Ahh, spring is upon us. Bluebirds are singing jaunty tunes. Pastel flowers are poking their heads out after long winter naps. Woodland creatures are dancing about.

And I am sneezing.

And sniffling.

And constantly looking like I’m crying from watching a particularly heart-wrenching Lifetime Channel Movie.

I have allergies. And in Nashville, spring blooms like a big bowl of pollen-covered frosted mini wheats.

I’m taking Claritin D. I’ve scheduled an appointment with an allergist. I’m drinking throat coat before I speak on stage because my voice kind of sounds like a smoky lounge singer right now. But why?

Why did God create allergies? Have you ever stopped to think about that? Why do they exist? Here are five possible explanations I came up with:

Reasons God Created Allergies

1. Keep me humble.

One Sunday at church, I was snorting so much that the lady next to me just handed me a tissue. She didn’t ask if I needed one. I didn’t ask her for one. She just thrust it in my hand, which is church aisle language for “Shut up. Please shut up already with that nose of yours.” Maybe God created allergies to keep me humble. It’s my thorn in the flesh, or thorn in the sinus if you will. Seems a little extreme that he would create a planet impacting form of pollen just to keep me humble, but me even thinking that probably proves why he needed to do it.

2. Support pharmacies and pharmacists.

My sister-in-law Marci is studying to be a pharmacist. I have friends who are drug reps. I’m sure someone I know worked on one of the bajillion allergy commercials you see this time of year. There are tens of thousands of people with families and kids and lives supported by people who have allergies. Maybe that’s why God invented them.

3. Teach me patience.

Have you tried to buy allergy medicine lately? In order to prevent illegal purchases, you now have to fill out a form, show your driver’s license, buy one small box at a time, submit to a retinal scan, and write a 300-word essay on why you feel you deserve the Claritin D. Maybe this is all just a lesson in patience.

4. Bees need pollen.

In the current issue of National Geographic, there’s a story about pollen and bees. I didn’t read it because just looking at the photos made me sneeze, and there was an article on kung fu that I found very distracting/awesome. I like honey. Maybe that’s the tradeoff. God created allergies because honey is so fantastic. I think I can get down with that.

5. In all things God works for the good.

Is this a Romans 8:28 situation? “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Should I recite that verse every time I feel my itchy red eyes tearing up?

It has to be one of those reasons. Or maybe allergies are part of the fall? Was the Garden of Eden hypoallergenic, and then when Adam and Eve got kicked out they were expelled to a pollen-filled land of woe? Am I overthinking this? Probably.

Why do you think God created allergies?

Do you have any allergies?

(This post originally appeared on SCL in 2011)

What an amazing week it has been! We’ve been on the road on the Start Book Tour for going on a week now and having a blast!

For those of you who haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy of my new book START yet, today I wanted to give you the first full chapter for FREE.

If you’re ready to escape average, do work that matters and punch fear in the face, I believe this book is for you!

START Free First Chapter Download

If you like what you read and want to purchase the full book, here’s where you can do that:

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on DaveRamsey.com

Buy it on Barnes & Noble

Buy it on Books A Million

I recently sat down to talk about my new book START with my mentor, Dave Ramsey. It was fun getting to talk with him and dig a little deeper into the heart of what I want START to accomplish. I hope you enjoy it and hear something that encourages and challenges you to START!

This interview clip is courtesy of the EntreLeadership Podcast. Check it out for great teaching on business, team building, and leadership.

Hey guys! This is Jon’s friend, Grant. As I shared last week, I’m on the road with Jon for a couple weeks, helping him out in all kinds of ways on the Start Book Tour.  Seeing as how Jon only releases a book every couple years, we’re going to be bringing you updates and chronicles on our adventures from road for a bit. SCL will return to normal the week of May 6!

We’re officially on day 4 of the tour and things are going great! The New York City launch event was an experience I don’t think anyone there will soon forget!  From Jon’s talk in the intimate setting of Sofia’s to the open-air all out celebration right in the middle of Times Square, the NYC Tour launch was massive. In the late night/early morning hours following the event, I was sitting in our hotel saying to myself, “Whoa! That. Just. Happened.” Keep Reading —›

It’s finally here! No more waiting, no more pre-ordering, no more countdowns… START officially releases today!

I’m so excited to see this day come and to be able to share with all of you what I’ve poured into START!  I want to thank everyone for your support leading up to this day. It’s been an awesome journey, but it’s just the beginning!

Here are some places where you purchase START beginning today:

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on DaveRamsey.com

Buy it on Barnes & Noble

Buy it on Books A Million.

Last night Dave Ramsey and I threw a huge party right in the middle of Times Square to celebrate and kick off the START Book Tour with a couple hundred friends.  It was amazing! Here’s a quick recap:

In case you missed it, here is the killer book trailer the Ramsey video team put together.

So there you go!

It’s time to START!