“The core reason for someone’s success is this key element: the ability to show true leadership. Leadership will change a marriage, a business…it will change you.” Ron Ball

“You cannot lead others if you first cannot lead yourself.” Ron Ball

“When the dream is large enough, the facts don’t matter.” Dexter Yager

“Believe you are a leader. Victory over yourself will be the hardest part.” Pedro Lisardi

“Look in the mirror, what in you needs to change to stay moving?” Pedro Lisardi

“Never give up on something you can’t go a day without thinking about.” Pedro Lisardi

“Be prejiduce for your dreams, your goals and your family. Guard them.” Dexter Yager

“If you have a dream, why not build it bigger? Why not build it big enough to suit the God you serve?” Dexter Yager

“Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.” Pedro Lisardi

“Leadership is helping people raise the opinion of themselves.” Steve Yager

“Leadership is finding the gold in people and pulling it out.” Steve Yager

“Leadership is creating a friction of where you are and where you want to go.” Steve Yager

“Leadership is above petty things. You can’t afford to be offended.” Steve Yager

“Energy and excitement are sustained by dreams and goals.” Jerry Meadows

“Begin again…TODAY!” Jerry Meadows

 

Do what you were born to do. For when you do you what you were created for you will be fully alive.

A person fully alive is magnetic. A person fully alive lives without excuse to live as they should. For, what excuse do they have? God has supplied us with everything for life and godliness.

A person doing what they were born for is not longer ‘doing,’ they are ‘being.’ And when you are ‘being,’ you are at rest with yourself and others.

A person at rest invites others to do the same. They create an environment of peace, of dreaming, and of hoping.

When grace awoke in my soul,
There was nothing I could do.
Every effort had amassed defeat,
Every act was a statement of hypocrisy.
And in my surrender I said yes,
To grace which made me whole.

We have been fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. We are not copies, but originals; and we are not forgotten, but named. We are extraordinary.

Now you see? If you’re extraordinary why are you living like your mediocre or like your life isn’t on purpose? 

Extraordinary people finish well, and they finish strong. They know that how they end one season is how they will start the next.

Extraordinary people seize the day. They do not wait for the day to happen to them, but they understand that to succeed in life you have to live each day on purpose and with intent.

Extraordinary people have an unselfish care for the welfare of others.  

Extraordinary people are good listeners, retaining what they hear, because they understand that wise counsel is safe and fools fight against it.

Extraordinary people study and read and meditate.

Extraordinary people steward their bodies well because they understand we are triune and holistic people that need to be cared for physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally.

Extraordinary people talk differently. Their words are full of grace, wisdom and joy; encouraging and teaching others.

Extraordinary people stand, dress, and walk differently because they respect themselves and they respect others.

YOU ARE MEANT TO BE EXTRAORDINARY.

It’s a new day. What will you do with it? Squander it or make the most of it? Each day our desire should be to pursue Christ and His mission for us. My prayer today is that we would be less self-absorbed by its finish.

There is a castle on the height,
Whose windows light at twilight.
Lamps burning in the night watch. 

Now creepy dark things lurk about,
To taunt and scare and bring doubt.
My place is in the night watch.

And when a weary soul should see,
Lights flickering in the vicinity.
May the light be a guiding servant.

To guide them in the night watch.

Bring them rest in the night watch.

newlife

Places where there have been factions. Splits. Schisms in the body. Places that have looked irreparable and where there has been a unbridgeable gulf; out of those very places new life will grow.

Where there has been a split caused by striving: There would grow rest and grace.
Where there has been a split caused by confusion: There would grow clarity and discernment.
Where there has been a split caused by offense: There would grow humility and forgiveness.
Where there has been a split caused by quitting: There would grow forbearance and endurance.
Where there has been a split caused by death: There would grow eternal life.

And I saw these splits effecting several spheres. Not only our relationship with the Lord, but also gulfs in our relationships with each other. Disagreements, separations, divorces (even in couples still married but w/ little to no life/ intimacy in them).

This growth, this knitting and this repair will not come of ourselves in positive will-power. But, it will and it must come from God and His power.

“For the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” Hebrews 7:19. “And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me and by it killed me.” Romans 7:10,11.

