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Posts Tagged ‘Jesus’

“Merry Christmas” in the Marketplace?

Posted in Christmas, Jesus, tagged , , , on December 9, 2012 | 2 Comments »

I heard a great story last week that you need to hear. Every time I meet with Mark Carter, a young professional friend of mine, he has a story from the marketplace. This one was classic.

Mark was driving through the drive-thru of a national burger chain. When they handed him his food, the worker at the window cheerfully said, “happy holidays!” Most of us would simply say “you too.” Not Mark. Being a very intentional marketplace Christian, Mark casually replied, “I’m curious, why do you say happy holidays instead of merry Christmas?” The young girl, being caught a bit off guard by the question said, “well, that’s just our policy. You know, we don’t want to offend anyone.”

Without being rude or pushy, Mark’s response was classic. “Well, I’m a Christian and that offends me.”

christmas graphic

I’m not trying to start a debate about companies replacing Merry Christmas with Happy Holidays. But Mark’s story was a powerful  reminder to me that even in the marketplace, without Jesus, there is no “happy holiday.” If you are a follower of Christ, December 25th is your holiday! It’s a holy day to celebrate the birth of the man who gives us hope.

So for the next 15 days, each time you walk into the marketplace, be proud of your holiday. When you say “Merry Christmas”, say it with pride and meaning and purpose.

Merry Christmas!

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5 Things to Consider While Locked in a Stairwell

Posted in Adversity, Jesus, Marriage, Prayer, Relationships, Time, tagged , , , , , , on September 8, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Being locked in a stairwell was not on my list of things to do this morning. As I sat on those cold concrete steps, God taught me a few lessons I thought worthy of sharing with you.

  1. Be thankful you stopped at Starbucks first.
  2. Be thankful you didn’t leave your phone next to your keys.
  3. Be thankful your wife has a sense of humor.

Seriously,

  1. Slow down! I am always thinking, always moving forward. What am I missing?
  2. Why am I where I am right now? Beyond the obvious stupidity answer, the stairwell has reminded me that God allows things to happen in my life to get my attention.
  3. Quiet time! Ironically, the reason I am locked in a stairwell at work is because I came here to deliver a book to a business leader I met with yesterday. Title of the book? “Quiet Time”! We need to find a quiet place (like a concrete stairwell) to talk and listen to Jesus.
  4. Who are my 2? When I got locked in the stairwell, my first phone call was to my awesome wife. But who would my second call go to? Who is the brother (ladies … sister) who I have developed a relationship with, who I have invested time with, who I can share the real me with … that I would call to save me from my stupidity?
  5. Did I mention slow down?

“But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”   Matthew 6:33

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What if there was no Jesus?

Posted in Jesus, Leadership, tagged , , on October 10, 2011 | 1 Comment »

We are blessed to have ESPN Basketball Analyst, Jimmy Dykes, share today as our guest blogger.

This past weekend, I was watching a college football game, when a coach was asked at halftime, “How does the loss of your starting quarterback affect you?” The coach answered quickly, “nothing changes,” and walked away.

Maybe that coach was not completely honest, maybe he was. But the thought did occur to me that we often find the value we place on something, after it is gone. If that is true, how would you answer this question if asked at this point of your life:

“If there was no Jesus, how would it affect you?”

Would anything really change? Would how you live your life be altered at all? Other than a possible weekly routine of going to church, would your life really be different?

Before rushing to a quick answer, think about it… If there was no Jesus available for the rest of your life, would it really make a difference? Or would your  answer be just like that head coach’s…”nothing changes”?

If that starting quarterback truly was a difference maker, and that coach was able to be completely honest in his answer, you would expect the response to be something other than, “nothing changes.” You would expect words like:

  • Everything is different,
  • he was our hope,
  • our leader,
  • our difference maker,
  • everything we did was centered around him,
  • if we don’t have him….we really have no chance,
  • we could afford to lose anything else, but not him.

A coach would never say that on national TV for obvious reasons, but I have to think at times, that would be their honest, authentic response.

What would be our honest authentic response? Is Jesus really our difference maker, hope, leader? Is everything we do centered on Him? If we did not have Him, would we really have a chance? Could you afford to lose anything except Him?

Take time to think about this question. Then think back over the course of the past 2 weeks. Is there enough evidence in your life to support your answer? Is Jesus more than just another player to you? Or would your answer honestly be, “nothing changes,” and then slowly walk away?

God Bless, Jimmy Dykes

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Are You Courageous at Home and Work?

Posted in Culture, Faith, Family, Friendship, Influence, Integrity, Jesus, Job Search, Marriage, Money, Parenting, Prayer, Trust, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 6, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of one of the most important days of my life. On October 5, 1991, Theresa and I said “I do and I will”!

In honor of that day 20 years ago, we spent the entire day together just having fun. We reflected on the past 20 years. We looked at old pictures, we told stories, we laughed, we questioned why on a few things that have happened in our lives. We shared two fabulous meals. We visited the site of the soon to open world renowned Crystal Bridges Museum.

And then we went to the movies. But this was not just any movie. This was a movie about life. About the very fabric of why we are here. About our marriages, our children, our work, and our faith. About being COURAGEOUS in living with great purpose in each of those arenas of life.

You may be familiar with the organization that also brought us the movies Fireproof and Facing the Giants. These are powerful examples of using media to impact our culture in positive ways.

For men and women, but especially Dad’s, take the time this weekend to see this movie. I find it impossible to believe that your life at home and at work will not be profoundly impacted.

Proverbs 22:6

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