The Grip

When Carolyn and I walk anywhere for any length of time we always hold hands.  When we walk with our grandkids we especially hold the hand of the younger ones. 

The critical point is this:  The one doing the holding is the one doing the guiding.

Great thought - which leads to this.

I’m finding it a good thing these days to allow God to hold my hand, rather than for me to hold his hand. 

Here’s the point. 

When God holds my hand I get to do more trusting.  He knows the way.  He knows where we’re headed and he will find the best route home.

We do the same with Adia, Eliot and Grey.  We guide them to where we should go with gentle nudges.  They follow – they hold our hands and we all make it safely to the other side.

Don’t try to hold hands with God.  Let him hold yours. 

Just follow His nudges, His subtleties, and His insights.

It really is a TRUST thing.

If He is holding your hand He’ll never let go.  We are human.  Sometimes we lose our grip. 

 

Not God.  He never loses His grip.  He never lets go.

I find great comfort in that thought today.

P Michael Biggs

UP-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Good News about Ordinary

What a bold title.  You mean there is good news in being ordinary?

Michael Jordan was an ordinary kid.  He was cut from his high school basketball team.  And he took that defeat and turned his ordinary talent on the court into a stellar talent.  He did the hard work.  He practiced early and late, after a losing game and after all others had gone home from practice.

But he was just an ordinary kid.

Mia Hamm was ordinary, but she desired to be extra-ordinary.  She became exceptional.  How?  She played against soccer players older and better than she was.  She dared to become a great one. 

But she was just an ordinary player at first.

See the trend here?  Ordinary abounds.  The world reeks with ordinary. 

But look what happens when the ordinary person meets a strong desire to excel. 

A superstar emerges.  Notice I didn’t say a superstar is born.  Stars aren’t born.  Stars are made.

If an individual shows an early sign of greatness, that is awesome.  However, unless someone takes that raw, exceptional talent and hones it, shapes it, and drills into that young budding all-star some skill, training and attitude principles, sooner or later that rising star will crash and burn. 

But if that budding talent has the will and the desire to excel – look out world.  You just might see a touch of greatness emerge.

Talent is a good thing. 

Talent that is continually shaped, taught and directed becomes stellar talent.

Do you think you’re not good enough? 

Do you have a strong desire to excel?

What are you willing to do about that?

Something to consider – now and forever.

P Michael Biggs

www.up-words.net

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Enough

In a world that seems to crave more-more-more, I have some great news about enough-enough-enough.

I find this thought refreshing.

“There is an anticipation and an electricity about God’s presence in my life that I have never experienced before.  I can only tell you that for the first time in my life I can hear Jesus whisper to me every day, “Michael, I love you.  You are beloved.”  And for some strange reason, that seems to be enough.”

~Mike Yaconelli

Co-founder Youth Specialties

“The Wittenburg Door”

To discover that Christ loves us and that is enough is shattering to our do-good mindset of religiosity.  Sometimes it becomes more than we can take in.  We are led to believe salvation comes from doing, not being. 

Some would have you believe that God is saying …

“Run around the mountain seven times”

  “Say your prayers”

    “Eat your veggies”

      “Read ONLY your Bible”

      “Tithe”

      “Give”

    “Visit the sick and afflicted”

  “Shop only at Christian bookstores”

And a few thousand other qualifiers that don’t amount to much in God’s sight

God’s love, as experienced through Christ Jesus is enough. 

God’s love is enough

For today

For tomorrow

For the one who hurts you most

God’s love is enough

For the one who loves you the least

For your creditors

For your bosses

For your employees

God’s love is enough

For every person

Everywhere

In every language

With every dress code

God’s love is enough … For YOU.

Simple - really.

He loves me whether I’m …

Good or bad

Go to church or not

Do good stuff or sit on my b---

… And regardless of my drink of choice

Let’s revisit this:

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky

~ Frederick M. Lehman

There is enough love for you and me.

  

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Do You Know What You Want?

A story:

One of my favorite books is The Winds of War by Herman Wouk.  In this book, Mr. Wouk recounts a scene in which General E. J. Tillet, military author and one of the commanding generals for England during WWII, is speaking to the main character named Pug Henry.  Tillet is making an observation about Hermann Goering.

