Extra in The Ordinary

The “Abundance mindset” is similar to the Dan Sullivan 10X mindset (President and founder of Strategic Coach) in many ways. Dan Sullivan also talks about the mind boggling leaps of technological advancements since the discoveries that have allowed computer chip capacity to increase. He refers to it as endless global change. This trend is formally referred to as Moore's law. In an age of endless global change, the only way to plan for success and continue to be leaders is to plan with at least 10x growth in mind. This opens our brains to new possibilities. Often, the ceiling of complexity or confusion we experience is self imposed. Once we give ourselves time and brain space to think things through, and we open our mind to ABUNDANCE, our brains can then go to work doing what they do best. The average person uses about 10% of their brain capacity, and I don’t know about you, but I’m interested in unlocking the other 90%.  10x wasn’t good enough for...

This week a family at our church lost their 15 month old baby boy, baby Henry, and so today I'd like to start out by saying my heart goes out to them, and I think I've prayed for them at least 3 times today already. Their loss causes all of us to recalibrate, stop for a moment and ask ourselves, what are we doing here? If life can be so short, how are we redeeming the time to make every second count? What's the point? How can God allow such pain and loss? This past summer I read a book, Heaven is for Real, and today I'm so glad to have that story under my belt. It's a story about a little boy who has an experience during a traumatic surgery, and afterwards (about a year later) he starts gradually telling his parents about seeing Jesus. Then he starts to tell them about heaven and the others he saw there, including his miscaried sister he never knew about. Now, I don't claim to know if that little boy really went to heaven or not, but the book gave me chills. I...

Ya know what's hard for me? Stillness. I can't sit still through a movie. I can't sit still for a long meal. I just can't be still. I need to be moving, working, or at least writing and thinking. Right now I'm washing the clothes, washing the dishes, and cooking oatmeal bars in the oven while I write this. Being still and alone is really hard for me. I'm bad at still. Do you struggle with this, too? Do you try to plan the grocery list while making cookies while reading that book? Are you looking at this on your phone while driving or walking? (yikes if you are driving please check back later!!) Well, I know in this fast paced world we live in, God wants us to occasionally slow down and just sit still. That's the only way we can experience His peace and the recalibration we need from remembering that HE is GOD. (blessed be HIS name!).  This morning in my Bible reading God called me out like He always does with just the thing I needed to hear. Psalm 46: ...

Does mom need a little bit of encouragement today? Me too!! Ordinary: Refereeing the kids while they fight over a toy Extraordinary: Thinking beyond “who had it first?” to the heart of the matter   The book, Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp, is the best parenting/training   book I’ve seen so far, and I needed a good book…here’s why: Mostly my kids are really REALLY good (yes I know I’m blessed), but just like anyone else, when they are tired or hungry or bored…wow they can get into a heap of trouble. Clarification: My first born, IPK, is the pleaser, and an angel. She wants to save the world of heartbreak and share Jesus and fix everyone’s problems. She is really fun and silly, too, but she just has a good, pure heart. My second born, Adi Boo, is the wild one. She likes frilly skirts and jumping off things. She questions ideas. If I say it, she questions it. She is bold and courageous, with what SHE wants to do. She is learning to obey, and doing...

Mr. Shmooze: The Art and Science of Selling Through Relationships, by Richard Abraham Book report by T. Knapp “We all know someone like Mr. Shmooze”, the book begins. At the Hotze Enterprises, we know “Dr. Shmooze”! Dr. Hotze surely felt a kindred connection to Mr. Shmooze as he read the pages of this short story. Mr. Shmooze is charismatic, charming, friendly, interested, smart, energetic, passionate, enthusiastic, and has “woo”. Dr. Hotze has all of the same qualities! Mr. Shmooze has a louder personality than Dr. Hotze, so they aren’t completely the same. Dr. Hotze would probably say he wants to be more like Mr. Shmooze, and I think we can all learn something from the Shmoozer! Create a vision, and paint a picture: “Whether socializing or selling, (it is important to) to paint a spectacular picture for someone. To get the adrenaline flowing. To ignite imaginations!”. -Mr. Shmooze ·          If we can help a guest visualize a big...

Sea shells: Have You Heard the Story?     Legend says there was a man, walking on the beach, picking up seashells. Of course, most of them are broken, but he wants to keep as many as possible, so he picks up one after another. Finally his hands are full, and he has to drop a broken shell or two to make room for a new broken shell, but he keeps going on and on. Finally, he finds the most beautiful shell, completely whole, but he doesn't have room in his hands. He is unwilling to drop his broken shells to pick up the one whole shell, so it stays on the beach, and the man walks away sad with regret.    Why do we pick up broken shells? What's your broken shell? Is it worry? Is it a broken memory from your past that you can't let go of? Is it an expired dream? A broken heart? Is it the notion that you can do it all? Sometimes I think I can fill my hands with 50 broken shells, and then I have to remind myself to keep an eye out for the shells that count, an...

25 Ways to Win with People is a useful and motivating handbook written by John Maxwell and Les Parrott with practical advice on how to cultivate stronger relationships with other people. Whether we are creating more meaningful relationships with our spouse, a brother or sister in Christ, our children, or our coworkers, our time could never be spent on anything more important. It’s the easiest, most obvious and important priority to set.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 Doesn’t that just encourage you to know that YOU were created in Christ Jesus for good works, and you are HIS workmanship!? The same God that created the breathtaking sunsets, the awesome star sparkling night sky, and those sweet newborn baby blue eyes created YOU! You are precious.  In the same way, all of God’s people (past present and future) are precious. Understanding and realizing th...