God’s Precious Promise of Provision

God’s Precious Promise of Provision   Philippians 4:19

 

I feel led, after a lot of prayer today, to speak words of encouragement to my Preacher and Missionary Friends. God has PROMISED to supply ALL your needs according to HIS riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

 Money for your ministry, at times, may seems like an impossible task. However, after 43 years of being a Christian, I can assure you that while I often Cannot, God ALWAYS Can! Ephesians 3:20;   Matthew 19:26.

 Brethren, our God is trustworthy and dependable, Titus 1:2. He has never promised an easy life for any of us, but He ever remains faithful! He WILL supply in His time and THROUGH the people of HIS choosing.   You will come to realize that when you have nothing left but God, then perhaps for the first time in your life, that God IS enough!  

This is why I seldom ask people to pray about specific financial needs.  I want to be assured that God is the One who has moved in response to the prayer of His servant.  It is an amazing way to live your life knowing that God STILL answers prayers and is doing the seemly impossible today.   He does not need for me to tell everyone about financial needs; God does not need me asking those that I consider to be wealthy to “pray” for my financial need to be met. 

God KNOWS when a sparrow falls to the ground and He KNOWS what things you have need of before you even ask.   “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.   But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore,Ye are of more value than many sparrows.”  Matthew 10: 29-31.

  Matthew 6:25-34.   This will remind you of how important You and the ministry God has given to is.  Take particular note of verse 30:  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

 Even now, I know some are most discouraged, as you know not Where or When God’s supply shall come. But you MUST not lose heart, for you KNOW it IS coming. God has Promised! You may have a check in the mail for you today! He may lead someone in your town to assist you this Sunday.

You may be thinking, but you are an American and have no need.   Really? Are you kidding me? Are you serious? After I spent over $425 for a Visa to enter Nigeria, and spent SEVERAL hundred dollars to purchase my flight ticket to Nigeria, and after I send $300 to do my part to pay the salaries of three Filipino men to pastor the Churches started as a result of JKM, and I purchase my flight ticket to start 2 Churches in India, which comes up after our Philippine’s journey.  I will have this amount in my account: $ 00.00. I have 22% of my support in at this writing. Yes, I know what “needs” are.   I actually welcome them because then I can see what God wants to do in my life.  I often envied George Mueller who had to pray in his money to feed the children living in the orphanage.   I believe God wants more of us to simply depend upon HIM for our daily needs.  He has NEVER let me down!  He is continually leading His servants to live a life of complete and continual dependence upon Him!  My question to you is simple:  “Are you Cooperating with God’s plan or have you been secretly Complaining and Criticizing His Purpose for your life?”

So I am sharing this message of Hope in God for ALL of Us to simply trust in the One who has called us to such a great undertaking. I am not complaining; I am not worried; I am not stressed; I am not questioning God. Actually, I am rejoicing, I honestly am, for I Know for that the Provision of the Lord is just around the corner. How can I be so certain? Because I have chosen all these years to TRUST my Heavenly Father to Do that which He has PROMISED! Won’t you as well?

 

 As I have often said, “The bank vaults in Heaven are NOT affected by the economy in which we live.” Our economy matters not to God as far as His ability to KEEP HIS WORD and faithfully supply ALL of our needs,   Philippians 4:19.

 

You can Pray, Believe, and Receive; or, You can Pray, Doubt, and go Without!

We Can Fail Forward or we can Remain in the City called Regret!

  I John 1:9

                                                        

 Okay, you sinned!  You have been plagued with a daily visitor.  He has visited your heart and mind every day since you sinned.  He reminds you that you are worthless; that your life is now irrelevant, and absolutely unable to be used of God again.  The visitor’s goes by the name of Guilt. 

The truth is, as you would readily admit, is that you are guilty.  You have committee the sin against God.  There is no covering the sin.  You have acknowledged this sin. You are not proud of it,and even wonder how it could had happened in the first place.

However, what Guilt does not want you to recognize, is that once you went to God seeking His forgiveness, that God has already forgiven the offense.  Our text makes this clear from  I John 1:9.

