Burn, Baby, Burn

August 12, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

It’s been a debate around golfing circles for years as to which PGA pro gets credit for responding to a fan who quipped, “That was a lucky shot!” The famous reply (variously attributed to either Gary Player, Arnold Palmer or Lee Trevino) is, “You know, the more I practice, the luckier I seem to get.”

Regardless of who said it, there’s so much truth in that statement. Here’s what I’ve learned about success:

NO ONE is an over-night success. “The heights of great men reached and kept // Were not attained by sudden flight // But they, while their companions slept // Were toiling upwards in the night.” —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

NO ONE is a half-hearted success. “Success is the maximum utilization of the ability that you have.” —Zig Ziglar

NO ONE is successful on their own. “Leaders will not experience long-term success unless a lot of people want them to.” —John Maxwell

SUCCESS requires a high price. “Achievers choose what losers won’t and pay the price that others don’t.” —Anonymous

SUCCESS takes dedicated time. Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers quotes the 10,000 Hour Rule. He writes, “The biggest misconception about success is that we do it solely on our smarts, ambition, hustle and hard work.” Instead, he says that highly successful people have put in a minimum of 10,000 hours in a single area (think the Beatles with their music or Bill Gates with his computer programming).

SUCCESS starts with personal initiative. “Success isn’t a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.” —Arnold H. Glasow

John Wesley explained how he drew such large crowds in the First Great Awakening by stating, “I set myself on fire, and the people come to see me burn.” If you want to be successful, you must set yourself on fire, pay the price, and do the time.

Are you ready? If so, then burn, baby, burn!

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Put Your Dream To The Test (book review)

August 11, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Dream Test I’m a HUGE John Maxwell fan. He has been a mentor-from-afar for me for a number of years. So I know whenever I pick up a Maxwell book I’m going to be challenged and stretched in my thinking. Put Your Dream To The Test lived up to my expectations.

What’s your dream? Everyone has a dream, so what’s yours? I have always loved this quote from T.E. Lawrence:

“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.”

If you are a “dreamer of the day” you will find great value in reading this. In this book, Dr. Maxwell guides you through ten questions to help you refine the pursuit of your dream—

  • Is my dream really my dream?
  • Do I clearly see my dream?
  • Am I depending on factors within my control to achieve my dream?
  • Does my dream compel me to follow it?
  • Do I have a strategy to reach my dream?
  • Have I included the people I need to realize my dream?
  • Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?
  • Am I moving closer to my dream?
  • Does working toward my dream bring satisfaction?
  • Does my dream benefit others?

In typical Maxwell fashion, I was challenged to think differently, I was encouraged to renew what I have already learned, and I realized some things I needed to give up. One of the aspects of Maxwell’s books that I especially appreciate is how energized I feel after reading them. I feel like the counsel he gives me has prepared me to live my life more fully.

If you have a dream that is bigger than you, good! If you have a dream that size, I would strongly recommend that you read this excellent book to help you see your dream and seize your dream.

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Knowing Greatness

August 10, 2009 — Craig T. Owens
galaziesO Lord my God
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars
I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed
 
          Then sings my soul
          My Savior God to Thee
          How great Thou art
          How great Thou art
 
Galaxies and snowflakes.
Volcanoes and water geysers.
Summer and winter.
Day and night.snowflake_
Puppies and mosquitoes.
Red blood cells and white.
Me.
 
          You made them all.
          You know them all.
          You are in them all.
          How great Thou art!
 
I want to praise You more.
To praise You more,
I must know You more.
To know You more,
I must experience You more.
 
          Give my eyes sharper sight.
          My ears more attentive hearing.
          Give my tongue better tasting.
          My nose more acute smelling.
          Give my skin more sensitive feeling.
 
All my senses more keenly aware of all Your creation.
More aware of my Creator in creation.lightning
 
          You are in every sight.
          Sound.
          Taste.
          Smell.
          Touch.
          You are in all.
 
