Challenge Self To Be Excellent

There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary!

• Romans 5:3-4

 

Watching an ESPN documentary on Brian Bosworth – Bosworth was a great linebacker for the Oklahoma Sooners in the mid 80’s.  He was the star player on the National Champion team.  He created a persona – The Boz.  (I won’t spend time getting into all that it generated).  But there was something profound in piece.  In a rare loss, actually a blow out, he played great.  Even when the game was well out of reach for Oklahoma to have any chance of winning, Brian was going 100%.  He would not give up.  He gave everything he had.

It reminded me of my college roommate, Pat Harmon.  He was a star running back forced to play quarterback due to injuries at the position.  We are getting blown out late in a game and Pat is focused and determined like his life depended on it. He made no complaints.  Coaches and teammates were amazed at his resolute steadfast mindset to continue to strive in excellence.

It made an indelible impression on me.  He did that a few times.  I speak about it in my first book, LIVE the Life Abundant.

 

What do others see in you in tough, maybe even unfair, circumstances?

 

How is your mindset when things aren’t going well?

What kind of attitude do you have when you’re getting your lunch handed to you…so to speak?

Do you bite your lip and forge on when people and situations are unfair or do you make sure everyone knows?

Do you become determined more than ever to do your best/ be your best/ act and speak your best?

 

One of the most impactful inspirations, to raise others up, is living excellent in character and attitude when you have every reason to not.  A true champion.

 

Intentionally, today……and every day….Challenge others to a higher level of excellence by your example

 

 Resources at

https://truelifeabundant.wordpress.com/

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Control Focused

The Lord gave me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does.  –Isaiah 8:11

It was a chilly rain I walked out of yesterday morning. (Monday) I walked into a building for a meeting.  Three different people, within a minute, spoke to me about the weather.  Twice I was apologized to for having to come in this weather.  I know they meant well.  Throughout the day I had people complaining about the weather and the day.  “Mondays are so blah.”

Cold – rainy – Monday.

Out of those 3 words there is none that I have control over.

So, it should be surprising to us that all the focus is on them.

Focusing on what we cannot control affecting that which we have control over.  Makes no sense!

Think about where you would like to be in 1 year.  5 years.

Focusing on what you cannot control will have an effect.

1/7 of every day you live will be a Monday!

Another ten percent will be cold and/or rainy.

20% of the days of your life will be one or combo of the three.  You can’t get where you want focusing on what you cannot control.

We end up wishing the things we don’t control will just fall into place.

Focus on what you control, make things happen.

We need to have the mindset of focusing and doing with that we can have control of.  Control our attitude, behavior, discipline, sacrifice and concentration.  What we do, and do well.

Where you desire to be, you have to be doing every day, with what you can control.

Progress is made in the process.

It isn’t like a test you can cram for the night before.  In order to actualize where you want to be 1, 3, 5 years from now you can’t just flip on a switch.  We have to think in terms of: what am I doing today to get me to tomorrow?  We won’t get there if we lose the drive and determination to do so by letting 20% of those days do just that.

Our thought process has to be one of taking advantage every day that which we have control over…….our self.

Focus energy on the power of your ingenuity, creativity, talent, determination and put aside the bad habit of letting non controls, control.

Make those days your most productive days.  Create empowerment in the face of the cold –rainy-Monday type of days.

Create a strong mindset against them.

That is how we actualize, progress being where you desire to be.

Go get it!

Intentionally, today…. and everyday….focus on what you have control over.

Max Out

A person’s ways seem right to them, but God examines their heart – Proverbs 21:2

A friend’s brother is a soccer coach at a college on the west coast. All of their players wear heart monitors when they practice. This enables them to have the players practice at a maximum efficiency without allowing them to be at a health risk.  They do this by making sure their hearts are working at a safe rate. But a great benefit the coaching staff uses with them is to make sure no one is giving the impression that they are trying as hard as they can but are really ‘slacking”. The monitor doesn’t lie. They know if someone has the ability, the heart rate capacity, to do more.

That is the physical heart.

God monitors your spiritual heart.

From a spiritual perspective, our heart is the deepest part of our being; where we have our deepest joys as well as our deepest hurts.

