I will never forget the lady who came to me one day to talk about some difficulties she was having with her son. It soon emerged that the bigger problem she was having, was that of accepting herself and realising she was a person of great value. The breakthrough came when I told her how special she was because she was unconditionally loved by God, and was of great value because God created her, and that He would never make “junk”, and even more He sent Jesus to die for her.
The next day I received the following note from her:
“Dear Rod, at our last meeting I came to …
Category: Mentoring
WORDS THAT HAVE SHAPED MY LIFE (91) “NEVER A DULL MOMENT”
As I write this WORDS, I am daily attending a Cancer Centre where for 35 consecutive weekdays I am undergoing radiotherapy for cancer in my body.
The thought of driving to and from the Cancer Centre to go through a precise medical procedure that is supervised by trained staff, was not something I was looking forward to; until I read of Paul’s experiences in a Roman jail as explained in his letter to the Philippians.
Paul wrote, “And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For EVERYONE here, including the whole …
WORDS THAT HAVE SHAPED MY LIFE (90) “YOU DON’T GET A SECOND CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION”
A psychologist at the Harvard Business School, Amy Cuddy, has been studying “first impressions” for more than a decade. According to her research, 80% to 90% of a first impression is based on two subconscious questions we and the people we meet ask ourselves:
- Can I trust that this person has good intentions towards me?
- Is this person competent?
In other words, if a person’s first impressions of you are friendly, competent and trustworthy, they are more likely to feel comfortable around you and open up to you. And it can happen in as little as three seconds.
Some practical guidelines to making a good first impression include:
- BE PREPARED
WORDS THAT HAVE SHAPED MY LIFE (89) “WHAT ON EARTH AM I HERE FOR?”
Eric Liddell was an Olympic runner whose story was told in the Oscar winning film, Chariots of Fire. Liddell who later became a missionary in China once said, “God has made me for a purpose, for China. But He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure.”
Eric Liddell knew what on earth he was here for and also his God-given strength to fulfill that purpose. How sad it is for a person to go through life not knowing that they had been created for a purpose and not being able to fulfill that purpose over the course of their lifetime with the gifts God has …