1. My most powerful “preaching” is visiting people, getting to know them, building relationships.
2. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. In other words, “practice what you preach.”
3. A shorter sermon or lesson can stay with your hearers “longer.” Attention spans are not like they used to be.
4. When you become stressed out, discouraged, or disappointed with others … think of how patient the Lord has been with you.
5. Everybody has problems. Keep a mental file on who deals with problems successfully. That’ll help you deal with your struggles.
6. Be patient with others and with yourself. “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
7. Spend more time with your family. Work locations come and go … your family is permanent.
8. Grow in your prayer life. The One who made you wants to hear from you more than occasionally.
9. A preacher’s most powerful “sermon” may be wordless. A hug at the funeral home says more than a perfectly worded sermon. (Preachers at times feel like they always have to say something. Not the case.)
10. Being a “tentmaker” preacher is a wonderful option. After 34 years of full-time ministry, the good Lord provided me a full-time work as a chaplain with a hospice group. I also preach part-time. Not putting all your eggs in one basket decreases anxiety, builds self-esteem, and makes life richer.
11. Grief comes to all of us. Be prepared. It’s only an adjustment – not an addiction. In other words, don’t let it consume you.
12. Always learn from children. The greatest teachers among us often comes in small packages.
13. You can learn a lot about a family from how polite and respectful their children are to older people.
14. Learn to laugh with life. Turn obstacles into opportunities. Make lemonade out of lemons.
15. Every day is a gift from God. Accept it and be thankful for it.
16. While you’re important – you’re not as important as you think you are.
17. Your marketability decreases in the eyes of others when you cross over into 50. Better seek out additional “fingers” of earning potential.
18. The world around you changes constantly in technology (Sheet sermon, Flannel Board, Overhead Projector, PowerPoint). Either adapt or get left behind.
19. Things that you thought you needed wasn’t what you needed any way. Aren’t you thankful that God provided a different blessing?
20. The 3 Rs of learning are: “Remembering where you came from;” “Reaching out to others,” and “Reverencing God,” in reverse order.
21. The hands of time go faster with age – make every second count.
22. While you can’t slow time down – you don’t have to compete in the “rat race of life.”
23. Opening the door for someone can lead to “open doors.”
24. One of the greatest abilities a preacher can possess is the ability to listen to others.
25. The concept of “hospice” has changed over the years. But the word still scares most people.
26. Don’t judge a book by its cover – but rather by its content.
27. The young and the old have problems – they’re just different problems.
28. You never retire from doing the Lord’s work – your role just changes.
29. The extent of grief that you have over the loss of a loved one is a measurement of how much you loved that person.
30. How you see the world will determine how the world sees you.
31. When you have a “Monday,” and everything goes wrong – be patient. A new day is coming. Get some rest. You’ll need it to handle all the good things God has in store for you.
32. Never forget that you’re that “frog that someone placed on a fence post.” (Whatever achievements you have had in life; remember you didn’t get there by yourself. You had help. The major Helper is God).
33. You can’t buy self-improvement. You must work at it, develop it – every single day.
34. One day it won’t matter how much money you’ve made. You won’t carry a dime out of this world when you die.
35. You can never outgive God – and when you try, He keeps shoveling it back in and more.
36. You can change the world – one person at a time.
37. A smile is one of your most powerful tools – use it often.
38. Pay your debts – everyone respects an honest person. And your credit rating will be unbelievable.
39. A child’s laughter is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. Never do anything to turn the volume down.
40. Communication is the ingredient to every successful relationship – the use of interpreters between different nations is proof of that.
— Your Friend, Howell
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