We too can slack. It can be for a lot of reasons. One being we have been hurt, disappointed, and do not wish to experience it again. We can also get into a habit of not giving it our all without even knowing it because we live surrounded by mediocrity that accepts and expects it. The danger is that we can just go through the motions of the day without having our heart into it. We just end up existing without living.

We allow things into our heart that are destructive; that dull are passion for godliness.

God wants us to guard it from the corruption of this world.

Guard your hearts above all else, for it determines the course of your life.  Proverbs 4:23

The course of your life. That is pretty significant. We are told in Jeremiah 17:9 that the heart is deceitful most of all.

We must be so mindful of what we allow in our hearts. Just as the scripture says, we must guard it.

We guard it by staying true to God. We avoid and ignore that which we know isn’t good for us. We discipline ourselves by humbling ourselves daily to God.

Intentionally, today…and every day…. stay true to God; keep your heart working at maximum strength

Training Wheels

Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and at just the right time He will exalt you. – 1 Peter 5:6

But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, patient, filled with unfailing love and faithfulness – Psalm 86:15

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them. Every day begin the task anew – Francis de Sales

God will use my relationship and experiences with my children to teach me about His character and His never ceasing love for me.

One instance was years ago teaching my oldest girl to ride her bike without her training wheels. It was time. She was more than ready and was too old to be riding with training wheels still. It was hard in her frustration and anger at herself and to me for having to do it; over and over awkwardly and falling. We would try another day. I cannot try to explain to her when she is falling and going nowhere on the bike that she will get it and will be so joyous when she is taking off and flying down the street on her own. But I continued to encourage her and guided her with one hand on the back of her seat and the other on the handle bars (that she started yelling “don’t let go!”) But as we go I can sense the right time to take my hand off and just run next to her. When she sees that she is doing it herself, she breaks out in joy!

She gains confidence in herself for achieving.

 A stepping stone of life.

 

Is God trying to take the training wheels off in an area in your life?

It is when you grow in faith in what you don’t see more and more. That you trust Him even more and with that growing faith you step boldly into His increased call in your life.

 

God’s timing is perfect. I knew that it was time for my daughter to take the training wheels off. I wasn’t letting her ride alone by herself. I was still riding next to her but she was learning to balance the bike herself than using the training wheels.

God is patient – I knew that in time she would be able to do it. It was just a matter of time therefore we kept working on it. God is patient with you; continually working on you.

It’s how you grow. Could you imagine being 20, 30, 40+ years old riding a bike with training wheels? Of course not. It is an analogy, though, of all aspects of our lives. We have to grow up.

It empowered her even though at first she was uncertain and a little afraid. But how great the reward!

He is still right beside you, never leaving you.

Is there an area in your life that God is calling you to strip the training wheels and grow in your spiritual maturity?

Intentionally, today….and everyday…take off the training wheels

 

Fix a Flat

I will show my faith by what I do – James 2:18

The low tire pressure indicator light came on in my daughter’s car.  So I added air to the tire until it had the right amount of air in it. Light off.  A couple days later light came on again.  Again, I added air to the tire.  Light off…until the next day.  I could just keep putting air in the tire and ignore the fact that there is a problem.  Something is wrong with the tire (a leak) that isn’t going to go away but will eventually affect the car adversely.  I had to take the time and examine the tire closely.  Rotating the tire and checking all the treads.  Until I found a nail in the tire.  I could get a new tire or plug the hole; which I did.  Sometimes it isn’t able to be salvaged by a plug and you have to get a new tire.

Where in your life do you have a flat tire and you keep avoiding the core problem and keep putting air in the tire and temporarily fixing the problem?

And what is your air?

Alcohol?

Illegal drugs

Prescription drugs

Shopping

Social Media

Eating

Gambling

Screaming and yelling

Getting away for a time

self loathing

jealousy

??

If all you’re doing is putting air in the tire you will have to keep on doing it and it will hinder you from progressing and affect you adversely.

How to go to the core?

Ask God.

Go to Him in solitude.

 Confess your flat tire.

Acknowledge your need for His power, His wisdom.

Then listen and act.

Maybe you know the solution and are avoiding for many a reason.

Isn’t it time to move on?

Isn’t it time to leave it behind?

Isn’t it time for a new direction?

Isn’t it time to be refreshed, replenished?

Isn’t it time to be strong, victorious?

Isn’t it time for a Leap of Faith?

