What Happened?

What happened yesterday in your life?  Most would answer that question by saying, “Nothing.  It was just a regular, normal day.”

I disagree.  I think a lot happened in your life and in my life yesterday.  In this short video (3:03), I’ll point out some things that are happening in our lives, right now, that you really ought to be aware of.

Enjoy the video!

Leave A Comment!  Do you have some thoughts about this?  We’d love to hear what you think.  Type your comment below.

Who Is Stopping You?

What Cliff Young did 27 years ago is still inspiring people today.  Maybe you know his story.  I thought it would inspiring to relate it again today.

Cliff Young is still a hero in Australia.  And there are some parallels from his story that all of us could apply today.  That’s because there are a lot more obstacles in our world today then there were a few short years ago.

Many people are confused about what has happened and afraid of what is going to happen.  There are some who believe that because of the current economic situation, success is no longer an option; they feel like everything is against them.

This Guy Is Nuts!

But back in 1983 there were plenty of people who thought that Cliff Young was out of his mind, absolutely crazy to even consider running in a race.  After all, this was no ordinary race.  This was the Sydney to Melbourne race, considered to be the world’s toughest race.  The distance is 875 kilometers, or just over 543 miles!

That year almost every one in Australia who found out Cliff was participating thought it was insane for him to undertake such an impossible feat.  The reason they thought it was impossible for Cliff was because Cliff was not a runner.  He had never even participated in a run before.  On top of that, he was 61 years old.  Many feared that he would die trying.

The Sydney to Melbourne race takes at least 5 days to finish.  Cliff Young entered the race against world-class athletes. He accomplished the unthinkable and inspired the whole nation.

Nobody Told Cliff!

The professional athletes participating in that race knew that in order to complete the race, you would need to run 18 hours and then sleep for 6 hours. But Cliff Young, having no experience in these kinds of events, did not know that he should limit himself to running only 18 hours a day.

The morning after the race began, much to everyone’s surprise, Cliff was not only still in the race but had not stopped for the night.  He was still far behind the world-class athletes, but he just kept on running, even waving to spectators watching the event on the highways.

Cliff  kept running. Every night he got just a little bit closer to the runners leading the pack. By the last night, he passed all of the world-class athletes. By the last day, he was far in front of them.

And The Winner Is…

Not only did he run the Melbourne to Sydney race at age 61, non-stop, without dying, he won first place, breaking the race record by 9 hours and becoming a national hero!

Australia fell in love with the 61-year-old potato farmer who came from nowhere to defeat the world’s best long distance runners.  He finished a 543 mile race in 5 days, 15 hours and 4 minutes.

Cliff did not know that he was supposed to sleep during the race.  He said when running throughout the race, he imagined that he was chasing sheep and trying to outrun a storm. He wasn’t even aware that there was a prize for first place.

When Cliff was awarded the first prize of $10,000, he said he did not know there was a prize and insisted that he had not entered for the money. He said, “There are five other runners still out there doing it tougher than me,” and he gave them $2,000 each. He did not keep a single penny for himself. This act endeared him to all of Australia.

How’s Your Race Going?

So what is stopping you from doing the things that you want to do in your life?  Is it the economy?  Is it the uncertainty of our times?  Have you decided to give up and just accept things as they are?

Cliff believed he could run that race, even though from all appearances it was impossible and no one believed in him.  He had persistence.  He simply decided to keep moving forward.

I don’t know if Cliff believed in God, but regardless of the economy and regardless of the odds, none of that puts our God out of business.  For those who do believe in God, we not only keep moving forward toward our dreams with persistence, but we put our trust in a loving God Who truly does want to see us succeed.

What is stopping you?  It may not be the current situations we face today.  It could just very possibly be you who is stopping you.

Michael A. Verdicchio
2010

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Are You Waiting On God?

It’s Another Podcast!

Sometimes, good intentioned statements may sound like a person is doing the right thing, but are they subtly blaming God?

In this short podcast (5:02), I talk about the topic of waiting on God.  It’s a touchy subject, but I do believe that all of life has a balance.  Listen and see what you think.  Do you think that we sometimes, because of our lack of faith, subtly blame God?