The ultimate new life and hope will be in drawing near to God and it will not be done by any work of the flesh or any power of the will. In fact, our very inability to do as God has said may cause despair…but it shouldn’t. If God has spoken then He will provide the way as we learn to abide, and trust in Him. But it won’t be accomplished because we tried hard enough. He’s already spoken that He is Life and that He has come to give us that. It will come by faith and simple obedience to believe and walk.  “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3

“And do this, knowing the time, that now is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” Romans 13:11-14 (but also all of ch 13.) We do not have time to remain asleep or feeding on milk. We MUST draw near in the power of Christ and walk as mature believers. God has blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing. We have ALL things pertaining to live and godliness. That is a miracle of the re-birth.

“But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, things that accompany salvation. We desire that each of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Hebrews 6:9-12

God certainly is doing a work and has called us to rise up from our slumber. To see with clarity and move forward. He is desiring our heart and dependence be on Him and in the power of His Spirit. These are going to be full days. These are intended to be days of great advance of the Kingdom of our Father and we are the ones called upon in this hour to rise up. Who will stand for our generation?

May it be said of us that we loved God and that we loved people.

Teach me to love with everlasting love.
Teach me to love with patient endurance.
Teach me to love with eyes of faith; not blind, but not limited to the current.
Teach me to love as You have loved me.
Teach me to love with words of life; not accommodating and not afraid.
Teach me to love with embracing purity.
Teach me to love through my need.
I need to be loved. I need to let people love me. I need to let You love me.
Teach me to love in my offering; with sacrifice, thankfulness and simple joy.
In hospitality. In charity. In temperance, with extravagance.
Teach me to love God. Teach me to love people.
Teach me to love.
Teach me to live.

True love sets people up to soar.

It asks the question, how can I create a context for people to realize their dreams? It ultimately asks the question, how can I serve this person? It is selfless.

True love does not forget self, but it is not worried about its own self promotion. What do I mean?

I have a unique identity. My name is Autumn, and no one else has the same body, soul and spirit as me. Within my heart are dreams, desires, and talents that when combined form a person who has never been and who will never be again. That’s pretty amazing, and I am just one person of an estimated 6 billion on the planet!

Yet my greatest achievement in life will not be to do all that I want to do and dream big dreams, climbing the social ladder, the career ladder or any other ladder we might devise within culture! My greatest achievement will come in loving other people. But what about people loving me you might argue?!

True love is not concerned with unrequited love, nor intimidated by hostility. True love is not flippant or prejiduce. So, when I say my greatest achievement is to love people I am not worried of being alone, or forgotten or overlooked; because the true nature of love is found in sharing in the joy of other peoples lives being knit with their own. True love will never be alone BECAUSE it loves. And the peace that that brings is a bond most secure, ensuring both my influence and joy.

What’s all this talk about serving and loving? This is so contrary to our tendencies that it seems preposterous to even think it possible. Who really lives like that? Who REALLY cares more about other people than themselves? Isn’t it a dog eat dog world out there and you have to push your way to the top? You have to make sure to get your piece of the pie first or in the end there won’t be anything left for yourself?  You have to do only your little bit and everyone else needs to fend for themselves! And the examples of those who live like what I’m suggesting; appear to be walked on and taken advantage of and are basically push-overs with no backbone.That doesn’t sound like a very promising picture to me either!

But that is not the way the story truly ends. True love doesn’t get walked on in the end. True love actually requires a tremendous amount of strength. There isn’t a force on the planet, in all of our lives that is stronger than Love; not even death. And so if a person commits their life to learning how to love as love is to truly be expressed a most amazing thing will happen. They will seemingly lose their life only to find it as it was always intended to be, with purpose and satisfaction beyond what was imagined.

“Be a student of God’s love. If you will love people you will never have to doubt your influence.”
Rachel Empey

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“You’ll never get free without truth. But, you’ll never get healed without mercy.”
Sue Detweiler

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Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve me.
Hebrew Proverb

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“You need to come to an understanding of the power of compassion.”
Sue Detweiler

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“Power without love is dangerous, but love without power isn’t enough.”
Jim Moore

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“If my life should but lead you closer to Christ then it has been well lived.”
Autumn Bradley

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“For even the Son of Man [Christ] did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Jesus the Christ

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