Unfortunately, many people, including those in the Christian family, will not let you forget what you have done wrong.  There will be articles written; Facebook posts printed; Tweets dispatched to remind the world of what a failure you have become.   Even though they claim for themselves, the forgiveness that God has for all believers, when it comes to another Believer, they seem to slam the door of grace shut!

 So my advice to you, should you find yourself expecting to find grace, from those living in the “Grace is for me and not for you neighborhood” is simple.  If you’re holding out for the universal acceptance and grace from this community, I’m afraid that you will be holding up in your room for a very long time.   While is it wonderful whenever others accept that God has forgiven you, you cannot, and must not allow another’s treatment of you to negate what God has already given to you: forgiveness. 

 

How Can and Should we Face Failure?

 

1.   First, we must CONSIDER our sins and failing.  The Bible speaks of this in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:   And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  The word for search means “to ransack.”  It carries the idea of a thief breaking into your home and going through every area of your house to search for valuables.   We must invite and the cooperate with the Holy Spirit, as He searches our hearts to reveal that which is offensive to a holy God.  No attempt of a cover-up, like many governments and people are prone to do.   Complete cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Once our sins have been revealed, we may now go to God to confess our sins.

 

2.  Second, we must completely CONFESS our sin and failing to God.   We cannot compromise the sin.  We must admit that we had sinned against God and perhaps to others. 

 

• Jeremiah 33:8: And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.

 

• I John 1:9:  “ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”   The word confess carried the idea of completely agreeing with God about our sin.  It means that we will now take sides WITH God against our sins!  Once we do this, we now have a great promise of complete cleansing! 

 

3.   Next, we are required to CAST-AWAY our sins.    Proverbs 28:13 says: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

 

Create an Environment where You are not Placing Yourself in an Area of Temptation.

 

If a person’s sin was drinking, then one might want to write down the things which could lead him to the cesspool of sin and make a commitment to God to avoid these areas of temptation. .    It would be wise to stay away from liquor scenes.  Simply turn the channel when they appear in a commercial or in a TV program.  Avoid any connection with liquor at all costs. You might need want to stay out of restaurants that serve it; avoid parties that would make it easily available to you.

 

The Principle of Replacement

The Principle of Replacement is found in the Book of Ephesians Chapter Four.  We are to replace lying with truthfulness; stealing with giving; anger with kindness; unforgiveness with forgiveness; bitterness with dealing with the offense we have with another, before going to sleep at night.   

The practical application would be to replace the sinful, old behaviors with new positive, Biblical habits.  This is how we will get victory over that which has caused us failing and sin in the past.

• An encouraging verse to every Believer that has failed is:  Proverbs 24:16, ‘For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he rises again.”

 

•  Listen, EVERYONE FAILS God at some point, and perhaps even frequently.  What we need to remember is that we do not have to stay down.  As Goldsmith said, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising each time we fall.”

 

Have You Lost Your Purpose?

Have You Lost Your Purpose?        I Samuel 17 

What are you truly passionate about?  What makes you want to get up out of bed every morning?   What, at the mere thought of it, incites you to action?   In other words, “What is your purpose in life?”

Many people have a position, perhaps as a Pastor, Sunday School Teacher, Youth Director, or as the CEO of a Company.  Even though they possess a position, they might admit they have lost their passion for this position.

The mistake often made is when a person Possesses a Position without a Purpose, this will lead to a spirit of Complacency.   Time is far too short to allow Complacency to enter into our lives and ministry. In I Samuel 17:29 we see where David had a cause.  His cause was to defeat the giant Goliath because he was mocking God and God’s people.      Again I ask you,  “What is your Purpose?  What is it that drives you each day?” What are you truly focused on?

  More specifically,what is your purpose in being a Leader?  Hopefully, it is to Influence others Biblically and to Impact this world for Jesus Christ.   Why do you want to help people?  Finally ask yourself this question, “What is the contribution that you want to make in your lifetime?” No matter what your age, or what position you are in your life, you will never finish contributing. A truly great leader is someone who is always seeking to do more for God and to impact this world for Jesus Christ!.

