Chris Vonada's Blog, page 8

The Similarities Of All Of Our Faith Stories

Taking a closer look…

I love hearing other people talk about their spiritual journey and what brought them to know the Lord. If you listen to enough of these stories you will find there are similarities that offer clues to identifying our calling.

These similarities seem to be universal. In researching this a bit I noticed some folks want to come up with fancy words as descriptors. Ok, so I get that. I dreamed up “gracedrops” remember? Geologists have lots of verbiage as well… one of our professors at UF used to call them “hundred dollar words” – ha! I liked that. Nonetheless, the truth be told, as someone who is interested in sharing the Gospel of Jesus, I would advise if you’re interested in drawing people in to think about laying down the fancy lingo. I’ll take the props for that one and step down off the soapbox and on to the meat and potatoes…

The Similarities Of All Of Our Faith Stories:

- Our faith stories center on a person or event. It may even be multiple people or events. The people may be complete strangers or life-long buddies. Interestingly, sometimes we won’t even recognize their impact on our hearts and in our lives until years later. Such was the case with my friend John Hall. There are a handful of these people/events for me. I believe it was all part of God’s plan.

- There is turning point. This may be the Ahhh Haaa moment when we finally “get it.” The turning point can also be defined as when our faith becomes bigger than the questions we have about it. Then we can say that our faith is in viable competition for our heart.

Many faith stories stall at this point. Why? It’s no secret. Just like the ministry of many churches stall… it’s because we get comfortable and we fail to take the next step to continuing down the path. We fold inward. Maybe it’s the personification of how life as we know it might just end in the hands of some “grim reaper” of a church leader who will take us down some sacrificial pathway.  Yikes, I wouldn’t want to head on hand in hand with that man either!! Or, it may just be we don’t really want to be more like Jesus (i.e., there are other gods or idols that block the path). Unfortunately, whatever the case may be, many will dawdle at this point, or at least tarry for a period of time.

To paraphrase Rick Warren, the famous pastor and author of “The Purpose Driven Life,” one of the reasons that Jesus came was to give purpose to our lives…

“You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that life will never make sense.” RW

Yes there is a next step…

“We could be the life-transforming salt and light in a darkened world which God has always intended his covenant people to be.” Dallas Willard

- Discipleship. Along with that making more disciples. When Jesus called us to follow Him that’s what he was talking about, being disciples. So if our faith stories center on a person, event or turning point, our calling and after that is to follow Him in a process of transformation to more of an inner likeness as Christ Jesus. That change happens primarily in our heart. Indeed, the heart is the wellspring of life. From the heart it molds our character and forms the outward expression of our whole self. Beyond question, reputation management with flair… the self-help that CAN be bought but not from those Dr. Phil chat sessions or a PR firm… from the most valuable and worthwhile lesson ever presented for one to learn.

Can you point to a specific person or event that had a significant impact in your faith story?

Image courtesy of Meir Jacob on flickr.com

Is There A Jesus Hack?

Complete the simple circuit and bingo the light comes on!

So I got on this email list from a website called lifehack.org. They offer tips to short-circuit life change. Typically this wisdom comes in the trendy and appealing list form. Here’s an example - “7 Habits Of Highly Effective Hobbits.” Not all hobbits are eccentric you know… some also have (at least 7) healthy habits that we could all benefit from culling.

Wikipedia describes life hacking as “any productivity trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method to increase productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life; in other words, anything that solves an everyday problem of a person in a clever or non-obvious way.”

So is there a Jesus hack?

Well, the straight up answer is no. There is no short cut to Jesus. However, Jesus isn’t as complicated as many would tend to lead you to believe. There isn’t even an extra special prayer that you have to say, secret handshake or any back-room voodoo going on with Jesus.  Jesus isn’t that difficult. Religion is. Leave that part behind. Jesus did and you should too.

So today I’m going to create the Jesus hack. It’s never been done. I Google’d it and it’s nowhere to be found. Many churches will get their feathers ruffled. It’s ok, not the first time. I’ll take the heat for this one in the name of spreading the good news of the gospel…

Rule #1 of the Jesus Hack comes from the Book of Romans, Chapter 10, verses 9-10:

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

That’s your shortcut or hack to a relationship with our Lord and to heaven. Yep, just one rule. In reality, the generations past that missed it, well, missed the mark. Don’t follow them. With this wisdom we can embrace the future and keep our back up against the past.