 

It takes a leap of faith you gotta show some guts

It takes a leap of faith to get things going

In your heart you must trust – Bruce Springsteen, Leap of Faith

 

Come on, you got a life abundant to live.

 

Intentionally, today…and every day… Fix the flat

Hold on & Discover

 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who Love God and are called according to His purpose for Him.  Romans 8:28.

Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on your own understanding.  Proverbs 3:5.

NOT all things are good.  But, ALL will be used for the good. The good – for you.

Spoke to a hometown friend.  Tim is an athlete who keeps himself in superb shape.  Surfing, deep sea diving, biking and running. Not too long after completing a marathon he was told by a doctor that he has MS. What! Barely 30 years old and in great shape.  Life isn’t fair.

Fast forward a few years.

“Trep, I can’t tell you how empowered and joyful I am brother!  Kickin the crap out of MS – 200 of us bike racing for a cure.  Raising over a million dollars in these races and fundraisers.

If it weren’t for having to deal with this MS I would of never of strived and excelled as I am now.  I would never of known how awesome God is in such a real way.  Would of never of met all these awesome incredible people sacrificing for the good of others! I am so alive! My life is awesome!”

Tim is stoked!

What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy.

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are your mercies in disguise

Laura Story, Blessings

 

Not “Why God?”

But “What God?”

Through all of this, what do you want to reveal in me that I would of not otherwise of discovered?

God doesn’t cause it.  He allows it.  Because He knows that through it He can reveal is faithfulness, love, power and the fortitude and resolve within you to enrich your soul.

I know trials are tough.  I want to encourage you. Don’t give up.  Dig!

Through your trials seek to discover the great good God can bring through it.  Mostly, Himself.

Intentionally, Today…and every day…Hold on and discover

Paradigm Shift

The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. But I have come that they may have life. And have it more abundantly. – John 10:10

When we were younger we embraced the concept that the sky is the limit. We dreamed big. We dreamed and visualized the career, marriage, family, and the home we were going to create. We believed we had a strong voice, that we can make a difference. We envisioned ourselves on top.

What happened?

Life happened.

Reality of bills and taxes. Pressures and stresses of responsibilities and expectations.

We experience setbacks and disappointments in relationships and work.

We have individuals that let us down.  that we let down.

We have painful losses of family and/or friends. We deal with putdowns that confirm our fears. Fear that we are limited in what we can achieve, in who we are.

We compromise, rationalize and justify, to ourselves, being less than we are called to be.

And we accept it.

It becomes our norm.

Keeping close to the vest so not to be burned again.

Sometimes enough to survive; forgetting to LIVE.

Those earlier aspirations – stolen? Destroyed?….. No, just misplaced.

 

Paradigm – accepted believe

Paradigm shift – having a new belief in what you accept, what you expect, from yourself.

YOU ARE AN OVERCOMER because of HE THAT IS WITHIN YOU.

YOU can do all things thru Christ who strengthens you – Philippians 4:13

YOU can do more where you are, with what you have.

Start believing today that all the misplaced aspirations and beliefs will be rediscovered. The gifts, talents and blessings you have. Aligning your thoughts, words and actions with the Word of God. Being empowered and emboldened to live the life abundant.

Intentionally, Today…and every day… Believe there is a paradigm shift taking place in your life through the TRUTH PERSPECTIVE

Point of Victory

TRUE LIFE ABUNDANT

 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.  We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed “  – 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

 I believe that for the manifestation of our victory to grow we must continue to “be transformed by the renewing of our minds” – Romans 12:2

 Look at the 4 separate descriptions in the verse above from 2 Corinthians.  Our natural minds will focus on being crushed, in despair, forsaken and destroyed.  It will immobilize us, bring fear and hopelessness.

Our spirit mind will see pressed, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, not forsaken; struck down, not destroyed.

It will strengthen our resolve.  It will grow our encouragement and belief.

 Your flesh says I am doomed

 Your spirit says even in all of these things – I am not defeated!

 Look at the first verse.  It is His excellence within us that perseveres and sustains us.  Being transformed is seeing victory, through God’s eyes, which may seem as no hope through your natural eyes.

 God knows all the battles that you are in.  Depend on His unlimited power within you to empower you through, not yourself.

 How do you do this?

 We must make habit of speaking truth. Seek scripture; write it down and continually to speak it into memory.

