The Monday Memo from John Stanko

450: If He Can, You Can

A few years ago I read a book entitled The Best American Spiritual Writing 2006. One of the essays in that book, entitled Into the Wonder, was about C.S. Lewis, the famous  Christian author and apologist and one of the great creative minds of the last century.  I thought the article had merit for our discussion on creativity.

AN UNLIKELY CANDIDATE

The essay began by describing a particularly trying time in Lewis's life when he was living with his brother and an elderly woman.  The woman was bedridden and increasingly used Lewis as an extra maid to help meet her needs.  Meanwhile his brother, who helped him with correspondence and filing, drank himself to insensibility and ended up in a hospital.  The pressures of this situation, along with his work load at Oxford, drove Lewis to the point of collapse and he was eventually hospitalized for exhaustion. 

It was shortly thereafter that Lewis had a friend over to read him a portion of a new children's book that Lewis was writing.  This book became The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, which was the first of the Chronicles of Narnia, which to date has sold 85 million copies in 30 languages.

What is so interesting to me about this scenario?

First, Lewis wrote perhaps his most famous work at a most inopportune time in his life.  I often feel like I can't be more creative or productive until certain things change, until my life is free of worry, anxiety or mental clutter.  Lewis didn't wait for the best time.  In fact, in a time of suffering and professional busy-ness, he began to write fiction for children, a most unusual exercise for a man known more at that point for his theological rather than fantasy work.

Second, Lewis was not married at the time and had no children (he had two stepsons from his marriage to Joy Gresham and maintained a relationship with the boys after his wife's death).  I think it remarkable that Lewis could write so effectively for children when he had none of his own.

Finally, Lewis was a loner as a child.  His childhood, while not sad or abusive, wasn't filled with the kind of childhood joys upon which he could draw to write his stories. 

NO MORE EXCUSES

Lewis produced creative work in spite of his personal difficulties.  You must learn to do the same.  You can no longer not create because circumstances in your life aren't quite right.  Neither can you dismiss your creative ideas because you don't see yourself as qualified or fit.  Lewis was neither a happy child nor natural father, yet he wrote children's books that changed the world.  What could you do if you stopped hiding behind excuses and limitations and just did it?

It seems that Lewis's hardships prepared him to create; his suffering somehow fueled his drive to write.  If you can see that your suffering is preparation and not a hindrance, you will find new freedom to produce when it may not seem like a good time to produce.  And please don't tell anyone that you don't have the time to create.  You have all the time in the world - 24 hours every day.  It's not that you don't have time; you aren't using it creatively to create. 

449: Timing and Seasons

I hear many people say they are concerned about timing or the right season to do this or that. They don't want to miss or get ahead of the Lord, so they watch and wait for God's timing. This is am important issue when it comes to acting on your creative ideas, so let's look at it more closely. When I am asked about timing, I usually give the same response; "Timing is pretty much irrelevant!"  You will have to read on to see in what context I make this comment.

TIMING IS IRRELEVANT.

Perhaps I should say that timing as a planning tool is overrated. I maintain that it is impossible to know what time or season you are in until you are in it. So why waste any time, or allow the thought of timing to slow down what you are going to do? Let me explain it another way.

How do you know for sure that you have a good idea? Is it before or after you implement the idea? It is after you take steps to carry out the idea. So if you are waiting for the right time to apply any good idea, you may never take action. That is why I say timing is overrated as a consideration when you look to move out and do something.

Perhaps two passages will strengthen my case. The first is found in Ecclesiastes 11:4-5:

Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.

The second is from the story of the four lepers in 2 Kings 7:

Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why do we sit here until we die? "If we say, 'We will enter the city,' then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but die" (2 Kings 7:3-4).

WHAT'S TIMING TO A LEPER?

The four lepers saw their condition as critical. They were less concerned about looking bad or "missing God" than survival! It is not faith to want to know the timing and steps you will need to take to succeed. It is presumptuous! God does not owe you a full explanation before you take the first steps in obedience. To think that He does is to expect more than God gave Abraham. God told Abraham to set out. When Abraham wanted to know where he was going, the Lord basically responded, "I'll tell you when you get there."

If you don't identify with the lepers, you will say that you can "wait on the Lord." If you identify with their situation and see yourself in need to act and have faith, then you will act today on your creativity, ideas, goals and dreams. Have you had enough of being where you are? Then step out and be less concerned about timing and more concerned about finding fulfillment and creative expression.