Indeed, it’s going to be a beautiful day…

Image courtesy of Judy Baxter on flickr.com

The Happy Cup Of Bliss In Between Dreams

Happy Cup Of Bliss, Espresso at Caffe Greco de Roma

Sometimes I’m so excited about tomorrow that I fail to enjoy today to its fullest. I know that must sound like a little kid on Christmas eve, but it’s true.

Bliss is a stage which is above any emotional state that is characterized as peace or happiness (feelings of enjoyment, pleasure, and satisfaction). – from wikipedia

Contentment is the key to peace. And bliss. Contentment is referred to as satisfaction in the definition of bliss.

It’s difficult to take the peace away from one who has a heart filled with acceptance.

Where will I find my happy cup of bliss today?

We can start with acceptance of:

- other people just as they are.

- treating yourself with respect

- honoring each other, and yourself

We’re to seek God’s will first. How often do I proceed through my day with God’s will on my mind? Ummm, to be perfectly honest I typically think of God’s will when I’m making a big decision. I’m usually not thinking about God’s will when I’m trying to decide between 2 dippy eggs or scrambled oatmeal (Scrambled o? Yep, there’s a video for that).

So check this out…

You’re blessed when you stay on course,

walking steadily on the road revealed by God.

You’re blessed when you follow his directions,

doing your best to find him.

That’s right—you don’t go off on your own;

you walk straight along the road he set.

You, God, prescribed the right way to live;

now you expect us to live it.

Oh, that my steps might be steady,

keeping to the course you set;

Then I’d never have any regrets

in comparing my life with your counsel.

I thank you for speaking straight from your heart;

I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.

I’m going to do what you tell me to do;

don’t ever walk off and leave me. Psalm 119:1-8

Be a bright spot in someone’s stormy day.

And always be writing the next chapter on the edge of tomorrow…

That’s living the happy cup of bliss in between dreams.

What does your happy cup look like today?

Image courtesy of canalviajes.com

Interview with Jon Stolpe, author of “On Track”

I met Jon Stolpe in the blog-o-sphere a few years ago. Since then, I have admired his ability and dedication to writing at the Stretched Blog. So Jon is also a runner and just today released his first book, “On Track: Life Lessons From The Track & Field.” I sent Jon a few questions about his book, running and life…

First and foremost, can you tell us about your book?

On Track – Life Lessons from the Track & Field is all about encouraging readers to get their lives on track. We all find times when we fall into a rut – when we get off track with the important things of life. On Track takes observations from the track and field world and applies them to everyday life.

The book combines my love for running, my appreciation for writing, and my faith. Throughout the book, I share some of my own stories and lessons from the starting blocks and the practice field to the finish line. The book is isn’t just for the runner or athlete. It provides practical life lessons we all can embrace.

If you’re stuck in a rut or need a little guidance in finding your way, this book will help you get On Track!

 I was surprised that you didn’t mention the proverbial “runner’s high” in your book. Do you experience this in your running?

This is an interesting question.

At nearly 6 feet 6 inches, I have also enjoyed the game of basketball. Until three years ago, I could still dunk a basketball. I can definitely remember feeling a “jumper’s high” on the basketball court on more than one occasion when I went up for a dunk. It almost felt like I was floating or even walking on the air.

Having logged many miles over the past several years, I have experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly of running. One of my favorite runs of all time was a 20 miles training run on a local trail. I started the run before the sun came up. The first several miles of the run were quiet as I ran by myself enjoying the sunrise before anyone else was on the trail. After climbing a small mountain at the midpoint of the run, I found myself in a rhythm. I’m not sure if this is the same thing as a runner’s high, but it was almost as though I forgot that I was running. Running became the same as breathing. This lasted until the last mile or so when my body was starting to feel the wear and tear of the previous eighteen or nineteen miles. When I finished twenty miles down the trail, I was excited to meet up with my wife and kids who greeted me with hugs and Gatorade. This was perhaps the best part of the whole experience.

 What advice can you share about marketing and selling books that you’ve learned so far?

I will let you in on a little secret. I am working on another book about the importance of having a mission mindset. Actually, I was working on this other book project before I decided to write On Track. As I sent out my outline and began to collect feedback, I realized I needed to try something a little easier or shorter before I launched into the mission mindset book project.

