Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

Hands and Feet Day 3 of 5

From Be the Hands and Feet by Nick Vujicic
Read by Andi and Brian Hale
Inspiring others to become Christians requires reaching out and motivating people to think about the importance of God in their lives, but you have to be prayerfully wise about your communication. You have to adjust your approach to each individual because we all have different personalities and experiences.
Too many people have been put off by overzealous Christians who probably had good intentions but reached out with poorly conceived strategies. They may have come across as pushy or more concerned about their agendas than the feelings and beliefs of those they approached. 
Others are praying for a revival. But as they are praying and waiting, they forget to do the basic thing God has asked of us—to tell others that He lives. We say, “God move.” God says, “I will move through you when you move.” I personally just want to fulfill the mandate to preach the gospel and see people come to Jesus, start an active relationship with Him, and become true followers of Him. 
I believe all Christians have a responsibility to share their faith and bring others to Christ. His followers are, after all, “fishers” of men and women. We can’t just be passengers in the boat. We need to cast our lines, because there is an ocean of people out there who need the redemptive power of God’s love. 
‬‬ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
‭‭PHILIPPIANS‬ ‭4:13‬ ‭ESV
When I told my Dad that I was writing a book called Be the Hands and Feet, he said, “People think evangelism is complicated, but it’s not complicated to evangelize at all. We should be ready to share our faith at any time, and it comes down to sitting someone down face to face and just being real. Tell them what does Jesus mean to you? How did your life change after meeting Jesus? Being a believer will show also with how one lives.” 
Followers of Jesus need to be more than good and kind. We need to have powerful messages to share. My prayer is that you will find your own way to do that in a manner that best suits you and best serves our heavenly Father. 
Have you ever been turned off by someone trying to “evangelize” you? What was it that didn’t resonate with you? What can you learn from that about how you share your faith?
 

Hands and Feet Day 2 of 5

From Be the Hands and Feet by Nick Vujicic
Read by Andi and Brian Hale
My natural progression into serving as the hands and feet of Jesus included some early “walking around” Christianity—with a dog. Starting when I was seventeen years old, I would go out in my wheelchair to take our dog for a walk and strike up conversations with almost everyone I met. I don’t know whether it was the cuteness of our dog, Seth (a Jack Russell King Charles Cavalier mix terrier), or just me, but there always seemed to be plenty of folks who’d talk or converse while walking alongside us. 
We’d talk about the dog, and if we’d never met, they’d often get around to asking how I’d lost my limbs. When I shared my story, they’d be intrigued or touched. These conversations sometimes led to discussions of faith. They wondered sometimes how I could have such a positive attitude, and I’d tell them I believed God created me for a purpose and that I’d put my faith in that. 
Walking around, sharing my dog, Seth, and my faith, became a real passion for me. I’d leave the house with Seth and couldn’t wait to see who would come around the corner. After a while, I’d offer to share my story and my beliefs just about anywhere I went. I don’t remember being rejected by anyone, though there were probably some who took a detour when they saw me coming. 
I tried not to be hard core or high pressure. I would just ask how they were doing, and after a few minutes of conversation, I might say, “Is there anything you’d like me to pray for on your behalf?” Most people appreciated the offer. Who doesn’t need a prayer now and then either for themselves or someone they care about? It’s like being offered a surprise gift by a stranger, and it’s even better than winning the lottery because the prize of prayer is everlasting! 
‬‬ but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
‭‭1 PETER‬ ‭3:15‬ ‭ESV
As Christians, we have to be on our toes and ready to share our faith. Fortunately, I actually have a couple of toes, so that’s not a problem! The greatest way to demonstrate our faith is to live each day with strength, peace, love, and joy—even amid trial. 
When have you been excited to share good news with someone else? What gifts has God given you to tell others about Him?

Hands and Feet Day 1 of 5

From Be the Hands and Feet By Nick Vujicic
Read by Andi and Brian Hale
You might be wondering, How can a person born without any limbs consider himself to be the hands and feet of Jesus on earth? 
I agree, hands down, that this is a very good question. I asked myself the same thing many times as I was growing up. What purpose could God have for a man with no limbs? 
These words from Saint Teresa of Avila have had a huge impact on me over the years:
Christ has no body but yours,No hands, no feet on earth but yours,Yours are the eyes with which he looks Compassion on this world.Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world. 
This quotation provided one of the many steps I took to finding my purpose as an inspirational speaker and Christian role model who shares his faith with others. I can’t do everything, but I do whatever I can to compel people to fill God’s house. This is what we are meant to do as Christians.
The truth of who we are is how we live day to day. If you want to influence others, the most important thing you can do is be a living example of the principles, ideals, and faith that you advocate. The best way to share your beliefs with others is to live according to your faith when you are under pressure, when challenges arise, and even when life seems to be piling one hardship upon another on you. 
Those around you watch and take note of how you respond to life’s toughest times. They observe how you love and treat others. They judge your authenticity by whether you live up to your claims when the dark days descend. 
That doesn’t mean being positive just for appearance’s sake. It means drawing strength from deep within and, rather than wallowing in despair, taking one step at a time in positive directions. 
‬‬You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
‭‭MATTHEW‬ ‭7:16‬ ‭ESV
It took me years of depression and even suicide attempts before I understood that I was not God’s mistake but that God had a purpose for His “perfectly imperfect child.” You are a part of God’s plan too. And He calls each of us to be His hands and feet on earth.
What does it mean to be God’s hands and feet? What would that look like in your life today?

