Do Something

With all credit given to Matthew West for this exceptional song, and the challenge that it asserts, I simply wanted to post it as a reminder to myself and others to LIVE LIFE ON PURPOSE. As author Chris Brady writes, our privileges are not for our pleasure, but rather for our purpose. Let's match our personal gifts and talents with a need...
and DO SOMETHING!

------------------------------

"Do Something"

I woke up this morning

Saw a world full of trouble now

Thought, how’d we ever get so far down

How’s it ever gonna turn around

So I turned my eyes to Heaven

I thought, “God, why don’t You do something?”

Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of

People living in poverty

Children sold into slavery

The thought disgusted me

So, I shook my fist at Heaven

Said, “God, why don’t You do something?”

He said, “I did, I created you”

If not us, then who

If not me and you

Right now, it’s time for us to do something

If not now, then when

Will we see an end

To all this pain

It’s not enough to do nothing

It’s time for us to do something

I’m so tired of talking

About how we are God’s hands and feet

But it’s easier to say than to be

Live like angels of apathy who tell ourselves

It’s alright, “somebody else will do something”

Well, I don’t know about you

But I’m sick and tired of life with no desire

I don’t want a flame, I want a fire

I wanna be the one who stands up and says,

“I’m gonna do something”

If not us, then who

If not me and you

Right now, it’s time for us to do something

If not now, then when

Will we see an end

To all this pain

It’s not enough to do nothing

It’s time for us to do something

We are the salt of the earth

We are a city on a hill (shine shine, shine shine)

But we’re never gonna change the world

By standing still

No we won’t stand still

No we won’t stand still

No we won’t stand still

If not us, then who

If not me and you

Right now, it’s time for us to do something

If not now, then when

Will we see an end

To all this pain

It’s not enough to do nothing

It’s time for us to do something 

A Precious Life - Tony P.

This past Sunday, I delivered the following eulogy to honor my brother's life, and to provide perspective for the rest of us.

We shared a special bond, one that few brothers are blessed to enjoy. Many of you have already shared with me some amazing stories about how he touched your life as well.

Thank you for all of your support, thoughts and prayers.

-------------------------

There are only two naturally innate fears – the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. The rest are learned. They say the #1 learned fear is public speaking, and #2 is death. Go figure, he gives me the harder one…

I’m actually not afraid of speaking, but I’m afraid that I’m not prepared to talk today. I’m not prepared at all. I should not be standing up here. This day came way too soon. But I am honored to be speaking on my brother’s behalf. He has now faced death head on, ending a long and courageous fight.

You may know him as Tony, or Anthony. I always called him Ant.

This is such a sad day for all of us. We have lost a brother, a husband, a son, a father, a relative, a friend. We have lost a true original. I was not the only person at the visitation last night expecting Ant to open his eyes and flash a smile.

This is such a happy day for Ant. He is in the comforting arms of the Father. He put his faith in Jesus many years ago, providing a beautiful testimony at his baptism. He was a great man, and was always striving to be a better man. Like all of us, he did not live a perfect life – before, or after, that day. But through his faith his sins were washed clean by the blood of Jesus.

If you don’t have that faith, get it.

Anyone who has known Ant for a long time remembers a lively, vibrant man. Whether a joke, a skit, or a comment that no one else would think – or dare – to make, you often found yourself shaking your head in disbelief, but laughing to the point of pain and tears.

He often asked why he was given all the bad breaks when it came to his health. He had a lot of them. But he kept his spirit for a long time, and in that he was an inspiration.

In James 1, it says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

My brother is now complete. He is in a glorified body, free of all the sickness he experienced here.

One personal note: Mom – I do get the last word - Anthony broke the Dresden figurine.

On by brother’s tombstone, it will say June 24, 1963, the date of his birth. Then there will be a dash. Then it will say October 16, 2013, the date he left us. That dash represents his life. It represents what we are remembering about him today.

If you’ve attended a funeral service before, you may have heard a challenge about life. A challenge about the value of time, the fact that you are not guaranteed a tomorrow. What did you do when you heard that message?  Anything?

You are faced with that same message today. What are you going to take from Tony’s passing? What are you going to do differently today? What real changes are you going to make in your life?

If there is a dream to chase, I’m going to chase it.

If there is something to say, I’m going to say it.

If there is a friendship to repair, I will make the first move.

Frankly, someday may not come. You may hear that there’s always tomorrow – eventually, there is not.

You see, I think we will experience two very different feelings when we face our Lord. As a believer, the first will be the joy of an eternal relationship in the presence of God. The second? I believe we will be shown everything more that we were capable of doing. For many, that will be a very wide, and very sad, gap.

The older I get, the more I meet people my age who express regret for the way they’ve lived their lives.  Sometimes it’s what they have done; more often, it’s what they haven’t.

D.L. Moody said, "Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn't really matter.”

Let me ask you. What is your passion? What is the purpose of your life?

Are you a consumer, or a producer?

Is your life adding value to the lives of others?

Do you have a mission – a passion?  And do you have the courage to chase it?

I’ve seen firsthand the difference living with passion – living out a mission – has made in people’s lives.  When you are in pursuit of a mission, it’s unmistakable to the people around you. It transforms everyone around you. It’s infectious.  It fills them with the same passion, the same energy.

How does your family see you, every night when you return home from the battle? Even in the toughest of days, do you wear a smile knowing you were in pursuit of your passion? Can your family see it in your eyes?  Can you stand in front of your family and say you gave your all?

Turning that around just a bit can be very convicting… Can your children, perhaps your spouse, say they’ve seen you give your all for them?

You are not guaranteed tomorrow – Ant thought he had more tomorrows.