On Track has provided a lot of great learning lessons. Initially, I wasn’t planning to sell the book. I was simply going to use it to learn more about book writing and self-publishing, and I was hoping to use it to grow my e-mail list for my future book project. As I got deeper into the On Track project, I realized I had something worth marketing and selling.

Many of the steps I’ve taken have come based on observations from my involvement in other book launches. I’ve also spent a considerable amount of time talking to other authors, editors, and graphic designers. This is really the best advice I have: Talk to as many people as possible who have done this before you.

Everyone has a different perspective. You will have to choose your own direction.

My second piece of advice is to plug into your community. I have met so many people over the years through my blog. These friends are cheering for me. They are just as excited about my new book as I am. And they want to help. If you are getting ready to launch your own book, don’t be afraid to ask for help from your community.

Do you think you’ll write another book?

Yes. As I mentioned above, I am working on a book about developing a mission mindset. I think it is so important for people to make the most of every opportunity whether they are interacting with the people of Guatemala where I have done international missions for the past couple of years, the people of their local neighborhood, or the people in their workplaces.

I’m hoping the book will help encourage people to consider short term missions as a springboard for transforming their minds to see the mission field right where they live and work.

How long have you been writing your blog?

I started blogging on July 6, 2007 at the encouragement of a good friend. I blogged for a few years on a Blogspot site before I switched over to my own self-hosted blog (jonstolpe.com). The blog has provided an opportunity to reflect and share about the stretch marks of life. I’m excited to see where it goes from here.

You have a wonderful theme and community for your blog, “Stretched” – can you share what it’s about and how you came up with the idea?

When I started my junior year in high school, I was 5 feet 6 inches tall. Now, I’m a foot taller. As I began to grow, my friends started calling me Stretch. The nickname came to mean more to me over the years when I realized that God was allowing me to STRETCH through the experiences of life. When I was trying to come up with a theme for my blog, I kept coming back to the concept of stretching. Jon Stolpe Stretched is about sharing my stretch marks, and I hope my stories and reflections will encourage others to stretch as well.

Like many of us writers, we’re busy with family, jobs and other activities. What are your writing habits (time of day, # of days a week, etc.)?

I typically write three or four posts on Sunday morning before church. This has become a time I cherish. It often write in a local Starbucks after dropping my kids off at church where they serve in the children’s ministry and middle school students’ ministry during the earlier services. I post five days a week which means I fill in the other one or two posts during the week. Often this writing happens later at night.

Can you share a bit about your spiritual journey and how you came to know the Lord?

I was raised in a Christian home. My Dad is a pastor, and my Mom is an amazing woman of faith. They have both been amazing examples for me. I can remember sitting down with them and talking about my faith when I was seven or eight years old. It was at this point, I knew for certain I wanted to follow Jesus.

Since then, I have experienced ups and downs like anyone else. I experienced the mountain top experiences, and I’ve walked through the depths of despair. I’ve struggled with doubts, and I’ve moved forward with confidence. I like how Michael Yaconnelli describes our spiritual journey in his book, Messy Spirituality. We do not typically have a straight line growth pattern between the time we decide to follow Christ and the end of our lives. It’s more of a roller coaster ride with lots of ups and downs and twists and turns.

The biggest helping points in my journey have been my church, my family – especially my wife, God’s Word, and a group of friends who are trying to live their lives for God as well.

 

Do you have any additional questions for Jon?

 

BIO:

Jon Stolpe is an operations manager for a construction firm in the Philadelphia area. He has a passion for family, leadership development, missions, and personal growth. Jon runs in the northwest suburbs of Philadelphia, and he can often be found hanging around the track or cross country course cheering on his kids. Jon writes about life’s stretch marks on his popular blog, Jon Stolpe Stretched. Visit with Jon at www.JonStolpe.com.

Tuning In To What If…

The distinction between living out our “what if” and simply pondering over it is a defining moment in life. (Click To Tweet)

Image courtesy of Eric Allix Rogers

It is a sacred romance with a nugget of a voice that speaks to us from within. It speaks to our heart, our mind, and also to our soul. It’s the voice that makes us realize we are not of this world because we yearn for something more.