 

Is your Purpose Being Pursued with Passion?

 

When you find a Purpose that is Bigger than anything you ever dreamed of, and Pursue it with Passion, it’s amazing how the supernatural can become the normal.  God wants Men and Women of Purpose, Passion, and Power to Pursue the Phenomenal for Him!  

 

Will you ask God to Provide the Passion you once had?   You Can Do Something truly Significant for God IF you will believe in God’s ability to work though you for His glory!

Pastor, Missionary, Evangelist, when you answered God’s call to preach, what did you one day hope to accomplish for the Cause of Christ? What was your over-riding purpose?  Are you closer to the achievement of this cause?  Has your passion for this cause grown over the years?  Has it intensified?

 

Or, has something sidetracked you and made this cause appear to be too complicated for you to pursue anymore?   Listen, “Don’t let your Dream Die!”  Get back into the battle and get busy for God once again.    Don’t listen to those who have discouraged you from pursuing God’s Dream for your life.  I am glad that Samson did not listen to that inner voice that said, “You have sinned, you can no longer serve God.”  

The Bible clearly teaches that we all have much usefulness in us. We are important to God!   Therefore, get on your knees, accept God’s forgiveness, and ask God to use you for Him once again.   Listen to those who are encouraging you to do more for God rather than those who says, “You have blown it; God will never use you again; it is all over for you.”  John 8:44 reminds us Satan is a liar and the Father of it.  Will you believe God or will you continue to believe Satan?

   I thank God that Samson, even with the scars of sin so evident, was able to be used of God in a great way before he died.   I am glad that John-Mark, who once quit on God, repented of his sin and was able to become most profitable to God and more specifically, the Apostle Paul.  Paul asked for John-Mark to come to him prior to his death.   God was still using John-Mark.  

 

Every Person in the Bible had Failed God

 

Show me one person in Bible that did not fail God at some point in their lives; yet God was able to use them after thoroughly getting right with God.   Adam and failed God through their disobedience; Abraham failed in his lack of faith and disobedience;  Moses murdered a man;  David committed adultery and even set up the woman’s husband to be killed in battle;  Peter failed Jesus by denying Him three times in one evening.  Yet they were all used of God after they returned to God and accepted God’s grace and forgiveness.    I am not glorifying sin, but I am demonstrating the grace of God in the lives of people that have failed.  Perhaps we failed in our walk with God; perhaps failed financially; perhaps in a new endeavor. Yet we can may still be able to accomplish great things for God.  

 

Failing is Reversible!

 

To use an old saying from our friends in Texas, “It does not matter how much milk you spill as long as you don’t lose the cow.”  Once again, failings are not irreversible.  Keep things in perspective; learn from them; and use them to help other people.

I believe that you Can and Must move forward on the heels of Adversity and Failing.    I have asked myself the following questions to assist me in moving forward when things did not go as planned:

A)    God, what are you trying to teach me through this situation?  What wrong assumptions did I make?   What “Blind-spots” are you revealing to me?

B)     God, how can I use my mistakes/sins to help other people?

C)    God, are you opening a new door of ministry for me through this failing? 

Listen, you must quit allowing your past to hold you hostage today!

I greatly desire to add value to other people.   I have lived my life trying to see other people ‘with the ability to become’!   I strongly believe there is something useful in EVERY person, no matter what their past or present is like, God can still use them!   I believe it is our responsibility to encourage and to provide Biblical Hope to others. 

I personally believe that the greatest difference between those who remain Average and those that Achieve great things in life, will be determined in part, by each individual’s perception and response to failings.    You can look at the failing as an end to your calling and dreams, or, you can choose to use those failings to increase your ability to succeed for the cause of Jesus Christ!

 

Will YOU choose to Accept life as a Hostage to your failings, or will YOU choose to Answer the above questions that will focus on Your Future, rather than your Past!  The Choice Really is Yours!

Now that I have Failed, What is Next?

Now that I have Failed, What is Next?