I wish he did. I miss him. I know you do as well.

What will you do with that feeling? Find what drives you, and chase it.

The great men and women of history were not great because of what they earned and owned. They were great because they gave themselves to people and causes that lived beyond them.

When the paratroopers jumped into Normandy in June 1944, did you know that some men refused to jump? Can you imagine what it was like, the rest of these men’s lives, because of their fear, their refusal to jump? They lived on. But it was said that their lives ended the moment they refused to leave the plane.

We all will die in the end – there’s no excuse to die in the middle! Everyone has to pay one way or another.  You can give into your fears and pay with your life; or you can pay the price of overcoming your fears and live.  It’s your choice.

Sometimes, all the inspiration you need falls into one simple question.  When you reach the end, what story do you want to tell?  When you are gone, what story will others be telling?

Please, in honor of my brother, make a commitment today to live each day to the fullest. When you think of him tomorrow, ask yourself if you’re honoring the commitment you made today.

The Making of a Champion

Here's a quote that I heard tonight on a conference call. It's an incredible reminder of the activity - the work, the sweat, and often the time - required to reach your victory.

The most concise description I have heard is this:
Dream, Struggle, Victory

Many want to skip right to the end! They have a dream. They expect the victory. You can't just skip a step. If you want the victory, you must endure the struggle. And the greater the victory you desire, the greater your struggle.

Besides, if was that easy, would it really be worth it?

The quote? Enjoy...

"I hated every minute of training, but I said,
'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.' ''

Muhammad Ali

How Far Are You Willing To Go?

If you’re like me, you recognize that our children provide us with a great excuse to be kids ourselves. Over the past 12 years, I have cherished the time I share with my son Matt, and I’m very intentional and intense about that time. The interaction and the relationship are what’s important. The event, the game, or the environment can enhance the time, but they are not the focus. It is time invested in his future. Sadly, so many parents miss out on this precious time.

I’m blessed that Matt enjoys to go to movies with me. As adults, we rarely venture out to the rated G movies on our own. Sadly, we sometimes miss out on some incredible messages.

It’s been a couple of years since we saw the Disney movie “Meet The Robinsons” together. I walked away from that movie absolutely on fire. Look at any summary of the film, and you’ll see that the life lesson was to keep moving forward. Failures, mistakes and setbacks are not obstacles. They are not the end of the line. They are an opportunity to learn and to grow. They refine us, and they lead us to better solutions.

We only fail when we quit.

Disney himself is credited as saying, “Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

The “keep moving forward” concept is critical to who I am and how I live my life. But was that enough to set me on fire? Well, no. I drew something else from the film that resonates with me to this day and drives me forward with strength and energy. With intensity.

I claim it was on the opening screen, even before the film itself. I may have the wrong movie. I may be misquoting the message. I may have been the only person in the theater who saw it. I can’t seem to find a reference to it anywhere. It's not on the DVD. But it is burned into my memory and is as real as the day I saw it.

“Everyone on this planet has a dream. The question is how far you are willing to go to make it come true.”

From the moment I heard that, I knew that I must be faithful to the dreams planted inside of me. How far indeed would I be willing to go to make them come true?

You have a dream planted inside of you. Do you have the courage to find it? Do you have the passion to follow it? Are you willing to step out, to keep moving forward and to persevere in the face of any obstacle?

How far are you willing to go to make it come true?

No Regrets

The older I get, the more I hear people express regret for the way they’ve lived their lives.

Sometimes it traces back to what they have done. An action. A choice. A mistake in judgment. Perhaps a blatant, intentional decision fully knowing the negative consequences. One event that changed the course of their life, or a chosen course that slowly defined their life.

More often, though, the regret is for something left undone. Mark Twain put it this way. "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do." If you ask me, this one is tougher. But it hits home all the same. Call it comfort or complacency, fear or ignorance. No matter, we will always miss the shots we didn’t take.

“Do I regret how I have lived my life?” Actions taken or failures to take action. As I write, and as you read, the question must be asked. Someday we'll be called upon to give an account for our lives. Will we like the answer? I don’t think I’ll have regrets for missteps or mistakes. I believe my greatest disappointment will be the day I learn what could have been. My full, unrealized potential. When I learn all that I was capable of doing that I simply ran from, avoided, or just let linger without a response. Things I stepped around. Wherever I set the bar, the understanding that I set it too low.

We all have the same 24-hour day. We all have a dream, a passion, planted within us. We all have skills and talents that support that passion. We all have resources that support those skills and talents. No, we don’t all have the same talents, skills or resources. Sometimes it takes a stretch, some extra effort, to make something happen in the midst of our circumstances. Still, we all have the opportunity.

I believe the differences, though, are not the limiting factor. We are far more limited by our thinking. Our beliefs, our attitudes and our self talk. The information we have on hand, and the new information we pursue. The actions we choose to take based on that information.

Beliefs drive decisions. Decisions determine direction. And every direction has a well defined destination.

I believe that each and every one of us are called to greatness based on the unique talents and skills that have been planted in us. They were planted in us for a purpose. They were planted in us for our mission.

The beauty in all of this? No matter where you have been, and no matter where you are now, you can choose a different path. You can tap into your passions and pursue a life void of regret. You can maximize every moment, every day and every opportunity. If you don't like the direction your life is taking, and the associated destination, you can step back and address the beliefs and decisions that are driving you there. But you must take action.

You were meant for something great. Step out and chase a mission worth every breath you’ve been given. Armed with passion and determination, you will create a valuable, abundant life. Stretch yourself! Dream BIG! Leave it all on the battlefield, with no regrets.