“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” C.S. Lewis

I’m pretty high on this C.S. Lewis guy. He’s more than another Dr. Phil self-help dude. He makes my mind hum. I connect with him like a plug fits snug in a socket. He brings me to a better place by explaining concepts in a way that I can readily understand.

So the last book I wrote was one about the heart… “The Wellspring Of Life” is based on Proverbs 4:23 – guard your heart…

If you’ve read The Wellspring you know by now it wasn’t written as a defensive posture encouraging one to build a wall, but focusing more on the positive traits of a healthy heart. So you may not be too surprised that my next book is actually going to be about your heart as well; If I had to sum this book up into two words it’s going to be “what if?”

What if…

… that’s right, two words described as having the power to haunt you the rest of your life…

There is good news with “what if” – these words don’t have to haunt you any more.

What if we had the wisdom to find our calling?

What if we felt it in our heart and then had the courage to follow it?

It’s going to be about all that and much more… how God relentlessly pursued one man… and won.

You are being called to live a bigger life. Answer the call. Playing small does not serve you. – Les Brown

You should be playing

You should be playing well.

You should be playing for keeps.

That’s tuning in to “what if?”

Do you ever hear a voice calling “what if?” ??

The Keen Skills Of An Influential Noticer

Andy Andrews describes a noticer as someone who picks up on little things. Andy says: “Many people ignore ‘small stuff,’ claiming to have an eye on the bigger picture, never understanding the bigger picture is composed entirely of small stuff.”

Andy is a noticer, as is the drifter, sage of a wise man named Jones, the protagonist of Andy’s book, “The Noticer,” and it’s sequel. Jones is a bit of a healer who notices little things about people and creatively finds a way to help them. It’s an inspiring story of love and putting everything into its proper perspective.

I must say there are times when I wish I didn’t notice things. I recall an abrasive co-worker from many years ago who I tried to help out and it just turned into an adversarial situation. Bummer. First and foremost, people have to want to recognize their own shortcomings and want to change before we can really help them. This usually goes back to the condition of our heart.

Like a compass always points to the north, the course of action of a helpful servant guides a path toward positive change and improvement. (Click To Tweet)

The compass always aligns with the earth’s magnetic field.

 

How do I use this ability to help other people? It’s a gift to be able to pick up on something, and it takes a master noticer to figure out how to be able to use the knowledge to influence and bring someone to a better place through forward motion. I have found 3 keys that have been helpful to mastering the skill:

- It involves putting everything into its proper perspective. I write a lot about perspective. One of my favorite recent pieces has been “God, Politics, America and Morality: Why I Remain So Encouraged.” Our world can seem pretty crazy at times… until we are able to put things into perspective. In Andy’s books, Jones touches the lives of a struggling married couple, teenagers, businesspeople facing bankruptcy, and many other people struggling through the obstacles of life. Jones teaches that no matter how bad things look, it’s all in how you look at things that helps to keep life’s many challenges in perspective. Perspective always goes back to one key facet: our way of thinking, the same as cultural change always focuses us back to individuals, and to their thinking. How do we create positive change? It all starts with noticing, and effectively fostering change… consider how we think, instead of what we think.

“Every human has four endowments – self-awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom… the power to choose, to respond, to change.” Stephen Covey

Waiting on the world to change? Hmmm….

- An influential noticer works through the opportune season of connection. Even a comment in passing to a stranger comes through a brief interlude of connection.

Disciple groups at church are a great place to connect. We also connect with lots of different people at work. All of our friends count as connections, and opportunities to influence as well. From a warm smile that is shared with the passing stranger on the street to the deep purposeful process of engagement with a spouse or coworker, the bigger picture of hope is developing with every day spent serving the needs of other people.

Please don’t confuse being a noticer with being a gossiper. Living as a noticer calls us to help other people. Gossip is never that way – it only says something about you and literally nothing at all about the person that you’re talking about. It defines your heart and not theirs. That’s just the truth that I overheard from God. In order to help someone out you have to talk with them, not about them. Whatever handicap we’re looking at, whether it’s a biggie like Tiger Woods’ or simply a smoldering blemish from the past, it’s all going to be OK when we’re connected in God’s dysfunctional family… and with a keen noticer intent on doing good in the name of Jesus.

- The influence of a noticer happens in the right time.

