Over 2000 years ago a Child changed the world forever.   This Christmas I was surrounded by grandchildren for more than a week.  Oh, it was noisy and messy and chaotic at times.  There were wars and rumors of wars.  It was real…. It was wonderful!

I managed to capture a few images of some special moments where I saw a glimpse of what was in the heart of that CHILD born so long ago,  a glimpse of what he came to bring the world and a glimpse of what I pray for you in 2011.

As I watch television today, I am amazed at the major news networks near total neglect of The Person that Christmas is really all about.  When did the FCC decide that the name of Jesus can’t be uttered over the airwaves?

www.newsbusters.org recently ran a blog that reminded us that at least for NBC ABC and CBS there is still no room at the inn. They pointed to a study by the Media Research Center’s Culture and Media Institute that shows that in their evening news coverage of “Christmas” in the two years from Oct. 1, 2008, to Sep 30, 2010  the networks almost completely neglected stories about family, religion, and the blessings that Americans enjoy.

Just seven stories out of 527 (1.3 percent) mentioned the deity in two years of network evening news coverage.  Evidently God and Jesus are forbidden words for the networks.

The study showed that in stories about Christmas, more words were spoken about Ping Pong than God and the Underwear Bomber got more coverage than Jesus.

Are you scheduled to speak to a group of professional peers?
Are you apprehensive about confronting someone in your family about a conflict?
Have you been asked to give a presentation?
Are you breathing and desire to communicate with confidence and power.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you can be confident in your ability to speak  with persuasive power by following these 7 steps of preparation.

1. Research

Make sure you are familiar with all the facts.  Make sure what you present IS fact.  Take time to move beyond emotion to discover the truth.  Your credibility rests on the your confidence in the information you will present.  Know what you are talking about.  This is true whether you are preaching a sermon or having a heart to heart conversation with your spouse.

2. List

List all of the elements you want to include in your presentation.  Write down all of the supportive illustrations, evidence, scripture, questions, everything that you would possibly want to say about the topic you will address.

3.  Focus Focus Focus

This is the most important step of all. Ask yourself WHY you want to say all those things you have listed.  Isolate ONE, yes that is right ONE,  outcome you want the listener to walk away with.  Did you notice I said ONE outcome.  Make that ONE outcome the singular focus of everything you say. This is where most communicators fail.  They chase rabbit trails that lead nowhere or try to accomplish too much in a single talk.  Your audience, whether 200 people or your husband, want to know what you are driving at.

“If you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.  If you know where you are going you can take anyone with you.”

So, look over that LIST of things you want to say and write WHAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH into a single sentence. If you can’t identify the objective of your talk in a single sentence, you won’t be able to communicate it no matter how much time you have.

4.  Eliminate

Now, eliminate everything in the list that does not lead the listener to the desired outcome. This can be hard when you have an emotional attachment to some story or point.  It may be powerful, you may love it, but if it doesn’t lead toward your OBJECTIVE ditch it!

5.  Organize

Organize what remains in a way that will most powerfully lead your listener/s to the SINGLE objective you want to accomplish.

6.  Practice

Practice your presentation OUTLOUD, preferably with a friend who can give you some objective feedback. See if they get the objective of your talk.

7.  Deliver

Make your presentation with confidence.

SO….. If you are dreading your next communication challenge OR…. if you are looking for an opportunity to make your next presentation powerful and persuasive, prepare with these steps and let me know how it goes. I look forward to your comments.

Want more information on how to be a powerful communicator?

After a thousand miles of flying today, I am sitting at the gate where they just announced another delay in my flight and I think I may be in need of some serious prayer.  In Galatians I read that patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit. There were other fruits like kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. I have no problem with those fruits but my airline experiences have made me think I might be a little short on patience fruit.

I looked up patience in a Bible dictionary. This is what it said – of course I have added my comments.

“Patience is the ability to take a great deal of punishment from evil people (airline personnel? ) or circumstances (like delayed flights), without losing one’s temper, without becoming irritated and angry, or without taking vengeance (I think this has to do with jumping the counter and choking someone). It includes the capacity to bear pain (like the middle seat in row thirty five), or trials (like no food), without complaint, the ability to forbear under severe provocation (like a TSA pat down), and the self-control which keeps one from acting rashly (like taking off all ones clothes and throwing a tantrum), even though suffering opposition or adversity (like being handcuffed and led to a small interrogation room).

So as I sit here I realize I desperately need more of the patience fruit.  What I am facing today is nothing compared to the trials so many are facing.

Good leaders, good parents, good neighbors, and good friends are people of patience. Pray for me……..  I want to be better.  I need some fruit.

Am I the only one who needs more patience?

When my friend Randy Elrod, artist, musician, author, connoisseur and host of the annual Recreate Conference invited me to accompany him on a Caribbean cruise for creative Christians, (If God created YOU then you are creative)  I answered YES before he could finish the sentence.

When he invited me to be one of the speakers along with my friends Michael Hyatt and Pete Wilson, I started packing.  Okay, I had Diane start packing.

When he told me I could bring friends,  I put on my scuba gear and wrote this blog for YOU!