Category: Blog Post

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Blog Post Labor Day 2021

Labor Day 2021: Ten Motivating Things

Labor Day 2021: Ten Motivating Things

What motivates you at work?

As a speech teacher, I would often begin the lesson on persuasion by writing a question on the board: “What motivates people?”

I would encourage students to start shouting out their answers: “pride,” “money,” “fear,” “recognition,” “safety,” “faith,” and so on.

Recently, I was in a writing slump. I was struggling. so I wrote a list of things that keep me motivated to do my best work:

1. My faith in Christ and the Bible;

2. Love of family and friends;

3. Service to others;

4. Discovering and learning new things;

5. Making lists and setting goals. Accomplishing the goals is even more fun;

6. Famous quotations, memes, positive posts, and uplifting stories;

7. Hearing a good sermon or attending an informative seminar or lecture;

8. Listening to my eclectic music playlist that includes Christian, country, rock, classical, and international music;

9. Imagining myself being in the mountains where I can see beautiful panoramas and smell pine trees in the forest; being near the ocean, and hearing the wave’s crash and breathe in the salty, sea air; being in the desert at sunrise and sunset with the vibrant colors, and after dark, far from the city lights, looking up at the spectacular star-filled sky in awe the Creator; and

10. Receiving positive feedback from readers.

Once out of my writing slump, I realized my list was a great source of inspiration.

I encourage you to make your own list of things that motivate you.

Tell me what you think below and please join me every day as we pray for wisdom by taking part in the Wisdom Prayer Challenge.

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Accused Blog Post

Accused!

Accused!

Have you ever been accused of doing something wrong?

It happened to me when I was taking a college English class.

One assignment called for defining words and terms related to a topic of my choosing. I immediately knew what I wanted to write about: the terms related to speech and debate.

Why? I attended the University of Kansas Summer Debate Institute between my junior and senior years of high school. By the time I graduated from Los Angeles High School, I had earned the National Forensic League’s Double Ruby designation for competitive speaking. It so happened I was also on the university’s speech team.

I turned in my paper, and left class confident I had done my best work.

A few class meetings later, the teacher handed back the papers. I had high expectations.

The teacher gave back my paper, and that is when I saw the red “F.” There was also a note about plagiarism.

I was stunned. I scheduled a time to meet with the teacher during her office hours.

Later that afternoon, I went to the speech team’s office and met the head speech coach, John Tagg. I told him what happened, and asked him to read my English paper.

Right then, he sat down and typed a letter explaining that I knew all of the terms I wrote about in my paper.

Within a few days, I met with my English teacher, and when I showed her the letter, she changed my grade to an “A.”

Been accused? Pray. God can make a way.

Tell me what you think below and please join me every day as we pray for wisdom by taking part in the Wisdom Prayer Challenge.

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Blog Post Things I Love About Writing

Zig Ziglar and Fifteen Things I Love About Writing

Zig Ziglar and Fifteen Things I Love About Writing

Zig Ziglar inspired millions with his lectures and his books like See You at the Top. He is perhaps best remembered for his uplifting and life-affirming talks. I was fortunate to see him in person.

A number of years later, I heard him giving a radio interview. He told the story about how he challenged members of an audience of business professionals to celebrate the positive things they liked best about where they worked. He allowed time for people to start writing their lists.

At the end of his talk, a woman approached him and said she had nothing on her list because she hated everything about her job. I recall Zig asked her several questions like the following:

– “Do you like the people where you work?”

– “No.”

– “Do you like the location of the office?”

– “No.”

– “Do you like the clients?”

– “No.”

– Finally he asked, “Do you like the pay?”

– “Oh yes. I love the pay,” she replied.

He suggested she start her list with that and add to it. His point was to start. One item would lead to others and end up being the catalyst for an improved attitude and work ethic. He told her she would probably enjoy her work more once she focused on the positive aspects of her job and what she like about it.

I felt Zig was onto something. So at that time, I wrote a list of all the things I liked about my job. It took a couple of days to make a comprehensive list.

I was surprised. Every time I reread the list, I was inspired to do my best work. I stopped taking my job for granted and started to celebrate everything about my career.

Flash forward several years: I am a full-time writer.

Here are fifteen things I love about my writing career:

1.- God has called me to write.
2.- God has blessed me with a desire to write.
3.- Although the words do not always flow easily, I feel good when I write.
4.- I am always learning something new.
5.- The process keeps my mind active and engaged.
6.- Writing for me involves the thrill of discovery.
7.- I like to edit and rewrite, so writing is like solving puzzles.
8.- Writing helps me think about problems, possible solutions, and next steps.
9.- When people read my work, they tell me they appreciate what I have had to say.
10.- It is thrilling to know that what I write can reach someone halfway around the world.
11.- When I see my writing published in print or online, I know my investment of time, talent, treasure, and brain power has been worth it.
12.- My goal of learning to write well motivates me to be the best writer I can be.
13.- I am thankful for being part of a great writing community. My circle of friends who write includes a wonderful group of very talented published and unpublished authors.
14.- I get to attend writers’ conferences. They offer a chance to network and learn the craft.
15.- I enjoy the marketing aspects of the writing profession.

As you can tell, I love what I do. I encourage you to write your own list. What do you like about your job/career?

