"What’s your first reaction?"

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I’ll always remember the first time our family took one of our yellow Labs to the beach. Princess loves the water, but had never seen the ocean. So when we took her down for the first time, she really didn’t know what to think. I mean, the ocean’s wet so she knew she’s supposed to like it, but the waves crashing in on her scared her. This water moved and that was different.

Soon we couldn’t get her out of the water. She jumped the waves and loved every minute. Then she discovered the sand and in minutes was on her way to China, digging a hole just as fast as she could, enthralled with how easy it was to dig in this dirt; totally unlike the hard soil around our home on the mountain.

Are you like Princess? Is fear your first reaction when you face a new situation? Do you try it out and discover the beauty of something new?

Sometime soon, maybe even today, you’ll face your ocean. Take a deep breath, ask God to be with you, then go play in it as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living today.

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"Where will you find God today?"

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Science and faith present a real conflict for some people. They just can’t seem to find a place of peaceful coexistence in their minds for the two.

Dr. Francis Collins isn’t one of them. Science and faith make perfect sense for Dr. Collins who is both an M.D. and Ph.D. and serves as the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute. His most recent book is The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief.

Dr. Collins says that as much as he loves science, it was powerless to answer questions such as:

"What is the meaning of life?"

"Why am I here?"

"Why does mathematics work, anyway?"

"If the universe had a beginning, who created it?"

"Why do humans have a moral sense?"

"What happens after we die?"

Dr. Collins says God can be found in the cathedral or laboratory. "By investigating God’s majestic and awesome creation, science can actually be a means of worship."

Where will you find God as you listen to life and make a life today?

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"Do you expect others to be Carnac?"

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When comedian Johnny Carson was on American television, he created a character he called "Carnac the Magnificent." Carnac was a mind-reader. He could place an envelope up against his turban, respond to what was written on the paper in it, and then open it and read the item.

What’s not so hilarious is how many people expect their coworkers, friends, and family members to be like Carnac. This is my third decade of coaching individuals, couples, and teams, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, "If he really loved, he’d know what to do" or "I’m the boss. They should read my mind" or some other expression of expectation without declaration. I even hear some people say of God, "If God knows everything, then I should just get what I want."

And here’s my standard response to those who want others to read their mind, to an expectation without declaration: "If you want something, you have to ask to receive it." As you ask, you declare your expectation and move closer to realizing it. So today ask God for what you want and then listen to life.

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"Do you still play dress up?"

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Do you remember playing dress up as a kid? Your mom or dad put a bunch of their old clothes in a box for you to pull out and put on.

Our daughters loved clip-clopping around in their mom’s old high heels. Maybe you did too. I can remember wearing my grandfather’s old hats and out-of-style ties.

Did you pretend to be "all grown up?" Like you were someone else?

Maybe you still do pretend to be someone else, acting like you think the boss wants you to. Or, like your friends expect you to. Or, like your spouse suggests you do.

There are about 6.5 billion on this planet and in God’s infinite, creative wisdom, no two of us are exactly alike.
You are who you are—uniquely created out of 6.5 billion people—for a reason. And that reason isn’t for you to dress up and play pretend that you’re someone else. Sure, it’s cute when you’re a child. But it’s childish when you’re an adult.

Ask God to show you who you truly are as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living today.

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"Who are you remembering today?"

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Today’s Memorial Day, the day when Americans remember the war veterans who sacrificed their lives for their country. But it’s also a day when we remember other people and their special contributions to us.

A lot of people fly flags today to remember our war veterans. When remembering other family members and friends, some folks go put flowers on graves. Remembering those we loved is important to us.

We had a dog, Charlie, who died around Christmas and our family looked for a way to remember him. And we found one—we adopted another Yellow Lab named Cody. Cody looked a lot like Charlie, played a lot like Charlie did, and reminded us in a lot of ways of Charlie. So I guess the best memorial we could make to Charlie was to adopt someone like him.

Find someone today who reminds you of your loved one…and adopt him or her…and your loved one’s memory lives on. How do you find this someone? Just listen to your life and make a life, not just a living today.

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