Elevate Your Day : Feb 8 2024

Welcome, it's February 8, 2024 and we're here to Elevate Your Day!
This is Brian Hale and my wife and I have been in the media production and marketing business for 3 decades. Despite being around radio and streaming for so long, we never had our own morning show until now.
We start off with a quick look at weather, what’s going on with Hale Multimedia, then we bring our our daily inspiration, before rounding off with This Day in History.
We have a ton of fun, so we hope you will join us each M-F, right here on Digging Deeper.

Elevate Your Day : Feb 7 2024

Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale
February 7, 2024
https://www.diggingdeepertv.com
https://elevateyourday.podbean.com 
AI Transcription by FREE MP3 to TEXT
Oh, good morning. Good morning. How about that? It is what? February 7th, 2024 and it's time forElevate your day, which is the buzz our devotional and this day in historySo let's get going on the buzz and that is what we have going on at hail multimedia what we're going to be working onSo what's your day looking like? Well, I received a call yesterday from Taylor museumsAnd I've got the go ahead to finish that up andAnother job for them. I'm gonna create them a logo. So I'm gonna make making a logo todayThat's in Loop County, NebraskaTaylor museums yeah the town of Taylor if you've everBeen up in those parts and you've seen those cut out people the villagers. Yes, that's the townWhere you where you see those yeah, so it was pretty fun pretty fun, and there's a story behind thatSo Andy I'm sure you're gonna have a beautiful website you got to go ahead on the look and just putting it togetherAnd so you're gonna finish up the logo and launch that babyYep, probably by the end of the week super. What do you have? I have Troyer auctions talk to Harley Troyer yesterdayThey've got a sale coming up actually two sales. Yeah, he sells horses. He's an auctioneerThat's been doing this for over 40 years. He has two sales coming up the one we're really working on right nowIs that mile high select sale at mile high select sale calm another website that we did did I do that or did you?I think we worked on that one together. All right, so go to mile high select sale and see a collaborative effort thereYes, we also worked very closely with mr. Troyer with a back end where he can control everythingAnd in fact if you're looking for a site for an auction or for a fundraiser or for your business of any kindWe've been in the business for 25 years. So that's why we're telling you what we have going on today here at Hale MultimediaOver a thousand website projects in 25 years. So we're keeping busy. Oh, yeah, but that's it for our website workAnd I'm sure we're working on a lot of other things tooPodcasting is going crazy and speaking of podcasting we have our daily devotional nextSo if you're listening to this segment and you want to hear that make sure you jump on over or continue on with elevate your dayWe're on day three of let go of the guiltYeah, that's from Valerie Burton. Yes, she says stop beating yourself up and take back your joyHow do you do that? Well yesterday?We said you need to pinpoint the guilt trigger. Ah, yes, we did today you need to examine your thoughtsOkaySo our title is what matters to you?Yeah point here is examine your thoughtsWe can declare our values and rattle off an impressive sounding list in conversation with othersBut the true test of our values is easily revealed in what we choose to do every dayHmm you live your values even if you don't know what your values areValues are an expression of what you really believeWhen you put your phone down to look your loved ones in the eye and talk to themIt is an expression of your valuesWhen you scroll your social media feed while your loved ones are trying to talk to youIt is also an expression of your values guilt ensues when our values are out of alignment with our actionsWhen your actions do not line up with what you say is importantYou must reckon with the fact that in that moment your values are a lieIt is that lie that creates the guiltBut what if your values aren't even your values? What if the values were told to you?What if you've adopted others values and never stopped to really question whether you agree with them?That's an excellent pointOwning your values means accepting the fact that you might be different from those around you and not feeling guilty about itYour values guide your thoughts decisions and actionsThe process of letting go of guilt requires evaluating the origin of a thought by clarifying the value that created itMmm when you recognize you're holding on to values rooted in beliefs that are unhealthy unhelpfulAnd in some cases spiritually misguided you can let go of false guilt and embrace authentic values that reflect the life of joy and freedomThat you want without apologySelf coaching can help you figure out which values drive your guiltUsing powerful questions to peel back the layers to find the values that lead to your thoughtsWill help you determine what core values you really want to hold on to?And what values you need to adjustAsking questions helps you identify false assumptions and even faulty information that is driving your thoughts and feelings of guiltEven though your thoughts may be honest that doesn't necessarily mean they are trueQuestioning your thoughts helps you determine if your value is based on truthFinally brothers whatever is true whatever is honorable whatever is just whatever is pureWhatever is lovely whatever is commendable if there is any excellence if there is anything worthy of praiseThink about these thingsPhilippians 4 8 as you clarify your values as you