Jim Kilgore,  www.JimKilgoreMinistries.com

We have all failed at something in our lives, perhaps many times.   There is such pressure for us to “succeed” that we often ‘fail’ to realize there are some benefits to failing.  

Some people are so fearful of failing that they simply will not try a different course of action; will not take a calculated risk; will not attempt something new. Many people are plagued by something the experts have called, ‘Atychiphobia’. 

Atychiphobia is the abnormal, unwarranted and persistent fear of failure.   However, you don’t have to suffer from Atychiphobia, as this is a choice.   The fear of failing is an obsession that develops in the subconscious mind.  It has been transported into a person’s mind by some distress or traumatic situation.  This has caused the person fail to see any options to move forward.  Therefore, they lose confidence.  They fear making decisions.  They see little or no hope of ever succeeding.  

To this I desire to encourage you today.      Did you know that some very famous and highly successful had failed frequently in their road to success?   This should encourage you to realize that we can benefit from what the world calls failure.  

 

Did You Know That…?

 

Thomas Edison ‘failed’ over 10,000 times before he successfully invented the light bulb.

Babe Ruth, who held both the single season and career home-run records also ‘failed’ 1,330 times by striking out! 

Michael Jordan said, “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”  In spite of all his failings, he is still considered to be the best basketball player of all time by many people.

Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States failed in many endeavors during his life.   Abraham Lincoln Simply Refused To Quit!    Probably the greatest example of persistence is Abraham Lincoln. Born into poverty, Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout his life. He lost eight elections, twice failed in business and suffered a nervous breakdown.   He could have quit many times – but he didn’t and because he didn’t quit, he became one of the greatest presidents in the history of our country.

 

Listed below is a sketch of his path to the White House:

 

• 1816 His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.
• 1818 His mother died.
• 1831 Failed in business.
• 1832 Ran for state legislature – lost.
• 1832 Also lost his job – wanted to go to law school but couldn’t get in.
• 1833 Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.
• 1834 Ran for state legislature again – won.
• 1835 Was engaged to be married, sweetheart died and his heart was broken.
• 1836 Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.
• 1838 Sought to become speaker of the state legislature – defeated.
• 1840 Sought to become elector – defeated.
• 1843 Ran for Congress – lost.
• 1846 Ran for Congress again – this time he won – went to Washington and did a good job.
• 1848 Ran for re-election to Congress – lost.
• 1849 Sought the job of land officer in his home state – rejected.
• 1854 Ran for Senate of the United States – lost.
• 1856 Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party’s national convention – get less than 100 votes.
• 1858 Ran for U.S. Senate again – again he lost.
• 1860 Elected president of the United States.

 

 

 

Please understand that I am dealing with a wide range of failings.   Therefore, I am going to write a series of articles on various ‘failings.’      My thesis is simple:  How can we come back after a ‘failing’ and ensure that we will do a better job the next time?   What safeguards can we put into place to prevent this from happening again?  What can we learn to make us wiser, better, stronger?  How can I be restored to a place of usefulness and productivity for God after a failing?

 

Some Preliminary Thoughts On ‘Failing”

 

• ·         Sometimes we must actually fail in order to succeed.  This will be a separate article.

• ·         To a great degree, how we deal with our present failings will determine our future success.     A person that achieves any measure of success understands that a person may fail without ever being a failure.  Failings are often the steps upon which one must climb in order to bring the previously hidden knowledge into their lives.  It was Albert Einstein who said, “Insanity consists of doing the same thing over and over and hoping for different results.”  One of the most treasured characteristics we have is the ability to learn how to evaluate our experiences.  Simply failing brings no value into our lives. However, successfully evaluating our experiences will add enormous value to our lives.   During the teaching in this series I will teach the process that I use to evaluate my experiences, in anticipation that it will add value to your life as it has mine.  

 

• ·         One only becomes a failure when they make the failing the final chapter in their book of life.

 

It was Dr. Jack Hyles, who shared a great Biblical principle when he said that a person could “Fail without being a Failure.”  This is what we will be writing about in future articles.

