From December 16, 1944 through mid-Jan 1945, Allied forces resisted a heavy German offensive in what became known as the “Battle of the Bulge.” This was the most serious and determined offensive launched by the Germans on the western front, following the successful Allied D-Day Normandy landings in June of 1944.

Initially successful, the German attack would eventually be thwarted by stubborn Allied resistance.

Right in the thick of the fighting was a young, newly married James Gibson — my grandfather! An infantry sergeant, my Grandpa would win the Silver Star for bravery during this action.

Thanks, Grandpa, and thanks to all U.S. World War II veterans for what you did for our country!

To all my readers…I want to wish you and very Merry Christmas! Be safe and enjoy this wonderful season with your family and friends.

And take time to remember what the season is all about.

Are you satisfied with your life? Most people would have to say “no” to that question. What can you do to improve your life and achieve happiness?

Here’s the Sobering Reality…You have only one life and there is no restart button. This isn’t a video game, where you can earn bonus lives through the accumulation of points or where you can simply load up a new game if things start to go badly. This is it. You have one life. What are you going to do with yours?

It’s at this realization that some people just throw up their hands and resign themselves to mediocrity or disappointment. Others lose themselves in depression or escapism (drugs, alcohol, etc.). What about you?

You may have lost several jobs, had trouble with the law, suffered failures and setbacks in friendships or relationships. Now is not the time to throw in the towel. No matter how many times you’ve fallen, you can still get up. No matter how old you are, it’s never too late to turn things around.

The fact that you have only one life should not send you deeper into despair or depression, no matter how tough things are for you right now. It should motivate you to drive your personal flag into the ground, and take your stand!

Some people will seize onto that hope. But then comes the tough part. Improving your life requires one fundamental choice. You must accept personal responsibility. That means you must stop blaming God, nature, circumstances or other people for your lot in life.

And you then must start building a NEW life and a NEW perspective and vision on life….from wherever you are.

Here’s where I recommend you start…

1. Decide Your Faith and Basic View on Life – If you believe in God, that will give you a very different sense of your worth, value, and purpose than if you reject the existence of God. To help you in that quest, I encourage you to read The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren and The Case for Faith or The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.

2. Cast a Positive Vision – Set a vision for your life. Establish some goals. Decide on a positive direction. For help in this, I recommend Joel Osteen’s Your Best Life Now or A Better You.

3. Take Charge of Your Mind – In his letter to the church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul told them to think on things that were “true” and “lovely” and “virtuous.” We often feast on things that agitate, depress, or upset us. You’ve got to control your mind and direct your thoughts. To help you with this, read The Power of Positive Thinking by the late Norman Vincent Peale.

4. Work on Your Relationships – Start being an encouragement and blessing to others. Add value to them, without expecting or demanding anything in return. Help others. Serve others. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel about yourself, and how your relationships will start to turn around! For help with this, read Winning With People by John Maxwell or How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

The road to happiness starts with a single step. Start your journey today! And stick with it!

Many people search the Internet or scour book stores and libraries for information that will help them achieve success in life. And for all their searching, very few come away with a clear road map on how to get there.

The most important ingredient required to achieve success in life is…DIRECTION. There’s a biblical proverb that says: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

The great motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, says that there are two kinds of people in life — “wandering generalities” and “meaningful specifics.”

Those who have a clear and specific vision – a clear direction in life – are more likely to achieve success than those who don’t. So….

Where does one start in establishing that direction or vision?

Answer: By defining the nature and terms of “Success” and that requires some careful soul-searching, including a deep exploration of one’s faith, priorities, and values.

To help you on that path, I recommend Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Life.

As a teenager, I was deeply insecure. In addition to a bad case of acne, I was skinny and not very athletic. My interests were different from many of the other kids at school. I was more often than not outside the “cool” crowd. And from about sixth grade through ninth grade, I was the class reject and wimp! It was a miserable time in my life.

Then came high school, and things (slowly) began to improve, but I carried my deep insecurity with me, well into college. When I began to seriously date a girl (my first real girlfriend), I was so insecure that I couldn’t handle her complimenting other guys. And when her mother showed support for me, I felt compelled to “air my dirty laundry” and tell the mother how flawed I was. Shocked, my girlfriend’s mother did something for me that I’ll never forget!

I’ll call my girlfriend’s mother “Mrs. L.” Well, Mrs. L refused to see my weak points. She refused to let me define myself according to my faults and shortcomings. Instead, she gave me two books that changed my life. They were The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale and Tough Times Never Last, but Tough People Do by Robert Schuller.

I devoured both books, and was hooked! I became a self-help addict. But in a good way. In the course of my time in college and then in my twenties, I slowly came to realize that my self-esteem shouldn’t be based on how I think others think about me, but rather on the value God gave me when He made me and the value I can then add to others!

My pastor at the time shared with me some concerns about Dr. Peale’s theology and how the self-help movement had, in his view, damaged the true purpose of Christianity. I eventually came to see many of my pastor’s points, and (as a pastor myself now) believe that we should never compromise biblical truth or the primacy of God in order to simply give ourselves ‘warm fuzzies.’  True self-worth and personal success must be based on truth, not fantasy.

Having said that, I believe that folks like the late Norman Vincent Peale, Robert Schuller, and now Joel Osteen have done a great deal of good in people’s lives. Do I agree with everything they say and write? No, especially not when it comes to their theology. But…I do believe they’ve helped a lot of people, just as they’ve helped me.

I hope that this blog will help YOU! I’ve been where some of you have been! I’ve been too afraid to assert myself — at school (as a teenager), at college, at work, and even early in my marriage. Too insecure to handle competition. Too jealous to deal with situations. Too awkward to handle communication with other people. Too confused to understand how to succeed and grow professionally. I’ve been there.

In fact, I’m still growing in some areas. I wouldn’t say I’m perfect today, by any means. But I’ve definitely come a long way! And I want to help you do the same.

I hope you’ll bookmark this blog, and let me help you achieve personal success and spiritual fulfillment.