Christmas Meditations

Merry Christmas!  The march is on to December 25.  Make it a good trip.  Go fast enough to get in all that delights and inspires you.  Go slowly enough to savor the important and distinguished moments.  

Drink deeply from the cup of fellowship, friendship and love - especially love.

Click on any underlined links below that are of interest to you. 


Christmas Greetings

A Christmas Memory

A Candlelight of Love

Christmas Hope

When Love Was Enough at Christmas

The Story of Silent Night

What the Bells Say

Hope Is Coming

Christmas Wins Again

What Child Indeed

God Is a User

The Inn Keeper

The Man and the Birds

The Baby In His Arms

The Birth of Jesus

What's So Special about December 25th?

The Trip to Bethlehem

Why Santa Claus

The Angels

What about Those Shepherds

Just Another Sleepy Night

His Love ... Reaching


Merry Christmas!

Michael Biggs
Offering Hope
Encouragement Inspiration
One Word at a Time

Books Take Us Places

A more apt title for this post might be “We Take Books Places.”  Allow me to explain.

For some time now Carolyn has been reading to me as we drive.  This is one of the great joys of our marriage.  It is a shared event and provides us with wonderful conversation moments as we dissect the characters and thoughts provided. 

We catch reading moments every chance we get.

~On the way to the gym – 15 minutes each way

~On the way to church 30 minutes each way

~Driving to our Friday night date-night location

~When taking a drive around the beautiful countryside of the northwest

And just about any other time we are in the car

At the beginning of November we were searching for our next read and decided to start Christmas a bit early.  Just last night we finished The Christmas Train by David Baldacci.  I must say, this is by far one of the best, most entertaining and memorable books we've read together.  I would highly recommend this to you.

Look at some of the books we've read in recent months and years.

The Christmas Train – David Baldacci

The Harry Potter Series – J K Rowling

The Chronicles of Narnia – C S Lewis

Jobs – Biography of Steve Jobs

Jefferson – by Brodie

A book of Christmas stories

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The Adventures of the Three Musketeers

Angels and Demons – Dan Brown

The da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

Partners for Life – Dave LeShana

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

A Severe Mercy – C S Lewis

Help Thanks Wow – Anne Lamont

Daring Greatly – Brene Brown

Ragamuffin Gospel – Brennan Manning

The Furious Longing of God – Brennan Manning

Ruthless Trust – Brennan Manning

What’s So Amazing about Grace – Philip Yancey

And many more.

It’s sort of like reading to your kids at bedtime.  You create memories and you tell great stories

Never underestimate the power of a great book, especially when shared.

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

The Pursuit of Better

Are you in pursuit? 

Those of us who pursue continually strive, even when weary. 

If we stumble, we pick ourselves up. 

If we are tired, we rest, and then pick up the mantle of pursuit once revived. 

If discouraging words are tossed our way, we use the shards of those words to make a staircase to the next rung on the proverbial ladder, and we keep climbing.  We keep pursuing. 

~This is the way of the champion. 

~This is the way of the one who changes the world.

~This is the way of the one who builds empires. 

~This is the way of the one who writes books, songs, symphonies, poems and rhapsodies which inspires the world.

~This is the way of the retail merchant who wants to be the best.

~This is the way of the manufacturer of shoes who wants the world to wear his shoes.

~This is the way of the speaker who wants to move men’s hearts.

We constantly pursue better. 

We pursue better, even in the face of discouragement.  We pursue it on rainy days, and cold days.  We pursue it when we are broke and hungry.

We pursue. 

We chase the dream, because it is all we have thought of for a very long time.

If we come in 5^th this year, we dream of first place next year.  If we miss by an inch, we train and strengthen our core so that we exceed by two inches next time.

If we trip on our own shoelaces, we tighten them tighter next time, and strap them down, tuck them in and do it all over again.

We pursue better.

Why?

Because we can see that we are better.  We can run a little faster, lift a little more, write a bit more keenly, make the melody soar a bit more and make the poem rhyme with a more resounding ring.

We see that we are better, and we run toward better.

Nothing less will do.

WE PURSUE BETTER!

What will your “better” look like tomorrow?

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Pauses in the Battle

The battle rages.  We are compelled to do more, to make more money, to do better, to have more, to understand life, to climb higher and faster, and to win.  Whew.  I’m worn out just from contemplating this list.

The intensity of life grows and expands with every new day.  You’ve heard the expression “It’s a jungle out there.”  And the jungle needs continual trimming down to size. 

Help!  Stop the merry-go-round and let me off.  At least stop the spinning for a moment.

Stop it indeed.

Where is the answer?  Consider this:  Look for it in the pauses in the battle.  Sometimes we create the pauses. 

Steven Covey’s now famous quote comes to mind.  “Take time to sharpen the saw.”  He wrote that in 7 Habits of Highly Successful People.  

Burn-out is still a popular topic in the workplace.  The cause of burnout is because we have forgotten to look for the pauses in the battle.  I love my work, and especially my days off.  Those are the pauses in the battle that recharge and restore me. 

The aware individual learns to listen for the pauses and make the most of them.  The effective individual learns about the ebb and flow of the battlefield, and in the pauses, he/she takes stock of his life, of her heart and of his mindset. 

~Is my sword still sharp?

~Is my attitude and mindset tuned in to the right frequency?

~Are my muscles toned with proper tension and relief?

~Are my necessary tools readily at hand?