 

 

You Can Fail Without Being A Failure

Failure Happens, But Success is Planned

Failure happens, but Success is planned;  Success

comes as a result of DOING several things on PURPOSE

Jim Kilgore, JimKilgoreMinistries.com

 

[ Steps I have used for years in my Weekly Planning]

       

O          Objectives:   What RESULTS do I want to see by the end of the week?  Whatever

            you determine, you must now record them on paper or in your electronic device,

            and then prioritize.   I continually ask of myself, “What is the Best and most Valuable

            use of my time.”  I do this to determine what to add to an already busy schedule.    

            Far too many people sacrifice the Best for that which is Good, but may actually

            prevent them from the accomplishment of the most important objectives in your life 

            and work.

A         Activities:     What MUST I do to achieve the Objectives?  This is where you must list the Steps in Sequential order.

My concern is that I determine after prayer, that which I should accomplish, then fail to add the actionable tasks to my DAILY SCHEDULE,  and then fail to submit myself to the schedule, which I believe will lead me to the accomplishment of my objectives.

All good Preachers want to see souls saved on a weekly basis.  Yet, if one does not include soul-winning in his schedule during the week, he is less likely to have a soul-winning ministry.  

I have taught our Children rather emphatically as they were growing up, “If you want something, then you must DO something.”   But simply filling your calendar with ‘activities’ does not mean you are focusing on the right tasks. 

Not every task will lead me to winning souls to Jesus Christ.   They may be good, but could I delegate these tasks to another so I can do what I believe to be the most important thing any Preacher or Christian can do, and that is to spread the Gospel.   What would lead me to being a soul-winner?   Preaching; passing out tracts wherever I go; definitely going out into my community to share the Gospel. 

 

T         Time:         How much time will each activity require?     And how much time    

is required to focus on the task each day in order to accomplish the objective by the end of the week?  A problem many make when planning their schedule is that they do not allow enough time to work on the task, and by the end of the week “forcibly change the plan” because now, what was an important task earlier in the week, has now become an urgent task.  Now the pressure comes into our lives.   Can you relate? 

S          Schedule:      I must now look at my Calendar & decide WHEN I can do each

activity.  I learned 30 years ago, while reading a book by Dr. Dave Hyles that the successful person must plan his schedule and then become obedient to his schedule.   I have followed this advice ever since.  To be sure, we must be flexible for emergencies.   This is a part of life and certainly with Family and Ministry.  

 

Brian Tracy has often said that “very worst use of your time is to do well what need not be done at all.” There is a principle called, The Pareto Principle, which says that 20% of your activities will account for 80% of the value of your activities. This means that, if you have a list of ten items to accomplish, only two of those items will be more valuable than the other eight items combined! 

For you to achieve great things, you must always focus and concentrate upon the small number of activities that contribute the great value to your life and work!

 

Again, a success principle I had taught my Children down through the years was:  “Failure just happens, but success is planned; Success comes as a result of DOING several things on PURPOSE!”

 

You MUST ask yourself the Key Question, “What is the most valuable use of my time, RIGHT NOW?”  And whatever it is, work on that. Your ability to discipline yourself to work on those few tasks that CAN make the greatest difference in your life is the essential quality that can make everything else achievable for you.

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}

 

 

 

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:”Times New Roman”,”serif”;}

 

         

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:”Times New Roman”,”serif”;}

Success should not measured by your achievements alone, it should be measured by the obstacles that you have had to overcome – See more at: http://www.freefallselfimprovement.com/fear-of-failure-fear-of-success/#sthash.6ERInLnz.dpuf

Don’t Let Your Dream Die

Don’t Let Your Dream Die

 

You Have A Dream?   Don’t Quit!    Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.  I can tell you from experience this is true!

  I remember playing baseball for two years at the ages of 14 and 15.  My first year I had struck out every single time but one.  A pitcher by the name of Dave Dalby was the pitcher that made the mistake of throwing a pitch which “inadvertently” hit my bat.  Once the ball hit my bat I was as shocked as anyone!  I raced towards first base as I watched my first, and only hit of the season drop into right field.