We know there is season for everything under the sun…

“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

I’ve also found, in life, there are experiences that occurred that I can’t really “tie back” to anything definite until years later… then, when the “ahhh haaa” moment shows up, I can put the pieces of the puzzle together and everything fits together just right. That’s everything coming full circle.

It’s funny how God’s timing is often very different from mine. Being a noticer is often the same way… sometimes it is evident we can interject constructive input in the here and now, other times it may be years later that we’re most effective. That can be a heavy weight to carry when you’re trying to help your kids. It comes with the territory but another given in finding contentment whatever the circumstances. Plus, there is always a feeling of joy when you can help someone else move forward in their journey. Praise the Lord for that and for the gift!

Do you think of yourself as a noticer? What do you find to be most effective in ministering to other people?

Image courtesy of “Vero Villa” on flickr.com

The Scandalous Misadventures Of Bradley Cooper

Caught in the act… of going commando.

So I’ve got a bit of a man crush on Bradley. It’s been going on for quite some time. Before you get any wild ideas be sure to read my thoughts on gay guys, guys hitting on each other and that sort of thing.

So you know that I helped lead Jay Z to God. True for a Win. Furthermore, if Jon Acuff can dig on rap music, I’m guessing the good Lord is ok with me liking on BC just a wee bit.

“Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” Jonah 2:8

Easy there hoss my thing for Cooper isn’t anything like that…

The media surrounding Hollywood feeds off the scandalous behavior of people. The ironic thing is that many people in Hollywood are no different from the rest of society, they are just in the public limelight and therefore… fatal attraction – the scuttlebutt of the rich and famous is “newsworthy.”

Back to Cooper. Why, you may ask, do you like this guy? How is he a renegade in a land filled with immorality and debauchery?

- It all started with The Hangover. I thought it was funny. The second one was sort of ho-hum. Never saw Part III. Since I’m not homophobic I can admit that I think he’s an attractive guy. So I noticed he had a good-looking booty. I asked some of my female friends and they concur. That got me to thinking… since my booty is nothing special, well, it got me thinking more and more about my own appearance. This turned into a silly sort of joke that I wrote about. What’s that got to do with BC’s scandalous life? Well, from afar it does not appear that he is gay…

- He got mixed up with Jennifer Lawrence. They started out just making movies together. Now they look kind of chummy in the limelight. Well that’s kind of immoral, right? Let’s see, Bradley is in his late 30′s and Jennifer in her early 20′s. Yep, that would fit the formula for scandalous anywhere except maybe… Hollywood. Or Anytown, USA? Hey, it’s not my style but it does happen. In fact, some of my girly friends say it’s quite common and acceptable in certain circles for men to date women decades younger. So what’s the knee-slapper with this?? Bradley says there’s nothing going on with Jennifer. Remember, this is Hollywood…

- Next item: He lives with him mom. Come on, really? Yep, it’s a fact. Pretty crazy, right? Totally off the chain! He even describes his mom as a cool chick. Really? Mom? Right on, high fives for this man!!

- He’s been known to go commando. No, not geo-commando, but still. Geo-commando?? Yep, just wait it’s coming… So Bradley went commando at a State Dinner in Washington, D.C. honoring French President Francois Hollande. He got himself into this pickle after gaining some elbows for an upcoming movie. So the old tux was scary-town tight. Yikes! That’s about as crazy as going commando at church. Do they? Please… just don’t say!

- BC doesn’t shed a lot of deets. That’s a style to keep. Forget the rag doll Bieber and all that nonsense. The peeps of Hollywood deserve the privacy they make for themselves. I guess that’s the takeaway. Cooper says he’s a family man. I like that. Judgment call on that one alone? Worthy.

Ok, so what’s the scandalous part? We’re waiting for something juicy like bonefishermen trolling the shallows in The Bahamas. the scandalous part of Bradley Cooper’s story is in Hollywood the aforementioned behavior patterns are considered misadventure. They’re thought of as unexpected. Not the norm? That’s what our culture would like to believe. Is it true? Is Carrie Underwood really an outcast there in the land of plenty? So Jay Z is thanking God for his awards… and what will they think of him now? So scandalous…

Slowly… slowly… slowly… the transformation to resembling Jesus takes place…

And Carrie sings on “How Great Thou Art”… great voice. Glorious song!