Let me close with one more thought. I hear people say, "I don't want to get ahead of the Lord." I say, go ahead and try! If Ephesians 3:20-21 is true (and it is), there is no way you can get ahead of Him:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

So dream big and then step out to see what happens. Be free to move out and about, knowing that you can't get ahead of God and you won't fully please Him until you act in faith, faith that your time is now to do the will of God. Have a great week!

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OPERATION PETTICOAT: I will check my mailbox one last time tomorrow before I leave, but at this point I have about $5,000 for the Sophia Fund and $3,000 for Operation Petticoat, after we purchased 1,000 more sets of undies (You can read about my underwear project at Operation: Petticoat.)  I am packing 2,500 sets of undies and 550 bras to take to Kenya (I must pay excess luggage fees to transport them over to Nairobi; whatever I don't use to ship I will distribute in Kenya for feminine products). Thank you so much for your wonderful and generous response.  You can see my number one son pictured at right getting everything ready to pack.

I depart this Thursday and can always use contributions toward the Sophia Fund, which we use to feed HIV/AIDS orphans and widows in Kenya.  If you can send even $5 toward feeding an orphan, it will go a long way and be greatly appreciated. 

You can give through my website or send a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. Just let me know if your contribution is to be used for food or underwear and I promise to apply it where you direct.

KENYA TRAINING:  I am delighted that people are registering for The Pacific Institute (TPI) seminar I will conduct in Nairobi from May 17-19.  Attached below is the brochure for the event. Frankly speaking, TPI is the best training I have ever experienced and I love to share it with my friends. I invite you to join me in Nairobi for what I know will be a life-changing experience. Isn't it time you invested in yourself to insure your future success and creative expression?

Download Kenya TPI

448: Creator God, Creative Man

We’ve been discussing creativity these past few weeks and in that context I’ve been thinking about Jesus. Jesus was a creative man. If we attribute Jesus' creativity to His divinity, we can't gain much help or understanding that will assist us in our own creativity. If we see, however, that Jesus was a creative man, there may be things in His life to help us be more creative. You probably know what I think about this issue, but to make sure you do, you had better read on.

A TEACHING CARPENTER

We know that Jesus was a carpenter, so He made things from wood with His hands. One second-century bishop reported that wooden yokes that Jesus made in the first century were still being used 100 years later! That tells us that Jesus wasn’t only creative, He was committed to excellence—He did good work.

There’s also a good chance that Jesus, as the oldest son, ran a carpentry business that supported more than just Himself. His brothers could have been in business with Him and that meant He also expressed His creativity by running a business, making payroll and managing inventory, accounts and customer service. He also would have supported His widowed mother from the business as well.

But Jesus’ creativity didn’t stop there. At the age of 30, He changed careers, starting an itinerate ministry through which He continued to express tremendous creativity. He was creative in building and equipping an effective team of men and women who traveled with Him.

When Jesus performed miracles, He did so with flair and distinction. One time He spit on the ground, made mud and smeared it on a blind man’s eyes. Another time, Jesus put His fingers into a deaf man’s ears and touched the end of the man’s tongue with His spit. Jesus answered His critics with creative retorts that delighted the crowds. His insight into Scripture held people’s attention for days on end and He impressed the crowd with His fresh approach to God and the Word.

Perhaps Jesus’ greatest creative expression, however, was in His teaching. When He taught, He used parables—stories from everyday life that imparted truth. Where did He get those stories? He made up those stories. They came from His creativity, perhaps the same creativity that He learned and perfected as a carpenter. Jesus used parables with lessons drawn from agriculture, business, current events, family life, and gardening. He was such a creative teacher that the people would walk for days to listen to Him for days. Mark reported: “The large crowd listened to him with delight” (Mark 12:37).

THE IMPLICATIONS FOR YOU

Why is this important? First of all, Jesus’ creativity did not come from His divinity only. He was and is the Creator God and creative Man. On earth He expressed His creativity as a Jewish man who observed life and saw God in all of it. Secondly, if Jesus the man was creative, then He can help you be creative. And finally, you will fulfill your purpose as you carry on the creativelegacy that was handed down by the Son of God and continued in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are not here to maintain; we are here to creatively advance the kingdom of God. Your creativity is how you will help fulfill the mandate given to Adam to subdue the earth and rule over it.

