Life's Rule #3

In baseball we don’t stand a chance of getting on base unless we step into the batter’s box. 

Life’s Rule #3 is simple:

If you do not step forward,

you will always be

in the same place.

I talked of being a writer for over thirty years.  None of my writings produced themselves.  No one came to me and asked me to write for them.  It was the act of stepping forward that led to my first published magazine article, video script and ultimately my first book. 

And along the way, by sticking out our necks, look how we improve.  We go through the testing chambers to see if we have the stuff of consistency and longevity, and as we improve something within us begins to take over.  It is a confidence that speaks to our inner spirit.

And that quiet voice whispers:

“This is your moment.” 

“This is your destiny.” 

“Show the world your stuff.”

The act of stepping forward has tremendous power and energy in it.  It is also a great test of tremendous courage.  It takes great courage to step forward, speak out, show your stuff, write and publish your book, or record your songs. 

How do you know what you can do unless you do step forward?

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Statue with No Hands

It’s story-time. 

“After World War II, a group of German students volunteered to help rebuild a cathedral in England, one of the many casualties of the Luftwaffe bombings.  As the work progressed, a debate broke out on how to best restore a large statue of Jesus with his arms outstretched and bearing the familiar inscription, “Come unto me.” 

Careful patching could repair all damage to the statue except for Christ’s hands, which had been destroyed by bomb fragments.  Should they attempt the delicate task of reshaping those hands?

Finally the workers reached a decision that still stands today.  The statue of Jesus has no hands, and the inscription now reads,

And so it is today.

We could go a hundred different directions with this idea today. 

Yes, there are hungry to feed.

Yes, there are cold and lonely souls in need of warm clothing.

People are in need of shelters to keep the wind off them.

And the list goes on.

In the middle of this mix of want and need, allow my voice to cry out for common decency for every man, every woman.

We show more of Christ with our kind and gentle spirit than we ever do with handing someone a few bills out our car window on a windy street corner.

We show the hands of Christ every time we speak to our kids, grand-kids, siblings and spouses. 

Every time!

We show the hands of Christ to retail clerks, grocery store stockers, window washers, co-workers and nosy neighbors. 

Living out the Christian lifestyle is more than going to church, singing a few songs, reading a few scriptures and avoiding curse words on Sunday.

It is expressed in the mundane of life.  It is shown at 6 A.M.   when the alarm rings and it is shown when the pot boils over and dinner is ruined. 

It is shown when your sports team wins and when it loses.

It is shown when you see a beautiful person walking down the street and when you pass the beggar in the alley.

We show the hand of Christ in every word, every thought, every action and every reaction.

May the world see the love of God in our hands, hear it in our voices, and sense it in our essence as we pass by.

The old poker rule is “don’t show your hand”.

The God-way is this:

Show the soft side of your hand, for in showing it you show HIM!

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Life's Rule #2

Here’s the thing – we have to do the “ask” thing.  My wife and step-son are in nonprofit fundraising.  They often speak of the “Ask” as an integral part of their work in showing organizations how to effectively solicit funds.

Rule #2 simply stated is this:

If you do not ask, the answer will always be “NO”.

Most married people, sooner or later, had to ask the “will you marry me” question.

Most sales people have to ask for the sale, the deal, the money or whatever the commitment is.

We ask. 

Even the Holy scriptures have an encouraging word on this subject.

 James 4:2

You don’t have because you don’t ask.

~James 4:2

On February 16, 2012, I posted a blog entitled Ask for Help.  Please follow this link.  Ask for Help Blog

It is amazing just how much help is available when we dare ask.

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Ants in Your Pants

I just created a whole passel of visual imagery in your mind with this title.  Ants in your pants – they ‘ain’t no fun’ as we used to say in Tennessee.

I found this great quote:

“Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith.  They keep it awake and moving.”

~Frederick Beuchner

How many talks, sermons and books have you heard or read on the subject of “faith”?  And they all boil down to this one fact – we either have faith in God or we don’t.  There is no middle ground. 

And when doubt raises its ugly head, the creepy crawlies come in.  We begin to get restless.  We stem and stew, we worry and fret, and we moan and groan. 

Faith and ants in the pants don’t mix. 

Faith and moaning, worrying, stewing do not mix.

What has God said to us in the past?

How has God led us in the past?

Where has our strength come from in the past?

He has not changed.  He is the same today as yesterday. 

~Hebrews 13:8

Jesus reaches out his hand to us just as in this scripture and asks the same question – “Why do you doubt?”

~Matthew 14:31

Faith is the surety of what we hope for. 

~Hebrews 11:1

Faith is one of the most difficult of graces to practice.  We live in such a fact-based society that it goes contrary to everything with which we are bombarded.

Yet the admonition stands.  Have faith. 

In my book The Letters, you’ll find this word of encouragement in a letter from God.

FIFTY-THREE

Dear Child:

You are concerned about my credentials.  Allow me to present a recent resume.

I created the world.

I formed you in my own image.

I put within you gifts and skills for your good.

I have given you the power to choose.

I am close to the brokenhearted.

I speak words of comfort to the comfortless.

I revive crushed spirits.

I redeem the wasted life.

I heal.

I restore.

I forgive.

