Parents  can condone bad behaviour or even encourage kids to act out by their behaviour at games.. I have seen men and women swear and curse and come close to  threatening the refs in games. Kids will follow the parents example.

Coaches can set a good example by cracking down on that "smug mocking" attidude of athletes before it gets started.. They set the mood the tone and the behaviour of the athletes. If you let it go or tolerate by just saying a few words, and let him play, you are party to it!

Brian Schulman, author of "Death of Sportsmanship" and creator of LTS (Learning Through Sports) educational system wanted to create something that taught kids, athletes  about good sportsmahship. I definitely think he is on to something.  Just because a  kid goes to a Christian school doesnt mean he has learned Christian sportmanship. Its not a coerced thing its a learned -from the heart thing..

Here is the linkhttp://www.learningthroughsports.com/star_sportsmanship.php

The Race that won the Big Races.... Overcomers series

I'm begining a series of articles on overcomers which I hope will be uplifting to you.. I welcome your comments and suggestions.  Please follow if you like... These  may be drawn from athletes, businessmen or women, actors, yes even policitians. The intent is to  encourage and  inspire us in our daily journey.

Many times the catalyst of many a person success starts from something pretty small. or so it might seem. However Glenn Cunningham didnt think it was small. Some of you might remember Glenn Cunningham as a super Olympic track star from the 1930's.  What stands out  about him what his sheer determination.  He broke through an invisible barrier that others would have never attempted. He overcame  intimidating obstacles and so can you.

Glenn was badly burned in a school house fire at eight. Doctors said he would never walk again, and even recommended that he have his legs ampuated.  Thank GOd his parents decided against it, and encouraged him to go to therapy. Through painful adjustments and therapy he was miraculously able to walk  and run .. by age 12 he had beaten some of his friends in a foot race. He reflects fondly on this, " as the race  that was the most important one.." the race that allowed him to find his true passion.

In the years ahead  he set the high school record for the mile, at 4.24 and later brought that down to 4.04 as a professional. That mark was unequaled until 17 years later when Roger Bannister broke the 4 minute barrier. All this from a man, who doctors said couldnt walk.. He went on to compete in the Olympics capturing the silver medal in the mile, and doing quite well in other middle distance races such as the 800 meters.

I have set some links in the blog that you might find helpful..., but I want to stress some  uncommon qualities about Glenn that we all would do well to emulate. First he had a strong spiritual foundation.. Unashamed to be called a Christian, he would quote Isaiah 40:31.   " They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength."   Today Christians that are outspoken like Glenn are ridiculed and even mocked. Check the Detroit Lions antics of Tim Tebow when they sacked him  several times in a football game.  IN this present age. people dont are uneasy about a strong Christian and will seek to bring him down, if only due to their discomfort!

Second  I want you to notice from the article :  His tremendous drive. This sounds like Michael Jordan. doesnt it? " Tell me something I can do it, and Ill prove you wrong."  (He might have failed at the baseball try, but he didnt because he attempted and achieved a level that most only dream about!)

There will be times when life will knock you down, leave you gasping for breath, and bewildered... youll wonder why me? Its not fair.. dont whine! Get up and learn from it, Glenn did.. and the world was a better place because of it. He set the course of his future by how he handled disheartening setbacks..

Thirdly, I want you to see  his humility. It was said that he spoke highly of his competitors, never cutting them down or talking trash. He never strutted his stuff  to call attention to himself, and was gracious in victory. Apparently many athletes think that taunting and trash talking is just part of the game!  Glenn's  modest attidude seems out of place today.. but he was a natural at   Christian sportsmanship..

More importantly he had a reason to be that, and it wasnt just to be humble. It was because he  saw himself as tool in the hands of God. He saw the bigger picture.. the kids looking to him as a role  model. He saw the opportunity to share his faith by his walk, not just by his talk!

He saw himself as a runner in a bigger race.. the race that Paul talked about.. the race of life. I Corinthians 9. Here stands a wonderful exhibit of Gods grace and a true sportsman. An overcomer!


http://www.kuhistory.com/proto/story.asp?id=72

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Cunningham_(athlete)

The Threads that Weave the Mosaic!