clarify your valuesYou can own them as you see the truth in what you valueYou can articulate what you believe make decisions accordingly and shed the guiltMm-hmm when you take a stand and reject guilt for things you know are right for youYou own your own valuesWhen you find yourself feeling defensive or guilty about something because someone else thinks it's what you should doBut you don't pause and examine your thoughtsAgain use that peel method to uncover the truth about your own valuesOwning your values is empowering and freeingDon't miss it slow down and really get thisTake a deep breathPray for clarity and courageAnd then watch the confidence that comes in truly becoming who you areBecause you are someone who understands their values their expectations of themselvesTheir boundaries with others and the power of god to move when they operate in faith instead of fearHow do your actions reflect your values?Mm-hmmWhat can you do to define and adjust your values so that they are based on truth?And how can prayer and the power of god through his word and the Holy Spirit help you establishauthentic values and walk in faith instead of fear?Well true values are based on his wordNot necessarily on what your family believes soOwning your own values is by studying yourselfAnd that's how you can establish your values because your values are rooted in truth the word of godLord we pray for clarity and courageAnd the confidence to know who you areWe pray to understand humilityVersus boldness so that we may represent youWell in your kingdom valuesMm-hmm, Lord help us to do our ownStudy into your word and reach deep into our hearts our minds and our souls to plant our valuesIn your word, Lord. We love you and we thank you for this devotional todayJesus name would pray. AmenWell today's February 7thLet's dig in here and see what we can find in 1882 bear knuckle boxing endsThe last officially sanctioned world heavyweight bear knuckle boxing championship was fought in Mississippi between John LSullivan andPatty Ryan Sullivan known as the Boston strong boy won the fight. He had a better name later on he became the first heavyweightChampion of gloved boxingThat's where you remember the name John L Sullivan and he held the title for 10 yearsWow, that's a long time for a boxer, isn't it? Put the gloves on. Yes, that's trueThere's that 1940 thing if you're not lying to me talk about it. Yeah, 1940 panochio premieres on the big screenAh, Pinocchio. Yeah. Well, your nose didn't get big so I guess you were telling the truthI was I was Pinocchio premieres in 1940 on this day in history1942 the auto makers were ordered to join the warInteresting the government made it easier to comply by guaranteeing auto manufacturers profits regardlessOf the cost of production throughout the year so they bought him off said you're gonna be working on the war1962 John F Kennedy begins the blockade of Cuba by banning all Cuban imports and exportsWell, you know, you'd think that would be a good move, but that made a lot of people messed upIt did. I think it started the fight didn't it? Yeah, yeah when you when you have peopleThat can't have their Cuban cigars. They go nutsThat's right, but anyway, sorry to our cigar smokers out there, but I think it's sillyIt is1974 the symbionese libertarian army claims responsibility for the kidnapping of patty herstAlso, none is the SLA they used her to rob banks named her be the face of itso it wasquite theSame year same day in history mill brooks western spoof film the blazing saddles premieres. Yeah1985New York, New Yorkbecomes the official anthemNew York CityWell one year before that umThis day in history in 1984 the first untethered spacewalkDude was out there with a backpack of jetpack on yeahYeahThought he was George was he I can George Jetson. Yeah, I can believe that I can believe thatI can believe that we could be flying around in space with the space pack in the lower-earthAtmosphere, I can believe that right right before I can believe that we actually walked on the lunar yes surfacein 1995Shania Twain released her album the woman in me that was billboard number one in1996 I had one of those that had like four or five number onesAnd now in more modern day history in2013Mississippi becomes the last state to officially certify the 13th amendment in2013 wow the 13th amendment was that which outlawed slaveryAnd it took them until 2013 to get that signed huh?They had originally formally ratified the amendment in 1995What other kind of days do we have today?It is national rose day stop and smell the roses peopleJust don't get too close because they have thornsEvery rose has its thorn that didn't debut today did it noGoing back to 80s musicAnd it's also national greeting card daySo send a card to a friend and actually that fits in with our theme of mental health awarenessWe want to always make sure that we reach out to our friends moreThan we have been because you just never know when you could make the difference in somebody's dayBetween life and death. I've always said that if you feel the prompting to call somebody orYou haven't thought about somebody for a while and all of a sudden you think hmm. I wonder how they're doingI should find outThen maybe you need to do that before you forget. That's the holy spirit telling you somethingJust like our devotional said take action. Yep take action. All right and our foodNational feta cheany alfredo dayYum yum. It's one of our favorite dishes. Yeah, we have a pasta family here. YepAll right. I think that's gonna do it for our elevate your day, isn't it? It is all rightHopefully we're able to do so for you out there. Thanks again for listening. I'm brianAnd I'm andi. May god bless