Daniel Skognes

Do you ever get impatient with God? I think we all have had times when we wonder if He is ever going come through and answer our prayers. One thing I can promise you and I know is true from personal experience: God is always on time in His time.

When you are waiting on God to answer a prayer, I have found that there are many reasons why God may be delaying the answer. Here are just a few of the reasons:

• What you prayed for is really not in your best interest or in the best interest of those involved. This one takes a lot of faith, but we have to trust that God knows what He is doing.
• What you prayed for is not in His will…period. We often pray for something that is just selfish or self-serving. God knows our hearts. He knows that if He gave some of us what we asked for that it would be a disaster not just for us but for everyone around us.
• We often forget that God is orchestrating things not just for us…but for all mankind. It is not just about us, and when He does move it affects many people.
• God may be testing your faith to see if you really believe that He will do what He says He will do. No better way to test it than to delay the answer. Do you complain about the delay or do you praise Him in the midst of the storm?
• We forget that God does not work around time. He is eternal. Time is something that was created for us and I believe one of the primary reasons was to let us know how short our time is here on Earth and to use it wisely.
• Waiting on God requires faith, humility, and patience. We have to learn to trust God regardless of what we see and how we feel. That is pretty difficult for us because we have a microwave mentality…and God is a slow cooker (at least in our judgement).
• God is not a genie in a bottle that we can summon on command and “poof” He grants our wishes. The closer our hearts and minds come to being Christ-like, the more we come to understand the significance in the simple command: Trust and obey.
• God may be withholding an answer because of strife between you and someone else. If you have unresolved conflict with someone, do your best to resolve it. Forgive them and let them know you want to make things right with them. God is all about relationship. How can we come to Him and ask His help if we are ignoring one of his primary directives….to love one another?

God will move when the time is right. Trust that. Praise Him and trust in Him. Remember all of the things that God has done for you in the past. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves, and that is a great reason to keep a prayer journal. Some of us suffer from selective memory.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” Lord Byron

Have you ever wondered if God laughs? I am sure He does. It has been said, “We make our plans and God laughs.” There is probably a lot of truth to that. I think there are many things that make God laugh.

I was at a Men’s Conference a few years ago and we were singing, “Let It Rain.” Oh boy, did it rain?!!!! Be careful what you ask for when you are praying or praising God…just saying. I look back and think God was saying to the angels, “Watch this.” Then He laughed as we ran for cover from the deluge.

God laughs at our simple-minded thinking…especially when we think we have things figured out. That is usually when He throws us a curve ball. He laughs when we predict weather. How many times have the weathermen got that one wrong???  He laughs when the devil thinks he has got the upper hand on one of God’s kids. He laughs when anyone tries to be Him.

God laughs, and I believe he likes to hear us laugh too. Laughter is part of pure joy, and joy is rooted in our soul as an anchor to help us through the storms of life.

Have you ever laughed at the absurdity of something? I have, and I am sure God does too. Some things are just ridiculous and aren’t worth debating, fretting, or losing sleep over. I know God does not lose sleep over anything…so why should we?

When I was in high school a kid nicknamed me Smiley because I smiled all the time. I really didn’t mind it because it could have been a lot worse!  I remember a kid nicknamed Stinky. LOL. The few times I got in trouble at school was usually from laughing about something. It didn’t help that I knew I could make other people laugh!

“If you give up on your dreams, what’s left?” Jim Carrey. Jim dreamed of being a big star and making money by making people laugh. Despite dropping out of school and lack of support from his Mom, he never gave up on his dream. With the encouragement from his Dad he became one of the most successful comedians in recent years with his films grossing billions of dollars worldwide…all by making people laugh. Obviously, it pays to laugh.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

Have you ever got on an elevator only to find that some prankster has pushed all the buttons, and you have to go to the top floor? It is pretty irritating, isn’t it? It seems the world is filled with button pushers and some of the best button pushers are the ones we know well.

Why do people like pushing other people’s buttons? It is often done in jest, and yet many times it is not received well. Sadly, button pushing has become an art for some people.

I was watching three boys in one of my 3^rd grade classes yesterday. They were sitting on opposite sides of the class from one another and yet they still managed to taunt one another with looks, snide comments, and outright disrespect for one another.

