A popular scripture in Matthew 22:39 says “…Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”. When this scripture is discussed, the focal part of the discussion is usually about loving your neighbor. Some do not notice the implied commandment to love thyself. If you do not love yourself, then loving your neighbor as yourself would not be a charitable action. There is immense power in loving yourself, and I will illustrate an easy way to bring this power into your life.   This way to

Welcome to March! March Madness is in full swing, and the NBA playoffs are right around the corner with the best coaches and players competing against each other from all over the country. As a basketball fan there is no better time of the year. As with any team sport, it is imperative to have a team 100% committed to the coach's game plan in order to have success. If even one player decides to be selfish and not follow the game plan the whole team suffers. So how do you deve

“Let’s get the facts straight.” “Just give me the facts.” “The facts of the matter are…” “Factual speaking…” “I’ve seen the facts.” “Face the facts.” “Your facts are wrong.” “My source is factual.” “Facts, facts, facts…” Many discussions in our current society begin or end with the term “facts” being thrown around, with one side trying to prove its point through the use of the “facts” they have. Yet, despite the high utilization rate of the term “facts”, it doesn’t seem to be

“Would there be enough evidence to convict you?” I remember hearing this question once, and it has consistently remained at the back of my mind since I heard it. The person asking the question was in a church setting, and they had said “If someone accused you of being a member of this church, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” While the question was asked in application to a particular church, it struck me in how much it applies to what I believe. When I ask myse

Have you ever heard of the Grain of Mustard Seed parable? It is one that has passed the test of time, being passed down over the last 2000 years. Its message is that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains - and nothing will be impossible to you. I had been thinking about this parable quite a bit before the following realization hit me: You don't have to have faith the size of a mountain to move a mountain.   This parable is trying to give a small

I stood at the front of the classroom, starting to teach a new concept and technique to my elementary art students. I was so excited to teach this new project. I had spent days coming up with the concept, gathering and preparing the proper materials to create it and the history behind the technique. I was excited and committed to this project. The response from the class was varied, as expected, but I knew once they got started, they would be just as excited. In front of them

Do you struggle to find hope in the world around you? Take a moment and ask yourself these next few questions: What is your reason for getting out of bed each day? Why do you go to work? What are you working toward? Where would you like to see yourself in 5-10 years? If you struggled to answer any of these questions, then you could probably use some help strengthening your belief. We go to work so we can pay our bills and or provide for our families, but why? Maybe we're look

You’ve felt the whisper. You know the truth. You are more than your past and your current situation. You came here to do something important. You know you have the capacity to help shape and change this world. That whisper within pushes us to be someone we are not now. It prompts us to start on a journey, one whose destination we do not know and one whose path we do not fully see.   You are not an average person. You are not here by mistake. You are the change the world needs

Jim stared at Steve, the company’s vice president. “Really?” he thought angrily. “You really want us to double sales before the year ends? It took twenty years to get sales to where they are, and now you think it’s possible to just double that in a little over five months?”  Glancing around the room, the reaction of his co-workers appeared mixed. Dave looked tired as usual. Cindy looked excited and Gerald looked as angry as he felt. A mixture of the same emotions appeared in

There is a story of an old horse that fell into a dry well. The old horse was mildly injured from the fall, and, due to the shape and size of the well, the people trying to help the horse could not get it out with the limited tools they had. After some discussion, they decided it would be best to put the old horse out of its misery. They could not safely fire a gun into the well, as they could not see the horse or the bottom of the well and the chance of a ricocheted bullet w