ending well

By Church
The end is as important as the beginning. How many aspiring writers sat down at their laptop with high hopes and great ideas only to have a half-finished manuscript?  Quite a few.  The difference between getting published and getting passed over is often not a matter of writing ability.  It's a matter of finishing ability. Half-baked ideas,  half-read books. Many of us pay careful attention to how we start.  We labor over every detail.  We try harder, work longer. Getting started is important, but only if it leads to finishing well.  If the goal is only to get started, more people would be successful.  More marriages would last.  More ideas would be rewarded. But we know ... getting started is one thing; finishing is another.  And how we finish matters. If a project or relationship or dream is coming to an end, end well.  What people most often remember is…
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why preach

By Preaching
Why preach?  Why spend hours each week working on a thirty minute message that most people will remember less than thirty percent after one day?  Why put yourself in front of a crowd of friends and strangers and speak truth that might be uncomfortable to hear? “Do not preach because you love preaching.  Preach because you love Jesus.”  -- Paul Mallard
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something to fix on

By Church
During the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key watched the bombarding of the American forces at Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore on the night of September 13, 1814  When the smoke cleared, Key was able to see an American flag still waving and reported this to the prisoners below deck.  On the way back to Baltimore, he was inspired to write a poem describing his experience, "The Defence of Fort McHenry", which he published in the Patriot on September 20, 1814.  It has become better known as "The Star Spangled Banner". (Source: Wikipedia). Hebrews 12:2 … Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of God. Just as the beleaguered soldiers found hope in seeing the flag still waving, let those of…
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getting things done

By Leadership
I read this post from Lance Haul at ReHaul: Rethinking how businesses and people interact.  It's a good reminder that each of us have a personal responsibility to do our best at whatever we find ourselves doing, especially at work: "We all struggle with politics and roadblocks at work. The good ones find ways around them and get their job done. Sometimes those good ones can push hard enough to make their job a little easier. Others leave, only to find roadblocks awaiting them at their new home. The rest complain and find a way to make them not getting their job done someone else’s problem." Read the entire post here.
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