Welcome to Nolan's World

100 Words: Character

Much is made of success...does anybody still care about character?  

I know about a pastor who resigned his church last year after an affair who is still sought out by church planters for advice because he knew how to draw a crowd!  Does anyone else see a problem with this???

Overnight success is a mirage that many are willing to chase and often it will inevitably result in the compromise of your integrity.  

Regardless of what success or failure you may encounter in life, do not take shortcuts.  Build your character by seeking to model Christ in your daily walk!

100 Words: Hope

HOPE

I once heard in a movie, "hope can kill a man."  I actually believe the opposite to be true.  

Hope is what drives us in the middle of despair.  In the darkest of days, we cling to hope that brighter times will once again arise in our lives.  

Hope has the ability to propel us to audaciously believe that a better future is just within our glimpse and grasp.  

When the world is crashing down around me, I cling to the hope that God will glorify Himself in the midst of the mess!  

Hope will push you to push on.

100 Words: Robert

ROBERT

Some people probably consider him to be a nuisance; I prefer to think of Robert as an angel who reminds us of God's goodness.  

A homeless bicycle rider who travels up and down Memphis' busiest street, Robert randomly appears at my Starbucks, where we greet him warmly with a cup of coffee.  Although his speech is difficult to understand, he always gives thanks to you and to God, quotes some Scripture, and offers encouragement.  

Even when I can't fully comprehend everything Robert says, God's message of love resounds through the light in his eyes and the joy in his voice!

100 Words: Servanthood

SERVANTHOOD

Servanthood is about meeting the needs of someone else and not worrying about your own.  I have a job that requires me to make high maintenance "me first" people my number one priority.  

It just hit me this morning that one reason God leaves me in this job is because I have a difficult time living as a servant.  

I say with my lips that I want to be Jesus to the lost world.  Jesus emptied Himself of all personal rights in order to serve the true needs of humanity.  

Show your love for Christ by serving someone unexpectedly today!

100 Words: Commitments

COMMITMENTS

Confession: I REALLY didn't want to write yesterday.  

Awakened by a surprise call into work for two hours, having a sick little girl at home, and then going back to work my scheduled shift were parts of a rational recipe to sit the day out and not worry about it.  

The problem with that:  I promised MYSELF that I would blog 100 words for 100 straight days!  I took a couple of minutes, collected my thoughts, banged on the keyboard, and wrote a piece I was really proud of.

I am really glad I honored my commitment to myself yesterday!

100 Words: Grace

GRACE

To give grace to someone is to extend unearned goodness their way.  Grace is something that everyone wants to receive, yet many of us seem so reluctant to give.  

Judgement is the natural enemy to grace.  Where one reigns, the other cannot exist.  

When overwhelmed with our sinfulness, we come empty-handed, pleading for grace because we know in our hearts we deserve punishment.   Our Heavenly Father readily opens His arms of forgiveness to welcome His beaten, broken, sin-ridden children back into His embrace.  

Why is it so hard for us to extend that same unconditional love to our brothers/sisters?

100 Words: Daddy's Little Girl

DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL

Sometimes when I hold her in my arms, my mind drifts to when she invaded our world eight years ago.  God blessed Alison and me with the sweetest little girl that any two parents could ask for.  

Recently, Madalyn has been a "daddy's little girl," constantly wanting to know where I am and be a part of whatever I am doing.  The last couple of days we have spent several hours in the driveway shooting hoops at her request.  

She's growing up too fast, so I am grateful that she thinks hanging out with dad is pretty cool right now!

100 Words: The Power of Encouragement

THE POWER OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Recently, I gained first-hand experience with the power of receiving encouragement.  I just ran my first half-marathon and I cannot tell you how much it meant for family, friends, and complete strangers to brave the freezing temperatures to cheer me and the other 15,000+ runners as we chased the finish line.  

Over the last week, I have had several people cheering me on through conversations and email.  My friends don't know how well-timed their encouragement was...the race of life has had a few potholes as of late, and it is nice to know others truly care about me running well!

100 Words: Mediocre

MEDIOCRE

I can't get over how ugly the word "mediocre" sounds to me.  I hope it's a word that can never be used to describe me.  

Why is it that it seems that so many of us settle for a mediocre existence when it should be obvious to us that God desires for us to experience so much more than that?  

Society trains us to be middle of the pack, don't rock the boat, just coast comfortably.  

God made each of us special and unique according to His Plan...we should keep that in mind when we're tempted to just slide by.

100 Words: Kindness (at Drive Thru's)

KINDNESS (AT DRIVE THRU'S)

Kindness is a quality that we could all practice a little more, but I have been intentionally being a little more kind at drive thru windows recently.  

I've discovered nothing can be more disarming and delightful as taking a moment to ask the cashier about their day and to say thank you for what they do.  

Sometimes we are so self-centered that we really don't think about the people we are being served by, how hard their jobs are, and how the last jerk treated them.  

Kindness may not change the cashier's world, but it could possibly brighten their day!