Who makes you wanna be a better person? (How/Why do they make you wanna be better?)

What makes you happy?

How does how you see yourself affect how you see others?

How will you make a difference in someone's life today?

What are the top two things you've learned from your kids?

Do you trust God enough to let Him hurt you in order to heal you?

What is the difference between passion & addiction?

What area of your life are you currently working on the most?

On a scale from 1-10, where would you rate your character?

What's the most recent positive change you've made in your life?

What's the biggest thing you've learned recently?

Why were you created?

What are you intentional about?

How do you define maturity?

What is one dream or goal that you think about the most?

How do you know if you're ready & willing to change?

What were you most complimented for during your childhood?

How do you stay focused?

What affects your personal drive?

What is your 'craft' or specialty?

What's one accomplishment you've already achieved this year?

What are you most consistent at?

What is one thing you've overcome that you're most proud of?

What do you appreciate the most from the person you love the most?

What are you most thankful for?

Who is someone who has brought out the best in you? How did they do it?

How do you define a life of significance?

When is it ok to give up?

When Is It Ok To Give Up?

Hmm...how about that one to get the juices flowing?

When is it ok to throw in the proverbial towel?  Not the little square hand towel you use to wipe your nose.  I’m talking about the big, giant, fluffy, cozy, white, beach towel of surrender—the big one that’s sitting on the top shelf of your bathroom closet…just a little out of your reach…or is it?

How much is too much?

How hard is too hard?

How many times is one too many times?

How difficult is too difficult?

How challenging is too challenging?

How strenuous & arduous is too strenuous & arduous?

How many obstacles are too many to overcome?

How many hurdles are too many to jump?

How many straws is the last straw?

Well…do you have an answer?

What was it for you?

Have you ever waved that ever-so-shameful and embarrassing 1000 lb. flag of surrender before?

Or maybe you’re just one of those faith filled friars that just float into work on your fuzzy fabric of unflappable, unphaseable tapestry that has never experienced the defeat or knock-out punch of life.

If you’ve never experienced the bitterness of waving the wispy white wand of weakness…get ready…because your time may come…

I mean even in the Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth (BIBLE), it says that if you choose to live a certain way, there will be struggles & challenges (Matt 5).  And, gee whiz, even the Optimus Prime of aPostles, Peter, had to take the proverbial knee when he disavowed his very own Teacher, Coach, Mentor…not once…but three stinkin’ times…in a ROW!  Are you kiddin’ me?  C’mon Pete…get it together buddy. 

And wasn’t it big Pete again, who when given the opportunity to check out his “bare footing skills” on the Sea Of Galilee when he stepped out of the boat, he sunk like the Titanic.

I mean if Big Papa Pete had to wave the wand of weenie-ness, there’s a pretty darn good chance you may have to as well.

So…let’s just go out on a skinny, shaky limb & say that if Big Pete waved the white flag of surrender…on more than one occasion, there’s a chance you & I will too.  And for the record…unfortunately, I’ve waved that wand of wussiness more times than I’d like to admit.  As a matter of fact, there’ve been times in my life where I’ve felt I had my PhD in White Flag Surrendering 101, 201, 301 & 401.  And it didn’t stop there…I’ve felt like I’ve even taught classes on how to do it.

So…what does that make me?  Wow…you can’t imagine the number of times I’ve asked myself that question.  Who are you?  How many times are you gonna wave that flag, Gib?  (That’s what I call myself.  Sometimes, when I’m feeling especially good, I’ll call myself, “The Gibbenator”.)  :-) Why are you waving the flag…again?  Why are you being such a weenie, Gib?  What’s your problem, Gib?  Why are you being such an Oscar Meyer weenie?

In my infinitesimally finite experience, I’ve arrived at this conclusion.  Let’s go back to the beginning.  The very beginning. 

“When Is It Ok To Throw In The Towel?”

When you own a Rolls Royce, when is it ok to turn it into the scrap heap?