Today I want to experience You more.
To praise You more.
To know Your greatness more.
To realize Your love more.
How great Thou art!
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The Full Bucket

August 7, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

DSCN0731

Yesterday we celebrated the Fourth Annual Father-Son Tigers Outing. Not a very memorable name, but a wonderful tradition. We didn’t start out doing this with the idea of creating an annual event, but I’m so glad it has become so.

A group of 21 Dads and their sons spending an entire day together. Breakfast … a long car ride across the state to Detroit … great seats at the Detroit Tigers game (watching them beat up on the Orioles) … a quick stop at Kensington Park to play our own version of baseball (the sons beat the Dads 17-to-16.8 because of our creative rules!) … a dip in the lake … Jimmy John’s subs before hitting the road … and another long trip home. All total, more than 14 hours of memories.

I love it!

As Dads, we want to pass on a full bucket to our sons. It’s how we translate our heritage into their legacy.

How do I fill my bucket? God gave this command, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” It’s my responsibility to learn to love God with all I am and in all I do. I pursue God as I…

  • worship
  • pray
  • study
  • read
  • sweat
  • laugh
  • cry
  • play

That pursuit of God as my everything fills my bucket. Then the very next instruction God gives is this: “Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.”

How do I do this? Simply add together to my personal pursuit of God. Together with my sons and these other Dads and sons we…

  • worship together
  • pray together
  • study together
  • read together
  • sweat together
  • laugh together
  • cry together
  • play together

We started the day together under the shadow of the big tiger outside Comerica Park. We ended the day under the shadow of the Jimmy John’s restaurant as we prayed for one another. Dads and sons, together pursuing God.

Yesterday we Dads passed on a full bucket to our sons. Today we’re filling our buckets again so we can pass it on again.

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Generation Now

August 6, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Interbellum, Greatest, Silent, Baby Boomers, Busters, MTV, Gen X, Gen Y, Post-Millennial, Gen Z. It seems we’re obsessed with naming and defining our past and present generations. The “experts” tell us what each generation is motivated by, what they’re thinking, what they dream of, and what they are afraid of. I have stacks of books on my shelf about how to relate to people in each of these generational groups, and I constantly get emails that tell me the newest way to get each generation’s attention.

However, when I look in the Bible I only see two generations: this generation and the next generation. God is not concerned with description, but with action. I love what God said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in THIS generation.”

What you and I do in THIS generation reverberates into the NEXT generation.

The most important generation is Generation Now.

Yesterday I discovered something a whole lot easier than reading all of these books and sifting through all of the data to learn about GenNow. I discovered this by accident. I discovered it by fun. And I discovered it was exactly the same way Jesus connected with and related to His GenNow.

All I had to do was hang out at my office.

Throughout the day people saw my car in the parking lot, so they just stopped in. It was a blast! Just as Jesus spent times at parties, wedding banquets, in the market place, and with His friends, I got to know GenNow by simply being with them. We talked, we played music (great jam session!), I got beat in ping pong, we ate pizza, we worshipped God, we threw marshmallows at each other.

Through all of this, I learned what GenNow is dreaming about, laughing about, and worrying about. I also affirmed what I already knew: GenNow is a very special group!

Do you have a family member or friend that you want to connect with more deeply? Follow the example of Jesus: just spend time with them. I did, and it was great. In fact, I can’t wait to do it again and again and again!

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Uniquely You

August 5, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Thanks to Mr. Cochrane, my 10th grade English teacher, I have become somewhat of a literalist when it comes to the use of words. For instance, it bothers me when writers confuse your and you’re, or its and it’s, or their, there, and they’re.

Another vocabulary use that bothers me is when someone uses a qualifier with the word unique. It’s incorrect to say, “You’re very unique” or “It’s an unusually unique situation.” Unique, by its very definition, means there is nothing else like it.

Unique is defined as “existing as the only one or as the sole example; having no like or equal; unparalleled; incomparable.”

Do you know another great definition of unique: YOU.

Really, you are unique. You are the only one like you; you are the sole example of you; there is no one like you; you are unparalleled and incomparable. That’s you!

