Safety Is no Option at the Cost of Love. Suffering Makes It Real.

"The boy chose safety. The man chooses suffering."

 "Shadowlands," is a novel by Leonore Fleischer based on William Nicholson's stage play recounting the romance and tragedy of C.S. Lewis and  Joy Gresham.

The author places Lewis at his desk at the close of the book, reflecting, writing - perhaps writing his journal which would become, "A Grief Observed."

""Why love if losing hurts so much? I have no answers anymore, only the life I've lived. Twice in that life, I've been given a choice, as a boy and as a man. The boy chose safety. The man chooses suffering. The pain now is part of the happiness then. That's the deal.""

"Jack Lewis  put his pen down and smiled, thinking of Joy. He wished he had read her these words, but never mind. Jack had a feeling she had heard them; she was never far from him now."

It is not pleasant to consider choosing suffering, but safety is no option at the cost of love.

 

See also:

Brian Sibley: Through the Shadowlands: The Love Story of C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman

 

 

 

Pigs Fly

Do you remember swine flu? The H1N1 swine flu virus appeared in the U.S. in April 2009. It has remained, though not in the headlines.

Though no laughing matter, back then nor now, it made me wonder: If swine flew then it would prove that pigs fly?

If pigs fly, then why oh why, can't I? (Sorry Dorothy)

Again, swine flu is a serious subject. Death and death plagues are tragic and we could easily be in serious trouble if we are not careful.

For instance, new reports indicate a rise in the rates of gonorrhea and a growing resistance to all treatment. 

We eventually will have to encounter the "big one," just because of our that growing resistance to antibiotics and any number of other factors which, to discuss intelligently, would be above my pay grade.

In my life, it has become obvious to me that pigs do fly - good pigs and bad pigs. Impossibilities turn to possibilities and then emerge as probabilities until one day, in the midst of our ongoing denial, they sneak up behind us, tap us on the shoulder and blast in our ear, "I'm here!"

Is worldwide pandemic a flying pig scenario? If so, how do we respond? If not, how do we respond? 

Have you ever seen a pig fly? What previously thought-to-be impossibilities have actually come to pass for you or around you?

What "pigs" in your life would you like to see fly? (in other words, what impossibilities would you like to see become possible)? What can you do to help them become possible?

You have heard the terms "worst case scenario" and "best case scenario." Choose a situation in your business environment that could go either way and describe your responses and the possible outcomes.

I am reminded that much exists outside of my understanding of what is possible. Worst case scenarios must be confronted and managed. More importantly, best case scenarios must be anticipated, imagined, and ushered into existence through faith, perseverance, creativity, and hard work.

If swine flew, then pigs fly.

What?!?! Change?!?!?!

How Many _____s Does it Take to Change a ... 
What?!?!?!
CHANGE?!?!?!

 

 

If we don't want change, all change is intimidating.

George Carlin said he put some money into one of those change machines and nothing happened.

Sometimes, I'd be happy to find a change machine that actually produced transformation in any number of areas of my life and community.

That is one of the appeals of the Jesus movement through history. Those who embrace it and proclaim it know it to be a message of transformation. The human side of transformation is a word that sounds like a Bible thumper's theme, "repentance." It calls forth memories of muggy nights, loud preaching, stern looks, and harsh threats to all who will not repent.

It really means "change" and the gospel writers paired it in the preaching of Jesus with the good news of God's Kingdom.

Why good news?

The good news is that, because there is a new regime and order of things with the coming of a new king, change is possible. It is mandated because it is no longer futile.

A man asked the Zen Buddhist merchant for change for a dollar and he replied, "All change comes from within."

True. It does. It comes from the indwelling presence of a power greater than ourselves who possesses power and personality and who deeply desires for us to come a be a part of His kingdom of joy.

Change starts with the CORE of our lives - our spirits,  ignited to life by God's Spirit and radiating out into four dimensions of living:

• Community, 
• Occupation, 
• Resources, and 
• Emotions 

(Yes, that spells, CORE).

Another key word is related to the construction of a life that is strong and resilient in the midst of the culture quakes, economic tornadoes, circumstantial floods, and faith explosions of our times. That word is STAND. To STAND, we must

• Shore up our foundations, 
• Take a Team approach, 
• Act purposefully, 
• Name our resources, and 
• Develop our souls.

 

I will elaborate on these, but that is part of a future book

Change is possible and we can stand and withstand the onslaughts of overwhelming problems in uncertain times if we will develop from the CORE.

How Much Is All?

Is all everything?

"What am I willing to lose in order to gain all?"

The parables of the treasure in the field and the pearl of unspeakable worth all lead to the question.

Must everything go?

Everything?

What does that include?

What is best?  What  does your heart desire most? Who are you made to be? What are you made to do? What is worth more than everything else in your life?

What is in the way of you becoming who you really are?

It is one thing to say that I sell it all and divest myself of all my other treasures. That I do in the most generalized possible way. It is a broad stroke, without any threat.

But then I start digging into the piles of specificity and it hurts to part with old ideas, false concepts of who I am, preferences, amusements, possessions, attitudes, and patterns of living. These have been my treasures for a long, long time.

Whether you are a faith walker or a just an honest lover of truth wherever it is found, there is a principle that can aid you in your journey. There is only so much you can carry with you toward your purpose, goal, and ultimate destiny. You have to let some things go in order to gain what you most desire and require.

 

You have to give up a great deal of good on the quest for the best.

For Jesus followers, this is the kingdom of God. For everyone, it is something and it is right in front of you.

"What am I willing to lose in order to gain all?"

The parables of the treasure in the field and the pearl of unspeakable worth all lead to the question.

Must everything go?

Everything?

What does that include?

What is best?  What  does your heart desire most? Who are you made to be? What are you made to do? What is worth more than everything else in your life?

What is in the way of you becoming who you really are?

It is one thing to say that I sell it all and divest myself of all my other treasures. That I do in the most generalized possible way. It is a broad stroke, without any threat.

But then I start digging into the piles of specificity and it hurts to part with old ideas, false concepts of who I am, preferences, amusements, possessions, attitudes, and patterns of living. These have been my treasures for a long, long time.

Whether you are a faith walker or a just an honest lover of truth wherever it is found, there is a principle that can aid you in your journey. There is only so much you can carry with you toward your purpose, goal, and ultimate destiny. You have to let some things go in order to gain what you most desire and require.

 

You have to give up a great deal of good on the quest for the best.

For Jesus followers, this is the kingdom of God. For everyone, it is something and it is right in front of you.

Opportunity is a Dangerous Thing (reprint from 2009)

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." – Charles Dickens, "A Tale of Two Cities"

The one thing Jesus would never do was go out of His way to prove His credentials. He was not enamored with self-promotion. He understood that His life and death would eventually speak for themselves to those inclined to believe. In Matthew 13:38-50, He is resisting the pressure to make His ministry about impressing people who wanted a flamboyant religious demonstration.

Instead, He informs the people what to look for in His future – three days of death followed by something unexplainable and earth changing.

Then, He turns the focus to how people respond to great opportunity and how the greater the opportunity, the more profound the responsibility to act upon it. He cites the judgment as one example. He appeals to their sense of historical disgust to claim that those who have been labeled the most despicable of the past will have something to say about the generation that neglected the very embodiment of Kingdom hope in their midst.

He calls attention to those who are delivered from demonic possession and oppression who do not exercise their freedom to fill the empty places in their lives once delivered. He lets us know that missed opportunity in that regard can lead to a worse condition than that from which the person has just been released.

We have all relapsed to something and we have all experienced the worsening that accompanies the neglect of fresh new found freedom.

He concludes with an embrace and a snub. He snubs members of His earthly family who feel they can interrupt His work just because of their familial ties. He embraces those who stand with Him in Kingdom purpose and who themselves embrace the immediacy of the Kingdom and all the opportunities it affords.

For me, the message is clear. Opportunity can be very dangerous.

