So it’s the start of new beginnings as people plan the annual ritual of going back to school. With every new chapter in our lives there are two key elements that we will be met with…opportunities to take risks and results that that we may view as failures. Here’s something that will give you a boost when those obstacles and failures start to drain your motivation to continue…check this out

July, 2011

Here’s a recent review that came out on my book “You Want Me to…WHAT? – Risking Life Change To Answer God’s Call” You can check it out HERE…

Do you know anyone who might be interested in receiving my book? Help them out, and me too, and order them a copy today.

June, 2011

Have you ever noticed that when we want to draw attention to something really important in a conversation…we repeat it the key point… almost as if we’re saying ‘pay attention to this point’? In fact when things are repeated in the Bible, words or phrases, it’s the author’s way of trying to get the reader’s attention.

God operates the same way. He may be trying to get your attention today by way of repetition. So ask yourself …is there something in my life that keeps repeating itself like key words or phrases or situations etc. and if so…what’s the message that’s being said?

May, 2011
We can make a difference in our communities. It’s amazing to see how the total output of say three people (1+1+1), all pulling in the same direction and in an effort to make a difference, is always greater than the expected sum of ’3′. When faith is involved and put into action, God has a way of increasing the total sum way beyond our own individual efforts.You can see what I mean by reading this…

April, 2011
Just had a new review of my book come in. Check it out here…

April, 2011
Making an impact in another person’s life doesn’t have to be a big production. I believe that God gives us invitations to engage in the small steps as a way of growing our faith and inspiring those who are watching our actions. Check this story out… and then ask yourself where the need is in your own community and then start sharing His life-changing love with others.

April, 2011
As we reflect on the importance of this month and the amazing set of events that occurred over 2,000 years ago, I am reminded of the need to never embrace the status quo. Jesus Christ never did and we shouldn’t either. He has risen and in by doing so, he shattered all of the chains that keep us bound to playing it safe in life.
Read this article and let it serve as a reminder that as we celebrate the bold gift of what Jesus did for each of us, we need to live as a bold witness of this awe-inspiring gift.

March, 2011
Every now and again God will bring different situations and people into our paths so that we can be exposed to something that He’s wanting to teach us and through that experience we can become the salt that flavours the world around us. Recently I came across a very inspiring person. Someone who all of us can learn from. She was kind enough to quote me in her March Post on her blog. What a story she has! Check it out and may you be inspired to be the salt in your community.

February, 2011
It struck me this morning as I read this article that what we may think are small efforts on our part can, over a period of time, have a huge life-changing impact on people’s lives for the better.

February, 2011
I just watched this video and was blown away! Not only is this an amazing song but the tribute it gives to a faithful servant of the Lord is truly inspiring. Hope you enjoy it and may you be inspired to live a life like hers.

A tribute to Ruth Graham

January, 2011
Got a chance to work with a Christian bookstore where we gave a portion of the sales from my book towards helping the local food bank.
Click here to read the story
Thanks to everyone from Treasure House for their assistance.
It’s a funny thing…I always feel better when I’m able to give away something that can help others.
May your 2011 be a year of new and blessed giving:-)

January, 2011
Here’s a great article that every Christian should read just before they enter their respective churches and then ask themselves and their leaders…what do we do now? A call to the church

December, 2010
Just received this and thought I would post it. Hope you enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Modern version of the Christmas story

December, 2010
Sometimes meaningful life change can come from the unexpected. In fact what can be viewed as a setback can be an invitation to something else that God wants to use us for in making Kingdom impact. Like in this story. So be open today to the unexpected and remember to ask Him to reveal “some remarkable secrets about what is going to happen” (Jeremiah 33:3)…and then act on it!

December, 2010
Came across this article and a couple of things jumped out at me. Oftentimes we start out on a journey with a desired result in our minds (the goal). Yet, our greatest learnings come not by actually reaching the goal, as satisfying (and more times than not fleeting) as that is. No the greatest learnings about ourselves come from the journey itself…the process involved in trying to reach the goal. Check out the article here
No matter where you are in your journey today, and regardless of what it is that you’re looking to change in your life, know that the living God is trying to reach out and teach you about who you are…so ask Him to reveal what you’re to learn in this experience, embrace the challenges and stay strong in the climb!

November, 2010
What would you do if you won the lottery?
Keep most of it…keep most and give a little away…or give it away? Here’s a story about a couple that won $ 11.5 million dollars and gave 98% of it away.
Can you imagine how their generosity would have greatly touched and transformed so many lives?
The car they drive is a 1985 Dodge and they have no plans to upgrade…truly inspiring!
I think one of the key steps towards a meaningful life is to be satisfied with what we have and invest the rest by giving to others. It’s when there’s a shift from the ‘me’ to a genuine desire to build up the ‘we’.
How about you?
Check this story out

November, 2010
So I come across an amazing story the other day. Here’s an owner of a company (her name is Kelly) who’s doing a little internet surfing looking at her competitors and wanting to learn a little more about environmentally friendly cleaners that she could use in her cleaning business. As she surfs she comes across this non-profit organization Cleaning for a Reason. (Cleaning for a Reason) and is intrigued with the concept.

This group helps clean the houses of people who are going through cancer treatments. Kelly likes the idea behind what they’re doing and says to herself that she’ll look at it in more detail when she has more time. Well…two days later she gets a phone call from someone in her community asking her if she’s ever heard of the group…that’s right… you guessed it…Cleaning for a Reason. Coincidence? I think not. They’re calling her to see if she’d be interested in using her cleaning company to help a lady in her community who had just been diagnosed with cancer. Kelly jumped on board and said ‘yes’. Way to go Kelly!!! Her efforts are making a real difference in someone else’s life.

Another lady, in a different community, has been doing the same thing with Cleaning for a Reason since she started her cleaning business. Her efforts have prompted one her existing clients, a client who happens to own a food-catering company, to prepare meals for each woman who is being helped by Cleaning for a Reason in that particular community. That’s so cool to see one’s first actions influence others to do something as well. Amazing how our individual efforts can have a ripple effect that starts to make a difference in a larger and expanding circle of influence.

You never know when your efforts can make a difference in someone else’s life. You never know when your individual efforts can inspire others to use their gifts to touch others and change lives.

Today, be open to the promptings, situations and stirrings that God is using to get your attention, and then, take action!

Go be the difference you want to see in the World.

Cheering and praying you on…

October, 2010
So for those of you who are in Canada…Happy Thanksgiving. I spent today working out at a place that is meeting the needs of those who are struggling. Everyone volunteering here is involved in helping people who are down and out and giving them encouragement and support to change their life for the better. It’s a place that is making a difference.

One of the people helping was an 11 year old whose birthday was today. She told her parents that all she wanted to do for her birthday was to help serve others at this place by cooking, serving and waiting on those who came for a Thanksgiving meal. What an inspiration!!!

I have a deeper sense of being thankful today and showing it by helping others…to being the hands and feet of Jesus.
How about you?

September, 2010

O.K. so I’m relaxing one evening just watching the t.v. and this ad appears that catches my attention. Quite frankly it blew me away. I had to watch it several times because it’s such a powerful call to ask what defines us. It calls us to look at and pursue things that are beyond our grasp…to catch a part of something that is God sized…and to go after it…to step up for such a time as now. Now here’s what got me thinking…what if when you’re watching this ad…and every time you hear the word ‘Canada’ you replace it with the word ‘church’. It’s very powerful…check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Check this video out!

August, 2010
It’s been a busy couple of months with trying to get the renovations completed and kick off the marketing for “You Want Me to…WHAT?“. Must admit that God is teaching me a great deal about waiting on Him to create opportunities and then, when they appear, finding the courage to take the step of faith to pursue them.

Had the chance to appear on television and I want to thank the people at 100 Huntley Street for having me on their show.
If you haven’t seen the interview check it out!

100 Huntley – Part one

100 Huntley – Part two

Had a person touch base and let me know that the book was truly life-changing for them. That’s so cool to see God use it for His glory!

Buy the book and let me know your thoughts…

July 2010

Hey folks, here’s a recent review of my book “You Want Me to…WHAT?”…

“If you think that absurd idea that popped into your brain a while ago was not from God, don’t be so quick to dismiss it. You Want Me To … What? by Canadian author Norm Grant challenges the reader to answer God’s call, even if it seems outrageous.

We all get those nudges. We hear the voice and know right away the Lord is talking to us. Only this time it’s different. This time He’s asking us to step out of our comfort zone and try something new. The author had that happen to him and through personal stories, combined with scripture he shows us how we can risk life change to answer God’s call.

This book reminded me of the book by John Ortberg – “If You Want to Walk On Water, Get Out of the Boat”, in that it challenges you to get out of your comfort zone. I particularly liked the chapter Deeper Than Obedience – Giving God The Pen. As a writer, I liked the perspective of God writing my story and surrendering myself to the chapters He writes. The author asks us to imagine what our lives would be like if we had not written our own stories, (by the choices we make, without consulting God) and had instead surrendered the pen to God and let Him write our story. Oh, how different our lives would be! Just think of what we are missing, by saying no when God asks us to do something that causes us to stop and say, “You Want Me to do What?”

This book will challenge and invigorate you on your spiritual journey. I give it five stars.”

Posted by Laura Davis

http://interviewsandreviews.blogspot.com

If you’ve read the book …. let me know your thoughts.

If you haven’t read it yet please click on the book tab and order your copy today!

June 2010

So we’ve recently bought a new house and begun to totally renovate it. Man it’s amazing just how loud hammers and saws sound at 7:00 A.M. I can’t believe the amount of dust and debris.
Funny thing about making changes and going through renovations…it’s takes less time to take things down, rip apart, than it does to re-build.It also seems easier as well.
We needed to do these renovations so that we could find out exactly what was behind the walls so to speak but to also make sure the house was structurally o.k. before we started to re-build. There’s no doubt that it’s a change in our lives but we knew that the renovations had to get done and the demolition was key so that we could get an idea of what needed to be fixed as well as to make sure that we knew exactly what was there, before we started to re-build and do it right.
Funny how demolishing takes less time, yet it’s the re-building that seems to take much longer before you start to see substantial results.
I think that’s true in each of our lives when we decide to make significant changes to something in our own lives. God gives us the opportunity to do some demolition of things in our lives that aren’t right so that we can start to transform our lives and re-build things for the better.
So have you got any demolition to do in your life?