That year of frustration and futility was full of life lessons that has remained with me the rest of my life.  Our Fans had booed my every trip to the plate.  They knew I would strike out. And guess what?  So did I.  I had such a defeatist attitude.  Probably much like the defeatist attitude that you carry with you.

Lessons Learned About Failing

·         You can listen to your critics and quit, or, you can listen to your critics and use them as motivation to drive you towards the fulfillment of your dream.  We all have critics and far to often we are all a critic.   I believe most critics in my life are well-meaning and desire to help me.  However, some will criticize without even getting the facts.  Some time ago, I was sharing my ministry of evangelizing people on every Continent and then starting Churches from those evangelized.  After two minutes my critic said, “You will fail.”  Now this is a good man that loves God and has done a wonderful wok for God.   However, I was faced with a choice.  Do I retaliate and defend myself; feel sorry for myself; allow this statement to discourage me?  Or, would I choose to listen in order to learn?

                                                                                                                               I  Listen to my critics of today,  by Asking the following Questions:

 

o   God, will you help me to have a teachable spirit, even if the critic has been harsh?

 o   What blind spot have I missed?  We all have those areas where we are weak, yet we cannot see how these weaknesses are hindering us from achieving our dream  So when a person criticize me, I immediately begin to seek what my blind spot might be. 

o   What can I learn that will help me further my Dream?  What action step have I missed?  What else do I need to learn?

·         I learned that if I choose to listen to negativity without Evaluating the Experience, I would quit.  I would be wasting the criticism that perhaps was needed to help me.

·         You can focus on what you do not have, or, you can focus on all that you do have.   I had talent; I was an athlete, I simply did not have the timing down on my swing.  This skill could be learned with the great hand-eye coordination I had.   I simply had to put in a lot of work while others were busy playing their “second” sport.  That I did.  I practiced day and night.  My next door neighbor, Rick Estes would throw me a tennis ball at CLOSE range until I became so good that he made me learn how to bat with my left hand.  The result, thanks to Rick was I went from a .011 batting average to batting .558 the very next season.

 

·         I learned who my real friends were.   It was my Dad, Robert Kilgore, who came to every game and watched his son strike out every time but once;  who listened to all the other “Fans” booing his son each time I  walked to the batter’s box.  The next year the same “Fans” were cheering each time I walked to the plate.

·         I learned to see Value in people BEFORE they succeed.   I knew I had potential.  I was a mufti-sport athlete.  I had simply never played fast-pitch baseball before.  I knew that if someone would help me, that I would be very good.  Sound arrogant?  No, I simply saw value in me that was hidden from everyone else.  Therefore, I have in all my adult life been for the underdog.  I have tried to support other people that had a dream, even when no one else would encourage them.  I have a core belief that people are basically good all over the world, and that God has given talents and gifts to us all.  Sometimes that .558 batter is just one friend away.   I want to be a Rick Estes and be that friend that makes a difference in someone’s life.

·         I learned that is more important to BE a friend that in HAVING a friend.  This is what Rick taught me.  He was only focused on helping his friend become a success in baseball.  He displayed a very unselfish commitment to his friend.   I made a silent commitment to try to “Add Value” to people the rest of my life.   Guess what?  There is GREAT JOY in being a Rick Estes, an encourager; an inspiration simply by believing in people.

 

·         I learned that success does not come cheaply.  There is a price to be paid to be successful.   The question each must ask is, “Have I Counted the Cost and am I willing to Pay that Price?”

 ·         It is so easy to overlook modest beginnings.   We imagine highly-successful persons being blessed with almost superhuman talents.  I am certain that any new players on the second team I played on thought that I was always a .558 hitter.     In life, making this incorrect assumption might lead many to think that their big dream might be somewhat unreachable to the average people in life.    As my Mentor, Dr.  Maxwell said, “There are no secrets to success—only simple truths, principles, and disciplines that have been around for thousands of years.”

 

Principle to Ponder

 

Failure Happens; Success is a result of learning from our failings and making the necessary adjustments.

 Failing need not be Final!   Everyone fails from time to time! How will you Evaluate your failed Experiences to allow you to move forward in a positive and significant way?