Sundi Jo Graham's Blog, page 47

Why I’m Deleting My Facebook Friends

I’m always looking for ways to simplify my life. Usually I look for ways to do it, but it doesn’t go beyond that. I find ideas to implement, then I toss them aside. God’s been working on that with me. He’s been showing me lately I have to create more margin in my life to make room for His work. Parts of it have been easy; other parts not so much.

photo credit: byronnewmedia (creative commons)

Using my “no muscle” as Henry Cloud and John Townsend refer to it, isn’t always easy. Deep down I’m a people pleaser. I enjoy serving others and making them happy. But that can wear me out and keep me from pursuing the calling God has put on my life.

I don’t want to be busy, I want to be productive. The more simple my life is, the more productive I can be.

I recently finished reading Simple Living – 30 days to less stuff and more life, and it’s prompted me to stop waiting. In the book, author Lorilee Lippincott gives you 30 challenges, broken up daily, that if done correctly, will simplify your life. She covers everything from cleaning off your counters to tidying up your junk drawers. It’s a pretty challenging book.

Everything we do isn’t always popular, but sometimes necessary. Go ahead and tweet that.

With all that said, one of the ways I’ll be simplifying my life is taking my Facebook profile back to the basics. As of today I have over 1400 friends. Really? I don’t talk to half of them. I haven’t seen many of them in over 10 years. I want to interact with my friends, not my “friends”. God is trying to make more room in my life and that includes cutting out the time I spend scrolling through my news feed, getting updated on the lives of people I barely know.

I still want to stay in touch with people, and I plan to do that through my Facebook fan page. I’ll still post quotes, blog posts, share others’ information, and more. I also understand this will offend people. But I’m being led to simplify my life, and that’s what I’m choosing to do.

I’d love your input. Do you think I’m taking simplifying too far or have you done something similar? Leave a comment below… 

 

Excuses vs. Action

I used to be a professional at making excuses.

I can’t go for a walk because I’m too fat. I can’t write a book because it’s just too much work. I can’t pursue relationships because I’ll fail. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t.

photo credit: nima badley (creative commons)

Every year that went by without taking action, something in my heart died. The spark of hope disappeared from my eyes. Passion withered away. Hope was lost.

For every day that passed and I stayed in the same spot, every dream that filled my mind faded further into the background. My desires became a distant memory, replaced by despair.

But everything didn’t die. Somewhere inside there was a tiny part that still strived to do something with my life.

Today I’m guest posting for Stacy over at Grow With Stacy.

Click here to read the rest of the post.

Free Book Friday – Win a Copy of Bankruptcy of Our Nation

So, there’s this book I’ve had my eyes on for a while, but my friends over at New Leaf Publishing Group kept telling me to wait. Finally, the opportunity is here. I  haven’t gotten to read it yet though.

But today you’re getting your chance to – FOR FREE!

I’m not a big news watcher and I don’t stay up to date on the latest politics, but when I heard the title of Bankruptcy of Our Nation from author Jerry Robinson, it caught my interest.

Unless you’re living under a rock, it’s obvious to you that our country is in trouble financially and most certainly spiritually.

“It’s no secret that the U.S. national debt is in the tens of trillions. But did you know that America also has future unfunded obligations of over $118 trillion? Unfortunately, America’s politicians have no plan to solve our mounting fiscal and monetary crisis. – Jerry Robinson

What if we, the people of the United States, actually came up with a plan that didn’t rely completely on the government? What if we could create forms of income to keep afloat in these trying times? As a person with an entrepunial spirit, I’m excited to get my hands on this book.

Here’s what you could win today: 

21 income streams you can create now and in retirement
Specific ways to inflation-proof your investment portfolio using the P.A.C.E. (Precious Metals, Agriculture, Commodities, and Energy) Method
How to create a diversified six-month liquid savings reserve that uses stable foreign currencies and precious metals.
And the 5 Levels of Financial Freedom that Jerry has personally used to build true wealth and create complete financial security.

Excited yet? Me too. Check out the book trailer to learn more:

I’m giving away two copies of Bankruptcy of Our Nation today only. (One hard copy and one digital copy)

Use the rafflecopter form below to enter. The give-away is over at midnight, tonight, September 21st.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Being Present

I was in a movie once. Now, I’m famous. I even went to the premiere and brought my mom and best friend to watch. I felt pretty important — until my mom asked me to rewind the movie in the theater because the scene went by too fast.

I may have forgotten to mention I wasn’t the star. I didn’t even have a speaking part. I sat at the table with a complete stranger and was instructed to laugh when I heard the word “Action!”

After three takes, I got up and went home. I prepared myself for the agent to call and the deals to start rolling in. Six years later, I’m still waiting for the call.

Today I’m guest posting for Jeff Goins over at Goinswriter.com.

Come on over and read the rest of the post here.

Mossy Butt

photo credit: luis (creative commons)

Do you have moss on your butt? Yes, I just asked that question. You’d be surprised how easily that answer can be a yes.