In one of his most intimate prayers, David says to God, “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” The Hebrew word for wonderfully means someone who is one-of-a-kind… unique.

You are uniquely you.

You were created in God’s image—uniquely.

You were created unlike anyone else who has ever lived—uniquely.

You are endowed by your Creator with a set of talents, strengths, and abilities (a gift package) that has never been seen before in the history of mankind, nor will it ever be seen again—uniquely.

You will cross paths with particular people at particular times in your life and their lives that can never be duplicated or recreated—uniquely.

In order to seize unique opportunities, you have to be uniquely you. In order to be uniquely you, you have to become more like Jesus. He embodied every godly attribute perfectly; He lived every moment perfectly; He handled every situation perfectly. “The more I become like Jesus the more uniquely I become myself” (Dr. George O. Wood).

How might you live your life differently today knowing that no one can do what you do the way you do it? The more you become like Jesus, the more uniquely you you will be. Try it!

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6,940 Days And Still Counting

August 4, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

When I was a kid we would often sing a hymn at church that had this chorus:

Count your blessings, name them one by one
Count your blessings, see what God hath done
Count your blessings, name them one by one
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done

Today is the 6,940th day I am counting the many blessings of being married to my best friend. Every day I am blessed that Betsy said yes!

King Solomon wrote, “The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD.” My life has certainly been full of treasured moments and crowned with God’s favor these past 6,940 days because I found a good wife.

Baby, here’s to the next 6,940 days—it’s going to be even better!

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More?

August 3, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

I keep getting these annoying messages on Twitter that say something like, “I got over 500 new followers on Twitter, and you can too!!” Then I get these sorts of emails, “We can increase the traffic to your blog 300% per day!”

What would make them think I want more? Maybe it’s because almost everything in our lives is about more.

  • After high school, go to college to get more education.
  • After college, climb the corporate ladder to get more money or more recognition.
  • After you start working, take more vacations and enjoy more perks.

Lately, I’ve become focused on better. I think better is better than more.

More is about width, better is about depth.

More is an exhausting pursuit, better is a satisfying pursuit.

More is about quantity, better is about quality.

So here’s my challenge, trade more for better—

  • Instead of looking for more friends, make your current friendships better.
  • Instead of getting more followers on Twitter, make better followers.
  • Instead of getting more education, get a better education.
  • Instead of trying to read more books, read better books.
  • Instead of spending more time with a lot of people, spend better time with a few people.

In what areas of your life can better be better than more?

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Here Comes The ♥♥!

July 31, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

I Heart My Church

Thanks to everyone who gave me some input on what they ♥ about their church. This Sunday I am starting a new series at Calvary Assembly of God called I ♥ My Church. We’re going to look at a church that everyone in town was buzzing about. And except for the religious stick-in-the-muds, the buzz was positive.

I believe we can be that church today. If you’re in the neighborhood, I’d love to have you join us over the next four weeks as we learn how to become that church about which everyone in town says I ♥ My Church!

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An Open Letter To My Daughter

July 31, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

My Dearest Samantha,

Last night as I watched your Mom teaching you how to put on makeup for the very first time, I couldn’t help but think how beautiful you are and what an incredible young woman you are becoming. It’s so wonderful to see that your beauty doesn’t come from anything you’ve done to the outside, but who you are on the inside. All the makeup did was enhance that beauty a little bit.

As you get older I know that fashionable clothes, the latest hairstyles, and the newest cosmetics will play more and more of a role in your life, but always remember where your true beauty comes from. The Bible says it this way, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

You already have such an inner beauty that God loves … and your Daddy loves! It shines out of your eyes, I can hear it in your voice, I can see it in your actions, I can feel it in your hugs. You are so beautiful!

To keep this unfading beauty shining brightly, remember this: “Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain [because it is not lasting], but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised!”

I couldn’t be more proud of you than I already am, so I will always be your loudest cheering section and chairman of your fan club! You are my beautiful Rose!

I love you,

   Dad

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