Life of purpose

  The way you begin your day often determines the quality of the day. For this reason, throughout my adult Christian life, I’ve tried to spend some time focused on the God I love and trust. It truly does make a difference. I often encounter people, however, who want to begin a daily quiet time, but they aren’t sure how. They’ve perhaps tried before, but it didn’t last. It really isn’t as complicated as we often make it out to be. The main thing is simply to do something, but in case you are one of those still wanting to but not sure how, let me offer a few suggestions. Here are 5 easy steps to begin a daily quiet time: Find the right place Pick a place where you’ll be everyday for your quiet time. Obviously, if you travel frequently this is more difficult, but the more routine you can make this the better. It should be as free of distractions as possible. This place will soon become very comfortable to you. I realize too, you may feel your life is too busy. I get it – I’ve li...

When I was young, like most teenagers, I could be brash and blunt with little wisdom to guide my words. One particular night, I was out with a group of friends (guys and girls) when a female friend and I started to make fun of each other. The verbal jousting quickly got competitive, even heated. Finally I said something regrettably cutting, hurtful, and humiliating towards her. What I said is unimportant, but immediately after saying it, I wanted to grab it all back. The worst part about it was that before I said it, I thought about it, calculated its impact, and even then, I still said it. I cared more about winning than I did about her at that moment. Thinking about her running out of the room crying still makes my stomach sink. Words have a powerful impact, particularly in relationships. In marriage, the impact is even deeper because of the level of intimacy. Words are released at close range by the person in life whose opinion matters most. In the midst of a disagreement, we ...

We live in a time in history when it seems that happiness and personal fulfillment are the goals of every endeavor. When people are faced with challenges in life or marriage, the first question they often ask is: "What will make me the happiest?" If your job is not bringing you happiness, then quit. If your marriage is not making you happy, then you owe it to yourself to get a divorce. But there is a trap in this thinking that many of us never see; we focus on being happy more than we do on God's design for us. God designed us to live for Him and to live for others. When we are driven merely by happiness and self-fulfillment, we bring destructive behaviors and consequences into our lives and relationships. There is no place this is truer than in marriage. God wants your marriage relationship to make you and your wife more like Him. God wants to use your marriage to help make you not just happy but, more importantly, holy. As we learn to embrace God's plan for marri...

  It takes money to have fun in college, and it’s no secret that tuition and costs go up every year. But with classes scattered throughout the day and even at night, how can you add a job? That’s why more and more college students are opting to go into starting their own business to fit their skills and limited time. Here are 9 business ideas that cost little-to-no money that you can build while you’re still in college. 1. Residential cleaning service Image credit: heshphoto | Getty Images Startup costs: up to $50 In search of a part-time job that caters to your busy class schedule? A residential cleaning service can be a viable option. In 2009, 21-year-old Kristen Hadeed posted an online ad offering residential cleaning services. After successfully cleaning her first home, Hadeed was able to build her network of clients solely off referrals. “With cleaning, it’s a trust thing. When you trust someone, they’ll refer you,” explains Hadeed. Cleaning homes granted Hadeed the...

 One of the most important tasks of a leader is to identify potential new leaders. If a church or organization is to grow, finding new leaders is critical. Equally vital is the quality of leaders being discovered. Good leaders learn to look for qualities in people which are conducive to good leadership. If you want to have a culture which reproduces leaders, read THIS POST first. But, where do you find these people who can be future servant leaders? I find it helps to look for certain qualities, which all good leaders need or qualities which, consistently over time, seem to make good leaders. Of course, in context of the church, the Bible gives us clear guidance in selecting senior leaders (who will hopefully also be servants). But, my church is always in need of new servant leaders – from the parking lot to the hallways every Sunday. Where do we find a continual pool of new leaders? The following are traits I look for in leaders I hope to develop or with whom I want to work. ...

10 Best Practices for Making a Good Impression Do you want people to like you? Then make sure you do these things when you’re with them. Admit it: You judge people. Whether it’s the new guy in the cubicle next to you, the girl you always see on the phone in the hallway or the person at the coffee counter, we attach a fast glimpse at someone’s behavior to an impression, good or bad. And you’re lying to yourself if you think other people aren’t doing the same to you. So what do other people think of you ? Do they like you as soon as they meet you? We asked the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), “What is your No. 1 tip for making a great impression?” Here are their suggestions… and we suggest you try them: 1. Smile. Simply smiling can be one of the best ways to make a good impression on anyone. If you enter a situation without one, it could put a negative impression on a potentially difficult situation. And smiling just makes you feel happier and releases bad emotions. —John Rampto...

7 Ways to Earn and Keep Respect as a Husband I have written before about a man’s greatest need. It’s respect. We may not even admit it out loud, but I’d say it’s true most every time. You may even use another word – perhaps even the word love, but I suspect if we could trace how you’d prefer it be demonstrated to you we could easily translate it to respect. The song says “All you need is love”, but it’s not exactly true, is it? We need respect. It’s a man’s greatest need. I’m convinced. If I’m right – (And, I always wonder why else God would command it in Ephesians 5?) – then it makes sense you’d want to earn it and if you ever received it you’d want to do your best to keep it. How can you? Let me share a few suggestions. Here are 7 ways for a husband to earn and keep respect: Defend the family. Most every wife I know wants a husband who will defend the family. This not just against the bumps in the night, but against the blatant and subtle attacks against the family. Turn ...