It is dangerous if we are so stubborn in our disbelief that any opportunity exists at all. The opportunity truly is present and we can miss the moment. It may not come again. Some might see these as dark days when sudden miracles are required to confirm our faith. Jesus suggested that the darkness was itself a sign of opportunity. He would be like Jonah in the belly of the fish. Few could or would expect resurrection so they ask for lesser signs – magical demonstrations of no consequence. Perhaps these days are what are necessary for that which God would have emerge from our collective lives. It is dangerous to avoid all danger and, as a result, avoid opportunities that only show themselves in precarious times.

It is very dangerous because it calls for a simple decision and we hate simple decisions. Jesus simply asks us to recognize that one greater than Solomon is among us and follow Him in such a radical manner that there is no question as to who we are and where we stand. That sort of radicalism will not please very many. It will disturb most of those who call themselves Christian (and may well be Christians) as well as all who prefer to insure stability and predictability in our collective life. The call to follow Jesus is about stepping into the unknown and stripping ourselves bare of our cherished preconditions. It is the signing of a blank check with God and running headlong into the adventure of a counter cultural movement of grace.

It is a serious danger because things can get worse. We come to the unknown miracle worker to be delivered of our persistent and pernicious demons and are set free. That is when the opportunity begins because we have not been saved to stagnate in gratitude or relax in the river of redemption. Our deliverance from the maligning powers of destruction is purposeful. We are then to fill our lives with mission, and meaning. We are to drink deeply from the fountain of grace and be transformed through the renewing of our minds as we present our empty bodies to the one who fashioned them with a unique and wonderful purpose in mind. A vacuum will always be filled. There are no vacant lives for long. Evil is as opportunistic and malevolent as God is opportunistic and benevolent. If we don't say "yes" to God in the moment of opportunity, inertia will fill our lives with negative thoughts and choices.

Finally, it is dangerous because there is a special distinction for those who seize the moment to learn from Jesus and follow Him in the adventure of faith. It is the danger of being sidelined and marginalized because we have excluded ourselves from the true inner circle of intimacy with the Master. While it was the religious establishment who sought to sensationalize the movement and manipulate it toward their own ends, It was Jesus' own family that sought to call Him away from His work and define His life in ways that would be more conventional and acceptable for a nice religious young man of His day. They could have joined in, but they chose to distract.

Danger and opposition comes from all sides – friends and foes.

The Kingdom is present because the king is present. These are days of unprecedented opportunity for the church, but I fear a great danger lurking in the shadows. It is the danger of settling for business as usual, by putting on really good shows, for designing occasional wowing experiences for our more sensitive disciples, and by failing to be shaped into the radicals we are meant to be. It is the danger of not embracing the right kind of danger and taking God-inspired risks. It is the danger of not dreaming of a reality outside the belly of the fish. It is the danger of celebrating our liberation and leaving our housed empty and unattended.

But it can also be a wonderful time – the best of times. Dickens had it right about his time and about ours. It is always the day of great opportunity and that can be very dangerous.

Reveille

 

 

It's time to get up and get going.

You are sitting there, quite possibly stumbling upon this blog by accident because you are surfing the internet via a stream of consciousnesses in dedicated avoidance of whatever it is that you need to be doing right now.

I say this not as a prophet as much as a practitioner.

I can avoid tasks as much as the best of them... as much as you.

I find that avoidance falls into some neat, yet overlapping categories for me. Together, they spell, "avoid." Here they are:

AVOID

A - Anxiety. There is something irrationally or even legitimately frightening about the task to which we are committed. We are afraid to start.

V - Value. We don't personally value the task. Rather, it is a burden and a duty that has been imposed on us.

O - Obstacles. We have listed as many as we can think of, but we are sure there must be more obstacles to starting - dull pencils, not enough information on hand, bad mood, weariness, no fresh ideas. The list goes on and on.

I - Intimidation. The task is just so big that we cannot wrap our brains around it.

D - Defeatism - We do not believe in our capacity to do what must be done well enough and so our perfectionism is crippling us from doing anything.

What must we do then?

Get up and get going.

Since we are already spelling, let's continue:

GET

G - Growl at yourself. Get your attention somehow. You have lulled yourself to sleep and you can wake yourself up.

E - Energize. Tell your body to move and then, move. After moving around, get a snack and make a decision to start.

T - Terminate this connection (only after finishing the article, sharing, and  bookmarking this page).

UP

U - Unshackle - Free your thinking from fear, intimidation, perfectionism, and obstacles. Get into a different mindset and focus on what you can do with what you do have right now.

P - Proceed. There is no substitute for starting. So start. Do something. The job will organize itself as you go along. Resources will appear or you will realize what you do or do not really need.

GOING

G - Grab - Take hold of your fear. It is your biggest enemy. The worst that can happen is a temporary failure from which you will learn lessons you could not otherwise be taught in any book.

O - Observe - Take another look at the task and observe it in the larger context of why it is important. Find the value in it and do it.

I - Invert  and Innovate- Turn your obstacle thinking into opportunity thinking by of ways you can be innovative with this task and place your own unique mark on it.

N - Nudge - Whatever intimidates you about this job is a bluff. Nudge it. Push back. Don't let it be too big for you. Break it into bite size  pieces.

G - Growl AGAIN! - This time with a shout of victory over defeatism.

Get up and get going.

. 

I say this not as a prophet as much as a practitioner.

I can avoid tasks as much as the best of them... as much as you.

I find that avoidance falls into some neat, yet overlapping categories for me. Together, they spell, "avoid." Here they are:

AVOID

A - Anxiety. There is something irrationally or even legitimately frightening about the task to which we are committed. We are afraid to start.

V - Value. We don't personally value the task. Rather, it is a burden and a duty that has been imposed on us.

O - Obstacles. We have listed as many as we can think of, but we are sure there must be more obstacles to starting - dull pencils, not enough information on hand, bad mood, weariness, no fresh ideas. The list goes on and on.

I - Intimidation. The task is just so big that we cannot wrap our brains around it.

D - Defeatism - We do not believe in our capacity to do what must be done well enough and so our perfectionism is crippling us from doing anything.

What must we do then?

Get up and get going.

Since we are already spelling, let's continue:

GET

G - Growl at yourself. Get your attention somehow. You have lulled yourself to sleep and you can wake yourself up.

E - Energize. Tell your body to move and then, move. After moving around, get a snack and make a decision to start.

T - Terminate this connection (only after finishing the article, sharing, and  bookmarking this page).

UP

U - Unshackle - Free your thinking from fear, intimidation, perfectionism, and obstacles. Get into a different mindset and focus on what you can do with what you do have right now.

P - Proceed. There is no substitute for starting. So start. Do something. The job will organize itself as you go along. Resources will appear or you will realize what you do or do not really need.

GOING

G - Grab - Take hold of your fear. It is your biggest enemy. The worst that can happen is a temporary failure from which you will learn lessons you could not otherwise be taught in any book.

O - Observe - Take another look at the task and observe it in the larger context of why it is important. Find the value in it and do it.

I - Invert  and Innovate- Turn your obstacle thinking into opportunity thinking by of ways you can be innovative with this task and place your own unique mark on it.

N - Nudge - Whatever intimidates you about this job is a bluff. Nudge it. Push back. Don't let it be too big for you. Break it into bite size  pieces.

G - Growl AGAIN! - This time with a shout of victory over defeatism.

Get up and get going.

Climbing Up and Digging Down

 

Climb higher to go deeper; Dig deeper to go higher.

If your dream is visionary, clear, and compelling, it can make all of the obstacles that life brings seem lesser and the goal, greater. Potholes, bumps, and curves become part of the grand adventure and, at times, a genuine joy.

We must engage ourselves fully - including our emotions - in the process of moving along the super highways of our souls to a destination that is fulfilling and rewarding.

Never let the obstacles, difficulties, and necessary efforts become excuses for quitting or becoming discouraged.

"Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them ..." (Matthew 5:1-2NIV)

In Jesus' ministry, there were multitudes (thousands), crowds (hundreds), smaller crowds of followers (tens and scores), future apostles (12), and an inner circle of 3. When referring to "disciples (learners, followers), Matthew is probably talking about something more than the smaller crowds and less than the crowds. But it may have been an even smaller group.

