Stop Squashing Your Child’s Initiative
A few days ago I encountered one of those times with my kids where I found myself saying “wait just a minute; stop what you are doing; you didn’t ask permission to do that.” This is a fairly normal series of statements for parents. However, in this case, this was not the right response. There was something more important going on that I needed to pay attention to.
What was going on, you ask? Initiative. My son was taking some initiative and doing something that he knew needed to be done – something I had not told him to do. In this case, it was something that he was totally capable of doing and it was a way that he could help the family. I am sure that my response made him feel like the egg in this picture…
After my initial reaction, I realized…finally…that I needed to STOP SQUASHING my son’s INITIATIVE.
I have really been challenged by Seth Godin’s book “Poke the Box”. Definitely on a personal level; but, also on a parental level. Throughout the book, Seth challenges our perspective on taking initiative and rails on the fact that we have created a culture that suppresses our desire to take initiative and do something new.
So, I have to ask myself: What would happen if read more
How Did You Celebrate?
Following are a couple of videos that I found inspiring in celebrating the resurrection of Jesus!
First, “Dance Your Shoes Off”:
Second, “Resurrection Sunday Dance”:
I love the energy brought by so many people coming together in the name of Jesus! It makes me wonder what kind of a difference it would make if our communities saw this sort of excitement coming from us?
Question: What excited you or what is one thing that meant a lot to you during this Easter weekend? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
I’ll go first…
I was totally blown away this weekend by seeing people of all ages realize a desire to have Jesus as the center of their lives and then choose to declare it publicly, on the spot, by being baptized – Easter clothes and all! Many people drenched. Many people with lives changed because of Jesus!
Jesus, Like No Other
As I sat down to write, I asked the question “do I have anything inspiring to say for Easter”. Instead of a really great thought, my mind went blank, I didn’t have anything to say, I was at a loss for words. Then, I had one of those big ‘duh!’ moments. What could be more inspiring for this week than the man that sits at the core of what this weekend is really about!
We spend our church lives learning about Jesus – sometimes to the point where we begin to gloss over the incredibleness, the awe, that is found in the life of the Jewish carpenter. A friend of mine made a comment to me today, “Jesus’ brothers couldn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah – after all, they had heard all of the bodily functions that come from lowly common people – such things surely couldn’t come from the King of Kings.” Then, I began to think about the journey of Jesus, the essence of who he was and is…
Jesus, a baby born out of wedlock (deplorable even then) and made to sleep where animals eat. Jesus, a boy who probably skipped rocks in the lake, played in the mud, and was probably told from time to time to stop running with scissors (ok, maybe not the scissors thing). Jesus, a young man who spoke with wisdom and knowledge beyond his years – yet, respected the authorities in his life. Jesus, a servant of people and worked with his hands to earn a living. Jesus, a leader that inspired people to give up everything they had just to follow him. Jesus, a provider – remember the miracles like feeding the thousands of people from mere morsels of food. Jesus, healer of sickness, disease and even death. Jesus, a target of insults because he cared for those that most people would overlook. Jesus, a target of persecution because he challenged the teachings of the religious leaders. Jesus, a messenger of hope which would come through his own sacrifice. Jesus, branded a criminal because he forgave sins. Jesus, a sufferer of pain and torture that really did not belong to him. Jesus, The Son of God who set all authority, power, and privilege aside to become like us so that we can become like him. Jesus.
To Be or Not To Be … Intentional
So, I figured out that I am becoming intentional (click here to see the post). I am not there yet; but, I am working on it. Now, it’s your turn, are you becoming intentional?
Take a moment and think about the things you have done and the conversations you have had over the last few days. Now, honestly think about which of those things you made a conscious effort to engage in and which ones just happened. And, one more question, were there some things that fell short of your expectations – maybe things that you wish you would have been more intentional about?
So, you are at a fork in the road. Will you, or will you not, be intentional? read more
A Kiss Makes Everything Better
My two-year-old daughter is a very active little girl. She loves to do everything that her big brothers do. And, sometimes, in all of her activity she does something to get hurt. Ok, often times she does something to get hurt. Fortunately, it tends to be little hurts.
This morning my daughter decided to jump rope in imitation of a brother. Of course, she can’t jump rope; at least she can’t jump rope the way you or I would jump rope. Instead, it was more of jumping up and down wildly while holding a flopping plastic rope in front of her. A site to bring a smile to your face for sure.
Eventually the rope smacked her and brought the tears. She came running for the comfort of a parent. A simple look at the ouchy was not enough. A re-assuring word was not enough.
A kiss was demanded! read more
The #1 Way To Change Your Day
Do you remember that feeling deep inside? That moment when you were feeling unsure about that thing? That time when things weren’t quite going the way you had hoped for? Or, even that day that you were just discouraged? And then…
Then, from out of the blue, someone called you, wrote a note to you, or made it a point to say something to you that changed your whole outlook completely. It just made your day, didn’t it?
What they brought to you was ENCOURAGEMENT! And, it sent your mind in a whole new, positive, vibrant, excited direction.
I love those moments! Don’t you?
Becoming Intentional
Steven Cribbs 
Leadership 
adapt, follow through, identify, intentional, plan, share the experience, startDo you ever have dreams about doing something big or spectacular? How about something that may just be a significant step in your life? When I have a responsibility to do something, I tend to do it very well; but, if it does not have that responsibility tied to it (and sometimes even if it does), I can become very good at putting off those dreams or even letting them just fade away. But, something is changing…
There are some days that I really get excited about something that I have accomplished. A few days ago I had one of those times with something I had written. I turned the writing into a blog post (this post) and I made it a point to tell a few people about it – including some that I don’t often mention my blog to. As I told one friend, this friend made an interesting observation. read more
Life Can Be So Discouraging
Have you ever had one of those weeks? Unmotivated. Discouraged. Responsibilities weigh heavy. Everything seems to be fighting against you. Defeated. Happiness and joy seem like distant allusive memories. You are left wondering how to get everything done, how to get out of that pit, how to get back to the life you desire…how to get through the day.
You will want to read this story… read more
Why Parents Should Stop Saying “Sorry”
When was the last time that you said “I’m sorry” to your child? Did you use the phrase in an attempt to shrug off or down-play an issue; or, did you truly describe something you were apologetic towards with an attempt to make the issue right?
As parents, we are very interested in how our kids make apologies and how they use the word “sorry”. But, do we apply the same standards and desires to our own use of the word?
I know that I am not perfect. And, I admit, there are times when I use a quick and insincere “sorry” to escape the situation. The embarrassing part is when my children observe my antics knowing that I am doing what I have told them not to. The sad part is when I do this to the detriment of my children.
Top 5 Posts for March
This has been an exciting month here on my blog! Thank you to everyone who has stopped by to read a post. And thank you to everyone who has subscribed or taken a moment to leave a comment!
We have explored several interesting topics this month. Following is a list of the Top 5 most-read posts from this month.
- In the Silence
- Anger Destroyed the Moment
- Does God Really Have a Plan for Me?
- Why I Told My Children to Stop Saying “Sorry”
- Eight Tips for Effectively Communicating With Your Child
God continues to teach me a lot. I hope that you are encouraged and helped from what I am learning. It is a privilege to share with you. And, I am looking forward to another great month!
May God bless you in an unexpected way today!
–Steven
Question: What was the most popular topic in your conversations, blogs or learning this past month? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
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