michaelhigh.com

The Power of a Father’s Words

Michael High — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:29:55 +0000

I watched the interview Matt Lauer did with George W. Bush last night. It was very insightful and if you didn’t get a chance to see it you need to watch it. You can watch it here.

One moment really stood out to me as I watched. Here was a man who has achieved the highest position in the land, and at age 64 was breaking down with emotion when recalling a note he received from his father years prior telling him how proud he was of him. It was a very powerful example of the power of a father’s words. A simple note of affirmation was so emotional for him, he couldn’t even read it. As Lauer read the words, his eyes were filled with tears.

Fathers, we have the capacity and responsibility to bring life giving words to our children. This was a great example of the life-long impact words can have on our children’s lives.

Integrity

Michael High — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:12:57 +0000

Michael Hyatt had a great post today about maintaining integrity when faced with obstacles. It is a great read.

Click the link below to check it out.

http://michaelhyatt.com/2009/06/the-necessity-of-obstacles-part-1.html

Complainer or Worshiper?

Michael High — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:00:37 +0000

I’m reading a book where the author, Mark Batterson, writes, “I think there are basically two types of people in the world: complainers and worshipers.”

We are faced with choices every day.

Hate or love.
Keep or share.
Ignore or help.
Complain or worship.

No matter what situation you find yourself in you have two choices:

complain about your circumstance or
worship God for what is right.

Change your perspective. Change what you are focusing on and choose to worship Him for what is right!

Complainer or worshiper?

Which one are you?

Conditional Obedience

Michael High — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:00:21 +0000

Is there a limit on what you will do for God?

This question came up in a study of the book Crazy Love and upon reflection I really didn’t like the answer I was coming up with.

Often times I have conditional obedience.

A few weeks ago I felt like God was prompting me to offer some help to someone. I was excited to help and quickly obeyed and offered to help him with his situation. He was very grateful and we agreed to meet the next day. It wasn’t until I was driving home that night that I realized I had no idea how much money this was going to cost me. I was genuinely worried.

What would I say to him if it were too much money? How much was I willing to spend on this guy? I heard clearly that I was supposed to help him, but I had a limit on my obedience.

Later I found out that this person was making some choices that I didn’t agree with and he probably wouldn’t need my help if he were making better decisions. So I wondered, “Why am I helping this guy when he could be helping himself.” I was willing to be obedient and help as long as I was able to condone his behavior first.

Lord, let me have unconditional obedience and stretch my limit on what I am willing to do for you.

Is there a limit on what you will do for God?

Hope

Michael High — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:00:01 +0000

On this post-inauguration day, I am filled with hope. I am optimistic about the change in leadership. I am excited to see what this change will bring.

But I also have this simple thought.

Shouldn’t this…

be this…

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

God Is Preparing You For Something

Michael High — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:00:22 +0000

I really enjoyed the movie Slumdog Millionaire. It was about a young man from the slums of India who finds himself on the game show Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. Being that he is just a “slumdog” no one can understand how he is able to progress through the game, correctly answering the questions as they are presented to him. As the story unfolds through flashbacks of his childhood you see that he knows the answers because the events of his life had prepared him for this day. In the end, he was able to fulfill his destiny because of the experiences he had endured throughout his lifetime.

I thought it was a great parallel to our walk with Christ. The Bible says in Psalm 37:23,

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” (NLT)

He is directing our steps. We may not know it at the time, but God is preparing us for His ultimate purpose for our lives. As we grow older, I am confident that we will be able to look back at our lives and identify all of the steps that God has taken us through to prepare us for what He created us to do.

We should delight in all of the experiences of our life because God is preparing you for something!

Dude! You’re A Plumber!

Michael High — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:00:19 +0000

(Jim Young/Reuters)

Excuse me while I get on my soap box for this post, but I honestly don’t understand this. We first heard from “Joe the Plumber” as he approached Barack Obama and asked him questions on the campaign trail this summer.

Now we are still reading about this guy because he has been hired as a war correspondent to “report” on the war in Israel. Let that sink in for a minute. Surely, his employer realizes that HE IS A PLUMBER! Then again, maybe it was a brilliant move on the small conservative media outlet who hired him.

Because he was given this opportunity, Joe the Plumber’s thoughts are now front page news on…

CNN - http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/12/joe-the-plumber-ban-media-from-war/

and

MSNBC - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28625632/

Am I out of my mind or is this absurd?

Dear Allie,

Michael High — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:00:10 +0000

Please tell me this is not what I have to look forward to. Because if it is, I may not be the loving father I am now!

Intentional Fellowship

Michael High — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:00:48 +0000

I have often joked that my love language is “quality time”, but with the added suffix, “by myself.” While I honestly feel that way sometimes, I must admit that there is something about spending time with others that is life giving.

We had our Life Group Christmas party this weekend. We went out to dinner and then back to our house for games. We have a really great group of friends and it was great to get together and build relationships with others.

But I thought of how those relationships don’t happen automatically. It takes time to develop those friendships. And just like a plant, it must be watered or it will wither and die.

So my first resolution for 2009 is to be more intentional about building my friendships with others. We get so busy with our lives, that we forget to invite others in. Some of the best times are just sitting around the living room talking and hanging out. So don’t be surprised if you get a call from the High’s to come hang out!

Why Hip-Hop Is Dead

Michael High — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:00:26 +0000

It was Nas who said, “Hip Hop is Dead.” Now I know why.

Working in the used textbook business allows you to peek into the lives of young people all over the country. We find all sorts of forgotten treasures stuffed into the pages of their books. Love letters, photos, and drawings give us glimpses into their lives and dreams. We found this note recently detailing some young man’s hopes and dreams of becoming a star.