Not everyone wants positive change badly enough to do what it takes to get it.

Matthew said that when it was time to get to the really meaty, life transforming teaching about the "upside-down kingdom" where radical thinking  creates  people who can rejoice in any circumstance and overcome any obstacle, that  Jesus climbed a mountain, assumed the teaching position, and let folks climb to Him who really meant business and wanted the good stuff.

They were the folks who had a glimpse of the vision and imagined the possibilities so vividly that the effort was worth it - in fact, may have seemed like no effort at all. That mountain climb and the time spent listening and learning was an investment in a bright and limitless future.

You have to climb higher to go deeper.

You have to dig deeper to get higher.

Strange, but true.

That climb was one round of their road to success. It was worth it and, thankfully, some folks listened  carefully enough to have preserved what was taught that day so that those of us who want it badly enough can climb high enough and put forth the effort to "get it."

Success is worth the extra effort for those who desire it. But for those who both desire and envision it, the effort seems far less troubling than for those who have only a foggy vision and passing desire for the destination.

That is true of every good thing in life.

Staying Alive: Jive or Thrive

Life is its natural state of being. Some flowers are in full bloom and some  a wilting and waiting for death.

At any given time, depending on your perspective and the narrative through which you filter life's events and trends, things are either going in the right direction or plunging into the depths of doom. Our instincts for self preservation are riding on desperation or momentum. We dearly desire to stay alive in something more meaningful than hollow existence. That can be a jive or we can thrive.

"Jive" can be the music of swing or the language of nonsense.  It is an apt description of how many deal with challenges, dangers, and complexities in a chaotic world.

Like the dips, sways, and slides of a "Dancing with the Stars" episode or the meaningless chatter that fills in the blanks, we are caught up in malaise of shifting realities and inconsistent commentary.

We're standing on the beach during a particularly windy change of tide and it is hard to maintain a foothold.

And yet, some people thrive. It has been historically true and is true today.

We can thrive through the social, political, and economic jive.

First, we must stop listening to the jive of doomsayers and tune in to a different voice - the voice of the THRIVE.

Think on these things," the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, things that promote life, health, well-being, and wholeness. "These things" are the things that keep us truly alive.

This voice declares that to thrive, one must make six decisions:

1 - The T is for a commitment to TAP into everything that is positive, opportunistic, wholesome, encouraging, and substantive in the moment. Whatever music the band is playing, dance to the most positive rhythms and melodies that are interwoven into the composition of current events. Great ideas are still emerging; great art is being composed; great products are being manufactured; great lives are emerging. You can be a part of the greatness all around. That which others might mean for evil, Joseph of old learned, God might mean for good. TAP into the positive.

2 - The H is for HOLD and the commitment is to HOLD onto ones noblest, purist, and best values. Think on "whatsoever things are" worthy of your thoughts and maintain your commitments in spite of the obstacles. Too often, we sacrifice what is value on the altar of hardship for the sake of expediency. When we do so, we may survive, but we do not thrive. Your arrival at greatness surpasses survival of difficulty. Hold onto truth, goodwill, compassion, love, integrity, and your core mission in life. Hold on to your values. People who emerge from storms with their values intact build a foundation for lasting success and significance.

3 - The R is for RELEASE. Make a commitment to RELEASE the fear in your life into a vast sea of faith. Just let it go. Do not allow it to overcome, hinder, intimidate, or define you. Find what part of your personality is clinging to fear and release your grip. This is easier said than done because fear becomes ingrained. Start by disallowing any new fears to creep in no matter how reputable or respected their sources. "Fear not." Become a person of hope in the midst of the only context where hope is relevant - difficulty.

4 - The next commitment starts with the letter I and it is INVESTMENT. Invest your resources. Some will say that this is not the time to make investments. It may not be the time for foolish or frivolous investments, but it is the time to invest in yourself, your dreams, and your future. Discover the resources of time, money, energy, and influence that you possess which are available to you and, perhaps of greater value now than they were in boom times. INVEST your resources. Give yourself away. Make it a commitment.

5 - The V is for VISUALIZE. Make a commitment to visualize better times - but beyond that, a positive and glorious outcome to your efforts. Take the risk to see, hear, taste, and imagine a future that exists now only in your dreams. Be a visionary and shape that which is to come in your life and your world. This is called faith and it is a God thing. "For that which is seen is temporal, but that which is unseen is eternal."

6 - The E in THRIVE is for EFFORT. Don't kid yourself; there is some work to be done and you must do it if you will thrive in a time when others merely survive and many do not even do that. Discouragement, despondency, hopelessness, and cynicism will sap your faith and, in turn, your strength. You may not feel like putting forth the effort. Do it anyway. Sometimes you are merely choice or an activity away from a breakthrough when you quit. Don't quit. Keep on keeping on.

"Change and decay in all about I see. Oh Thou, who changest not, abide with me."

Whether or not the circumstances of your life change, you can change, and in that change, you can THRIVE.

 

Keep On Keeping On

 

I was asked, yesterday, the secret of staying in one church for 20 years. the first answer that popped into my head was the one I gave, "Don't quit."

That's it. Don't quit!

Keep on

The key to not throwing in the towel and quitting on your dream may be as simple as one simple action following a decisive choice.

Decide to do something and then, do something.

In so doing, you will have taken a step. You will have closed the gap between inaction and action and you will have stayed in the ball game for one more inning.

You are staying alive. Sometimes staying alive to fight another day is enough. It's called, "hanging on."

"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. " Franklin D. Roosevelt

Keep on in Hope

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13 (New International Version - NIV - Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society )

God is, among so many other things, the God of hope. He tends to reveal Himself by various descriptive names in order to meet us where we are at our point of challenge.

When you feel like quitting, it is often when you are also feeling most hopeless. There is a remedy. In this short simple verse, Paul describes a Daily Double, a Daily Duty, and a Dependable Dynamic.

The Daily Double

The reality that He is, for us, the God of hope cannot help but encourage us if we believe and receive the hope He gives. He comes to us with a Daily Double - two qualities come to us in abundance when we embrace His hope: joy and peace.

There is no joy for a hopeless person. There is no reason to arise in the morning. Their is no bounce in his step, no light in his eyes, and no lift in his voice. His heart is heavy because he sees a dark, dim, dreary road ahead for years to come.

He is not hopeless; he just thinks he is because he does not yet know the God of hope.

There is hope for your future, hope for your family, hope for your business, hope for your ministry because there is a God of hope who has never relinquished His position as Lord of the universe. He is not the universe; He is its designer and master. He governs the principles that govern us and He is decreed that where He is, there is hope!

He is the grand deal-breaker when circumstances add up against you. Hopelessness does not stand a chance. If there is a vacuum  in your life where there ought to be joy, trust God.

In today's Proverbs, chapter 3, verse 5-6, we are admonished, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall bring it to pass."

Jump for joy! Do it on faith. You are about to be filled to overflowing with giddy, grateful joy!

My friend Mahilda just couldn't get it. She scowled and moped all through the day. "I just don't feel any hope," she would complain to any who would listen. Like Paul, her friends started praying that the God of hope would fill her with joy and peace. One day, while reading the Bible, she found this verse, "The God of hope ..."

"If God is the God of hope, and He is present in my life, then I have hope," she thought. And I don't have to feel hopeful to be hopeful. I just have to believe in God. OK! I can do that!"

It made the difference and there was a new bounce, smile, and exuberance in her life and she started to discover opportunities that she had been missing and would have continued to miss. Not only that, her positive attitude made her attractive to people that came into her life and shared her joy, creating a joyful synergy that multiplied.

The second quality that comes to us in abundance when we know the God of hope and He fills our lives with Himself, is peace. Peace is not merely the absence of conflict. Nor is it the cessation of war. Peace is bigger than that; it is the wholeness and well being of a governed life. For the Christian, it is the life governed by God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

There is no peace for the hopeless.

There is worry, frustration, distraction, despair, discouragement, and bitterness. When there is no wholeness within, there are factions and frictions that develop. There are broken relationships, broken dreams, and broken hearts. The ungoverned heart is never at peace; the hopeless heart keeps its host awake at night in a constant, thought sometimes low level of anxiety and concern.