Image courtesy of usmagazine.com

Q and A with author TC Avey about her new book, “The Precipice”

TC Avey is one of my favorite writer friends and is a Christian devoted to God, family and friends. She is passionate about encouraging Christians to live a life dedicated to Christ as well as helping them understand the importance of preserving our national freedoms through knowledge and love. She blogs at Wisdom of a Fool. You can also follow her on Twitter. Her book, The Precipice: When Everything We Know Ends, is available on Amazon today, April 7th.

I asked her to answer and few questions about the book:

1. Tell us a little about your book.

The Precipice: When Everything We Know Ends is a compilation of three short stories that revolve around an out-of-control government seeking to maintain order no matter the cost. Each story paints a vivid picture of how this will affect Christians.

Each story is combined with Modern Events shaping our world and also Discussion Questions to help readers reflect upon what they’ve read and analyze what they would do in similar situations.

2. What do you hope people will take away from reading your stories?

I hope they take away that people need to have a healthy fear of an ever-expanding government combined with a reverent fear of God.

I pray this book will encourage people to go deeper in their walk with God. That they will know Him better and therefore won’t fear as the world gets crazier and crazier the closer to His return.

What I hope they DON’T take away from my book is fear the world is ending.

No one knows the hour Christ will return. But we are all called to the Great Commission.

People are dying without knowledge of Christ.

How can we be His hands and feet, His voice and heart, if we don’t KNOW Him? If we don’t follow Him?

Being a Christian is more than a title we wear. It’s supposed to be ACTION.

3. Once informed, how do we encourage people to take action, repent and turn toward the Lord?

Excellent question, Chris!

I believe the step-by-step answer is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (Emphasis mine)

Turning this world around begins with each individual Christian taking personal responsibility for his/her life and then being intentional about seeking God’s will and OBEYING whatever it is He commands—even if it’s uncomfortable or doesn’t “make sense”.

No one person can change the entire world, but we are all responsible for the place God has us.

The Great Commission begins in one’s own neighborhood, work, and family.  And when we allow God to use us, HE can change the world.

But we must realize how vital it is to be plugged into the Vine.

4. What was the most challenging thing for you in writing this book?

Ironically, fear. Fear of what people, especially Christians, will think of this book. Fear of rejection.

But God is not the author of fear. He is perfect love and perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).

Satan wants people distracted from God’s calling in their lives and he will use any means possible to accomplish his goal.

It took (and is taking) a great deal of prayer and faith to get this book into others hands.

I am simply trying to obey, no matter how uncomfortable it makes me.

“He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Luke 11:28 NIV

5. What surprised you in your launch?

The encouragement and support from my family and friends. I think satan often builds fear inside us, but it isn’t until we step out of that fear, in faith, that we find the assurance we need to keep going.

I feel truly blessed to be Christ’s servant, to be used by Him.

6. Will you ever publish another book?

I don’t know. I’ve written two other books that aren’t published. I’m not sure they are meant to be. I will have to continue to seek God. He will let me know. Then it will be up to me to obey.

 

Do you have any additional questions for TC about the book or her writing?

 

Reading TC’s book opened my eyes to a world of possibilities. It makes me think of how we take so many things for granted here in the USA as there are people who face religious persecution in the world today. Our religious freedom is valuable and we should always follow Jesus as a model to love everyone and respect their beliefs.

TC shares 3 short stories about future possibilities that are not far-fetched. This book reminds me in parts of Andy Andrews’ “How Do You Kill 11 Million People”

Loved the discussions questions at the end of each chapter. Must read – easy to process and sticks with you!

One last item for today – TC is offering a BONUS PACKAGE to those who purchase her book through April 14th. This includes 2 free books, Dave Arnold’s “”The Drop Zone Pre-Project Devotional” and Michael Kimball’s “Portals.” Please use my contact link for additional information on this and I’ll help you get squared away!

 

What Do We Find On The Other Side Of Fear?

Always let your faith be bigger than your fear.

When I first started writing it was super scary. Some good friends encouraged me to do it, saying they thought it was a spiritual gift. I thought they were joshing with me as I never was very good at writing growing up. Plus, my memory of writing as a student was not a good one – writing was about as painful as pulling teeth.

What am I going to write about?

What if no one reads my writing? Man, that would make me look really foolish, right?

What happens if or when I run out of ideas?