I talk daily with kids about just being kind to one another and avoiding those people who push their buttons, but you know what they inevitably tell me? “It was them….not me!” They don’t take responsibility for their own part in it.

One of the boys who is constantly getting in trouble was complaining to me about what another boy said to him. When I confronted the other boy about his behavior, you know what the first boy did? He pointed at the other boy and shouted, “Ha!” There were probably daggers coming out of my eyes at that point. LOL. I had been used to push buttons for him!

Later that morning I was making my rounds and one of the boys was in the hallway standing in a corner…sulking. I asked him what happened and he began the blame game. The other boys got him in trouble. I asked him, “Who got in trouble? YOU! What lesson did you learn?” He said, “To keep my mouth shut!” If ONLY they would learn THAT lesson.

I try to get kids to understand that when they let other people push their buttons, they are letting them control them. Why would anyone want someone to control them? The truth is, they don’t want it but they just don’t know how to respond. They don’t understand the power of self-control.

It is sad to see kids with no self-control, but when I meet some of the parents I see why they do what they do. I am surprised that they are doing as well as they are considering the environment they are living in at home. When dysfunction is their model, what can you really expect?  And then they drop off their kids at school and basically tell us to “Deal with it.”

Earlier this week we had a lock-down because of a threat by one of the students that they were bringing a gun to school. It never happened, but the threat was not to be taken lightly…and we didn’t.

I pray for our schools daily. There is a lot of evil in this world and it seems that our kids are the ones paying the biggest price. Pray for the teachers, the administrators, the parents…and most of all…the kids. We need it more than you know.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

Think about people you know who are game changers. These are people of influence. They are not necessarily the loudest person in the room, but when they speak it is relevant. Game changers have these characteristics:

• They are not afraid of taking risks. They know that risk and reward are tied at the hip.
• They are leaders, but not necessarily how we might typically think. They lead by example. They lead by serving. They lead without focusing on what is in it for them.
• Game changers are the people that you would call on if there was 1 second left on the clock and your team had the ball. Why? Because they are great at what they do and they have no fear.
• They are the people that you want on your team because you know they are a combination of magnet and lightning. They naturally attract people like a magnet, and they can ignite those around them like a bolt of lightning.
• They are coachable. They know that they can always improve their game, their work, their relationships, etc.

As you are thinking about people you personally know, look in the mirror at the one you have known the longest. Are you a game changer? This is just my humble opinion, but I believe everyone CAN be a game changer if they are willing to take the risks and don’t let fear hold them back. The problem with most people is that they just don’t see it in themselves, so they sit back and let someone else take the shot.

Next time you are given the opportunity:  Swing the bat, take the shot, make the decision, give your two cents worth in a collaboration meeting. History can be made with one game changer, but think what can be done with a team or army that knows they are game changers. If you need a visual, watch Hoosiers, one of my all-time favorite movies about a small town basketball team that went on to win state. It is based on a true story. The coach (played in the movie by the great Gene Hackman) created that mentality in his whole team. They were David in the David and Goliath story. They knew they could slay the giant, and they did.

If you are going to strike out, go down swinging. The year Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs he had 89 strikeouts. Swing for the bleachers if you want to win. Never let fear determine your destiny, never quit, and never believe everything you hear about yourself. You are never as good or bad as others say you are, but you need to know who you are and believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in you, how can you expect anyone else to?

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

Dear Daniel:

I am writing to you to give you some advice from the future. I thought it might help you to make wiser decisions if you actually heard it from me! Here are a few things to remember about life:

• Everything that seems to be a big deal isn’t. Problems often are blown out of proportion when you are really tired or you have several problems to deal with at once. Get proper rest and exercise before making any important decision.
• Just because something is urgent does not mean it is a priority. Be careful not to let other people lure you into their problems. MYOB and let them mind theirs. You will have your hands full just dealing with your own issues.
• Don’t compromise your morals or standards. Walk what you talk. Let your word be worthy of who you ought to be.
• Love God, love people, and use things. Don’t get that confused.
• Figure out early in life what you want to be. You will be old before you know it and you don’t want to waste precious time going down dead-end streets.
• Be careful who you hang with. This applies to your entire life journey. Evil company corrupts.
• Stay humble. Humble pie is tough to swallow.
• Remember that you can’t change anyone else. You have no control over anyone, so don’t even try. You worry about you.
• Learn to love freely and generously. Nobody is perfect and everyone needs to be loved and accepted.
• Travel every chance you get. The world is an incredible place and traveling is one of the best educations you will get about other people and their culture.
• Stay in touch with friends and family. It is easy to get sidetracked. Everyone is busy. If you want friends and family to be an important part of your life, stay in touch with them.
• Forgive everyone for everything. That includes forgiving yourself. Guilt, shame, anger, and blame are too heavy for anyone to carry. Let them go.
• Get at least two dogs. I found out late in life how cool it was to have more than one pet. They will give you great comfort and joy on the dark days you face.
• Never take your health for granted. You have one life to live. Live it wisely.
• Don’t take advice from losers. If you do, you will never find peace or contentment.
• Never quit learning. Read, read, read.
• Learn to be grateful for all you have and in all circumstances. An attitude of gratitude will help you sleep at night.
• Serve your wife every day. Let her know how much you love her, need her, and cherish her.
• Last but not least, listen to your Mom and Dad. They do know what they are talking about.

Happy living, Daniel.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

There are two sets of kids at school and everyone seems to know their names. The first set is the really smart kids who excel at all that they do. They are bright, talented, and natural born leaders. The second set of kids are the ones who are the disruptors. They have plenty of talent and potential, but they waste it in favor of being rebellious.

I have had this conversation with kids almost on a daily basis. We get to choose what path we take every day. If we make good decisions, we get good rewards. Great decisions reap great rewards. Likewise, poor decisions have consequences, and terrible decisions will reap consequences that kids just don’t want to consider.

This week I had a heart to heart conversation with a middle school girl about her behavior. It was so disrespectful. The funny thing is, I did not say a word to her or anyone else about it. Another teacher observed her behavior and blew the whistle on her with her homeroom teacher. The next thing I know, this girl is coming down the hall towards me and is humbly apologizing for her bad behavior.

I told her I forgave her and I appreciated her apology. I also told her that I saw her with incredible potential. She is bright, very talented in many ways, and she is a leader. The problem is that she is leading others in the wrong direction. She nodded at what I said and we went our separate ways.

The next day her Mom (who happens to be a teacher at our school) came up to me and let me know that her daughter had been talked to about the disrespect she gave me and it would not happen again. If it did, she wanted me to come to her and let her know about it. I told her that I appreciated her support, and I repeated to her what I told her daughter…because I meant it. Her daughter is incredibly talented, but she is at a critical point in her life. She will either go on to be outstanding, or she will resign herself to just standing out. Hopefully, with her parent’s support and the grace of God she will make the right choices. As with all of us, time will tell.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

Do you ever wonder if you matter? Does what you say and do on a daily basis have any real impact on humanity? I think we have all wondered that from time to time, but I want to prove to you that you can change the world.

Andy Andrews wrote a book many years ago called the Butterfly Effect, but for the purposes of this story, I like the analogy of a stone thrown into a lake. It is the Ripple Effect. As soon as the stone hits the water, ripples are created and go way beyond what we can see.

Our words and actions are like that stone. As soon as they go out they create ripples in the sea of humanity. Obviously, the closer you are to the stone the greater the impact it has on you, but the bigger the stone….the greater the impact.

This theory is actually mathematical. Newton’s Third Law of Physics says: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So apply this law to what you say and what you do. The Ripple Effect is not just theory, it is reality. What you say and do matters.

This is why anyone who is eligible to vote should vote. This is why random acts of kindness have value. This is why I teach and write. Teachers and writers don’t create ripples. We are more like wave machines that create waves you can surf on!  How is that for a visual?

Next time you wonder if what you say or do really matters, take that thought captive and put it to rest. It does matter. You matter. We all matter. The beauty of humanity is how similar we are and yet how unique each of us are. We all have value and a God-given purpose. We just have to figure out what that purpose is. As long as you still have breath it is not too late to figure out. I am older than dirt and I am just now figuring it out. If I can do it, you can too.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes