Zig Ziglar passing

Just a few thoughts I'm having about Zig and his influence:

Zig has been a long-time friend and mentor.

It's very safe to say that, had it not been for Zig, you probably wouldn't be seeing this post, this website, or much of anything else from me.  Would I have been successful?  Maybe.  In another area, possibly, probably, I don't know.

But I'll say this:  Zig Ziglar has had a tremendous influence on my life, family and career.

There's hardly a day that goes by that I don't think of something he's said that doesn't give me a good dose of motivational medicine.  To me, that's impact; or better yet, INFLUENCE.

We are all called to make a difference, to have influence on others.  I've tried to do this with my kids, my wife, my extended family, my friends, my church, and the all the folks I live and work with.  My mom and dad really pushed this, too.  And to them and Zig, I'm grateful!

We DO make difference in other peoples' lives. There's no denying that.

But the key question is:  Is my influence positive or negative?  How do people feel about me and what I stand for; and what I won't compromise on?

Better yet, how do OTHERS feel about THEMSELVES when they are around ME!  Do I make them feel loved and valuable, or do I make them feel enervated (a big word for "drained").

Zig made us all feel GREAT about our potential and what each of us could accomplish.

His influence will certainly live on in all of us who knew him or heard him.

Just some stuff to think about.

One of my messages: "What's Up With This, God?"

Since I'm a comedian, some people think I don't have a serious side.  Well that's just not true.  I'm a minister first.  Comedy is only one of the avenues I use to reach others.

I've been teaching and preaching since I was 17.  I have tons of messages, lessons and sermons from teaching at my church, the Heights Baptist Church in Richardson; but I've never posted them.  So I thought I would let you hear one I shared recently. 

I know this may sound odd, but I'm asked many times to bring a message at funerals.  This is such a blessing for me, because:

1) I get to help a hurting family, and

2) I basically get a captive audience for 30 minutes, and I get to share the Gospel with them.  WOW!

This is good because, guess what is going through each person's mind during this time--DEATH and where they're headed.  And, I get to tell them how to change directions, just in case they're off course.

Anyway, you'll hear that in this message I just posted.   It's been edited and it's not long. I hope you're blessed by it. Wait until you hear the end of it.

God bless you!

Al

This link will take you to my website to hear the message, or just click on the title above on this post:

http://www.alfike.com/alfike/Message.html

Scheduling a fun comedy event

Hey friends:

There's nothing I enjoy more than sharing the Gospel through comedy.  God has blessed me with a ministry that effectively reaches the lost in a fun way.  And it's non-threatening, which makes it super easy to invite friends and family to a comedy event.  

Usually the best times for these events is Friday, Saturday or Sunday evenings. But I do perform at many Sunday morning services, too. It's just not as "standup comedy" heavy.  I still use humor, but it's in a message/sermon format.

If you have a desire to reach the lost or unchurched in your community, I can help.  You can call me direct.  You don't have to go through an agent.  I'll speak with you personally, and we'll work something out to allow God to use my ministry to complement your efforts.

I also do a ton of corporate events, so if your company is itching for some clean entertainment, I can make that happen as well (references available upon request).

If you're ever in the area where I’m performing, let me know and I’ll make sure you have a couple of complimentary tickets to my next show.  My schedule is on my website at www.alfike.com.

I pray that wherever you are, that you will bloom for the Lord.


Sincerely,
Al Fike
214-766-0969
www.alfike.com
www.Facebook.com/aljfike

Proverbs Devotional Now on NOOK and KINDLE!!

My devotional book, The Ultimate Self-Help Book: 31 Days in Proverbs is available on Nook and Kindle.  You can read on your IPad, IPhone, Nook, Kindle, BlackBerry, Android and any other device where you can download the free apps.

Amazing!  We live in a world of technology where we read get a book right out of thin air!  And even carry 100s of them in the palm of our hand.   I'm still blown away!

Thanks!

How to never lose a receipt--EVER!

Yes, this one is original.

And each time I share this idea, EVERY ONE says, "That's a great idea!"

It came to me when I would talk to my kids about keeping up with purchase receipts, because they always lost them, especially with returnable items.





So here it is....READY?

1) The instant you get the receipt, use your Smart phone and take a picture of the receipt (and any warranty info)

2) Now email the picture to yourself.

3) In the subject line you can write something like:  "Walmart Receipt Toaster"  or anything you want.

4) If you need to return the item, and can't find the receipt,  pull out your phone, search your email (Walmart toaster), and there it is!  It's always in your email to show from your phone, or print it and take to the store with you.

5) Thank you very much!  LOL!

How I get my comedy ideas

Occasionally someone will come up and ask me, "How do you come up with some of your comedy material?"

One of the things I do is keep a journal (on my IPhone).  I do this when I see or hear something weird or bizarre, or something that takes me off guard.  I talk it into my "recorder" program on my phone.

I also use an app called "Dragon Dictation" which actually transcribes  my voice to text (this keeps me from driving and typing--never a good idea).  Having the idea on paper or screen helps me to actually "see" it with my eyes, as opposed to letting it float around in my head, thus taking a chance on forgetting the idea.

Then I break it down into short lines, like the lyrics of a song (those lines are always short).  This helps me tighten it up.  I like to have a comedy bit to NOT be more than 5 or 6 lines.  The first 3 or 4 lines are the "setup," then the remaining line(s) is the punchline (where the laughter comes in).

My goal is to have 4-6 good laughs in every one minute of my routine, so I can't lolly gag around too much.

Here's an example:  (the first 3 lines are the setup)
***
My son (Skyler) at age 10 was curious about religion.
One day he asked "Mom, are we Catholic?"
She goes "No, son, we're not."
He thought and then asked, "well, are we PROSTITUTES?"
I wanted to say, "not far off, son. Not far off."
***

As I said, I listen and watch for situations that surprise, jolt or stop me in my tracks.  I don't try to "make up" comedy (that's very hard work). The funniest stuff is what goes on around me; then all I do is just find a way to shorten it up some, and then express my response or reaction to it.  Incidentally, that's all comedy is anyway.  That's all that Cosby and Foxworthy do.  If I work on material from this angle, I'll probably never run out.

Al
www.alfike.com


PS:  Thanks to Steve Roye of "Killer Standup Comedy" for the lessons and inspiration to write and perform better comedy.

Importance of friends

There's nothing like friends. Someone asked me recently how I got hooked up with Chick-Fil-A.

Back in 1989, I had a performance at FBC Jonesboro, GA. That happens to be where the Cathys attend church. Bubba (Truett Cathy's son) was there, introduced himself to me, and we just clicked! We've been good, close friends ever since.

Lesson: Be nice to everybody; reach out and be a friend to others. No, you won't be very close to all of them, because time just won't allow for that; but you should have a few really close friends you can talk to about anything and everything.  And still be love me, and level with me (which means that sometimes they'll tell me things I don't want to hear, but I choose to listen anyway).

I think I have about 5 or 6 of these. These guys are the best. I can be open with them and they with me. It's a good thing. I don't ever have to impress them or vice versa. They are a true blessing to me. Bubba happens to be one of those.

Have a great week. Make some new friends. You never know where your friendships may take you.

Al

Al Drops Guitar on Stage

This was not a fun night for me. I dropped my guitar straight from my chest. The strap was turned the wrong way and it went down! Nearly ruined my evening. But the guitar is OK, because it's an Ovation Elite with the fiberglass round back.