Character

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day!

This week I don't have some profound thought or idea I want to share. This week I want to share a topic with you, present it in a couple of different formats and let you explore what it means to you.

Character - the way someone thinks, feels, and behaves (merriam-webster.com)

Do me a favor, go watch this video. It takes 1 minute and 1 second. Yes, it is a beer ad however the ad has nothing to do with beer really. Please watch it intently, beginning to end...you will understand why. Guinness basketball commercial. - YouTube

Taken from "A Leader's Portrait" by the John Maxwell Company, September 25, 2013.
1) Character
Character gives rise to discipline and responsibility. It's the inward character that enables a person to stand firm. Character is not inherited, nor can it be purchased. It cannot be built instantly, but instead requires years of construction.

Character shows itself in a person's consistency. Jerry West, former Los Angeles Laker and member of the NBA's Hall of Fame, once remarked, "You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good." Character gives you the resolve to do what's important, even when it's not convenient.

In addition, character brings respect. When you don't have character within, you won't have respect without. J.R. Miller once wrote: "The only thing that walks back from the tomb with the mourners and refuses to be buried, is the character of a man...What a man is, survives him. It can never be buried."

A few excerpts from "Growing with Jesus: 100 Daily Devotionals" by Andy Holmes:

• It takes a lot of courage to hold out your hand and say "no" when people you really like are begging you to follow along and do something wrong. And though it may not seem like a big deal to join in, it is a big deal. Why? Because you are going against your conscience. That's like slamming a wrecking ball into your heart. The destruction is real, and the wall can only be rebuilt one brick at a time.
• Guess what? Jesus gave you the gift He wanted you to have. The gifts didn't get mixed up or delivered to the wrong people. Christ has given a special gift to you so that you will use it for Him.
• Think about it. Would you like it if someone said ugly things about you?

And finally a few quotes:

• "Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tress is the real thing." - Abraham Lincoln
• "People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built." - Eleanor Roosevelt
• "How true Daddy's words were when he said: all children must look after their own upbringing. Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands." - Anne Frank

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.

Kev