This week, I have an assignment for you. Take some time to read Proverbs 8. Do you see wisdom speaking there? That “wisdom” certainly sounds a lot like Jesus to me. Pray through this Proverb and then ask the Lord for creative wisdom. Ask Him to help you use the ordinary lessons of daily life, just like Jesus did, to create something extraordinary. Don’t see your creativity as an exception or something that you use from time to time. See it as a powerful source of daily inspiration that will help you both to fulfill your purpose and do great things. As you do, I know your life will be changed as mine has been these last few years. Have a great week!

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OPERATION PETTICOAT: I went to the mailbox last Saturday and found almost $1,000 had come in for Operation Petticoat, which makes a total of $1,700 contributed toward the cause of underwear for my birthday. (You can read about my underwear project at Operation: Petticoat.)  I think we have all we need that will enable me to take 2,000 sets of undies and 550 bras to Kenya. Thank you so much for your wonderful and generous response.

I depart on May 13 and could still use some contributions toward the Sophia Fund, which we use to feed HIV/AIDS orphans and widows in Kenya.  If you can send even $5 toward feeding an orphan, it will go a long way and be greatly appreciated. 

You can give through my website or send a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. Just let me know if your contribution is to be used for food or underwear and I promise to apply it where you direct.

KENYA TRAINING:  I am delighted that peole are registering for The Pacific Institute (TPI) seminar I will conduct in Nairobi from May 17-19.  Attached below is the brochure for the event. Frankly speaking, TPI is the best training I have ever experienced and I love to share it with my friends. I invite you to join me in Nairobi for what I know will be a life-changing experience. 

Download Kenya TPI

447: Creative Expressions

Thank you so much for your generous contributions toward my "birthday underwear" fund for Kenyan youth.  More than $700 came in plus some donated underwear. That is great!  It's not too late to give, however, as you can read below.  And if you live in Kenya, please check out the seminar I am coming to conduct next month.  It has the power to change your life. But now, it's time to move on. Two weeks ago, I began a series on creativity and would like to resume that topic for the next few weeks. 

Do you consider yourself a creative person? What creative outlets do you have, or rather how many do you give yourself permission to have? For most of my adult life, I did not give myself permission to pursue creativity and I wasn't open to the fact that I may be creative. My self-image was that of an administrator, and creativity and administration were at odds with one another—or so I thought.

Are you creative? If your answer is no, then perhaps you need to expand the way you view creativity and, consequently, view yourself. If you are open to that possibility, then urge you to read on.

ADAM'S ZOO

Adam was made by God to be creative and we are Adam’s children. After God created Adam, He invited Adam to enter into the creative process by naming the animals:

“Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field” (Genesis 2:19-20).

Adam decided what the animals were to be called; it was an expression of his creative dominion in the Garden.

Too often, we have identified only musicians, songwriters, poets and writers as creative—and they are indeed creative. Those expressions, however, are only a few of the creative expressions that are available to Adam’s children. Let’s take a look at some of the creative expressions that are available to you:

1. Child raising—Raising a child requires tremendous creativity as you teach, train, entertain and discipline each child according to his or her personality and needs.
2. Handwriting—Do you have beautiful handwriting? Then stop using the computer. Use your creative, artistic flair to communicate with others in your own writing.
3. Dress—You may have an eye for color or fashion. Be creative and adorn your body, God’s creation, in a manner that is distinctive and uniquely you.
4. Repairs—It takes creativity not just to invent or design something, but to keep it in working order. Your ability to read a manual and then fix something is an expression of your creativity.
5. Gardening—Do you like flowers? Enjoy raising vegetables? Then plant to the glory of God and do it with your style and grace. If you don’t plant the seeds, they won’t grow! So join in the creative process and do what Adam and Eve did in the Garden. (Don’t forget to pull the weeds, too!)
6. Time management—Can you organize your time and activities? That requires creativity. Can you help others organize? That requires even more creativity.
7. Problem solving—Do you face new problems and apply timeless wisdom and solutions? Then you are not just organized or efficient. You are creative!

YOU ARE OH SO CREATIVE!