But the God of hope fills us with peace. We must know Him and trust Him and release our cares into His care.

When He governs us, He speaks to our hearts as Jesus spoke to the stormy waters, "Peace, be still."

The Daily Duty

There is Daily Duty - a qualification to receiving these qualities within ourselves. we must trust. It is as we trust in Him, and specifically, in Him as the God of hope, that we are filled.

When we are filled, we receive  the inner resources of joy and peace to resist the urge to quit. We keep on because of something inside us. Paul teaches us that the way we internalize these qualities is by the power of the Holy Spirit, God Himself entering into our hearts and lives as we trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

He comes in power and, as Jesus said, as one who walks alongside of us. In us and with us - what a combination!

Like Mahilda, we must learn to take His presence and hopefulness as a matter of faith and begin to act on it.

Trusting God is a daily duty that brings the richest of rewards to our lives.

KEEP
______

K – Kinesthetic     http://www.thefreedictionary.com/kinesthetic defines this as “The sense that detects bodily position, weight, or movement of the muscles, tendons, and joints.” Applied to learning of behaviors it is about doing a behavior until it becomes a part of our lives. Some people call this habit formation. Keeping on involves developing behavioral patterns that become a natural part of our lives.  Trusting is often manifested in touching. Touch your dream; touch the project; touch the challenge. Keep your hands on what you are keeping on.

TOUCH YOUR DREAM

Touch it with your TIME - Spend time thinking of the desired outcomes. When you are tired from the task, take time to think about why you are doing what you are doing.

Touch it with your OPTIMISM -  Peak to yourself and others with wholesome, uplifting, and optimistic words and ideas. Ephesians 4:29 (New International Version) reminds us:
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful  for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Touch it with your UNDERSTANDING - Be a student of your mission, dream, and vision. Study it with a passion to learn and grasp the reality in your mind. Get details and concepts. Mull them over and over. Become an expert on your own life mission.

Touch in in COMMUNITY - Stand alone and fall. Stand with others and you keep standing. One of the easiest ways to fall into discouragement and loss of vision is to disassociate ourselves from positive people who build us up. Hang around some people who are on the road to making it and some who have almost . Associate with people who can serve as role models so you can see the fruit on the tree. Talk and listen to people who consistently say, "I can" and keep those who "can't" in the periphery of your circle of influence or outside it altogether. This is one of the inherent geniuses of network marketing and of the church.

Touch it with HOPE - Never lose hope. Always keep hope alive. This is the Spirit's function in your life.

E – Enthusiasm – Literally, from the Latin, enthusiasm mean having God within us. You must remain enthusiastic and nurture the spark of life and passion within you even when you are emotionally and physically drained. That requires connecting to God’s power at the very depth of your being, His Spirit within you. It takes faith and lots of it.

Paul's prayer for the Romans was based upon the reality of their relationship with God and he trusts that God is in them through the Holy Spirit and that God has the capacity to fill them with these qualities.

The person who experience real enthusiasm would be advised to make the dreams and goals of his or her life matters of instense and satisfying prayer - not only when thinking about the outcomes, but when strength is needed for the daily grind.

God is present and God will help and renew your enthusiasm

E - Elevate – There is much to elevate. Elevate your feet a bit for one thing; take a load off and relax.  You must also elevate your mission in your own thinking. Elevate the importance of what you are doing in your own thinking.

Dale Carnegie said, “Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs.  Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger.  If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves. "

And never feel ashamed of who YOU are. You are a person of significance. Never let anyone make you feel small because of your dreams or life mission :

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

P – Persevere – Press on with consistency and commitment. It is all in the PRESS.

Press on with the POWER of God. Apart from that power, we do not have the strength to press anything. Press without stress.

Press on with RESOLVE - Sing with the old spiritual, "A'int nobody gonna turn me 'round." Press or regress.

Press on with ENERGY - Energy is a strange thing. If you don't use it, you don't conserve it. You lose it. If you're not pressed, you'll get depressed.

Press on with SINCERITY - Have a sincere and purposeful focus at all times. We will scatter without sincere and pure goals. Press or digress.\

Press with SUCCESS - The real success is in the journey. Press toward success.

President Calvin Coolidge said, “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.  Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.  Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.  Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.  Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.  The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."

ON
___

O – Orientation –  The scriptures point us to a righteous life. Righteousness is about right relationships, especially about being rightly related to God and about moving in the right direction. Check your compass spiritually and in every other dimension of life and makes sure that your movement is oriented toward your goal. You are on a path. You are not at your desitination. Don't judge yourself by where you are, but by progress and vision. Orient yourself in the direction of God's best for your life and keep on keeping on - even if today's step is a baby step.

Ella Fitzgerald said, "It isn't where you came from, its where you're going that counts."

N – NEVER – Never quit. Create momentum in your life by simply not quitting. Make that a decision and even if you can ‘t do much, do something. Perfectionism is not your friend. It will whisper in your ear that because you are not the best yet, there is no point. Don’t listen. Listen instead to Sir Winston Churchill:

“Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense”

There will be some setbacks and step backs. There will be some mistakes and failures. Never mind them.

You were made for a purpose. Keep on keeping on.

The Dependable Dynamic
Finally, there is a Dependable Dynamic that makes it happen, the power of the Holy Spirit. We have already spoken of Him, but this is major.

We can do all the right things all the time, but if there is no power that enforces the spiritual laws and graces that we affirm, there is no hope. We are promised that we will overflow, into other people’s lives and all around, with boundless, bountiful, audacious hope and that the river flowing through us will never run dry.

How does that happen? It happens through the power of the living, ever present, all powerful, presence of God through His Holy Spirit. In Him, we have plugged into the endless source and we never have to economize when we tap into Him.

It takes submission, sincerity, and celebration to fully realize what it means to be filled with Him, but we have a lifetime to learn and now to begin.

Jesus said two things about the coming of the Holy Spirit. One was that in the Spirit, He would not leave us comfortless, but that he would come to us. The second was that because He went to the Father and would send His Spirit, we would do even greater works than He did among us.

If that is not a cause for hope, nothing is - and He is the God of hope. And He sends His Dependable Dynamic, from Himself, to fill us and govern our hearts, setting them free from all despair, defeat, and worry to become great and mighty forces for His good in the world.

You have a bright future because you have God of hope! Don't quit; Keep On!

KEEP ON.

The opposite of keeping on is not so much turning off as it is neglect. “Keep” suggests vigilance and attention. "On" is certainly across the chart from "off", but the pathway to off is inattention. It is not taking the next step of vigilance.

KEEP ON KEEPING ON!

Pace yourself, relax, give yourself a break, but do something for your business or ministry today. Do it consciously and give yourself credit for it. You may fail. When you do, keep this in mind:

"When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time.""
- Author Unknown

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. " - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 (New International Version)

The pathway of perseverance may not always be dramatic action or massive results, but it will always involve a choice and a response. On that pathway, there is hope. Where there is hope there is joy. Where there is joy, there is energy.  God is the source, but if we are not open to trusting, we will dam the source of our power. The keep on, we must move forward.

____________________________________________

Bonus Quotes on Perseverance

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. – John Quincy Adams

Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties

It is the curse of talent that, although it labors with greater steadiness and perseverance than genius, it does not reach its goal, while genius already on the summit of the ideal, gazes laughingly about.  – Robert A. Schumann

Perseverance is more prevailing than violence; and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little.  - Plutarch

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. (Ephesians 6:18)

Genius is divine perseverance. Genius I cannot claim nor even extra brightness but perseverance all can have.  – Woodrow Wilson

Listen to and read stories - nonfiction and fiction. Collect stories. Learn to tell them. Have enough of them to illustrate your big ideas.

I have been impressed with the stories that successful entrepreneur and bestselling author Andy Andrews tells. Perhaps you will be too.

Too Blessed?

It was a morning in 2007. 

I was coming out of the parking lot after a business meeting when an SUV swung around to my left in a one-way-the-other-way lane to negotiate a left turn in front of me. The driver then accelerated in a manner that suggested hurry and slammed to a stop in  the next round of traffic giving me an opportunity to catch up and read the nicely mounted plate on the back of his or her car:

"Too Blessed to be Stressed."

CHUCKLE - said I to myself with a grunt of superiority and wisdom beyond my capacity. After all, I had just been treated to 45 minutes of Mr. Leadership/Success/Got-It-It-Together John Maxwell himself.

I love those qualities in him. Loving them is one thing; applying them takes some work.

Immediately I thought, "OPPORTUNITY."

I had been handed a pontifical moment on a silver platter, something to wax on about while feeling superior.

While I was waxing thus and so, I had an awakening. It was halfway through the process of slamming on my breaks and testing their anti-lock capabilities.

The SUV had stopped in a timely manner to let a pedestrian cross the street in an appropriate walkway and once again, I was afforded a literary insight:

I could now write about humility. 

I was coming out of the parking lot after a business meeting when an SUV swung around to my left in a one-way-the-other-way lane to negotiate a left turn in front of me. The driver then accelerated in a manner that suggested hurry and slammed to a stop in  the next round of traffic giving me an opportunity to catch up and read the nicely mounted plate on the back of his or her car:

"Too Blessed to be Stressed."

CHUCKLE - said I to myself with a grunt of superiority and wisdom beyond my capacity. After all, I had just been treated to 45 minutes of Mr. Leadership/Success/Got-It-It-Together John Maxwell himself.

I love those qualities in him. Loving them is one thing; applying them takes some work.

Immediately I thought, "OPPORTUNITY."

I had been handed a pontifical moment on a silver platter, something to wax on about while feeling superior.

While I was waxing thus and so, I had an awakening. It was halfway through the process of slamming on my breaks and testing their anti-lock capabilities.

The SUV had stopped in a timely manner to let a pedestrian cross the street in an appropriate walkway and once again, I was afforded a literary insight:

I could now write about humility. 

Staying the Course

 

Staying the course is an effort. Without the effort, there is no movement because the course does not drag us through. We must take steps and those steps are sometimes on uneven ground and along winding paths with ascents and descents.

We must stay it and that demands focus, refocus, and refinement.

• S -  Steady, constant determination with an integrity of focus and commitment.
• T - Tenacity not to be deterred, discouraged, or distracted from our life mission.
• A - Activity appropriate to the goals we have adopted.
• Y - "Yes, Yes" living in a culture that is addicted to "no"s and negative feedback.

Funny thing, when we STAY, this way, we MOVE forward along the course.

• C - Constant consciousness of a compelling calling.
• O - Obstinate, objective, outlook on our desired outcomes.
• U - Undying  understanding of a undeniable universe of possibilities we envision.
• R - Reach - It is a reach and a stretch to realize that which is unrealized except in our clear vision of what can be.
• S - Simplicity - The course is not complicated or vague. We can state the outcome we desire.
• E - Eagerness - We desire it deeply and will stop at nothing less.

Staying the course is an effort. Without the effort, there is no movement because the course does not drag us through. We must take steps and those steps are sometimes on uneven ground and along winding paths with ascents and descents.

We must stay it and that demands focus, refocus, and refinement.

• S -  Steady, constant determination with an integrity of focus and commitment.
• T - Tenacity not to be deterred, discouraged, or distracted from our life mission.
• A - Activity appropriate to the goals we have adopted.
• Y - "Yes, Yes" living in a culture that is addicted to "no"s and negative feedback.

Funny thing, when we STAY, this way, we MOVE forward along the course.

• C - Constant consciousness of a compelling calling.
• O - Obstinate, objective, outlook on our desired outcomes.
• U - Undying  understanding of a undeniable universe of possibilities we envision.
• R - Reach - It is a reach and a stretch to realize that which is unrealized except in our clear vision of what can be.
• S - Simplicity - The course is not complicated or vague. We can state the outcome we desire.
• E - Eagerness - We desire it deeply and will stop at nothing less.

Yes! You Can!

 

It may have been a while since I or anyone else has told you, but you really can do it.

You have all the potential in the world.

You have a God who loves you and a dream that He has planted in your heart.

You have a God who not only loves you, but is bigger than your challenges and more than ready to help you meet them.

You have determination in your soul.

You have creativity oozing from your pores.

You have the good sense and courage to be networking at this very minute.

You have the desire to succeed, exemplified by the fact that you chose to read this blog.

You most likely have a  vehicle and a plan. If not, there are many out there that are well formulated, supported by a strong system, and promoted and managed by people of integrity.

You know what you need to do next or at least, who to ask for direction and counsel. You just need the courage to do it.

You actually have that. You may not know it, but I am telling you now, because I believe in you... and God believes in you, which is far more important.

You can do it ... and you will ... if you make the choice right now.

- Tom Sims

Some Cliches on the Road to Success - Which Are True!

 

 

There is actually a road to Success in Central California. Traveling west from Porterville on highway 190, you will soon see signs indicating that you are, in fact, on the road to Success whether you knew it or not.

Life can be like that.

But know these things:

#1 - The road to success is paved with the cobblestones of failure, defeat, disappointment, and loss. We recently rented and viewed, "We Are Marshall." There is a poignant moment in this film set in 1971 about a team, a university, and a city coming back from the loss of an entire football team and many community leaders in one fatal airplane crash. The question arises about whether or not winning is everything and the coach muses that he has always felt that way and will feel that way again in the future. However, in that moment, what counted was getting the team on the field, showing up, risking loss, and playing the game. Once they had achieved that, they could begin to win somewhere down the road. You will never reach your destination if you don't get on the road. Take the risk.

#2 - The road to success has some sharp and unexpected turns. You can't anticipate all of them, but you better be flexible enough to turn with them or you will find yourself stuck in a field or gully or worse. Pay attention to the signs and to the road. Anticipate what you can, but don't rely on predictability. The thing about this road is that it can change in a moment and you need to be ready for change, crisis, and opportunity.

#3 - The road to success has some pit stops. Take them. There used to be only one stop on the West Virginia Turnpike between Princeton and Charleston. If you didn't take it, a little time card would show whether or not you had been speeding. There was no point. People would stop to kill time to cover up their haste. On the road of life you must stop to rest, refresh, and renew. You could press on past the rest places, but you do so to your detriment and the detriment of your cause. You will not be your best. You will not be as productive and efficient in your use of energy. Take the rest stops along the way.

#4 - There are narrow places, slow downs, road blocks, and other forms of frustration along the way that call for attention and intention that may not come naturally to you, but will be necessary to get through to success. You may believe that sitting in stop and go traffic is the most wasteful, useless, and infuriating thing you could ever be doing, but the Designer of the Road who is the Master of All Traffic and the Source, Force, and Course of your dreams and goals knows better. Develop techniques for stilling your restless soul and channeling your energy toward alternate tasks so that no time is lost. There can be and is purpose in every moment.

#5 - There are inclines and declines on the road to success. Sometimes it takes all your power to climb and sometimes you coast. It is all one road and one destination. Just as it is never always easy, it will not always be hard. Keep on keeping on through the difficulties.

#6 - There will be switchbacks - especially if your goals are as lofty as a high mountain peak. In mountain driving, which I love, there are 180 degree reversals - sometimes 360 degree turns around a hill. If you are watching a compass, it can be very confusing. You get the impression you are going away from your goal even though you are making progress. Switchbacks in driving and setbacks in life are part of the process. You can't get there "as the crow flies." You have to follow the flow of the road and it is determined by the topography of your times and circumstances. Keep your map and compass handy, watch the signs, and keep on keeping on.

#6 - There will be speed limits, sped bumps, warning signs, and arbitrary rules along the way. Honor them. They are purposeful. Someone who knows the road far better than you put them there. The Engineer of the Universe knows the science because He invented it and has called you to your purpose. None of these "hindrances" are designed to prevent your ultimate success.

#7 - The road will end or merge with another. I remember riding country roads with my dad at night on vacations and other times knowing that he was lost, but not flustered. He quoted his father with words that made little sense to me at the time. "Son," he said, "my daddy always said that all roads lead somewhere." And he was right. Another old boy just scratched his head when asked for directions at the country filling station, finally muttering, "Mister, you can't get there from here."

