Curtis Hall BlogSABBATH SCHOOL & BIBLE STUDY LEADERS

Ok, it’s time. You have adequately prepared and done your homework. You have imagined this moment with a measure of anxiety and it’s finally arrived. It’s now or never. It’s time to swing for the fences. It’s Showtime!

What is Showtime? It’s the moment you leave any reservations about your abilities behind and you step out and perform in an extraordinary way. Your mindset is “I can do this!” and your attitude is one of success, not failure.

What is Showtime? It’s the moment that you embrace the truth that you must be, want to be, can be and will be extraordinary. You are committed to do what it takes to make the impact the opportunity deserves. That’s Showtime!

Showtime is not limited to when you are making public presentations. It applies to any area of life that can be enhanced with doing more than the average. It’s the time when you step out in faith expecting success in spite of fears that you are inadequate. You’re swinging for the fences expecting to hit a home run and a home run you shall hit.

Benjamin Disraeli said it perfectly “The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.” When your opportunity comes, whether frequently or infrequently, you must be ready to give it all that you have. One of the most vital ingredients in Showtime is the power of ENTHUSIASM.

Enthusiasm will make the difference between an ordinary experience and an extraordinary event. Letting go of our inhibitions and allowing ourselves to be more than how we see ourselves is liberating. The teacher that uses the power of enthusiasm will make more of an impact than the teacher that doesn’t. In whatever capacity you operate in, being enthusiastic will always lead to more success and greater opportunities.

Back in 1903 my favorite author penned these words: “An important element in educational work is enthusiasm. On this point there is a useful suggestion in a remark once made by a celebrated actor. The archbishop of Canterbury had put to him the question why actors in a play affect their audiences so powerfully by speaking of things imaginary, while ministers of the gospel often affect theirs so little by speaking of things real. “With due submission to your grace,” replied the actor, “permit me to say that the reason is plain: It lies in the power of enthusiasm. We on the stage speak of things imaginary as if they were real, and you in the pulpit speak of things real as if they were imaginary.”    Education pg 233 by E.G. White.

May the words “Let Go and Let God” be prophetic in your life. Don’t hold anything back and give it all that you have. It’s now or never. Swing for the fences. It’s Showtime!

You really can.

Regardless of your level of expertise, there are higher levels to be reached.

When we look at the habits of high-achievers we find that, without exception, they continue to work on improving the things they already do so well. Being exceptional should never be taken for granted.

These high-achieving individuals all have several traits in common that supersede the question of natural gifts and talents. I’m convinced that doing only what comes easily or naturally is not the answer to being a high-achiever.

Some of the traits of high-achievers are:

1)    The understanding that improvement is possible. A sense of higher levels to reach.

2)    The desire for improvement. Self-motivation is a core attribute of high achievers.

3)    The dislike for being average although being average may be sufficient.

4)    The realization that learning from others is wise. No one knows it all.

5)    The patience to experience growth when doing so takes time and commitment.

Even if what you do or like to do comes natural to you, there is always room for improvement. The human mind, being so wondrously made, is designed for life-long learning.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

       your works are wonderful,

       I know that full well. Psalms 139:14 NIV

God gave each one of us the ability and capacity to grow and improve regardless of our starting point in life. The keys to unlocking our potential are in striving to do our best and always seeking for improvement in whatever we choose to do. This may not be easy but the rewards are always worth the efforts.

Did you hear that?

There is so much chatter going around today. There is chatter about world events and the tangled webs of economic and social crisis. There is chatter about celebrities with the constant focus on what they gained or lost (as if it affects our gains or losses ). There is chatter about the local crime and the collapse of our moral fiber on all sides. We are inundated with chatter from all sides with each making their case that the information is vital to our well being.

The experts say that the effect of all of this information is to make us desensitized and numb to things that ordinarily should give us a sense of shock and concern. It now takes more and more shocking information to hold our attention. This can’t be healthy, can it?

My favorite author says “by beholding you become changed” which simply means we adopt characteristics of the things that capture and hold our attention. Although we might feel that we are immune from the assaults on our decency and peace by the things we take in, I’ll be the first to admit that the effects are real.

I’ve heard this same concern from several people that I highly respect. Some have decided that they would be better off by eliminating most of this chatter by simply making better choices of what they do with their spare time. They have decided to use time they formally spent absorbing negativity in  more productive ways. The positive ways they now spend their time is quite varied but all useful to helping them become a better person to the people in their lives. Plus, they all report that they feel better about who they are.

I think I need to become much more tone deaf to the chatter that feeds on the negative aspects of life. I would like to be more open to the limitless opportunities to experience a life that does not have as its motivation the fears, insecurities and negativity that the chatter tries to instill.

I’ve found that the people that I influence and interact with are better served when my mind is more in tune with goodness. I’ve found that my words are shaped by my thoughts and my thoughts are influenced by the things I spend time contemplating. Maybe that’s why David said:

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,

or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.

They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.

Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. Psalms 1:1-3 NLT

Tone deaf on purpose. Now that’s advice worth listening to.

We hear a lot about dreams these days. Many of us have envisioned ourselves in a future time and place doing something that feels organic to who we really are. Some of our dreams are entrepreneurial. Some of our dreams are vocational. Some of our dreams are locational. Whatever category we may classify our dreams in; they all find their common denominator in the future.

Sleep walking, on the other hand, is going through the motions of counsciousness while in an uncounscious state. A sleep walker is unaware of their actions because they are asleep while walking. They might appear to be awake, but they are oblivious to their actions or surroundings.

While our dreams bring us satisfaction in pre-tasting our finest hours, I wonder if we are guilty of sleep walking through just as meaningful moments in time and missing just as satisfying opportunities as our dreams promise us? Are we awake to present realities or really just asleep and going through the motions?

Today, there is something special for you to be a part of. It might not feel like it’s related to your dream but it may lead to helping someone else experience their dream today. Whatever you are storing up to one day realize your dream is greatly multiplied by putting the best of you into whatever you find yourself doing today.

Giving the best that we have, in the best way we know how, is all that we are asked to do. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might.” Ecclesiastes 9:10

We can’t risk waiting on a future dream while neglecting our present opportunities because tomorrow is not promised.

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.

Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow”- when you now have it with you. Proverbs 3:27, 28 NIV

Let’s grab every opportunity we can to make a difference in the lives of others. Yes, that might entail entrepreneurial endeavors or vocational achievements or a change of location but each step along the way is just as vital as the final step. We can’t afford to sleep walk through this life.

Well, time to get back to work. No time for sleeping.

 Just turn it off, and then back on. How many times have you heard this advice? If you’ve ever worked with computers or other complicated electronic gadgets, there comes a time when the only suggestion to correct a problem is to reboot. Just turn it off, and then back on.

Rebooting gives equipment the opportunity to reset itself to the ideal settings to carry out the ideal functions it was designed for. What happens internally is a mystery to me…but I know it works.

It seems to correspond with us in our carrying out the ideal functions we were designed for. Sometimes to move forward in our purpose we have to reboot; turn everything off and then back on. Sometimes when it’s obvious that we are not functioning at the highest level, we may need to reboot. Read the rest of this entry »

By now we have all heard the details of the fascinating rescue of the captain kidnapped from his ship off the coast of Somalia. We heard about his self-less act in going along with the pirates. We heard about his resilience and the courage of the entire crew in resisting the pirated attempt. 

Also widely discussed was the amazing ability of the Navy Seals who brought about his freedom. Without glorifying the details of this rescue, it demonstrates a principle that would serve us all well; preparation. Read the rest of this entry »

Congratulations on reaching another milestone! Your anniversary is a special day to stop and reflect on the starting point of a significant event in your life. What sets anniversary days apart from others is that they remind you of major life-changing events that set a new course for your future.

Some anniversaries are easier to remember than others; such as, the beginning of your employment anniversaries, the launching of a new endeavor, relocation dates, a wedding anniversary (don’t ever forget this one! ), and even the one year anniversary of this blog.

Some anniversary start dates are hard to pinpoint. That does not make them less significant. It just might mean that the starting point had its origin in what might have appeared to be an insignificant moment in time. Read the rest of this entry »

You hear them buzzing about or you see them circling for attack and you know it’s time for swatting mosquitoes. They are annoying, distracting and potentially dangerous. You can try to avoid them but they are determined to do what they do…stick you and draw blood.

Mosquitoes are like the obstacles you encounter in your pursuit of change and excellence. Seemingly out of nowhere you encounter situations and unfortunately people that can become a major distraction to keep you from reaching your destination. You have got to swat these mosquitoes and keep moving.

Mosquitoes thrive in stagnant water. You cannot make your camp where the waters are not flowing. You have got to move out to where waters are moving. People and situations that are not going anywhere is the last place you want to spend your time. Read the rest of this entry »

Self-limitations are just that; limitations we place on ourselves. The idea of being excellent in our service, revolutionary in our approach and far-reaching in our aims, can sometimes seem unattainable. Many times we relegate ourselves to staying within our zones of comfort because of quiet fears that we do not have what it takes to do more.

As teachers and leaders, the evidence is conclusive that to be most effective we must be able to grab and hold the attention of others and have a vision of taking them to places they have never been before. Read the rest of this entry »

“We can rebuild him — we have the technology”

That’s the catch phrase from the 1970’s hit show named the 6 Million Dollar Man. (I’m dating myself ) The show was built around the bionic improvements made to a man who suffered severe injuries in an aircraft wreck. With 6 million dollars they were able to replace both of his legs, his right arm and left eye with bionic improvements of the same.

The character of the TV show, post surgery, could run at superhuman speeds, had super human strength and super human vision. In essence, he was an improved man with a greater ability to do good for mankind.

Improving on what one has is no less needed today. My lists for improvements for the New 6 Million Dollar Sabbath School Teacher are as follows: Read the rest of this entry »