As you know I try to work out at least three days a week to keep myself in decent shape. Mondays are my least favorite day to work out because I have my kick boxing class these days, which is the class where I’m pushed the hardest to perform. Not that I don’t enjoy kick boxing, but it hurts my shin every time I kick the bag… (I’m a wimp!). So I went to class on Monday and found myself feeling a little relieved when we had a fill-in instructor. I knew the class would push me but it wouldn’t be like most Mondays where I count the minutes to completion. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy the normal instructor, but I was ready for an easier workout because it had been such a busy day.
The class began and it was your typical warm up. Running, frog jumps, push-ups, burpees (no, it has nothing to do with belching…lol), lunges, and the list goes on. After the warm up we have 30 minutes of boxing and kick boxing routines. Things were progressing normally with the class doing the routines when I noticed that the instructor had put on boxing mitts and was going around having everyone in the class hit the mitts for a period of time. This is probably my favorite part of boxing class! I was at the end so it would be a long time before he got to me, but it gave me something to look forward to. When he finally arrived to me I remember setting up and telling myself to hit them hard. One of the sounds I love to hear is the pop of the mitt when you hit it square and hard! As I was hitting, the pops were getting louder, and it made me want to hit them even harder. When he was doing my 10 second count down I increased my drive with every punch. When I finished he complimented me and said I had a really strong right hand. I felt so good to hear those words of encouragement and warn you readers to watch my right! (Ha ha.) As class was wrapping up he made his way over to me and again complimented me and said that it felt like I was going to break his hand. I just laughed and thanked him for the compliment and walked out feeling like Mohammad Ali. I know I would be taken apart if I ever got into the boxing ring with a real boxer, but that instructor created an excitement in me that has me counting down the minutes until my next workout.
I love how Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote words that excited and encouraged the church. He offered them words that created excitement in going out into the world and making a difference in the life of someone. He also encouraged them to encourage each other. Who is that person that you can encourage in life today? What simple words will give someone the drive to say, “I’m ready to face today’s challenges because someone spoke words of life into me.” Never forget Paul’s encouraging words to the church found in I Thessalonians 5: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Don't Just Look Outside
Tami and I decided that we needed a short vacation after she finished a long business trip, and if there’s one thing you can guarantee, it’s that the Bullards always have stories when vacation ends. Well, this vacation does not disappoint. On our way to our final destination, Phoenix, we decided to take a quick side trip to a place we’d never been before. We both enjoy sightseeing and discovering new areas that could lead to a longer stay in the future.
Having never been to this area, I went to the best place I know of to book a hotel room: the internet. In doing my search I ended up choosing a hotel that has a very recognizable name but is not your mega expensive hotel. It had a three-star rating and I figured that we’d only be in the room to sleep and change clothes between activities, so that would be plenty nice. Upon arriving at the hotel I can say that I was pleased with the outside appearance and even walking into the lobby I felt like I had made the right choice. Unfortunately, that’s as far as the feeling of satisfaction was going to go. When we got on the elevator, I became concerned because I could tell the staff had not spent a lot of time keeping it clean. Then walking down the hall I could see wrappers, trash, and a carpet that looked like it hadn’t been vacuumed in days. With my anxiety quickly rising I reached our room and things were not looking any better. I opened the door and my heart sank. I turned to Tami and told her that I’d messed up. Our room was a mess. Carpet with crumbs all over it, disgusting stains, dirty sheets on the bed, walls that looked like they hosted in-room dodge ball tournaments, and to cap it all off we tried to look out the window but it was so dirty that it apparently hadn’t been washed in years. I’ve been in a lot of rooms in my day, including several in third world countries, and this was by far the worst room I had ever entered. I quickly called the front desk to inform them that we could not stay at this hotel. I’ll have to continue my story next week, but let me share with you lessons learned up to this point.
Just because the hotel carried a name that was very recognizable didn’t mean that the hotel was going to be clean. Similarly, just because I was raised in a family that has the reputation of following after Christ doesn’t mean that my life is in order with Christ. The hotel management was responsible for holding the hotel to a high standard just like it’s my decision to live my life in a way that is pleasing to Christ. I can’t be afraid to make the changes to keep my life fresh and on the path God has designed for me. Left unattended, my life will eventually become a spiritual mess. Just as I made the choice not to stay one minute longer in that hotel than I had to, I can also make the choice that I won’t allow my life to go down paths that would hinder my walk with Christ.
