Archive for the 'Faith' Category

Thanksgiving is always a special day for me. It’s a time of reflection about what is truly important in life. It’s a time to think of those special people that make a difference in the world and the lives of others. (It’s so ironic that Thanksgiving comes the day before one of the most commercial and crazy days of the year, Black Friday.)

Here are some of the things I’m very thankful for this year.

• I’m thankful that I live in a free country.
• I’m thankful I can freely worship God and that he has a presence in my life.
• I’m thankful for my wife, my daughter, my son-in-law, along with the rest of our families, who make life worth living.
• I’m thankful for my friends and co-workers, that put up with me.
• I’m thankful to have two amazing and loving dogs who are always there for me no matter what.
• I’m thankful for the 100’s of blogger’s that brighten my day, challenge me to be a better person, and encourage me to reach for the stars. (Here is a short list of blogger’s you should definitely visit. Here is another group I’m very thankful to be associated with.)
• I’m thankful for all of the support and encouragement from our local Toastmaster clubs
• I’m thankful for turkey, bread stuffing, and corn pudding (I can’t wait!)
• I’m thankful for parades, football games, and the family time that make this day special.
• I’m thankful for all of you that stop by from time to time and make this blog a community. Thank you for your support; your comments; and most of all your encouragement to keep this thing called blogging going…

Happy Thanksgiving!

John Richardson

I’ve been in a public speaking organization called Toastmasters for years. During this time, I have been a part of many Toastmasters clubs and have seen many people come and go. With all of the great things Toastmasters offers… speaking skills, leadership training, and a great networking atmosphere, I have always wondered why some people come to a few meetings and then you never see them again.

In studying John Maxwell’s book, Becoming a Person of Influence, I have discovered that we need to dig a little under the surface to truly understand people.

One of the things John brings up in his book is that…

Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

This is so true with almost any club or organization. If people come to a meeting and no one talks to them, they are probably not going to return. If their first experience is one that excludes them rather than including them, they probably will feel that they don’t fit in and will find it awfully hard to come back.

John brings up four questions in his book that can help us get to know new people whether they be visitors, new employees, or the new client you met at Starbucks.

When we ask them…

1. Where did they come from?
2. Where do they want to go?
3. What is their need now?
4. How can I help?

We will get a much better picture of how we can include them in our club, our workplace, or most importantly… our lives.

When we take the time to really focus on the other persons needs, their lives and ours can truly change.

When I was in second grade I was a very shy kid. The thought of sharing in front of the class was pretty scary. But I had a great teacher named Mrs. Reyer who was also a great coach. Her motto was “Yes You Can!” I’ll never forget one autumn afternoon in class. We had to stand up in front of the class and give a report about a former president.

John Adams was my subject, and suddenly I was called on to stand and deliver. Mrs. Reyer looked at me with an encouraging smile on her face and motioned for me to start. I stood straight up and with a loud voice shared about the second president of the United States.

Like a track coach during a race, Mrs. Reyer coached me to victory that day. Her encouraging gestures during my speech energized me. When I was done speaking, she said something to me that I never forgot. “John, that was a great presentation, someday you will be a great politician or public speaker.” For a seven year old kid, those words were gold. That day I experienced victory… victory over the fear of sharing in class.

Having faith in other people and helping them experience victory is the third tenet in John Maxwell’s book, Becoming a Person of Influence. John covers a lot of territory in this chapter but the one thing that stood out was that we should help others by experiencing some wins together. John explains…

“Coming alongside others to help them experience some wins with you gives them reasons to believe they will succeed. In the process they will experience victory. That’s when incredible things begin to happen in their lives.”

When People Sense Victory

• They sacrifice to succeed
• They look for ways to win
• They become energized
• They follow the game plan
• They help other teams members

When People Sense Defeat

• They give as little as possible
• They look for excuses
• They become tired
• They forsake the game plan
• They hurt others

Years ago when I first got into outside sales, I had an incredible sales manager named Gary Murphy. Making cold calls is never easy, but Gary had a great way with people. He spent a few days working with me and he helped me experience the thrill of closing a sale.

Gary had a positive attitude and always looked for a way to help his customers. His technique was win-win and more often than not we would walk out of a new prospect with a smile and an order. At the end of the day, I was energized. That energy translated to a much better attitude on my part and a large increase in sales.

When people believe in you there is an incredible power that fills you up. Suddenly the impossible becomes possible. Great coaches will help you visualize success.

John gives four action points to help us have faith in others…

1. Find a Strength. Instead of looking at weaknesses look for strengths in others. Find one that can be nurtured. Point it out to them and offer ways for them to use it. (A great book on the subject that offers an online strengths test is Strengths Finder by Tom Rath)

2. Build on Past Successes. If you have to give someone a difficult or challenging task, take time to recall their past successes. This will give them encouragement for the future and help turn a demanding situation into a positive one.

3. Help Others Overcome Defeat. If you have friends or colleagues that have recently experience a defeat of some kind take time to talk with them about it. Be a good listener and when you are done make sure you value them and let them know that you believe strongly in them.

4. Start off Right. The next time you recruit new people for your club or organization, start the relationships off right. Instead of waiting until they prove themselves, make it a point to express your faith in them before they give you results. You be pleased by their desire to live up to your expectations.