Howdy partners, I just got back from the zoo, well its been several days now. I had the occassion to enjoy the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia. My was it a treat!  It has been some years since Ive been to a real zoo, and this one had over 2000 species, a very good  set animal exhibits, elephants, giraffes, zebra, lions and tiger.

As I roamed the grounds it was very apparent that I could  only skim the exhibits, not  take time to thoroughly enjoy them; it would have taken more than a day! SO many times we take things, including creation, for granted. We look at Animal Planet and National Geographic  yawn and change the channel.. remark that Ive seen that before. Remarkably it sometimes fails to make the impression on us that it should. THis world we live in, even in this advanced civiliation is still full of God mysteries resplendent through the animal kingdom!


Ps 40:5 Oh Lord how wonderful are Thy Works.
Oh Yes there was a Botanical Garden, I hurried through that, but at least I  now have some appreciation for the explosion of color and dizzying array of plants and flowers. The pools and fountains were a refreshing  and provoked the question, " I wonder what the Garden of Eden looked like?"

Doing some research I found out that there are approximately 1.5 to 2 million species discovered, and there might be 2-50 million yet to be discovered!  10.000 new species are discovered each year!!

I caught a picture of the giant snapping turtle, without realizing that there are 300 species of turtles. We went into the reptile house, ooh ing ahhing at the snakes and lizards, There are almost 8000  types.  Birds? forget it, there are  10,000 species of birds,a nd 30000 fish. Those is the  ones that we know.
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0934288.html


The genius of Gods creation is revealed threads that occurred to me after I left the zoo.. I shall name a few.

We have covered the diversity. The sheer numbers boggle the mind and drive us to worship the Creators intelligence. He wasnt content with just creating one bird or fish, He is prolific. creator as seen throughout the universe.. man is just discovering how much he doesnt know.  A truism emerges, " When man thinks he knows all there is to know, there is a discovery in science that makes him a babe in the woods."



One:  The vast array or diversity of animal, reptile and plant life and Oh dont forget the mind boggling number of sea creatures. When man explores the deep sea he is still finding out creatures he didnt know existed!  God poured out his genius when he designed each creature. I only saw a few creatures, but I never come away nothing less than stunned.

Romans 11:33  Oh Lord how excellent is thy works and they ways past finding out.  We will never plum the depths of His creation, but we can enjoy and reflect upon it as God's crown jewel.
 
Oh Lord How wonderful are thy works... .
Second:  Because there is so many creatures on Planet Earth, there is also a interconnectivity throughout the food chain.

FOr example:  plants depend on insects, animals depend on plants, man depends on animals and plants for sustenance. A tiger depends on deer and various creatures for its meat, those creatures depends on the rain and the growth of plant life. We depend on tigers to keep the animal population down. etc the

All creatures draw from the breath of God, and are connected by the magnetic field, sight, sense, and sound. The world is one vast network of connections!  The Bible says,   Acts 17:28       " In whom we live and move and have our very being."

Third thread, is the functionality of the animals.. Take the bird for example. Each bird has a specific habitat which it thrives, certain food which it depends on, and a cerain coat which makes it adaptable to the climate that it lives in. Birds are migratory creatures, and as such they  can adapt to extremes of weather hot or cold.

Elephants are designed to not only capture their food by their tusks and trunk, but also to thrive in their environment. Their are desert elephants as well as African or Asian elephants. The trunks are designed to catch and split apart branches and fruit, and to also ward off lions.

I could go on and on with each creature bird or mammal, but you get the picture. A vast mosaic of the God handiwork.  When I consider the works of thy hands.. I am overwhelmed, and so should you!

For all those that think that all this evolved over billions of years, and that  animals developed this over time, youd got another thing  coming.  "In the beginning God created the heavens and  the earth, and GOd saw that it was very good!. Indeed it was!!    Within the millions of creatures each was given weapons and skills to provide and defend itself.

The scope of creation is too marvelous for us to comprehend but it is here for us to enjoy..

I could add another  thread and that is the artifice and intelligence in creation.

William Bartram was a 19century naturalists who had some interesting things to say.


If we bestow but a very little attention to the economy of the animal creation, we shall find manifest examples of premeditation, perseverance, resolution, and consumate artifice, in order to effect their purpose.