~Is my life in balance?

~Does faith and optimism still burn in my soul?

Paulo Coelho says this in his great book “Warrior of the Light”. 

Sometimes equipment and people need maintenance.  Sometimes ‘stuff’ breaks and has to be replaced.  Sometimes our best employee moves on and has to be replaced.  And sometimes we need to seek out the pauses in the battle in order to recharge and recover.

And so we maintain. 

We fix

  We replace

    We repair

      We clean

        We sharpen

We do the work that is required so that we can face another day on the battlefield and gain some new ground.

If we are tired, we rest.  We recreate – we vacation – we take our scheduled days off.

The battle will always be there.  For today – find a pause and do something with that.

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Good in the Long Run

Have you ever been lucky?  Have you had some new venture that really wowed the world the first time out of the chute?  When a person is good at the beginning, perhaps all that really happened is this – they got lucky.

They Got Lucky!

And do you know what?  Luck is not a strategy.  Strategies take time and thought.  Strategies sometimes fall apart.  Strategies sometimes miss the mark and we lose money.

Too bad, isn’t it?  We wanted to be great out of the chute. 

We wanted …

               To woo

                         To wow

                                   And to win.

However, there is some good news after all.

Being ‘good’ over the long haul is simply a matter of effort, tenacity, and some really smart practices that get honed and fine-tuned on the playing field.

None of my grandkids learned to walk 30 days after their birth.  Nor did they walk 60 days after.  Today they all walk and talk, smile and laugh.  They’ve become ‘good in the long run’ and so have your kids and grandkids.  And it is so in whatever you find to do with your life and talents.

Have you noticed that people who are good in the long run sometimes fail a lot?  Their early days are less than perfect.  That is called “paying the price” for becoming good in the long run. 

With every stumble and every blunder we learn.  We learn because we want to be good in the long run.  If we interviewed many of today’s successful people, they would tell stories of their failures in the beginning.  Failure is a part of the deal.  It is the price one pays for being good in the long run. 

Every rejection is a gift.  It is our chance to learn to do it better.

And in the long run, there is a better than average chance that we will be one of those who has a long and prosperous run.

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

A Word of Gratitude

Thursday, October 23, 2014 marks the five year anniversary for my blog writing life.  This milestone is a simple prayer of gratitude.  Can you take a few minutes and share this with me?

Gratitude 1:

Thanks be to God for the inspiration and ideas that have come to me in odd moments and in sometimes obscure ways.  As a writer, I am ever on the search for the next great idea and I never know when that idea will strike my heartstrings.  All I can add is this … a prayer of “help” with every post, and a prayer of “blessing” on those who might take the time to read my thoughts. 

My bi-line has and always will be “offering hope, encouragement and inspiration one word at a time.”  I live to encourage.  Sometimes it is with a scriptural text.  Other times, it is a great thought or quote from some wise person that just simply applies to a life principle.  If you are encouraged or offered hope, then I have fulfilled my mission for that moment in time.  What more can a writer ask for?

Gratitude 2:

I have found inspiration from other authors of books, magazine articles, blog posts and quotes both in print and on the Internet that have contributed to my posts.  In every case I have attempted to be faithful to record and recognize the contributors. 

My fellow writers, you are heroes.  Sometimes I mimic your style, lift a word or phrase here and there, and often quote whole passages.  You say things so much more clearly than I could ever create and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Gratitude 3:

To those of you who have taken time to read my words, I am humbled and so grateful.  On my computer I have a file of your responses, expressions of gratitude and your words of encouragement back to me.  I think of you with every word and sentence.  Am I making sense?  Am I writing on a topic that addresses a need for you?  Am I presenting my thoughts in fresh ways with fresh insights – not a rehash of old babble?

I’ve received sufficient responses that keep me coming back to the keyboard.  For yet another day, week, month and year the keyboard calls because you have let me know you are listening, reading and receiving. 

I am humbled at your responses. 

And now … the desire to write is still strong within me.  The search continues for my ultimate goal … “To write the blog heard around the world.”

And why?

Because I only want to do one thing …

Offer Hope, Encouragement, and Inspiration to mankind one word at time.

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Believe in What You Do

Do you buy into whatever it is you do?  Do you do what you do out of a sense of commitment, dedication, passion, purpose?

I write in my particular style because it appears some people find encouragement from my books and blogs.  I believe in my gift of encouragement and abilities to form thoughts that bring hope.  Therefore I believe in my abilities as a writer.

My friend Chuck believes in retail sales and ministry through his rather large Christian bookstore in Spartanburg, South Carolina.  He’s been in the business now for over thirty years and he is very good at what he does.  He believes in that venture.

Bob, my recording engineer friend in Nashville believes he makes a difference in pushing buttons and making recording artists sound as great as he possibly can.  And he is an award winning engineer in doing so.  Bob believes in his craft and in his ability to do it exceptionally well. 

Most of us have had jobs in which we suffocated rather than thrived.  For us, those moments, months and years were pure mundane living.  Ah, but when the day comes and we find our niche, we come alive.  Belief kicks in and we soar.  And so does belief in our destiny.

What is your “calling”?

What do you believe you can do?

I sincerely hope you find your “thing” and do it with abandon.

Seth Godin, a writer from whom I get a lot inspiration, says this:

“Do you believe in what you do?  Every day?  It turns out that belief happens to be a brilliant strategy.”

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time