Tell me what you think below.

Please Join me every day as we pray for wisdom by taking part in the Wisdom Prayer Challenge.

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Blog Post The 2021 Olympic Games

The 2021 Olympic Games

The 2021 Olympic Games

This week and next, the summer Olympic games are being held in Tokyo, Japan.

There was great fanfare the night of the opening ceremony as the host country welcomed the athletes from around the world. The raising of the Olympic flag, the singing of the Olympic hymn, and the lighting of the Olympic flame stirred the emotions.

As the competition began, the tension and the drama heightened. Personal profiles of the participants gave viewers a chance to get to know the athletes. Long-time rivalries between individuals and countries were revealed in beautifully filmed and edited highlight reels taking us up close and personal.

Fancy camera work made it possible for the audience to experience the competitors’ thrill of victory or the agony of their defeat.

When my wife, Diane, was a young girl, she created a scrapbook to celebrate the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. Years later, she had a personal connection to the games. She was teaching at Whittier Christian High School when one of her students, Jenna Leigh Johnson, competed in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Diane attended one of her semi-final swimming heats. Jenna went on to win two gold medals for her participation in the 4×100 meter Freestyle Relay and the 4×100 meter Medley Relay, and a silver medal in the 100 meter Butterfly.

I urge you to reflect the next few weeks as the spectacle of the Olympics unfolds. Think about athletic completion, and remember what the Apostle Paul said about runners running the race in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (ESV):

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

Wherever you are on your faith journey: Keep fit! Don’t give up!

Closing ceremonies are scheduled for Sunday, August 8th. My wife and I plan to watch.

Later this summer, stay tuned for more athletic competition from Tokyo as televised coverage of the Paralympic Games begins August 24th. Those games end September 5th.

Blessings to you and yours,

Dennis C.

Please Join me every day as we pray for wisdom by taking part in the Wisdom Prayer Challenge.

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Blog Post Valentine’s Day Birthday

The Valentine’s Day Birthday!

The Valentine’s Day Birthday!

Meet my lovely wife, Diane. This was taken on our wedding day in June 1990.

Early February 1990 – Washington D.C.

My business associate and I arrived in Washington D.C. after a long flight from Los Angeles. We caught a taxi to our hotel, checked in, dropped off our luggage, and met in the hotel lobby. It was nighttime, and we asked at the front desk if anyone knew a good taxi driver who could take us around and show us the sights. Someone made a call, and soon we were off on the adventure of a lifetime.

We visited the Lincoln Memorial and saw where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. We stopped at the Vietnam Memorial, and drove past the Watergate Hotel.

The next day was all business. We went to the home office and started a week of intensive training. I lost track of dates and time.

Meanwhile Back in L.A. – February 14, 1990…
I had been dating Diane since the previous November. During our conversations, I brought up the idea of getting married.

Because I was so focused on my training, I forgot Diane’s Valentine’s Day Birthday!

Oblivious to my missing her special day, I was not reminded until I returned back home and opened a letter that read, “I am disappointed in you.”

I took immediate action. I bought her flowers, wrapped a gift, took her out for dinner, and did all I could to make amends.

Weeks later I proposed, and she accepted.

We were married in June.

Lesson Learned !

I guess you could say I learned my lesson. I have never missed her special day since. Why? I get Diane’s Valentine’ Day Birthday presents and wrap them well before Christmas.

Have a great weekend. Don’t forget. It is important to celebrate.

Join me every day as we pray for wisdom by taking part in the Wisdom Prayer Challenge.

God bless you and yours,

Dennis

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Blog Post Survival Training

Survival Training

Survival Training

“All set to attempt a Tyrolean traverse?” asked the person who held my safety rope.

I took a deep breath, looked out over a chasm between two rock outcroppings, and said;

“Yeah.” If I fell, it would be a forty-foot drop to the trail below.
“On belay.” I was telling the person holding the rope I was ready…
“Belay on,” said the person holding my rope. As I readied myself to slip off the rock, I said, “Climbing.”

“Climb on.”

Off the ledge I slid, and for a long millisecond I felt the rope stretch.

I was dangling between the two sides and started to pull myself hand over hand to the opposite side. It only took a few minutes.

I successfully reached the rocks across the gap and, finally, I stood up to the cheers of my fellow classmates.

All of those who tried that day made it. It was the culmination of a semester of preparation and skills building.

There were other activities and outings with our instructor, Mr. Sid Mountain, the very popular mountaineering instructor at California State University, Northridge.

On one field trip, our class set up camp on top of eight feet of snow. The next morning, we all took ice axe training. We actually fell off a trail, and stopped ourselves using only the axe.

On another weekend, we practiced desert survival skills. We learned to make a solar still and realized it was possible to generate drinking water in an arid environment.

Back then, I was self-reliant and felt I was capable of surviving in most any environment. Over the years, I took many trips into the backcountry.

Today, I am more God-reliant. The last time I went on a trip to the mountains, I took my Bible, the ultimate survival guide. It crosses all the gaps. Next time you go away, don’t leave home without it!

May God richly bless you and keep you,

Tell me what you think below, and Join me every day as we pray for wisdom by taking part in the Wisdom Prayer Challenge.

Dennis