I hope you get the picture. Like Adam, you are creative and God wants and needs you to express your creativity in every day life. Stop saying you aren’t creative—you are! I have assembled a list of creative expressions from past studies on creativity and that list is posted on my website. Take a look at that list and see how many expressions are present in your life and then settle once and for all your attitude toward your own creativity.

Perhaps then you will see yourself as creative, which is just how the Lord wants you to see yourself. Once you see yourself as creative, you will then give yourself permission to pursue and release creativity in ways not possible up to this point in your life. As you do, I know you will have a great creative week!

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OPERATION PETTICOAT: You can read about my underwear project at Operation: Petticoat.  Speaking of creativity, I recently heard from a fascinating recycling organization called Bra Recyclers!  They are making a large donation to the cause and are promoting it aggressively. I am going back to Kenya on May 13, so I have set April 30 as my deadline to raise money to purchase underwear here and take it over there (which will cost me money for excess luggage).

You can give through my website or send a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. Just let me know if your contribution is to be used for food or underwear and I promise to apply it where you direct. As stated above, $700 came in last week for Operation: Petticoat and just a little for The Sophia Fund! Thank you for your help. 

KENYA TRAINING:  Last week I provided the specifics for The Pacific Institute (TPI) seminar I will conduct in Nairobi from May 17-19.  Attached below is the brochure for the event. Frankly speaking, TPI is the best training I have ever experienced and I love to share it with my friends. I invite you to join me in Nairobi for what I know will be a life-changing experience. 

Download Kenya TPI

445: Time to Create

It's been a few years since I have written about creativity, and I sense it is time to do that again. So let's devote the next few months to a discussion of how you can tap into the massive and unpredictable sea of creativity that is resident in your own heart and mind.

Have you wondered where creativity comes from? Have you also wondered why some people are more creative than others?  For the most part, creativity continues to be a mystery to me. One thing I do know, however, and that is creativity is hard work! Today I am sitting at my kitchen table, composing this Monday Memo. This Memo won't descend from heaven, even if God inspires it (which I hope He does). I have to write it and send it out. That's not glamorous or spiritual; it's just effort.

Many people tell me that they are more productive because they don't have enough time to write, paint, study, or think, for that matter. You know my response to that excuse: You have all the time there is in the world--24 hours every day. It's what you do with that time that will set you apart as a creative or non-creative person.

If you have read many of my Memos, you know that I am a big fan of Julia Cameron; In her book The Sound of Paper: Starting from Scratch, Cameron had this to say about the issue of time and creativity:

Most of us think, "If only I had more time, then I would create." We have a fantasy that there is such a think as good creative time, an idyll of endless, seamless time unfolding invitingly for us to frolic in creativity. No such bolts of limitless time exist for most of us.  Our days are chopped into segments, and if we are to be creative, we must learn to use the limited time that we have.

When ego is siphoned of creativity, when creativity becomes one more thing we do, like laundry, then it takes far less time to do it. Much of our desire for creative time has to do with our trying to coax ourselves into being in the right mood to create. We want to "feel like it," and when we don't don't quickly, we think the solution is more time. Actually, the solution is less attention to the vagaries of mood. In short, creativity needs to become daily, doable and nonnegotiable; something as quotidian [everyday, commonplace, ordinary] as breathing. When we make a special occasion out of our art, we rob ourselves of the time we actually have.

Often I don't start creating because I don't believe I have enough time to complete what I start. When that is the case, I need to trust that God will help me use the time I have. At other times, I don't start something because I am afraid I won't have enough time to do it well. When that happens, I need more courage, not more time. I need to begin and trust that what I don't consider "good enough" may be more than good enough to impact someone else. I can't let my perfectionism inhibit my ability to produce what I can, when I can, no matter how meager it may seem.

I have almost every day for the last nine years writing my daily installment for my weekly Bible studies. I have completed a devotional commentary for 25 of 27 books in the New Testament by focusing on four verses a day every day, usually investing 15-20 minutes. I sit down to write and somehow the creative process kicks in, and the result is a large body of work of which I am quite pleased. Even today I just had to sit down and begin to write; the result is this edition 445 of The Monday Memo thirty minutes later.

You have the time and you also have the creative ability. Now all you have to do is spend a little time every day bringing forth what has probably been in you for some time. You are a creative person; don't waste your creativity on excuses of why you can't produce. Move past your fears and invest some time and hard work. In the long run, you and the world will be the better for those efforts. Have a great week!