May 2010

I recently received this picture and it made me laugh. Can you imagine if you’re in the middle of a run and things are going along great, you’ve just rounded the corner on this road and your pace is phenomenal. You start to feel like there’s no stopping you as your best time ever is within grasp and then…all of a sudden…two cars come along, both travelling in different directions and filling the available road area that you’ve been running on. You quickly notice the road sign and realize that you need to make a detour and do something a.s.a.p.

What to do? You don’t want to lose your stride but if you make a move to your left you’re going to get run over. Go to your right and your going to get eaten. All of us have moments like this in our lives when we cruise along thinking that we have everything under control when all of a sudden obstacles come into our way. Regardless of the obstacles that are in your way today, God makes a promise that if you ask Him which direction to take He’ll show you. I want to encourage you to not panic when obstacles suddenly appear in your life, just ask your Lord where the good way is and then once He’s revealed it to you, change your ways and follow His path. Your life will be transformed.

“This is what the LORD says:
“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, 
and you will find rest for your souls.”
Jeremiah 6:16

April 2010
Hey are you having one of those days? You know when things start piling up or you just feel like you’re being hit from all sides or you feel like something is missing? These seasons happen in our lives so just remember that regardless of where you are in this journey called life, there is always something in our lives that we feel can and should get better. This is true even if you’re hitting stride in your life right now or you’re at the lowest of lows…things can and will get better. We can improve elements in our lives, provided we make the necessary steps to change things. I hope this video will encourage you today. Feel free to share it with your friends…friends who might be going through something in their own lives and this would give them some encouragement. Hope you enjoy and remember to share your stories…

March 2010

So have you been like the many millions of people who have watched the winter Olympics? There were so many amazing stories of people overcoming obstacles in order to push themselves towards a goal. There were countless stories where athletes overcame some type of valley or challenge in their life and the lessons learned while overcoming the challenges impacted and changed their life for the better. They learned so much about themselves and they all mentioned how their life was transformed by way of the journey.

However, the interesting thing about each one of the stories that we watched was this one simple fact…the didn’t do it on their own…there was someone who encouraged, supported, listened to and walked with each athlete. There was someone who invested of their time and effort in order to help the athlete achieve their goal and these efforts made a difference in the athlete’s life.

During the Olympics Rick Hansen hosted a segment called ‘Difference Makers’ where we got a chance to see the behind-the-scenes stories of those athletes and the people who had influenced them to strive on and overcome the obstacles as they trained and prepared for participating in the Olympics. These were wonderful stories and each one spoke of a difference maker helping them overcome a great obstacle in their life.

Check this video out ( Difference makers change lives ) and listen for the quote that says that you can only talk about sports for so long and then you need to get onto deeper issues…life issues. That’s so true!

Is there someone in your life that’s been a difference maker for you? If so touch base with them and let them know that you appreciate their efforts along the way.

Is there someone in your life today that you can be a difference maker to? Perhaps you can do something to help someone and by letting the guiding hand of Jesus Christ work through you you’ll forever make a difference.

Be encouraged to be a difference maker today!

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Early 2010

It’s the beginning of a new year and one can’t help but think about all of the great potential that awaits each of us during this time of year. This is when the slate is clean and it’s a New Year and time for a New You. This time of year is full of people trying to change their lives for the better. We all talk about it at this time of year, the month of January, the month to focus on and start working towards life change. Yet by the time July rolls around, we hardly mention how we’re doing with our resolutions and how much our lives have changed. In fact, we rarely announce that we’ve given up trying to attain those resolutions nor do we fully confess that the habits and hang-ups from the past have taken us once again off course and now we’re stuck in the snow bank of bad decisions. We end up stuck and feeling depressed and forsaken and like there’s no hope or help to change our lives.

If you’re feeling that way today, then I want you to know that there is a great plan for your life. It’s one that will require some effort on your part to uncover, but with some prayer, help from others, and a constant searching for the gentle whisper of your creator, you will start to unlock the keys to getting unstuck from whatever is holding you back in your life. Once you go after it, real life transformation will begin. The journey will take you in a new direction and your life will be changed forever more.

It’s very similar to this video. On this particular day we took a wrong turn and got stuck. It’s a freezing -40 c with the wind chill. The city we’re in had been hit with a blizzard the night before and traffic is at a stand still. Check it out and let me know if you can see the similarities in your own life…

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others”
- Pericles-

“The decision to grow always involves a choice between risk and comfort. This means that to be a follower of Jesus you must renounce comfort as the ultimate value of your life.”
- John Ortberg-

Life change only occurs when we allow a spark of risk to initiate and grow into a flame of action.

Is there a stirring inside that’s calling you to risk?

Author unknown