But you can. It may take some course corrections, more time than you allotted, more energy, a lot of patience, repairs on your vehicle, multiple vehicles, and change in your own life, but YOU CAN GET THERE.

You are on the road to success, whether or not you know it.

Stay with it and see you there!

The 15 Minute Challenge

 

 

May I borrow, from you,  an hour a day in 4 - 15 minute slots?

I suggest that you use these slots in 4 areas of life. I realize that some of you may be well beyond these expectations, but if you are not, here is a start. Once you do, you will probably decide to increase the time in each category.

1. A  systematic reading of the scriptures.

2. Reading professional/personal development books.

3. Exercise - 15 minutes may not be much, but if you are not doing any, it may seem like an eternity at first.

4. Anything that that has not been getting done - things most likely that need more than 15 minutes but areas where that would be a good start and a major improvement. Pick something you have been putting off, something that seemed insurmountable. Then, start nibbling away at it.

What difference could 15 minutes a day make in some area of your life?

How about writing something? No time? This posting took me 5 minutes. What is your excuse?

I still have 10 minutes to go.

Down Time

 

 

Here is a dilemma: You don't have large enough blocks of time to focus on your big projects. Everything is chopped up with what we have called cracks in time available. The cracks seem to small to allow accomplishments. On the other hand, you work so hard that when you get the big blocks, you are weary and wasteful with that time. Your body doesn't want to do what is necessary for you to dig in.

What will you do?

Well, there is down time and then, there is down time.

True down time is a good thing, is to be celebrated, and is to be sanctified. It is Sabbath and we all need it.

Remember it and keep it holy. That means separate and unique and uncluttered with worry and self-flagellation over how you ought to be using it to catch up. You ARE using it to catch up. Your body is replenishing its resources and your total being is renewing itself for future full engagement.

The other sort of down time is all in your head. It is not down time at all and needs to be redefined - I do that by spelling things out.

D = Decide that you can use the time fruitfully and be ready to do so. If I seem redundant it is because I still don't have this attitude perfected in me. I need to decide and re-decide and maybe you do too. Prepare for the times when all you have is ten or fifteen minutes. So many of the jobs I procrastinate for months take less time than that.

O  =  Obligate yourself to use every moment that is not genuine rest and reflection to some productive end. Rest and reflection are also productive, so don't count them out if that is what is called for in the moment. Make a commitment to live every second of your life with purpose.

W = Walk in Wonder. It may well be that the next thought you need to think will arise from something you see or hear if you will stop to look and listen. Don't pass up the opportunities for "aha" moments because you are in such a hurry to get to the next thing.

N = Negotiate and renegotiate with time. It is not your adversary but you can enrage it and yourself by not honoring it with some attention and respect. Time can be arranged and rearranged, but it will always be a factor.

And Make Our Gardens Grow - How to Live in Babylon

 "...you are to harvest the wine, summer fruit and oil, and put them in your storage jars, and live in the towns you have taken over."

 Jeremiah 40:10

 

 

 

 

So, you're stuck where you never wanted to be. There are circumstances that lock you in to location, vocation, or persistent hardship. All of your longing is for something beyond your reach and control. Your dreams seem to require outside intervention. Your greatest successes and sweetest memories are in the past. Yesterday was far better than today, even if it was a mediocre existence.

There are two extremes to reject:

On one hand, people in captivity to negative circumstances are not to be paralyzed by their regrets with regards to the past. What has been has been. It can be incorporated into our future success or it can control our thinking and limit our options by crippling our attitudes. We have the choice.

On the other, we are not to be lulled into lethargy awaiting eschatological hope which, while very real, is not meant to cripple our lives in the present. Rather, hope beyond ourselves is meant to enhance our lives and teach us to live our very best lives in the moment.

We are called to do the best we can in the present. There is honor in this simple determination to live with dignity and joy. When it becomes a celebration of the life God gives and the Giver who gives it, it is also worship:

"We're neither pure, nor wise, nor good
We'll do the best we know.
We'll build our house and chop our wood
And make our garden grow.
And make our garden grow!"

 

Enjoy the video - that's Bernstein himself. Thanks, YOUTUBE!

 

 

 

So, you're stuck where you never wanted to be. There are circumstances that lock you in to location, vocation, or persistent hardship. All of your longing is for something beyond your reach and control. Your dreams seem to require outside intervention. Your greatest successes and sweetest memories are in the past. Yesterday was far better than today, even if it was a mediocre existence.

There are two extremes to reject:

On one hand, people in captivity to negative circumstances are not to be paralyzed by their regrets with regards to the past. What has been has been. It can be incorporated into our future success or it can control our thinking and limit our options by crippling our attitudes. We have the choice.

On the other, we are not to be lulled into lethargy awaiting eschatological hope which, while very real, is not meant to cripple our lives in the present. Rather, hope beyond ourselves is meant to enhance our lives and teach us to live our very best lives in the moment.

We are called to do the best we can in the present. There is honor in this simple determination to live with dignity and joy. When it becomes a celebration of the life God gives and the Giver who gives it, it is also worship:

"We're neither pure, nor wise, nor good
We'll do the best we know.
We'll build our house and chop our wood
And make our garden grow.
And make our garden grow!"

 

Enjoy the video - that's Bernstein himself. Thanks, YOUTUBE!

In the Cracks of Life

If you are like me, your "to-do" list is longer than your day. We hit the ground early in the morning, mulling over the demands ahead of us vying with our dreams  of getting past the routines to the real goals. How do you fit it all in?

I was asking myself this question this morning when I remembered that I had already written about it in 2008. It took me a minute and a half to locate all the advice I needed:

 

In the Cracks

 

When people ask me how I get certain things done, the response is often, "I work them into the cracks of my life between major commitments. Ironically, the things we do in those squeeze times are not always the least important, but sometimes the most.

Earthquake spasms create cracks in the surface of the earth and life spasms do the same in our schedules. That is why we can never be complacent and must always be aware of the landscape of our existence.

Because you have so much to accomplish and must make the best of every crack in your calendar 9as I am doing at this very minute), I am going to offer some suggestions in my next few posts. The first is about lists: ALWAYS HAVE AN UNFINISHED LIST!

If it gets finished without you adding to it, you are already behind and wasting time. Never let your list get empty. Always have something on it that you can be working on when an unexpected crack opens in your daily schedule. Categorize your list; let it flow into multi-layers; give it thought; give it prayer; keep it with you.

That's all for now because the crack is closing around me and I have an appointment across town.

 

When people ask me how I get certain things done, the response is often, "I work them into the cracks of my life between major commitments. Ironically, the things we do in those squeeze times are not always the least important, but sometimes the most.

Earthquake spasms create cracks in the surface of the earth and life spasms do the same in our schedules. That is why we can never be complacent and must always be aware of the landscape of our existence.

Because you have so much to accomplish and must make the best of every crack in your calendar 9as I am doing at this very minute), I am going to offer some suggestions in my next few posts. The first is about lists: ALWAYS HAVE AN UNFINISHED LIST!

If it gets finished without you adding to it, you are already behind and wasting time. Never let your list get empty. Always have something on it that you can be working on when an unexpected crack opens in your daily schedule. Categorize your list; let it flow into multi-layers; give it thought; give it prayer; keep it with you.

That's all for now because the crack is closing around me and I have an appointment across town.

INSIST ON PERSISTENCE

I CAN!

Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Contentment regardless of the circumstances is our rule of life. That, however, is no excuse not to excel, to be all that we can be, to do all that we can do, and to rise the highest heights that God has ordained for us. We are to keep climbing and, if we do not reach the summit, it is not because we are not able in Christ; it will simply be that He had another mountain for us that our eyes may see.

You can either be a “can-doer” or a “can’t doer” in life. It’s your choice. It’s a matter of attitude, commitment, and, as we learned in the last verse, contentment. If we settle the matter that our circumstances do not regulate our well being, then we can overcome any obstacle to do God’s will in our lives with His help.