 See yourself through God’s eyes. 

 It’s important to understand – You are not battling to be victorious in your trials. You are already victorious through Him who has already won the victory for you. It is living from the point of victory.  The enemy wants you to see, feel and admit that you are crushed, in despair, forsaken and destroyed. 

 You speak truth – ”Yet in all these things I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me”  – Romans 8:37

Intentionally speak this truth – today.

 Edify yourself as you edify your God and His truth

 LIVE from the POINT of Victory, not feelings, circumstances and what others say

READY?….GO!

http://www.matttreppel.com/

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Simply Excellent

TRUE LIFE ABUNDANT

 Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. – Hebrews 12:1b-2a

 To live excellent we must intentionally eliminate distractions.

Distractions are defined as that which easily diverts our attention from that which we need to focus on.

 

The field of neuroscience states that our challenge in keeping our attention on that what we need to focus on is hampered by the onslaught of technological mediums we have at our disposal.  The more gadgets and info tools we have that keep us more engaged than ever to the world we live in inhibits us from achieving optimum in the areas we are trying to excel in.  The ability to keep focus to a premium is to filter out inessentials at that given time.  It is to ELIMINATE.

We must become eliminators. It doesn’t have to be forever, but some things must be eliminated as an option to allow into periphery during specific times of the day.  Like me writing this email.  I have to eliminate the television in order to get out the utmost of what God is trying to speak through me.  Truth be told, I have written it watching something on TV and therefore not giving the concentration it is due.

Elimination has to be deliberate because we live in a culture where extreme multi tasking has become a part of how we do what we do.  And at times it is a must.  However, most of the time a lot can be eliminated during certain times for specific tasks.

There are a few things that can help us to learn to eliminate and keep our focus.  One is proper nutrition.  Another is intentionally setting times of solitude. Time that you give yourself away from all the noise.  It will teach you how to keep it simple.

One of the hardest is reducing how much time we spend with social media.  It is almost unconscious how easily we engage on our TV’s, phone, iPod’s and computer.  It is making an intentional choice to deliberately lay aside the devices and keep focus on using the gifts and talents God has given us to excel.

The most important byproduct of elimination is that it enables us to be more observant of those around us, who if we don’t have our head buried in our toys; God can use us to be a blessing to them and to be blessed.

To live excellent we need to live simpler.

Eliminate as much as can to achieve and succeed in being excellent….for God’s purposes

Honestly Self Evaluate

TRUE LIFE ABUNDANT

 I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves… – Romans 12:3

 Playing football in college we would get a scouting report of the next week’s opponent on Monday.  Then throughout the week we would meet with our position coach and we would watch our specific individual opponent and watch their tendencies; strengths and weaknesses.  We would use all that info to strategize a game plan on how we would attack them to be most effective and victorious.

After the game, Sunday night, we would have film session to evaluate how we did.  The coaches would critique every play and pick apart all of what you did wrong, what you could of done better.  You were evaluated.  The next week’s opponent was going to get that film so that they could do the same.

We too must intentionally stop.  Be still, focus and evaluate, honestly and soberly, our lives.  It is easy for us to evaluate someone else.  We can pick out other’s strengths and weaknesses; what they can do better and/or differently.

We need to also deliberately put changes in our lives to be more effective for God to work through us.

Where can we be more accommodating?

Quicker to listen, slower to talk?

To step forward and be heard?

More positive, encouraging and uplifting?

Speak more about grace and mercy of Christ?

To defer?

To listen and be teachable?  Be mentored?

More focused?

More organized?

Better Prepared?

More disciplined?

You are empowered to bring changes which will allow you to be more fulfilled in being a champion in the daily spiritual battle that you are engaged in every day that you wake up; it isn’t a choice – YOU ARE.

Remember, too, you have an enemy who is watching game tape.  He is looking to see where he can get you to stumble.  We cannot become complacent.  We must continue to decrease that Christ may increase.

Be aware.

Be malleable

Continue to seek where God is trying to mold and reshape you; where He is trying to get you to change your thinking in certain areas.

Be sober! Be on alert!  Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.  – 1 Peter 5:8

Conform no longer to the ways of this world bit be transformed by the renewing of your mind – Romans 12:2

honestly evaluate and make adaptations

READY?….GO!

http://www.matttreppel.com/

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