If we bestow but a very little attention to the economy of the animal creation, we shall find manifest examples of premeditation, perseverance, resolution, and consumate artifice, in order to effect their purpose.


William






If we bestow but a little attention to the economy of animal creation, we shall find manifest examples of premediation, perseverance, resolution, and consummate artifice, to affect their purpose.!!

It would do justice to render Bartram's quote about the whole of creation. After all he spend a lifetime studying it,  " On the recollection of so many and great favours and blessings, I now, with a high sense of gratitude  presume to offer up my sincere thanks to the  Almighty, the  Creator, and the Preserver."

Downward Spiral...

Learning how to handle the disappointments in life is a key to emotional stability. I learned this in a rather stark way through a friend of mine. We had talked about a previous suicide attempt and her desire to end it all..  LIFE JUST WASNT WORTH LIVING FOR!   Her family graciously talked her through it and she recovered sort of...
I found out later that she had a date set up and that person did not come through and stood her up. Now what do you think the average person would think or do. I know I would shrug it off and say, " Hey, this person is not worth my time and move one."  Unfortunately this person simply took a nose dive and started drinking. The old adage " you gotta be  stop when you had too much"   She just kept drinking more and more shots of  jack and coke. I received a call when I was in bed at 200 am.. come get me, I cant even walk!

Reluctantly I went to a local bar and picked her up literally and  helped her to her car, Wait no she was so "out of it" that she wasnt able to walk let alone drive! As  I was going out one of the patrons, said jokingly, "another satisfied customer" I laughed because it was funny,  but actually it was pretty pathetic!

The most salient point here is the Downward Spiral that we cause when we respond to situations as if it were life and death. Pulling on a Jack Daniels, etc is just too easy and may  be a  way of escape, but only for a little while. Your body will remind you of your  dumb move.  Why not think of more constructive ways to handle your frustration?

How about exercise, or a game of chess? how about kicking the crap out of punching bag, or running on the treadmill? instead of quaffing beer? How about attacking the problem at its core, or thought  process?

We are not so different: all of us have our little vices that we use when we are down ,depressed, or angry. The trick is to strive make them healthier. We cannot run from ourself and our problems, so its best stand up own our stuff and work through  it!

MISSING LINK?

Have you ever had the experience of dating someone,  getting to know them, (you think) then suddenly they vanish like Houdini in a puff of smoke? You are going along pretty well, communicating and the bottom drops out. You try to text or call them and they simply refuse to get back with you.!

You can call it what you want, you just lost interest, she was seeing somebody else, or just got busy. I really have little patience for such. There is  such a thing as courtesy and respect.,.. something that was present a week ago, now all of a sudden its not. It doenst make sense and  demeans the other party.  When you dont communicate with that person, you are basically insulting them. You are saying in so many words, or lack of them, (I dont think you are important enough to talk.. too soo Ill do the easiest thing and cop out...

Silence is not golden when it comes to relatioships. More people are hurt by the lack of communication that are helped by it. What you dont do if you respect and value a person, is just disappear without an explanation. Sometimes I think some people have a total lack of empathy,, they cannot  put themselves in the other  person shoes, or be able to reverse  that and see it through their own eyes.

The missing link in marriages and in failed business ventures is missing or bad communication. Assumptions are deadly because they are many times erroneous. The  very people that put up nice profiles that want rich rewarding relationships, often  are the  pathetic  at  communication . Take it from me , I know.

Relationships take work, and that means open honest and free communication.  It takes time and energy to work on one..something apparently that some people are not ready to do!

One tip:  Be clear about what you want.. and fearlessly express it..It will separae the pretenders from the contenders!

http://www.dailycal.org/2011/10/04/sex-on-tuesday-love-in-the-time-of-facebook/

She makes some very salient points , but expresses the same bewilderment about what dating has come to,. Perhaps Im  a lttle old fashioned ,but.. she is on to the updated and ultra sleek  modern form of cyber dating. We think we have more but we actually have less.  Short attention spans mean that we are juggling..  instead of focusing on the moment and the person we are too busy planning our next move.

No silence is not golden, and there is a missing link. ala really honest open communication!