With the quiet confidence of God’s peace reigning over our hearts and minds, fear is devoid of its power to hinder us. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, we can attempt great things because we know that God is faithful.

-From "The Confidence Factor"

Life Is a Package

PRACTICE  INTEGRATION TO REMAIN CONFIDENTLY CONTENT

Life is a package. It comes to us as a collection of factors wrapped uniquely for us and containing elements that we relish, as well as, those we would reject given the choice. But life is a package. Learn to integrate the diverse elements of life into a cohesive understanding of life itself as a gift. You cannot  control everything that comes to you or happens to you. Learn to receive and to be content in any and every circumstance.  - from "The Confidence Factor"

Mystery

Let us advance toward the overwhelming mystery, swim in its fluid enveloping, drown in its wonder, and find that we can breath underwater. Mystery is the essence of wonder and worship. We stand amazed in the Presence. The consuming heaviness of glory, the warmth of love, the irrationality of peace, the paradox of grace, the full embrace of Divinity, imminent and transcendent, incarnate in flesh, spread abroad in our hearts by the Spirit. Mystery - God's inner sanctum!

“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science.” ― Albert Einstein, The World As I See It

 

Write It Down Now

I have boxes of notes. Some are disorganized, mis-categorized, and undated, but they have had and may continue to have a function in my life.

You see, somewhere in the maze of thinking that occupies the landscape of my muddled mind is some machinery that operates only in response to what I commit to paper. If I don't write down a goal, objective, intention, thought, or strategy, it almost doesn't count. Is that just me, or do you have such a mechanism?

I think most of us do and that for many it is in mothballs waiting to be reactivated into the service of our dreams.

You may ask what good are notes that cannot be found?

Good question. When you "make a note of it," something happens in your brain and a corresponding note is made and filed and that machinery goes into operation to bring other mental, physical, and spiritual resources to the aid of your stated intention.

When you make the note, you are sending out a memo to your entire internal "staff" to get busy on today's project. Consciously, you are reminding yourself. Subconsciously, you are activating an army of support and guidance.

If it is the intent of your heart and the direction of your thinking, you are also praying and rallying the forces of Heaven.

Of course, it is always best to have a good filing system, but until that comes into play, keep writing down your thoughts. Keep making "to-do" lists. Write down your dreams, goals, objectives, action plans, deadlines, and strategies. Use symbols, shorthand, words, and misspelled words. Write all over the paper or napkin. Stuff it in your shirt pocket. Look at it if you have a chance. Lose it if you must, but start by writing things down.

I have said it before and will say it many times again: Goals that have not been written are not worth the paper they are written (or not written) on.

It is an exercise with verified results. Practice the discipline of making notes to yourself and see what a difference it makes in what you accomplish.

Here is to your success

Promotion

What are you PRO-Moting?

People are always promoting something. It is refreshing when they come out and tell you and then lay out their compelling arguments for your attention.

The specific etymology of "promotion" is:

Promotion - 1429, "advancement," from O.Fr. promotion (14c.), from L. promotionem, noun of action from promovere (see promote). Meaning "advertising, publicity" first recorded 1925. Promotional "relating to advertising" first recorded 1922. (Etymology Online)

Motives (also from motieonem and movere) are always mixed. From that reality, they derive their power and complexity. From that equilibrium, we derive the genius of win-win scenarios and shared vision. When all who come to the table have the opportunity to win, everyone is PRO-MOTED, moved forward, advanced, and encouraged to the next level of accomplishment.

I encourage you to always be promoting something and/or someone. Always be looking for ways to win by helping others win. always be advancing an idea, a cause, or an event that will advance people.

In that sense, we are all advertisers:

Advertise - c.1430, "to take notice of," from M.Fr. advertiss-, prp. stem of a(d)vertir "warn," from L. advertere "turn toward," from ad- "toward" + vertere "to turn" see versus). Original sense remains in advert "to give attention to." Sense of advertise shifted to "give notice to others, warn" (1490) by influence of advertisement, which meant "public notice (of anything, but often of a sale)" by c.1460. The modern, commercial meaning was fully developed by 18c.

We are calling attention to people with the idea of turning them toward an idea, opportunity, or issue they may not have fully considered in the past.

You might balk saying that all this promotion and advertising is too commercial. Consider the roots of commerce:

Commerce - 1537, from M.Fr. commerce, from L. commercium "trade, trafficking," from com-"together" + merx (gen. mercis) "merchandise" (see market). Commercial is 1687 as an adj.; as a noun meaning "advertising broadcast on radio or TV" it is first recorded 1935.

It means sharing merchandise together. Would that future generations would look back on the early days of the Internet and remark that it helped restore a sense of community and togetherness to business, that it leveled the playing field, and opened doors of opportunity to ordinary people.

With all this togetherness, I am reminded of the remark of a business associate once who said that what he liked best about network marketing was making new friends. "However," he said, "if I never made another new friend, I'd stay with it ... for the money."

 

That would never be enough to keep me excited about any project.

Money is great! Making money with other people is greater. Money, however, alone, cannot drive our lives or keep our passions on fire. Changing the world and transforming lives, communities, and the way people think is best.

Keep advancing great ideas, great people, and great opportunities! PRO-MOTE!

People are always promoting something. It is refreshing when they come out and tell you and then lay out their compelling arguments for your attention.

The specific etymology of "promotion" is:

Promotion - 1429, "advancement," from O.Fr. promotion (14c.), from L. promotionem, noun of action from promovere (see promote). Meaning "advertising, publicity" first recorded 1925. Promotional "relating to advertising" first recorded 1922. (Etymology Online)

Motives (also from motieonem and movere) are always mixed. From that reality, they derive their power and complexity. From that equilibrium, we derive the genius of win-win scenarios and shared vision. When all who come to the table have the opportunity to win, everyone is PRO-MOTED, moved forward, advanced, and encouraged to the next level of accomplishment.

I encourage you to always be promoting something and/or someone. Always be looking for ways to win by helping others win. always be advancing an idea, a cause, or an event that will advance people.

In that sense, we are all advertisers:

Advertise - c.1430, "to take notice of," from M.Fr. advertiss-, prp. stem of a(d)vertir "warn," from L. advertere "turn toward," from ad- "toward" + vertere "to turn" see versus). Original sense remains in advert "to give attention to." Sense of advertise shifted to "give notice to others, warn" (1490) by influence of advertisement, which meant "public notice (of anything, but often of a sale)" by c.1460. The modern, commercial meaning was fully developed by 18c.

We are calling attention to people with the idea of turning them toward an idea, opportunity, or issue they may not have fully considered in the past.

You might balk saying that all this promotion and advertising is too commercial. Consider the roots of commerce:

Commerce - 1537, from M.Fr. commerce, from L. commercium "trade, trafficking," from com-"together" + merx (gen. mercis) "merchandise" (see market). Commercial is 1687 as an adj.; as a noun meaning "advertising broadcast on radio or TV" it is first recorded 1935.

It means sharing merchandise together. Would that future generations would look back on the early days of the Internet and remark that it helped restore a sense of community and togetherness to business, that it leveled the playing field, and opened doors of opportunity to ordinary people.

With all this togetherness, I am reminded of the remark of a business associate once who said that what he liked best about network marketing was making new friends. "However," he said, "if I never made another new friend, I'd stay with it ... for the money."

 

That would never be enough to keep me excited about any project.

Money is great! Making money with other people is greater. Money, however, alone, cannot drive our lives or keep our passions on fire. Changing the world and transforming lives, communities, and the way people think is best.

Keep advancing great ideas, great people, and great opportunities! PRO-MOTE!

Tenacity or Stiff-Necked Oblivion

Tenacity is a good thing. Sticking with a dream, vision, or goal is a virtue. Sticking with it in the face of obstacles and hardships is heroic. Ignoring one's critics when they are nitpicking our inspired visions involves resolve, courage, and integrity.

