I grew up going to baseball games at the old Memorial Stadium on 33rd St in Baltimore. My first childhood dream was to be a Baltimore Oriole when I grew up, dreaming of following in the footsteps of childhood heroes Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken, Jr.
Soul Surfer is based on the true to life story of Bethany Hamilton, a champion surfer, who is the victim of a tragic shark attack which leads to her left arm being amputated. Amazingly, Bethany fights through unbelievable challenges to one day get back on a surfboard and ultimately become a pro surfer.
The first things that come to mind with George Washington’s name are his commanding presidency, great leadership skills, and irresistible courage. We don’t think too often that at one time he was esteemed as a crippled leader and incompetent loser who couldn’t command the Continental Army to victory against an overpowering British brigade. Seize this moment and dare to do great things for your God.
Momentum is defined as “the force of movement,” and it’s one of the pivotal keys that will determine the success of any organization, business, or personal goals you may be after. John Maxwell calls momentum “the big mo”. In his book “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”, he writes, “Momentum is really a leader’s best friend. Sometimes it’s the only difference between winning and losing.”
Remember Mickey’s blunt assessment of Rocky: “the worst thing happened to you that could happen to any fighter… you got civilized!” We must see mediocrity as our enemy. See it robbing you and those you love of so much potential. See it as a thief trying to break in and rob everything you have. See it as a criminal trying to kidnap your children and sabotage their future. It’s time to get your ‘edge’ back, Stallone!
As a leader, TRUST shouldn’t be your PRIMARY agenda, it should be the natural byproduct of making following Jesus your ONE agenda. Your validity as a leader is not measured by the number of people who follow you or ‘believe’ in you. It’s measured by your obedience to Christ despite what people think about you.
Guard your calling, Frodo. We need to constantly be reminded of the divine, sacred, and eternal implications of our calling. If we are to finish strong, we must guard our “calling” on a daily basis.
Major Richard D. Winters is a former United States Army officer and decorated war veteran. He commanded Company “E”, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. His admirable service was chronicled in the 2001 HBO mini-series Band of Brothers.
Just read a powerful post from John Maxwell. Check out his blog and be sure to catch the story about the four monkeys. I love one of the comments to the post: “Dreams are the language of the Holy Spirit.”
In a recent post, Matthew Gillogly asks a riveting question: Would You Risk Your Reputation To Build Gods Dream In Your Heart?