Make someone’s day today… have a little faith in them.

Technorati Tags: John Maxwell, Faith, Strengths

In a quote from one of my favorite movies, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Bailey opens the book Tom Sawyer and reads an inscription from his guardian angel…

Dear George:—Remember no man is a failure who has friends.

Thanks for the wings!

Love Clarence.

Thank you to all of you who have visited this blog this year, who have left comments, or added your inspiration.

Merry Christmas!

John Richardson

I posted back in November about our church building program and the struggles we were having closing the gap between rising construction costs and what was raised from the congregation. The deficit amount grew to $160,000 and we needed to close this gap so we could fund the loan and start the building project. We needed to raise the money in cash and not pledges and we only had two weeks to do it before our construction loan window would close.

Our Pastor, John Hansen, decided to do the biblical thing and fast and pray until the gap was filled. I have to say I have a lot of faith but this one stretched my limit a little bit. Where would $160,000 dollars come from? The congregation had already pledged over a million dollars, many giving very sacrificially. Day after day John fasted and prayed, sustaining himself with just juice and water. This last Sunday, John was noticeably thinner and we wondered how long he could keep this up.

Sometimes God tests our patience and I found myself really wondering about my faith this week. After all, this was real life, not a chapter in a motivational book. God has always been faithful in my life but his timetable is almost always slower than mine. And he usually answers in some strange way that I could never see or imagine.

Yesterday he answered John’s prayers. Someone from another church in our denomination put up the money as an interest only loan for our congregation. Our building loan will be funded and construction will start soon. And six year old Les Fountain will have a youth center to grow up in.

Pastor John fasted for 10 days and lost 16 pounds.

John Hansen is a man with a Passionate Purpose.

When I think of the title of “Giver” I think immediately of Mother Teresa or other helpful person. Someone who has given up the comforts of a normal life to help others. There are many “Givers” in our society, many whom you would never know. The person working behind the counter in a soup kitchen, the volunteer for the Salvation Army, or even the Sunday School teacher taking care of your children. People giving of their time and resources to help others have a better life.

A career of a giver is one of sacrifice. The jobs are usually low paying and may require the person to raise their own support. The hours are long and may be in a tough location. The giver may have to put themselves in harms way working in war torn areas or gang infested neighborhoods.

Why would anyone want to do this?

Why would someone sacrifice a great career to work in these conditions?

The answer is simple: The rewards are great!

To see the eyes of a child open as they learn to read. The wonder of seeing a homeless person transformed into a working member of society. To give a hot meal to a needy family on a cold morning. These are the benefits of being a giver.

The rewards that a paycheck could never bring.

To bring about change instead of sitting mindlessly in a cubicle watching the time tick away.

To become a giver you just need to give a couple of things…

A little bit of your time and a few dollars.

Let me tell you an experience of mine…

There he was standing at the gate. He didn’t want to come in. He was too bad. Too dirty and filthy from months on the street. He just wanted something to eat. He felt ashamed to come through the gate. We found out that his name was Hal. He was wearing a filty old pinstripe suite covered with the grime from sleeping on the street night after night. You could smell him 20 feet away.

He just wanted something to eat… and then be on his way.

Tom insisted that he come in. “You gotta come in if you want to eat,” Tom said in a rather stern voice. Hal looked at him and started to turn away. Tom put a hand on his shoulder and just said, “Come on in” and opened the gate.

Tom led him in and motioned for him to sit in the barber’s chair. “Let’s get you cleaned up for dinner,” he said as he put a barber’s apron around his neck. It wasn’t long before Hal’s hair was washed and cut and the old scraggly grey beard was shaved into oblivion.

Suddenly there was a real person behind all the hair. Once Tom was done he led Hal over to the shower room where he was able to wash away years of neglect with some hot soap and water. His nails were cut and he was given a whole new wardrobe of clothes. When Hal came out of that room and sat down for dinner he was a new creation.

I didn’t recognize him. He looked like a business man. He looked like he ran the place. I’ve never seen such a big smile as the one on Hal’s face that day. Hal enjoyed a wonderful meal of turkey, dressing and all the fixings.

He was changed on the outside… now the hard part would begin.

The change on the inside would take much longer. But Tom was a giver and he wasn’t giving up easy on Hal.

Tom worked with the homeless everyday at the shelter. My wife and I were just there on Thanksgiving to lend a hand. We had the privilege of sitting at dinner with many of the homeless on that sunny Thanksgiving and hear their stories. Stories of walk-abouts, lost jobs and sickness. But that day they all had hope. They weren’t hungry anymore. They were given new clothes and a new chance.

Some would go back to the streets. Some would go back to old trailers or substandard housing. But Hal made a decision that day. He wanted more than a meal. He wanted a change.

And Tom helped him step by step to regain his dignity. He helped Hal get some training, a place to stay and after a few weeks a real job.

It was a tough road for Hal, especially when Tom would knock on his apartment door every morning at 6:30 am. But the hours and compassion paid off. Hal now works for the same shelter that changed his life. Giving faith, hope and love to others standing at that same gate.

When people knock, Hal is there to answer…