Compasses are interesting tools. For years, they were one of two tools used by captains of sea-going vessels to navigate the way from one point to another. 

Going through some of my father-in-law's stuff, the other day, we found several compasses. Simple ones that just had a basic dial, and a needle to point to true North to fancier ones with intricate degree marks on the face to get a more accurate bearing of where you are when you handle it.

I first learned to use a compass while in the Boy Scouts. We also learned how to read maps and find our way through the "wilderness" areas where we camped. Just so you know, our Scout Tropp never did go too far into the wilderness, but we were ready in case we ever did.

So how does a compass work? The magnetized needle floats within the case and one end points to True North, because that's what attracts it. 

I fully believe we all have an internal compass that is continually attracted to something. All sorts of things attempt to attract your internal "compass needle."  Good things, better things, and some things better left alone. And whether or not we allow the pull of that attraction to guide our life decides if we stay on course or veer off by a degree or two or get off course completely.

So, what's attracting your compass?

Sharon and I have had an on-going relationship with cancer over the years. From watching a young boy deal with and finally give his life to leukemia in the early 80’s while in Oklahoma to having friends struggle with various forms of the disease. Several are survivors, still.

My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, signed up for clinical trials combining new chemo-therapies with radiation therapy and eventually lost his fight with cancer in 2009. My uncle was diagnosed with lung cancer and eventually lost his fight in 2010. My mother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and Sharon's father was diagnosed with skin cancers years ago and more recently with bladder cancer. They both lost their fight in 2011. We've lost family members and good friends along the way. They are constant reminders of why we are partnering with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to support survivorship programs.

We became acquainted with MD Anderson in 2009, when I was referred to the center for possible para-thyroid disease. While at MD Anderson, we became intimately aware of and acquainted with the struggles of many dealing with cancer and pledged ourselves to come alongside others, serve them, and help fight the fight with them.

2009 also saw us become involved with the Lance Armstrong Foundation when we accompanied the first Cancer with Grace team to Austin to participate in the LiveSTRONG Challenge there. That first team consisted of 5 of us raising nearly $2,000 for the LAF. 2010 our team grew to more than 20 members and we raised nearly $10,000 for the LAF. Team Cancer with Grace sent 3 to Austin last year to participate.

But that's why we've set up this FUND. Would you consider joining with us to help fight this fight and to come alongside those who are survivors still and their families? You can fund-raise with us, volunteer with the Cancer with Grace ministry, ride with us, walk with us, spread the word with us, get guidebooks to those who need them, etc. NO dollars donated go to us NOR to our expenses.

For more information, email Sharon HERE.

“I have yet to find the man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism.” – Charles Schwab

Is this true for you? Ask yourself, "do I work better for a critical boss or for someone who appreciates what I do?" Most likely you'll answer in the affirmative as well. People just do a better job, get along with co-workers better, and it makes for a better workplace when we hear words of affirmation rather than words of criticism.

Of course, I can hear some now saying, "But positive criticism can be a good thing." Yes, it can. So why not turn it into an affirmation rather than a criticism?

The old folk saying went something like this, "you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar." I guess that comes from the dairy farms or feed lots where there are LOTS of flies!

So why not try it today? Right now - affirm someone, praise an employee or co-worker, send an email or hand-written note to someone to encourage them. If it's been a long time since you last did this you'll really surprise them.

Good for you!

Let me know how it works out.

We are hosting the Total Money Makeover LIVE! Simulcast
March 17, 2012 | Broadcast live from Orlando, FL 12:45 PM–6:00 PM (Times vary by location)
Just $39 to see and hear Dave's latest.

Click HERE for more information and to register to attend.

You are NOT going to want to miss this event!

I've signed up for this FREE 3-hour webcast on preaching. Here's what the organizers have to say:
"After talking to hundreds of preachers, we’ve found most preachers love preaching, but the grind of preparation can often become a pain.  Here are three things we’ve seen.