The extreme of that actually comes around full circle in opposition to virtuous tenacity and becomes stubborn, stiff-necked stupidity. It is the characteristic of not listening to sound advice or heeding warnings when our judgment is flawed, our motives are unsound, or our actions are illegal, immoral, or ill-advised. It is the sin of not seeking counsel and ignoring it when it is offered.

Proverbs 29:1 says," A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes
       will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy." (NIV)

The reason for same of our failures is just this. we live in La La Land on the river known as De-Nial. We have no regard for accumulated wisdom, experience, or authority. We operate as mavericks in a world of self-interest and instant gratification.

We are warned, re-warned, and warned some more. The consequences of our courses are spelled out and we exempt ourselves from the laws of nature and of time-honored ethics. We are told what will happen if we continue with our dubious business and lifestyle practices and are surprised when one day, after many breaks and numerous chances, it happens.

That is why it says "suddenly" and "without "remedy." It is not particularly sudden to everyone else, but it is to us because we have been denying the possibility of accountability . It is "without remedy" because there have been numerous remedies already offered and refused. At some point, the clock stops ticking and the payments are due.

This is just the way life is. You are not being singled out. Everyone has been very patient with you (see "numerous"). You have chosen the consequences.

You are not exempt.

Don't take shortcuts. Listen to advice. heed warnings. Do the right thing all the time. Play by the rules. Obey the law.

You have the capacity for great success and you don't have to sneak in the back door. Hold your head high and march in the front door. That way, you will never have to worry about being evicted as an uninvited guest at the success party.

Don't sell yourself short.

You can do it! Do it the right way.

The extreme of that actually comes around full circle in opposition to virtuous tenacity and becomes stubborn, stiff-necked stupidity. It is the characteristic of not listening to sound advice or heeding warnings when our judgment is flawed, our motives are unsound, or our actions are illegal, immoral, or ill-advised. It is the sin of not seeking counsel and ignoring it when it is offered.

Proverbs 29:1 says," A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes
       will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy." (NIV)

The reason for same of our failures is just this. we live in La La Land on the river known as De-Nial. We have no regard for accumulated wisdom, experience, or authority. We operate as mavericks in a world of self-interest and instant gratification.

We are warned, re-warned, and warned some more. The consequences of our courses are spelled out and we exempt ourselves from the laws of nature and of time-honored ethics. We are told what will happen if we continue with our dubious business and lifestyle practices and are surprised when one day, after many breaks and numerous chances, it happens.

That is why it says "suddenly" and "without "remedy." It is not particularly sudden to everyone else, but it is to us because we have been denying the possibility of accountability . It is "without remedy" because there have been numerous remedies already offered and refused. At some point, the clock stops ticking and the payments are due.

This is just the way life is. You are not being singled out. Everyone has been very patient with you (see "numerous"). You have chosen the consequences.

You are not exempt.

Don't take shortcuts. Listen to advice. heed warnings. Do the right thing all the time. Play by the rules. Obey the law.

You have the capacity for great success and you don't have to sneak in the back door. Hold your head high and march in the front door. That way, you will never have to worry about being evicted as an uninvited guest at the success party.

Don't sell yourself short.

You can do it! Do it the right way.

The Confidence Factor Book Launch Party

Book Signing Party The Confidence Factor   Tom Sims, our Executive Director and Pastor would like to invite all of his friends in the Central Valley to a book signing party at 4141 Ministries next Friday, August 19, from 6 PM to 8:30 PM. Tom will sign books you have purchased online or.that you purchase at the event. There will be refreshments, music, and readings from"The Confidence Factor." The address is 4141 N. Fresno St., Fresno, CA. 93726.

Order Your Copy Amazon   Order today on Amazon  This is also available onKindle .

	Spread the Word Reviews are Welcome!   Your review of the book on Amazon would be most appreciated!

	Follow us on Facebook and interact with the author.

The Days of Miracles and Wonder

Paul Simon knows how to weave lyrics into paradoxical complexity with flair and calculated affect. 

"These are the days of miracle and wonder
This is the long distance call
The way the camera follows us in slo-mo
The way we look to us all
The way we look to a distant constellation
That's dying in a corner of the sky
These are the days of miracle and wonder
And don't cry baby, don't cry
Don't cry"

The surrounding stanzas all depict the contradictory observations of a world gone crazy with its own technological and political imbalances. Is he speaking hope or mockery? I choose hope.

I always choose hope.

These are indeed days of miracles and wonder. I have never doubted that. I see miracles everywhere and, like Rabbi Heschell, I stand in wonder and awe.

It is indeed a long-distance call, it it is also a local call. God is both imminent and transcendent. He is near and far, among us and beyond us, involved and removed. He defines paradox even as He reconciles paradoxical truth within Himself.

The camera follows us in slo-mo and that is but one perspective. Speed it up, like looking at the vastness of the infinite universe with focus on a distant constellation that may not be today what it was when the light we are now beholding was dispatched. Miracles and wonder.

We stand back from ourselves and our circumstances and we see things differently. we are part of something greater.

Don't cry, baby; don't cry.

 

 

 

Book Release Party

You are invited whether you can come in person or to the streaming event.  We will have a supply of books. You can also order HERE or on KINDLE. 

Collective Idiot or Genius Team?

Sometimes a lot of smart, good, committed, highly skilled individuals can make one big collective idiot.

Sometimes they make a team pulling together, generating creative ideas, and exercising corporate strength and influence with enthusiasm and precision.

The difference? Common values including valuing the the members in an uncommon way, shared vision, empowerment, and communication.

Often, the first two are in place, but without empowerment and communication, the whole thing falls apart.

Profundities

"God put me on earth to do a certain number of things. Right now I'm so far behind I'll never die."  -- Calvin in Calvin & Hobbes, by Bill Waterson

"Grace and healing are communicated through the vulnerability of men and women who have been fractured and heartbroken by life."  -- Brennan Manning,  Abba's Child

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
-- Scott Adams

"You can observe a lot by watching."  -- Yogi Berra

"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society."  -- Mark Twain

"How will I know what I think
until I see what I write?"  -- Lewis Carroll

"Sometimes I lie awake at night and ask, 'Why me?'  Then a voice answers, 'Nothing personal, your name just happened to come up.'"   -- Charlie Brown in Peanuts, by Charles Schultz

Meeting God in the Wilderness

 

Shaken 

Psalm 29:8: The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

You find yourself alone in the desert. You wonder if there is a word from God. There is silence. You pray. You seek. You meditate. You let the Logos take root in your heart. You wait expectantly and time passes ever so slowly. Suddenly, there is light on the obscure point over which you have prayed. As Cowper wrote, “sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he prays. It is the Lord who rises with healing in His wings.” There is clarity as your heart rejoices. You are learning to lean on God.

Stripped

Psalm 29:9:- The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

God’s voice speaks dramatically to us sometimes in prayer and we see the bark stripped from our old notions of truth. We ourselves are stripped of every false dependency and every layer of façade is peeled away from our lives. We are left with only the essence and we are overwhelmed. At first we make shrink from the experience of such magnificence, but as we drink in the presence of God we are transformed and our only legitimate response is worship. It is in those moments our hearts cry, “Glory!”

Strengthened

Psalm 29:10 –11:  The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever. The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.

When you pray, do you ever envision God as enthroned over the floods of your life and the overwhelming perplexities and troubles of the world? He is King and there is none above Him. He in enthroned over governments and armies, terrorists, criminals, multi-national corporations, and even the mass media. He is enthroned over human opinion and over the destiny of the earth. He is Lord and when we pray, we lean on Him. He will never falter. He will never fall. Whatever else you do today, pray.

A Flair for the Dramatic

 

God stepped out on stage

And every member

of the orchestra

knew it was He.

He took the baton in hand

And breathed forth

UPBEAT.

Down came the baton

DOWNBEAT.

And the pattern was given

With every eye upon Him.

The strings

The horns

The percussionists

The LIGHTS

Yes, the lights!

The dancers,

The actors,

The Children,

The artists !

Suddenly, the stage was filled

With performers.

And He conducted them.

And every art

And every part

Conformed to the rhythm of His Baton.

And someone in the audience remarked,

“He certainly has a flair for the dramatic.”

And all creation applauded.