Enjoy the podcast.

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Optimists And Pessimists

It’s Another Podcast!

We all know optimistic people and pessimistic people.  Which one are you?  Does being one or the other really impact your life one way or the other?

In this short podcast (6:53) discover if it really makes any difference in your life whether you’re optimistic or pessimistic.

Enjoy the podcast.

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Go For It!

It’s Another Podcast!

Football season is here and Veterans Day is right around the corner.  This short podcast (5:31) combines both.  It is about your dreams.

A number of years ago I emceed a business breakfast and Rocky Blier was our keynote speaker. Listen to his story.  Does this inspire you to recapture your dream and go for it?

Enjoy the podcast.

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Penguins On The Plane

I have never heard of this.  In fact, I have never even thought of this.  But it happened on a flight from San Diego to Phoenix.

Yesterday morning I picked up Chris, an employee of the company I work for, around 9:30.  As I was driving him to the office, I casually asked about the flight.  I couldn’t believe his answer.

He said, “There were penguins on the plane!”  “Are you kidding me?” I asked.  “Dude, they were walking down the isle, he said.

“No way,” I said in total disbelief.  “Check this out,” he said excitedly pulling out his smart phone.  “I got pictures!”

I glanced at the picture on his phone and just could not believe it.

Yes, there were indeed penguins on the plane, in the cabin, on his flight.

The birds were being transported from the San Diego Zoo to the Phoenix Zoo.

The flight attendants thought it would be fun for the passengers to see the penguins, so they took them out of their cages for a few minutes.  Then, it was back in the cages which were setting in the extra space in row 1.  Yes, of course it was Southwest Airlines.

Have You?

Have you ever seen penguins on the plane?  Have you ever even expected to see penguins on a plane? I have flown a lot in my lifetime and have seen a lot of interesting things, but never have I seen any penguins on the plane.

In fact, I have never even thought about penguins on a plane.

Later in the afternoon I started thinking about the times when God did something very special for me in my life; something that I just didn’t expect. Has God ever surprised you?

And then I thought about the verse in the Bible that says that God is able to that which is exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

Now of course I know that God did not put the penguins on the plane to surprise everyone.  That’s silly.  But I think it serves as a pretty cool reminder that there are things that God is able to do for us that we haven’t even thought of.

Never forget that God really does love you.  You are His child.  And He has promised us that He really is able to do that which is exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

Michael A. Verdicchio
2010

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There’s A Baby On The Way

It’s Another Podcast

Kathy and I are really excited about the new baby who is scheduled to arrive in late December.

No, it is not our baby!  It is our first grand baby; a granddaughter to be more specific.

In this short podcast (5:06) there is something really cool I have noticed with all babies. I’ll bet if you think about it, so have you. Is this  something we could learn from, or, do you think, that at the very least, we could use it as a reminder of something really important?

Enjoy the podcast.

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Where Is Your Confidence Level?

It’s Another Podcast!

Have you ever noticed that some days your confidence in God is really high, while other days it is really low.  Do you know why?

In this short podcast (4:19) I’ll share something about your confidence with God that is monumentally important!  Having confidence in God is a huge key in receiving His promises in your life, and understanding your confidence in Him can be life changing.

Enjoy the podcast.

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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2 Lessons From Colonel Sanders

It’s Another Podcast!

Some people are frustrated and feel like giving up. Over the years many people have given up on many things because of set backs and lack of progress.

This short podcast (5:39) gives you two powerful lessons from Colonel Sanders.  Having these two qualities can make a huge difference in your life. Do you have them?

Enjoy the podcast.

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Are You Distracted?

It’s Another Podcast!

If you’re really busy then you probably know by experience that distractions can really slow you down, right?  If you want to accomplish a lot of things, you have to stay focused on what you are doing right now.

This short podcast (4:34) gives you some simple tips to stay on track, whatever you are doing.  By staying focused you can actually accomplish a lot more.

Enjoy the podcast.

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