What did we do next??? When I called the front desk, I was told our room was guaranteed and no refunds could be given even though we were unhappy with the cleanliness and upkeep of the room. I thought it best to go to the source I used to book the room, so I called and was thrilled to discover that I would have a 45-minute wait for a representative. After a few minutes Tami and I decided that I would keep the call going while we went to a nearby restaurant for dinner. On the elevator ride down I lost the call….ugh! When I called back the wait time had increased to 55 minutes. No big deal, we’d put the phone on speaker and just wait for someone to come on. Finally we heard a voice and I was able to voice my complaint and ask how I could get out of the hotel. I was informed that only the hotel could release me from the room so I’d have to talk to them. After a few minutes of debating I knew I was getting nowhere, so I called the hotel back and asked to speak with a manager. This game of phone ping pong went on for the next two hours and I was still no closer to getting a refund than I was when I began calling. We did check out and moved to another hotel, sure that the money was lost.
The next morning, I again called the third party and I got hold of someone who actually knew what they were doing. They went through my file and were frustrated to find no notes of my previous calls even though it showed I’d called. They assured me that I was not required to stay in a hotel that was unclean. It took about an hour, but in the end I was assured that I would receive a full refund by the end of the day. So, after about 4 ½ hours of being on the phone it looked like things were going to work out. And sure enough, later that afternoon I received an email verifying that the full refund was being returned to our account.
So, what did this experience teach me? First, let Tami book the rooms…lol (just kidding). I believe I had done my research and even the reviews painted the hotel out to be a nice place, so I don’t think I could have done anything different there. What I did learn is that when something is wrong I need to stay calm so that Tami feels assured that everything is going to be fine. I learned that nothing that happens is worth losing my joy and testimony. This was the first night of our vacation, and I determined that whatever happened was not going to ruin my vacation. I believe I treated every person I spoke with respectfully, and even though I disagreed with things they were saying, I discussed those issues in a calm, business-like way. Sitting on the phone was very frustrating and it would have been easy to take it out on the person who answered my call, but that would only make me look like a jerk and cause them to not want to be as helpful. Last of all, stay the course and don’t give up. A couple of times I felt like saying, “Forget it, let’s just lose the money because this is such a hassle,” but I didn’t because I knew we were right. I stayed the course and finally got hold of the right person who knew exactly what needed to be done. Tell me this isn’t the life we live daily in a world of sin. The good news is that Christ has come to set us free from the bondage of having to respond like the world, and we can respond in a new way that brings peace to us and lets our light shine to those we meet. Keep trusting the Lord no matter the circumstances and watch how he will use those circumstances to create growth in your life and impact others for His glory at the same time.
Having never been to this area, I went to the best place I know of to book a hotel room: the internet. In doing my search I ended up choosing a hotel that has a very recognizable name but is not your mega expensive hotel. It had a three-star rating and I figured that we’d only be in the room to sleep and change clothes between activities, so that would be plenty nice. Upon arriving at the hotel I can say that I was pleased with the outside appearance and even walking into the lobby I felt like I had made the right choice. Unfortunately, that’s as far as the feeling of satisfaction was going to go. When we got on the elevator, I became concerned because I could tell the staff had not spent a lot of time keeping it clean. Then walking down the hall I could see wrappers, trash, and a carpet that looked like it hadn’t been vacuumed in days. With my anxiety quickly rising I reached our room and things were not looking any better. I opened the door and my heart sank. I turned to Tami and told her that I’d messed up. Our room was a mess. Carpet with crumbs all over it, disgusting stains, dirty sheets on the bed, walls that looked like they hosted in-room dodge ball tournaments, and to cap it all off we tried to look out the window but it was so dirty that it apparently hadn’t been washed in years. I’ve been in a lot of rooms in my day, including several in third world countries, and this was by far the worst room I had ever entered. I quickly called the front desk to inform them that we could not stay at this hotel. I’ll have to continue my story next week, but let me share with you lessons learned up to this point.
Just because the hotel carried a name that was very recognizable didn’t mean that the hotel was going to be clean. Similarly, just because I was raised in a family that has the reputation of following after Christ doesn’t mean that my life is in order with Christ. The hotel management was responsible for holding the hotel to a high standard just like it’s my decision to live my life in a way that is pleasing to Christ. I can’t be afraid to make the changes to keep my life fresh and on the path God has designed for me. Left unattended, my life will eventually become a spiritual mess. Just as I made the choice not to stay one minute longer in that hotel than I had to, I can also make the choice that I won’t allow my life to go down paths that would hinder my walk with Christ.