He said this:  “He’s wasted a whole bloody month bombing harbors and pottering about after convoys.  He’s only got till September the fifteenth.  His mission is mastery of the air, not blockade.  Define your mission!  Define your mission and stick to it!”  

I love that.  It speaks volumes to all of us.  Without a mission in sight what are we doing?  Without a vision of what we want and where we want to go, where are we going?

In the book Three Feet from Gold by Sharon L. Lechter & Greg S. Reid, we find this thought in chapter ten: 

“The man who actually knows just what

he wants in life has already gone a long way

towards attaining it.”

I’m in love with the whole idea of defining our mission and knowing what we want out of life. 

A personal story:

I’ve talked about being a writer and speaker for over thirty years.  And for much of that time it was only talk.  I did publish a few magazine articles along the way, but kept the idea of publishing a book at arm’s length.  I just would not commit to a title and subject to pursue this dream.

Time passed.  I began blogging.  That led me to a defining mission statement, which is:

And that has ultimately led me to my first book to be published in September 2013.  The book is titled The Letters, and will be in all major distribution systems.

Now, with clarity and certainty I have a vision of my dream in living color, with a handle on it, a focus for my dream, and a plan for its accomplishment.

Be encouraged.  Your dream is waiting for you too.  Give it thought, paint it, picture it, color it, and name it. 

You will be amazed at the steps that begin to reveal themselves once you take the first step.

P Michael Biggs

www.up-words.net

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

The Available Talent Pool

Let me tell you some true stories.

I have a friend named Bob who reads these weekly blogs.  He is a recording engineer in Nashville.  Bob has seen every evolution in the music business from inside the engineer’s booth for going on forty years. 

He made a decision long ago to pursue the world of recording engineer, and today Bob is still on top of the heap, as one of the top studio recording engineers in Nashville.  Bob has always been “available talent”, and he plies his craft with grace and professionalism. 

You see ...

My friend Chuck owns a large Christian bookstore in Spartanburg, South Carolina.  He is a third generation family bookstore owner.  

Thirty years ago, when Chuck was just getting started good, I don’t know if he saw his store to the size and dimensions it is today, but he has been faithful to this work.  He shows up every day and uses his talents.  This bookstore business is also a ministry.  People come to his store from miles around just because it is “different”.  You can sense it the moment you walk in the door. 

You see, Chuck is available.

And then there is Lady Di.  She works for Chuck.  When I first met her she billed herself as “Lady Di, who is “feisty, fair, and over forty”.  

My goodness, she is amazing in how she uses her great musical knowledge and passion to love and serve her customers at Chuck’s store.  She is the one to turn to if you want to know what is happening in and around the choral music world. 

Lady Di is a minister to ministers of music in her corner of the world.

She is part of the “available talent pool” that God uses. 

I got this blog idea from Philip Yancey.  He wrote the forward for Brennan Manning’s book All Is Grace.  He said – “God uses the talent pool available.”

I love the concept of being a part of the talent pool that God can use. 

And what I love most is this …

God will use us, right here in our corner of the world with our resources and skill set whether they be meager or immense.    

Can you write a note of encouragement?  God can use that.

Can you bake a coconut pie?  God can use that.

Can you …

-Fix a flat tire

-Paint a fence

-Install a toilet

-Make a new neighbor feel welcomed

-Teach a new skill to a younger person

-Help a struggling senior adult with their computer

-Sing a song

-Write a blog

-Record an album

-Play the violin

-Write original music

-Start a business

God can use that.

Shucks … God can use anybody!

P Michael Biggs

www.up-words.net

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Transformers

Imagination is the greatest transformer tool we have at our disposal.  What can be done with some imagination? 

Just look around us.  In any store in the world we see the results of someone’s imagination.  On any given day individuals all over the world are transforming something common and ordinary into yet another widget or gadget to enhance or entertain our lives.

J K Rowling says it best.

“We do not need magic to transform our world.

We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already.

We have the power to imagine better.”

The secret ingredient is imagination.  Everything from the invention of the wheel to today’s most advanced technological creations all started in someone’s imagination.

~Improved relationships come about because of

transformative thinking.

~A better, easier life comes from transformational thinking.

~World resolve will come about because of transformational thinking.

Where do you get your transformational ideas?

How do we tune into sources and resources that power this kind of thinking?

For me, books hold the key.  I am an avid reader and usually have two or three books going at one time.  These often become my source for ideas and inspiration. 

