Author Archives: Rick

I’M A MAN!

Man. What is a man? What does God say about me as a man? What does society say I should be? What does my wife/kids/parents/siblings/friends/church say?

Over the next few weeks we’ll take a look at a few of these and try to determine where I am, where you are, and where we should be. Ladies don’t feel like you’re being left out. There will be great information for you too.

God calls me to be courageous, bold, daring and decisive. He made men to lead. Adam failed to lead Eve in the Garden. He didn’t step in when Satan deceived Eve. Men, are you stepping in? Women, are you encouraging your men to step in? Keep in mind that Adam was standing right next to Eve at the moment of The Fall.

Genesis 3:6 – “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (NIV)

I believe God calls me to be a man after His own heart. God wants me to be righteous, pure, full of integrity, bold, courageous, gentle and caring. Teacher. Friend. Lover. Leader. Humble. Patient. Kind. Truthful. Discerning in all areas of life. On fire for the Gospel and willing to share the story of His son Jesus Christ. Provider. Example. Role model.

So I’m called to be all of those things. Can I be all of those things? Is it physically, emotionally, spiritually possible to be “all the things”?

I’m not sure. The positive upbeat “do anything” side of me says “Of course you can!” The other side of me (the realistic side?) says “Impossible. You can’t be perfect.” But, can I be some of these things? Can I be a little bit of ALL of these things?

I think it would be best for me to focus on what God calls me to be. Working toward what God has called me to be should lead me to be the best man possible for all of my roles in life. Thankfully He has already been working on me, molding me, to be the man He desires. He’s also cheering for me. He wants me to be successful! He wants me to become an inspiration for those around me to help them find their personal “awesome”!

I am called to be the team leader for my family. To inspire them, especially my children, to seek out their dream and to do all they can to live that dream.

A few of the steps I need to take to be the man God calls me to be:
1. Pray. Continually. With intent. Name the areas and tasks that need prayer and require growth on my part.

2. Time management. Purposely spend planned time with my wife, with my boys and with my friends. Pour into these people on purpose and with purpose.

3. Filling my own tank. Learning from and being poured into by others. Seek out key people to learn from each day.

Check out this video put out by TheAnimaSeries. And be sure to subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss out on what comes next.

[youtube id=”aTAn-tk2pDA” height=”353″ width=”574″ marginbottom=”15″]

My Sandbox

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I’d like to invite you to join me in my sandbox.

You may be asking “What does he mean by “sandbox”? Good question. Lemme ‘splain.

My sandbox is this. Yep. This. Right here on this page. But it is more than this page. So much more. My sandbox is HUGE! Well, my future sandbox is huge. Right here on this page it is small. But it is growing. You are helping it grow. Every time I post here, and every time you read what I’m writing, and then share it with your friends and co-workers, you are helping it grow. (So don’t hesitate to tweet, share, link, etc.)

Why do I want it to grow? Wow. Another great question.
I want it to grow because I feel led to share what I have accumulated. I want to pour into you and help you grow your own sandbox. I believe I have been uniquely prepared for this moment. Uniquely prepared to work with and encourage you as your personal journey to awesome continues. Did you know that you are on a journey to your personal awesome? Did you forget? Do you have a dream that you put aside last year? Maybe you put it aside or buried it a long time ago. What happened to that dream? Why did you leave it in the attic to collect dust? I believe if you are true to yourself, you will find your dream again. You just need to go looking for it.

So I’m opening up the gate into my backyard, and I’m inviting you to join me in my sandbox. I have some great tools with me in my sandbox. May I share them with you? God placed these tools in my life. Many times I wondered why, but now I know. I’ve been carrying these tools around so that I can share them with you. We are going to do some digging and building in the sandbox.

Some of my tools.
Relational Selling – I have been selling vehicles for more than 16 years. I do not fit the well-worn car salesman stereo type.
A Listening Ear – Yep. Really. I have been blessed with the ability to listen to you share your personal story.
Compassion and Understanding – This particular tool ties in to the listening ear. I want to walk beside you on your journey.
Reading – I have a passion for reading. As my sandbox becomes larger I’ll share my favorite books and blogs with you.

These are only a selection of my tools. I’ll share more as we go along. I’ve acquired these tools over the years through times of debilitating pain, immense joy, hard work and simple blessing. Every single day God has been refining my tools and adding to my collection.

I plan to use these tools to talk with you about cars (I’m not a “car guy”, but I love cars.), selling (how I sell and my personal philosophy on selling), Depression and ADHD, my life as a husband/dad/son/brother, baseball and so much more.

But, my message isn’t about cars or selling or ADHD or Depression or my family. My message is about my story. My story is about leadership and success and encouragement. I’m going to share stories with you. Stories about what I have mastered in my life. Stories about what still needs to be mastered. I want to share with you all that I can give.

Please join me in my sandbox.

Music

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What is it about music that stirs and revives our souls?

If you read this post, your are required to click each link and listen to the music.

Dobie Gray – Drift Away (Original Official Video)
http://youtu.be/NIuyDWzctgY

Lyrics help express feelings. Many times they help us pull ideas and memories out from the deep recesses of our minds. Those memories of high school or childhood that come rushing back when you hear a certain song. It may happen in an elevator, or as the ice cream truck rolls past. (My wife and I told our boys the ice cream truck was the “music truck” when they were little.) You think to yourself “Wow. I wish I could go back to that moment.” Many of us feel our souls rising up to God through music. Alone and in a time of sorrow, but also during times of corporate worship. I love singing traditional hymns in the traditional way. Harmonies rise from different pews with the familiar tones of fellow church members of the last 40 years. I can distinctly hear my Dad when we sing many traditional songs in church. He has a unique tone. Sometimes it grinds on me, but mostly it brings me to a comfortable place of warmth and familiarity.

Music resonates deep in the human soul. It has a power to connect us with others and to open our hearts to new feelings. This experience is universal. How many of us have been in a different country and have been blessed to worship with a congregation in a very different language. When the music begins, even if you don’t have any idea of the words being spoken, the music joins you together.

I love these words shared with me by my friend Liz Clark as I was preparing to write this post.

“Music awakens something, changes the air inside my soul.”

This is so very true. No matter the music you prefer. Sacred or secular. Music does something to us. And it is wonderful. Many times we struggle to find words to express our true feelings, and then we turn to music. When you were young, did you share favorite songs with a young man or young woman you were pursuing? At your wedding did you select a specific, meaningful song? I did. And I sang it to my beautiful bride during our wedding. December 30, 1993. (Sing is a relative term here. I cried my way through it.)

Steven Curtis Chapman
“I Will Be Here”
http://youtu.be/qWzGmtro7cE

I have found over the years that I need to sing. My soul, my psyche, my emotions, they all need me to sing. They need to connect with music on a daily basis. I need to sing words, but music without words works well too. Orchestral pieces, marching bands, etc, work very well when the words are not enough. The beauty of a symphony can touch us deeply. Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait” brings deep meaning and a connectedness to the gravity of what our greatest president dealt with on a daily basis. Have you ever felt emotion while listening to Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”? Yep. Thought so. How about the United States Marine Corps Hymn or the Navy Hymn? If you are an American and those don’t bring up emotions I don’t know what will.

Here’s one more to listen to. Again, tugging at the American sense of patriotism, what does this do to you?

National Anthem by The Tenors at Falcons vs. Seahawks game
http://youtu.be/sZoivVwaZpA

What songs/music moves you? Please share a link in the comments below.