What did we do next??? When I called the front desk, I was told our room was guaranteed and no refunds could be given even though we were unhappy with the cleanliness and upkeep of the room. I thought it best to go to the source I used to book the room, so I called and was thrilled to discover that I would have a 45-minute wait for a representative. After a few minutes Tami and I decided that I would keep the call going while we went to a nearby restaurant for dinner. On the elevator ride down I lost the call….ugh! When I called back the wait time had increased to 55 minutes. No big deal, we’d put the phone on speaker and just wait for someone to come on. Finally we heard a voice and I was able to voice my complaint and ask how I could get out of the hotel. I was informed that only the hotel could release me from the room so I’d have to talk to them. After a few minutes of debating I knew I was getting nowhere, so I called the hotel back and asked to speak with a manager. This game of phone ping pong went on for the next two hours and I was still no closer to getting a refund than I was when I began calling. We did check out and moved to another hotel, sure that the money was lost.
The next morning, I again called the third party and I got hold of someone who actually knew what they were doing. They went through my file and were frustrated to find no notes of my previous calls even though it showed I’d called. They assured me that I was not required to stay in a hotel that was unclean. It took about an hour, but in the end I was assured that I would receive a full refund by the end of the day. So, after about 4 ½ hours of being on the phone it looked like things were going to work out. And sure enough, later that afternoon I received an email verifying that the full refund was being returned to our account.
So, what did this experience teach me? First, let Tami book the rooms…lol (just kidding). I believe I had done my research and even the reviews painted the hotel out to be a nice place, so I don’t think I could have done anything different there. What I did learn is that when something is wrong I need to stay calm so that Tami feels assured that everything is going to be fine. I learned that nothing that happens is worth losing my joy and testimony. This was the first night of our vacation, and I determined that whatever happened was not going to ruin my vacation. I believe I treated every person I spoke with respectfully, and even though I disagreed with things they were saying, I discussed those issues in a calm, business-like way. Sitting on the phone was very frustrating and it would have been easy to take it out on the person who answered my call, but that would only make me look like a jerk and cause them to not want to be as helpful. Last of all, stay the course and don’t give up. A couple of times I felt like saying, “Forget it, let’s just lose the money because this is such a hassle,” but I didn’t because I knew we were right. I stayed the course and finally got hold of the right person who knew exactly what needed to be done. Tell me this isn’t the life we live daily in a world of sin. The good news is that Christ has come to set us free from the bondage of having to respond like the world, and we can respond in a new way that brings peace to us and lets our light shine to those we meet. Keep trusting the Lord no matter the circumstances and watch how he will use those circumstances to create growth in your life and impact others for His glory at the same time.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Don't Just Build Sand Castles
In I Thessalonians 5:11 the Bible says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” As we find our summer coming to an end I’m getting really excited about the things that God has in store for ALC in the months to come. As we move forward, I challenge you to remember that we are instructed to encourage and build each other up. One of my favorite places to go, in case you didn’t know, is the beach. I love listening to the water, watching people, and just relaxing. When people-watching you will always find a few who are building things out of the sand. I’ve seen sand castles, forts, a person…whatever you imagine. If a person is talented enough, then it can be built. Just as you have those who love to create works of art in the sand, you have that person that’s sitting on the sidelines just waiting for the right moment to plow through and destroy what’s been created. I’ve seen children in tears because a brother (more often than not) destroyed the masterpiece that was just created.
Paul teaches the church the importance of encouraging one another in our journey with Christ. I can’t tell you how many times I have had somebody offer an encouraging word or a testimony of what God is doing and it builds my faith and encourages me to want to do more for Christ. I want to encourage you to share what God is teaching you with others and offer them words of encouragement. If someone has done something to bless you, then encourage them to keep doing what they are doing. If you know of someone that is going through a tough time, we need to build them up and encourage them so they will know that they are not on this journey alone. Too often, our human nature wants us to look for the bad in others or in circumstances, like the one who wants to destroy that sand castle. Don’t be that type of person but instead let everything you do fulfill what Paul was teaching.
Paul teaches the church the importance of encouraging one another in our journey with Christ. I can’t tell you how many times I have had somebody offer an encouraging word or a testimony of what God is doing and it builds my faith and encourages me to want to do more for Christ. I want to encourage you to share what God is teaching you with others and offer them words of encouragement. If someone has done something to bless you, then encourage them to keep doing what they are doing. If you know of someone that is going through a tough time, we need to build them up and encourage them so they will know that they are not on this journey alone. Too often, our human nature wants us to look for the bad in others or in circumstances, like the one who wants to destroy that sand castle. Don’t be that type of person but instead let everything you do fulfill what Paul was teaching.
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