1. Great preaching comes from a great preparation system.  Perry Noble doesn’t prepare in a vacuum.  He has a team at NewSpring Church that helps him prepare.  Perry will talk about how this works at the PreachBetterSermons.com FREE online event on March 15th.

2. A Preparation day is better than feeling like you have to prepare all the time.  Andy Stanley sets aside every Wednesday to prepare messages, and his team helps him keep this time guarded.  While Andy is gifted, his commitment to preparation helps make his messages memorable.  Andy will talk about the structure of his preparation day on the Preach Better Sermons online event.

3. Developing a sermon planning system takes the pain out of preparation.  There are things you can do on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis that will dramatically improve your preparation time and help you deliver better messages. Helping you put something like this into place will be a part of the free online event."

Make a commitment to be a better preacher.  Sign up for the free online conference.  Here are the details.

•  Date:  March 15, 2012
• Time:  1pm – 4pm EST
• Speakers:  Andy Stanley, Perry Noble, Louie Giglio, Dr. Charles Stanley, Vanable Moody, Jeff Foxworthy.  The event is being hosted by Jeff Henderson.
• Registration:  Free sign up at preachbettersermons.com

I recently went through a couple of dark days questioning nearly everything. Ever been there?

Rick Warren writes, "Every problem is a character-building opportunity, and the more difficult it is, the greater the potential for building spiritual muscle and moral fiber." Purpose Driven Life, p. 197.

Part of my problem is that I tend to forget that if we call ourselves Christ-followers, then we will most likely be subjected to similar kinds of testings that Jesus himself experienced. So for us to expect everything to be nice and neat in our following of the Master, well it just won't happen that way.

Paul writes to the Roman church: "His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later." Romans 8:16-18

And to the church in Philippi he writes: "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death . . ." Phiippians 3:10

So I need to remember to "consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." James 1:2-3 Do you need to remember that as well?

After talking to hundreds of pastors, we’ve realized that while preachers love preaching, it’s the preparation that often hurts.  So we’re going “behind the scenes” with some of America’s best preachers to find out how they bring great content week in and week out.

Would you like to hear how Andy Stanley, Perry Noble, Dr. Charles Stanley, Louie Giglio, and Vanable Moody prepare their messages?  How would you like to learn communication principles from one of America’s best comedians…Jeff Foxworthy?

All of this happens on Thursday, March 15 at 1pm EST.  And best of all, it’s 100% free.  Preach Better Sermons is a free, three-hour, online conference focused on helping communicators prepare and deliver messages that matter.  Some of the best communicators in the world will unpack these seven preaching principles.

1. Start with the Scripture.
2. Keep it simple.
3. Make it portable.
4. Show it, don’t just say it.
5. Find common ground.
6. Finish early in the week.
7. Preach with the end in mind.

It’s 100% free and since it happens online, there are no travel costs.  Register for the free event here.

“Change is shorthand for opportunity, and if you can be a little bit ahead of shifts in business, the opportunities can be big.” – Fred Smith

Do you dislike change, accept change, or run after it ?

What's the next big thing in your area? Don't know?

Why not create it?

Guest post by Al Pittampalli Al is the Author of Read This Before Our Next Meeting.  As a former IT advisor at Ernst & Young LLP, he worked on-site at Fortune 1000 companies all across the country. I sat in a lot of their meetings. He is STILL recovering.

1. What if there are no important decisions to be resolved or problems to be addressed this week? Just like CNN is forced to fill their 24 hour programming with nonsense on slow news days, standing meeting agendas notoriously attract invented or trivial issues.
2. A large portion of standing meetings turn informational. After all, writing a cogent and well thought out memo is difficult. It’s more convenient (at least for the leader) to wait until the next meeting and tell everyone live, “while we’re all here…”
3. When an important decision does arise in between meetings, people are conditioned to put it off until the next meeting. Even when time is of the essence, the meeting calendar has a way of dictating speed instead of the nature of the decision itself.

There are more, but I hope these three are enough to get you thinking.