I redeem.

No prostitute is too far gone.

No drunk is beyond my forgiveness.

No stubborn minded individual is beyond reach.

I love the brilliant.

I adore the simpleton.

I understand the agnostic.

I yearn for the atheist.

I can see beyond what you can see.

I can lead in the dark.

I can keep you safe in the middle of a storm.

I can stop your enemy.

I can restore nations.

I can encourage the downhearted.

I am God. 

I love you and I really like you.

God

When we come to our end, our testimony is found in this great faith statement.

~2 Timothy 4:7

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Life's Rules #1

Today’s class will be a brief one so listen up.

Rule #1 for life:

If you do not go after what you want you’ll never have it.

Personal story:  For thirty years I have talked of being a writer.  No one came knocking on my door and asked me to write and speak for them.  By first putting myself out there with a handful of blogs and other work-related writing assignments I now have the confidence to say “I am a writer, and I have a history to prove it.”  And with three books published this year, the title of “writer” is mine to claim. 

Note the active part of me had to pursue this dream.  It is in the going after a dream that makes it come true.  

Very few people get married without first doing the asking part.  The popularity of any product or service we use today was first an idea in someone’s mind, and then the marketing team came along and went after their market share of buyers for their market niche.   

They asked for the order!

That is what effective sales people do.

That is what currently married people once did.

That is what any producer of goods and services must do – we ask for the commitment to buy, or join or use what we bring forth.

What are you going after?

  

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Finding Meaning

Finding meaning and purpose in life is a pretty satisfying accomplishment.  We are all seekers in pursuit of happiness and success, and that looks very different to each person.

One of the more significant books I’ve read is Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning”.  Dr. Frankl was a victim of the Nazi concentration camps and he survived the experience.

How he survived is of interest to us in this space today.  Dr. Frankl concluded from this horrific experience that “man can only live by looking into the future.”

I doubt whether any of us reading this today have experienced the horrors of a prisoner-of-war encampment, yet the principle is true. 

Are you a stay-at-home mom?

Are you a career diplomat?

Do you sell gadgets?

Do you sing or write books?

Do you teach?

Then you must constantly be a person who is looking into the future.  We all have hopes and dreams, and it is in pursuit of those dreams that we find fulfillment and hope.

Many of my readers have their own faith-based religious views.  At the heart of those beliefs you will find a faith and confidence in the God of our understanding who gives our lives meaning.

Dr. Frankl observed first-hand that those who survived the Nazi work/death camps did so because they clung to hope for some kind of future happiness.  There is a deep sense inside each human being for a sense of purpose.  Mankind wants desperately to find meaning in life.

Frankl notes this:  “Man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz.  However, he is also the being who emerged from those chambers upright, with the Lord’s Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips.”

Finding meaning is the ultimate outlook on life.  Frankl says:  “Everything can be taken away from man but one thing – to choose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances; to choose one’s own way.” 

Dr. Frankl held onto the image he carried in his mind of his beloved wife and his hope for their future.  He saw many succumb who could have survived, yet perished because they lacked the will.  They lacked will because they lacked hope.

Man can only survive by looking to the future.  Meaning must

be found, not given.  

And so we bring this home. 

Where are you finding meaning in your life? 

Some find it in a highly fulfilling job.

Others in their family and kids

Religious beliefs are great sources for meaning in life

A sense of calling motivates others, and we’re not just talking about being a preacher, minister, priest or missionary.

In some ways I am called to write and speak, offering hope, encouragement, and inspiration one word at a time.

Meet a few of my friends who have found significance in their work.

~Chuck is called to the bookstore world.

~Ken is a genius at musical editing and arranging.

~Ronn is the world’s greatest symphonic orchestrator in my opinion.

~Myrle is one of the most engaging and knowledgeable policemen you would ever want to know.

What gives your life meaning?  Then do that one thing with all that is within you.  Do it with excellence.

Be great at your craft.

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

The Weight of a Burden

May I tell you a quick story?  (Unfortunately the origin of this story is lost from my files.)

A young lady confidently walked around the room with a raised glass of water.  As she paraded around the room she simply held the glass of water high in the air and said nothing. 

Everyone thought she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?'  She fooled them all. 

She asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?"

The answers ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it.  If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.  If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.  If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

She continued, "And that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.  

“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.  When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time we practice.”

She added more wisdom:  “So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night.  Pick them up tomorrow.  Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment.  Relax; pick them up later after you've rested.”

And she concluded with this:  “Life is short. Enjoy it now, and learn to manage the stressful moments.” 

Here are four stress management strategies to consider and the link to follow for the full article.

1.     Avoid unnecessary stress

-Learn how to say no

-Avoid people who stress you out

-Take control of your environment

-Avoid hot-button topics

-Par down your to-do list

2.   Alter the situation

-Express your feelings instead of bottling them up

-Be willing to compromise

-Be more assertive

-Manage your time better

3.   Adapt to the stressor

-Reframe problems

-Look at the big picture

-Adjust your standard

-Focus on the positive

4.   Accept the things you can’t change

-Don’t try to control the uncontrollable

-Look for the upside

-Share your feelings

-Learn to forgive

Follow this helpful link to read more:  

Stress management

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time