In Ken Davis’ new book, Fully Alive: Lighten Up and Live – A Journey that Will Change Your Life, he writes about a story a man told him.

“Most Christians,” he began, “have moss growing on their butts! The moss grows because we sit in the pews our entire lives, crying out to God, ‘If You want me to do something for you, open a door, and I will respond.’

I’m guest posting over at The Daily Retort today.

Click here to read the rest.

Interested in having me guest post for you? Shoot me an email at info at sundijo dot com.

George Mueller – The Man of Many Prayers

This was originally posted in July 2009, but I felt the need to share it again today. 

photo credit: wikepedia

In Kay Arthur’s Lord Teach Me to Pray, she discusses several times throughout the study a man named George Mueller. I’m a fan of history, so I decided to look his name up. He’s definitely a man worth reading about.

In 1836 Mueller and his wife started an orphanage. By the end of Meuller’s life he raised over 10,000 orphans. As if that’s not enough to be impressed with, it’s how he provided for those orphans that amazed me.

His requests for food, supplies, or money didn’t reach people. He didn’t ask anyone for anything. He simply went to God. He didn’t ask the local lumberyard for building supplies. He didn’t ask the banker for a donation. He gave his requests to God, and ALL his needs were fulfilled. Many times he would receive food for the children only hours before they were to be fed. The children were dressed and well-educated. No child left the orphanage without a Bible in hand.

This man may have lived centuries ago, but I believe we can all still learn from him. He applied biblical principles in all of his decision-making. And he gave his requests to God before asking of others.

Does this mean we’re not to ask others for anything? I don’t necessarily think so. I believe God will put that on our hearts individually. I believe God wants us to seek Him and His will before we ask others. I believe that’s a must.

Here are Mueller’s principles:

I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord’s will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.
Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.
I seek the will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also.
Next I take into account providential circumstances. These plainly indicate God’s will in connection with His Word and Spirit.
I ask God in prayer to reveal His will to me aright.
Thus through prayer to God, the study of the Word and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues after two or three petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters and transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective.

Remember that God is faithful still and hears prayers still. Sincerely and patiently seek to know the will of God by the teaching of the Word of God, and you will ALWAYS be directed rightly.

How have you seen God faithful in hearing your prayers? Leave a comment below…

Consider the Joy

This is a guest post by Eileen Knowles.  She lives in small town North Carolina with her husband, Roger, their eight-year old son, and one quirky dog named Bisbee. She writes at The Scenic Route and you can connect with her on  Twitter  and Facebook.  Interested in guest posting? Check out the details here.

“But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin. For though he wounds, he also bandages. He strikes, but his hands also heal.” Job 5: 17-18

photo credit: russelljsmith(creative commons)

These words were spoken to Job by one of his friends, Eliphaz. Eliphaz was attempting to offer an explanation for why horrible things were happening to Job. He suggests that Job must have done something wrong and should throw himself at the mercy of the Almighty. We know, as the reader, that Job is not being punished, he is being tested. Job’s response to his friend reveals to the reader that he believes this too: “Stop assuming my guilt, for I have done no wrong. Do you think I am lying? Don’t I know the difference between right and wrong?” (Job 6: 29-30)

Even though Job’s friend was coming to the wrong conclusion, I actually love his response, because regardless of the reason behind our pain, the words he speaks are true.

But consider the joy of those…

As I read those few words the other day I realized just how crazy they would sound to someone who is not a believer in Christ. How in the world do joy and correction go together? How can you possibly pair joy and any adversity together? From a human perspective, joy in the midst of pain, corrections, and trials, seems backwards and just plain crazy.

And yet, it is completely possible.

I think this must be the part of my relationship with Christ that I cherish the most. I love the way He is able to inject joy into our lives despite our circumstances. His Spirit gives us the ability to see things through His eyes. And, we are able to say with confidence the same thing Paul tells the church in Corinth. “We are hard pressed on every side,but not crushed; perplexed,but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

I love my life with this Hope. I can’t imagine life without it.

What about you? How has God supplied you with joy despite your circumstances? Leave a comment below…

A Question from God

It was Winter 2010. I was desperate for an answer. What was I doing here? What was my purpose? Why was I living?

I was tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of searching with blind eyes.

I walked into the prayer room at the Table Rock Freedom Center. I sat in the chair and wrestled with God. I was angry, sad, confused. My heart was breaking and I didn’t know why. My pen hit the paper and I couldn’t stop writing. As the ink hit the pages, the notebook was mostly filled with questions ending in why.

Nobody understood me. I didn’t understand me. Friends and family didn’t understand.

If they didn’t understand, how could God?

I spread out on the floor, my arms wide open and began to cry. Then I cried some more. Tears trickled down my cheeks onto the carpet as my heart ached for an answer. I so desperately wanted an answer.

Then I asked two questions:

God, what do you want from me? Why am I here?

I lie in silence with the box of Kleenex on one side and curled up balls of tissue on the other.