The wall of fear with my writing dilemma was one of acceptance. I was establishing barriers to success before I even started. I had to overcome the vulnerability thing. This was scary. On the first day that I hit the publish button on my blog I felt about as exposed as a streaker running buck naked through Florida Field on a fall Saturday. “Have you no sense of decency, you silly joke of a man?” – these were the hateful words that went through my mind. Where do they come from? Need I say more…

“Fear is a manipulative emotion that can trick us into living a boring life.” Donald Miller

One thing is for sure: whenever we fold due to fear we fail. Success is only an option when we convince ourselves to try. In that regard fear can be like a formidable brick wall.

I’ve faced other brick walls, but here’s the humdinger for me, always, for the big ideas of life that lie beyond the other side of fear:

There is one fear that helps me get through the brick walls that I face in life – it’s the fear of not knowing. Fear is temporary. Regret lasts forever. (Click To Tweet)

If I hadn’t written I would never know the joy it brings when someone tells me they loved my material.

If I hadn’t started my own business I would have been very disappointed in myself, never knowing if I could do it or not.

If I hadn’t stepped out in faith and turned it all over to God a few years ago, I would have never known the refreshing feeling of living every day as a portion of eternity.

If I hadn’t wrestled with and overcome my own vulnerabilities I never would have known the feeling of self-confidence and freedom I find in just being myself, and living in my own skin.

These have been my big ideas. I’ve heard that voice of invoked fear echoing in the background every time. It will always be there when we strive to do good. It remains as we go through the barrier, and then rise above the crowd. In fact, it’s not going away as long as we live in the conflict of the two ages. Pay no attention to the idle chatter of the evil one and his minions.

Always let your faith be bigger than your fear.

Do you have a brick wall of fear that you’re facing now? How have you been able to overcome fear in the past?

Image courtesy of “tomylees” on flickr.com

The Difficulty Of Staying True To The Path

Image courtesy of dentedup on flickr.com

I was listening to an Andy Andrews podcast the other day, he was talking about how every choice that we make is a product of our thinking. So I got to thinking – what to do when challenges threaten to take us off the path?

We all have challenges in our day-to-day lives. I’m no exception, but I do make a choice in how I manage them and how that choice as well as my manner of thinking affects me as a person. The perspective we glean from our challenges shows up in how it shapes us, and our heart. It helps to define our character.

What to do when adversity appears? How can we overcome the difficulty of staying true to the path? The apostle Paul comes to mind…

- Paul knew what his calling was. This is the first step. He connected with the Holy Spirit. We can as well. So we don’t have to write the majority of the New Testament to enjoy a connection the Holy Spirit. Have you ever felt connected? This is essential to finding our calling, and God’s will for us. Granted, Jesus paid Paul a personal visit to deliver “the message.” That may never happen in our lives but we can connect with the Holy Spirit, and discern God’s will for us. Here’s a post that I wrote a while ago about finding God’ s will. I continually read about how people are troubled by not being able to identify their calling. We don’t have to all go to work at the church to fulfill our calling – God needs us out and about. He needs us to be everywhere.

- Paul was determined to stay on the path. This is a conscious decision; a recurring theme as we follow Paul on the journey through the book of Acts. Continually under attack by religious people who claimed him to be at fault or charged him with this or that crime, Paul repeatedly listened to the voice of God: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” (Acts 18: 9-10). In fact, even when they became abusive to Paul in this chapter, he “shook out his clothes,” making the statement that he had done all he could for them. Then what? Trifling snag or extreme hiccup, keep on, keeping on…

- Paul was a smart man and influential leader. He knew when and how to call people out that were intent on diverting him from the path God had clearly laid out for him. He knew when to stand up for himself, and when to just preach the Gospel. I admire that about Paul. We shouldn’t be afraid to take a stand for the sake of doing what is right, and doing what God has called us to do. We have better things to do with our time… think about it this way: Gump didn’t know diddly about shrimping (aside from what Bubba had told him), let alone piloting a boat. God showed up and the rest is history…

Sometimes Paul’s way didn’t make a lot of sense to the people around him, but that’s just the point of sticking to our calling and the path: It’s all about obedience. Paul transformed many lives though his influence and imagination. That’s it. If we’re obedient everything else falls into place.

How can you use your influence this week to draw people closer to the Lord?