The below story is borrowed from Dr. John C. Maxwell. Love it!
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A man took his young daughter to a carnival, and she immediately ran over to a booth and asked for cotton candy. As the attendant handed her a huge ball of it, the father asked, “Sweetheart, are you sure you can eat all that?”
“Don’t worry, Dad,” she answered, “I’m a lot bigger on the inside than on the outside.”
That’s what real character is – being bigger on the inside.
Dr. John C. Maxwell has shared that while crises do not necessarily make one’s character, they certainly have the ability to reveal one’s character. Adversity is a crossroads that makes a person choose one of two paths: character or compromise. When character is a choice, growth is the result, even if in choosing character, the consequences are negative. The next time you have a decision to make which will have an impact on your role as a leader (within your household, group, school, organization, etc), make the most integritous choice, one that will strengthen your character.
#character #leadership
~Taken from The 21 Indispensable Qualities of A Leader
I read the devotional below in Pastor Rick Warren’s Daily Devotional and HAD to share. It is so very on point!
Did you know that the words that come out of our mouths are like a tool? Sometimes they’re like a sledgehammer. We swing away without thinking and end up with a pile of relational rubble. Sometimes they’re like a saw, cutting people down. If we keep using these tools, inevitably our relationships are going to suffer.
One reason we aren’t constructive with our words is we don’t realize how powerful they are; yet, I bet you can still remember things people said to you in a thoughtless way as far back as grade school or college. That’s how powerful words are. They leave a lasting impact. So when it comes to your mouth, think of it as a power tool and be very careful with it.
Here’s how to build instead of destroying with your words —
Stop excusing — Stop saying, “I didn’t really mean to say that.” Realize that what you say impacts everyone around you.
Talk less — If it’s a power tool, you don’t have to use it as much. One of the reasons we get in trouble is we just talk too much sometimes.
Listen more — If I listen more, I can understand people’s needs.
Start building — Think first of all, “What do they need?” How can I use a word of encouragement to build them up? How can I use a word of challenge to make a difference in someone’s life? How can I use my words to build up the people I love the most?
Ephesians 4:29 (ASV): “Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear.”
http://bible.com/12/eph.4.29.asv
#words
“Talent is a gift, but character is a choice.” Dr. John C. Maxwell
There are many things in life over which we do not have a choice, over which we do not have control. Character development is not one of them. Whoever we are, whatever type of leader we choose to become, it, indeed, is a choice. The positive of that is, if we are not the leaders we want to be, if we do not possess the character that we want to have as leaders, as long as we continue to breathe, we have the opportunity to change. As we become a better version of our selves, we effect positive change in those within our circles of influence, who then effect change in their circles of influence, and so forth and so on.
#character #leadership
Saw this on the door of a law professor and had to share. Too cute!
1. If I like it, it’s mine.
2. If it’s in my hand, it’s mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it’s mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.
5. If it’s mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I am doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks like mine, it is mine.
8. If I saw it first, it’s mine.
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
10. If it’s broken, it’s yours.
#toddlers #children
The unspoken and often, unsung, heroes that anchor us.
They are providers of tough love, encouragement, and the challenges that shape us and strengthen us.
Fathers are our coaches.
Fathers provide examples of what a princess should expect and what a man should be.
Fathers teach us when it’s OK to cry and when we must suck it up and press onward, when to accept defeat and when to fight for victory.
Fathers love us unconditionally.
Fathers are strength personified and love on legs.
To good fathers everywhere, thank you for giving us our first glimpse of God.
©2016 by Dr. Connie R. Shipman
I read this statement and thought it was freeing and therefore worth sharing:
“Remember, nothing you ever do will make God love you less. Nothing you ever do will make God love you more. He loves you completely right now.”
Isn’t it a release of worry, a cessation of anxiety, to know that God loves us the same, whether we are seemingly perfect or atrocious? He may not appreciate our actions or behaviors that hurt others or are contrary to His will, but He loves us. He loved me first. I love Him in return.
#Jesus
Hello Everyone,
Some of you may recall that I published a book of poetry via Kindle a couple of years ago. People asked if there will ever be a print version. Well, this is it, with additional poems included. With that said, I am very excited to invite you to pre-order my new book, Versatility. This collection of poetry holds my most personal considerations and everyday thoughts. I hope it will inspire you to live differently.
I want to thank you for all of your support! I’m proud of this light I am offering to the world. Mid-summer 2017!
Pre-order link: 
https://www.drconnieshipman.com/
“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.” – Helen Keller
#Hope
A way to determine how you can serve others is to ask yourself such questions as: What do I really enjoy doing most? When do I feel the most fully alive? What am I doing when I lose track of time? Do I like routine or variety? Do I prefer serving with a team or by myself? Am I more introverted or extroverted? Am I more a thinker or a feeler? Which do I enjoy more – competing or cooperating?
Examine your experiences and extract the lessons you’ve learned. Review your life and think about how it has shaped you.
Forgotten experiences are worthless; that’s a good reason to keep a spiritual journal. In the Bible, the Apostle Paul worried that the believers in Galatia would waste the pain they had been through. He said, “Were all your experiences wasted? I hope not!” (Galatians 3:4 NCV)
We rarely see God’s good purpose in pain or failure or embarrassment while it is happening. Only in hindsight do we understand how God intended a problem for good.
Extracting the lessons from your experiences takes time, but it can be for your benefit and the benefit of others. I recommend that you take an entire weekend for a life review retreat, where you pause to see how God has worked in the various defining moments of your life and consider how He wants to use those lessons to help others. This may provide clear direction on the way you can minister to, volunteer, or work with others.
Taken from Pastor Rick Warren’s Daily Devotion
#serving #purpose
My Therapy 