As I enter the second half of the year, I am reflecting on the highs and lows of the first half. I would like to be able to state that I had accomplished all the goals I had established for myself during these first two quarters. The fact however is that I haven’t accomplished many. God blessed me with some challenges that I did not anticipate or plan for that rightfully diverted my attentions from some areas of my life. His way is always the best ways and I accept that and praise Him for the good days and the bad ones.
In other areas of my life, however, I lacked the discipline and focus to accomplish what I sought to accomplish. Some would say the circumstances in my life (a sick mom, weather, personnel issues, etc) affected my ability to accomplish some of my goals. Circumstances NEVER dictate the outcome, my response to the circumstances is what dictates the outcome.
For example, I began dieting early in the year with a desire to lose 17 lbs. I am not overweight, but as many of you know I have a heart condition and I feel my absolute best at around 170 lbs. Our company cruise ended on January 7 and I began my diet then. Between Jan 7-Jan 22, I lost over 10 lbs and was feeling amazing. Then my mom got sick. I allowed that situation to be an excuse as to needing “comfort food.” I told myself it would make me feel better. So diet out the window and a belly full of tater skins, fried chicken wings, big boys, and a whole lot of other stuff and my goal of 17 lbs lost became only 5 lbs lighter than Jan 7. The circumstance did not make me eat, my attitude did. Did eating comfort food make my Mom better, no! It didn’t even make me feel better about it, it was just a excuse to lose discipline.
Don’t get me wrong, God has been very good to me this first half of the year. Revenue $ are down, but profit $ is up over previous years. Mom is still with us, home for now, and physically getting healthier. My wife, Sabrina, is having another record year in real estate. We’ve found a new church home at Oakwood Community Church in Tampa. Bible study attendance at our Northside Services company bible study is still steady and lives are being changed. Probably one of the most exciting aspects of my year thus far is that I finally made a leap and joined the John Maxwell Team where I am getting trained to speak and coach which will fulfill my aim later in life.
This weekend, I will sit down and evaluate where I am right now. I will look at my goals that I set at the beginning of the year and see how they apply to today’s circumstances. I will then restate those that are applicable, create new ones where needed, and prepare my heart and mind to move forward into this next half of 2018. My word for the year was “resolute” and although I haven’t been resolute so far; the year is not over.
I am thankful that I do not do this alone. I have an amazing wife, family, teammates, and friends who support me in prayer and encouragement. I gain encouragement knowing I have a God who loves me and plans to prosper me. In the past my goals were all about ego, success, money, and other worldly things. Today I do what I do to bring glory to Christ and a smile to the face of my Heavenly Father. Like Paul says in Corinthians, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
I may be down a few touchdowns but I am coming out of the locker room Monday morning with a modified game plan for a successful second half, a plan to win! With God’s favor, I will not lose!
Be awesome!
In Jesus name I lead, in Jesus name I work.