When you own a Rolex, when is it ok to bust out your sledgehammer & smash it into a million pieces?

When you own a home, when is it ok to dowse it w/gasoline & torch the place?

When you own an antique artifact, when is it ok to use it for fire wood?

When you own a vintage automobile, when is it ok to use it in a demolition derby?

When you’re in combat and getting shot at and you have only one good weapon w/ammo, when is a good time to just pitch it & start throwing rocks?

When you have a disobedient kid, when is it ok to trade them in for a better one?

But what if your kid is disobedient repeatedly, surely at some point it’s ok to turn them in for an upgrade, right?

What is the most priceless thing in the world to you?  I would venture to guess it’s either a child or a family member, a spouse, parent or sibling.  Have they ever wronged you before?  How many times have they wronged you?  Have they ever let you down? Surely you’ve never let them down, right?  When should they cut you off?  When should they stop accepting you?  When should they give up on you? 

OR, when would you tell your kid to just give up.  “Throw in the towel, little Johnny.  You pretty much suck like a Kirby vacuum at this thing we call life.  Just give up now.  You’re basically gonna be the Nacho Libre of Neophyte Nothings, so just call it quits little buddy.” 

OR, how about we flip the script a little?  What if your little Johnny or little Susie looked up at you in the eye balls and said, “You know what, Pops?  I can tell you’ve never even lifted a parenting book, much less actually read one.  Just based on the number of times I’ve noticed you’re completely clueless on that thing you call ‘parenting’; I’m pretty much done w/you.  You’ve screwed up enough times as a parent, so why don’t you just call it quits.  I’m just gonna call 1-800-GET-A-REALDAD and then my life will be far out groovy cool.”

Can you even imagine either one of those scenarios? 

I’m really hoping you’re catching my snow drift.

I’m really hoping you connected the dots on my crayola crayon picture.

I’m really hoping I’ve made it clear that the answer to “When’s a good time to call it quits and throw in the towel…for good?” is NEVER.  Never, ever, ever, never.

As in Winston Churchill’s famous speech, “Never…never…never…give up.”  And then he walked off the stage. 

So, my dear friend, I’ve got two closing thoughts to wrap this up:

1.)   1.) Exchange your wimpy wand of wussiness for the Extra Large Life’s Louisville Slugger.  Use your same wand waving muscles to swing that monster bat around & start beating the snot outta whatever giant may have the guts to face you.

2.)  2.) Never, never, never give up.  I don’t care if you get knocked down.  Beat down.  Thrown down.  Or you just wanna break down.  Just picture Hulk Hogan (HH) back in his glory days.  When he’d get slammed to the ring & it looked like it was all over but the shoutin’…and Hogan’s opponent was doing the happy dance…all of a sudden, you’d get a little glimpse of Hulk Hogan’s big index finger startin’ to wiggle as he laid flat on the mat…and then a few seconds later his hand would start to jiggle…and then a few seconds later his whole arm was a wavin’…and then a few seconds later he’d slowly drag himself up to one knee…and that was about the time when the opponent knew he was in deep Korean kimchee…and the bad guy would start to wale on Hulk w/all he had, but it was too late…HH already had his mojo back…as the crescendoing crowd immediately rushed to his aid w/applause (because everyone loves an overcomer), the mighty Hulk Hogan went from one knee to standing back up on his two big giant oak tree legs & commenced the marvelous beat down of beat downs…until he was VICTORIOUS. 

Keep fighting...until you win.


I believe in you.

Go.

Do.

Pursue.

Who has been there for you during critical times in your life?

Who makes you feel like you want to be a better person?

What leads to quality decisions?

Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement. Properly understood & applied, it is the most potent instrument of action. -Mahatma Gandhi

A famished heart is vulnerable enough to fall victim to the world's most tempting vending machine. -J.Tesch

I would rather go with God in the dark than go alone in the light. --Mary Brainard