What works for you?

It is amazing how the idea generation process works.  I’ve had ideas come to me in stillness and quiet reflection, and I’ve had them pop into my mind in the middle of rush hour traffic.  It’s not so much the “where” they happen as it is the “capturing of them” that is significant. 

Capture your imagination, and then find those moments when deeper thought can give them feet and wings.  Transform those imaginings into real possibilities.

It is all there waiting on receivers. 

That’s us!

  

P Michael Biggs

www.up-words.net

Offering Hop

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time 

Forgiveness Peace Reconciliation

If I were a shouting person, I would be shouting in your ear right now.  And the words would be the constant message that Christ offers.

Forgiveness, peace and reconciliation for all, without exception.

Forgiveness – “for all have sinned and fall short ...”

Romans 3:23

Peace – “… and the peace of Christ which passes all understanding will guard your heart …”

Philippians 4:6-7

Reconciliation – “… forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

Col 3:13

And the greatest phrase of all is this – “for all, without exception.”

Are you 18 or 82? 

                    You are included.

Do you live in Latvia or Louisiana? 

                    You are included.

Is your skin color white or tan, darkest black or mocha? 

                    You are included.

Do you speak five languages, or only your native tongue? 

                    You are included.

Have you blown it a few times in your life? 

                    You are included.

Did you stumble today in a recurring sin, or has it been a week or two of sinless living?

                    You are included.

You see, we are all included in this great reconciliation invitation of Christ.

Accept it and believe it. 

Actually, believe in the one who is inviting.

P Michael Biggs

www.up-words.net

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Sometimes We Just Get Wet

In her book Daring Greatly, Brene Brown tells the story of her daughter Ellen having to swim at a swim meet in an event in which she is absolutely horrid.  Ellen wanted to run and hide on the day of the event.  Brene and Steve had another idea.

In the end, they encourage Ellen to “just get wet”, knowing she would not perform as well as the other girls.  It is the spirit of participating for participation’s sake that is at play here.

Ellen thought she would die inside by having to swim this event.  As she came over to Brene and Steve after the race, she used their words – “at least I got wet.”

I find that inspirational.

Sometimes we just have to get wet, knowing we won’t win.  Sometimes we just show up and participate. 

A further illustration helps with this point from the 2012 Olympic Games.

“In one of the semifinals for the men’s 400 meter race, Kirani James, the 19-year-old from Grenada with an irrepressible smile, came in first, and Oscar Pistorius, the South African double amputee, came in last. 

After the heat, James embraced Pistorius and gave him his bib – the name tag each runner wears – as a sign of respect.  It wasn't repeated a hundred times on TV.  It wasn't some big, celebrated triumph.  It was just this moment of connection, the best of what sports can foster. 

It was a quiet note of grace.” 

~Bob Costas

 NBC Sportscaster

Did you catch the part about Pistorius being a double amputee?  Imagine that – a double amputee running in a race where speed and physical togetherness is the essence of the sport.  Yet, he showed up, double amputee and all and ran the race.  He Got Wet.

-Sometimes we do the thing just because it needs doing. 

-Sometimes we do the thing because we want to see what we can do.

-Sometimes we do the thing just because we can, with no thought of anything but the accomplishment of the doing regardless of the outcome.

Sometimes we just GET WET!

And in the middle of the soaking, we are planting seeds that will come back to us in ways untold. 

Those seeds sometimes look like this …

   Self strengthening

   Self assurance

   A Sense of accomplishment

P Michael Biggs

www.up-words.net

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

One Set of Footprints

A gentle reminder for all of us - Be encouraged.

When trying times comes, we have a hope and a promise.

When things are tough, we have a source and a companion who guides us through the maze.

I’m borrowing from my favorite author.

“What he (God) promised was that

during our desolate hours there would be

one set of footprints.”

~Ruthless Trust

Brennan Manning

This whole concept of trust is easy to talk about, yet in the

throes of danger and concerns it is the least natural thing to do.  We prefer to fret, stew, moan, complain, worry, and do everything except trust. 

And the one in whom we should trust is simply standing by, waiting for an opportunity to show Himself, His Grace, His Mercy, and His Presence.

He wants to show Himself in every circumstance of our lives.

He will be the one set of footprints if we allow Him to be.

“Oh for grace to trust Him more.”

P Michael Biggs

www.up-words.net

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time