Then I heard this question as plain as day:

Sundi Jo, when are you going to let me love you?

That question hit me like a ton of bricks. My life was spent seeking love from others, never believing I deserved it. For every heart break that came, the walls around my heart thickened.

If I had convinced myself that others were unable to love me, how could I believe God wanted to love me? 

My heart broke. I was refusing God’s love. The very one whom created me was trying to wrap His arms around me and my broken heart, and I was pushing Him away.

I sat up, dried my tears, and became determined to let Him love me. I gathered my tissues, walked out of that prayer room and smiled as I knew things would never be the same.

That day pushed my story forward.

What event in your life pushed your story forward? Share in the comments below… 

 

Join my eBook Launch Team

You’ve been asking me for a while now when my book, Dear Dad, Did You Know I Was a Princess? would be out. Well, you’re going to have to wait just a little while longer. It’ll be out in April.

But.. There’s good news!

photo credit: dlr_de (creative commons)

I’ve got my second eBook, Liar Liar, coming out soon and I’m excited to share it with you.

About the eBook

Liar Liar is an eBook about not only believing the truth about who you truly are, but also speaking that truth into reality. It’s a call to take the next step in your faith and take action with your words.

This eBook will challenge you, change your heart, and lead you in the right direction to believe the truth about your true identity.

The Launch

I’ve been learning a lot lately about the work behind launching a book. It’s not an easy task and I can’t do it alone. Thank you to Jeff Goins for sharing your wisdom with me. I’ve got lots of ideas and I need your help.

I want to create a group that can help me get the message of Liar Liar out. We’re going to be experimenting along this journey and I can’t wait to learn from you! By the time Dear Dad is ready to start promoting, hopefully we’ll all know more than we did a few months prior.

If you’re planning on doing something like this eventually, this will be a great experience for you hopefully. Oh.. and it’s going to be fun too.

Sign Up

If you sign up to join the Liar Liar Launch Team (and get accepted), here’s what you’ll get for your time:

An advanced electronic copy (PDF) of the eBook that you can read a month before anyone else will get a copy.
Exclusive access to a private Facebook group, where we’ll share promotion ideas and you’ll have direct contact with me.
The opportunity to interact with other launch team members and see the behind-the-scenes of a book launch.
A special mention on my blog with a link to your website.
A big, ginormous, heartfelt hug with an extra dose of gratitude.

What I’m Asking From You

If you’re chosen to be part of the team, I ask that you agree to:

Read and review the book online (e.g. Amazon, and/or your blog.)
Spread the word any way you can (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.)
Interact with the rest of the launch team and participate in the community to help come up with promotion ideas (I’m open to experimenting).

I’m so excited to share this message in Liar Liar and I can’t wait to tell you more about the book. I’m “all in” and hope you will be too. Please don’t apply if you don’t have the time to dedicate to helping get the word out.

Apply Now

Please know I won’t be accepting everyone who applies, in order to keep the group to a manageable size. Applications close next Friday, September 7 at 5p CST.

I’ll be emailing individuals to let you know if you made the team. If you don’t hear from me in a week, you can assume you didn’t make it. Don’t worry though; there will be other opportunities to get involved in the launch.

To apply, click here and fill out the simple form. 

Your thoughts on this idea? Recommendations? 

 

Linger

This is a guest post by Joseph Iregbu. Joseph leads on purpose and is passionate about raising the next generation of leaders. He blogs at josephiregbu.com and is a Coach and Mentor to young leaders. He is the author of  Even in the Well, husband to Temi and father to Isabel Juda. They live in Germany. Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook. Interested in guest posting? Check out the details here.

photo: mrlerone (creative commons)

We are a people in a hurry: 

We love quick fixes
We celebrate workarounds
We buy microwaves (we sure need them!)
We insist on washing machines with ‘Express Wash’ mode (agreed, it’s handy)
We love ease
We hate pain
We detest patience and waiting
We love pace (oh yeah!)
We are a people in a hurry!

 

The problem with pace is that we easily:

Miss precious God Moments


Take grace for granted
Forget the importance of labour and hardwork
Abandon our place of purpose and assignment (when pace is not needed)
Lose sight of the people that matter most to us

Don’t get me wrong; not all pace is bad. In fact, pace is necessary in life sometimes. But we must not run the risk of running ahead of God or running without Him.

So today, I encourage you to linger:


In prayer – wait on the Lord for direction.
In learning – knowledge is a process, a marathon and not a sprint. It often takes time. Read another book, find a mentor, broaded your horizon. 
In purpose – don’t give up on your purpose. Publish that blog post, take up the invitation to speak at that conference, lead that study group, write that book that you’ve delayed for so long, share that story that the world needs to hear.
In faith – hold on, be strong and don’t abandon your dreams. 

Today, I challenge you to linger… and experience what you’ve been missing so much in your life: precious GOD MOMENTS!

Are you finding it difficult to linger and wait on God for a specific need? We can pray together for grace if you share in the comment box below…