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OPERATION PETTICOAT:  I announced plans two weeks ago to continue raising money for The Sophia Fund, the Deborah Foundation and a new program, Operation: Petticoat.  The latter is an effort to raise money for underwear for the young ladies in Kenya, who don't have any and consequently miss school because of it.  I know it may sound simple, but this is an important issue for those who have not. This week I heard from a fascinating recycling organization called Bra Recyclers!  They are making a large donation to the cause.

I am going back to Kenya in May, so we set April 30 as our deadline to raise money to purchase underwear here and take it over there.  You may not be passionate about underwear, but the two emails above speak to the urgency of the matter. 

You can give through my website or send a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. Just let me know if your contribution is to be used for food or underwear and I promise to apply it where you direct. $100 came in last week for Operation: Petticoat and $200 for The Sophia Fund! Thank you for your help. 

KENYA TRAINING:  I promised last week to have the specifics of The Pacific Institute (TPI) seminar I will conduct in Nairobi from May 17-19.  Attached below is the brochure for the event. Frankly speaking, TPI is the best training I have ever experienced and I love to share it with my friends. I invite you to join me in Nairobi for what I know will be a life-changing experience. 

Download Kenya TPI

392: What's Bugging You?

My father had apple trees in his backyard and he was always fighting bugs that threatened his fruit. I don't have apples but I grow vegetables and I have to fight the same problem. Did you know, however, that you have the same problem, even if you don't garden or have fruit orchards?  You battle fruit bugs all the time and may not even realize it.  Don't believe me?  I challenge you to read on and see if it's true.

WHAT'S BUGGING YOU?

We have been talking recently about the expectation and even the command that you be fruitful. In my purpose meetings over the years, I have identified three significant enemies, let's call them bugs, to your ability to be fruitful.  Here they are:

1. Bug One: Fear - How many fears can you think of that  prevent you from being creative? I can think of fear of failure, poverty, ridicule, family, culture, authority, inadequacy, and success. Can you think of any others? If you are going to express your creativity, you must face and overcome the oppression of fear. It will paralyze your efforts and cause you to procrastinate, hoping for a more opportune time. Remember what Paul wrote his disciple Timothy: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV). If you are afraid, what are you prepared to do about it this week?

2. Bug Two: Comparison - When you look at what you do and compare it to what others have done, it can cause you to stop being creative. In your opinion, you aren't "as good" as the other person. Stop and think about that. What is good where creativity is concerned? Is creativity a process and can your simple efforts today lead to stellar creativity tomorrow? Is it wise to compare your initial or even mature efforts to what someone else may have spent a lot of time developing?

Paul described an important principle that he used when he looked at his work: "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise" (2 Corinthians 10:12-13). Why not do something creative this week and discipline yourself not to compare it what anyone else has done. Is it the best it can be right now? If it is, then I would say you have done a good job.

3. Bug Three: Perfectionism - Way back in Monday Memo 154, I described the little old man that lives inside you, waiting to criticize and disqualify what you create because it isn't good enough. I know of only One who is perfect, and He is God. While you should strive for excellence and your best performance, you can never expect it to be perfect. The pursuit of perfection is unrealistic and will hinder you from doing something great just because it isn't perfect.

I can't find a verse that talks about perfectionism, but I can find one that speaks to excellence: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23). Perhaps the distinction between perfection and excellence will help you do something this week that you haven't done just because it isn't the best that anyone can do.

DEBUGGING

It's time to debug your life and thinking so that you can be fruitful.  Which one of the bugs above is bugging you?  You will only debug by recognizing it for what it is: a hindrance to a God-ordained process.  When you see that, you will look it in the eye and stare it down.  You will learn to overcome your enemy, your bug, only when you know what you are dealing with.

I close by asking you another question:  If you are a spiritual person and creativity is spiritual, and Jesus also commanded it, why don't you produce fruit more often and in greater quantities?  I hope I have helped you identify some of the obstacles and I further hope that you will enter into a season of creativity that begins now as you finish this Monday Memo. Have a great and fruit-filled (and bug-free) week!

    Feel free to write your comments to this entry on the site where it is posted.

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UK TRIP: I will be in the UK from March 27 to April 6. I will publish my speaking/touring schedule on my blog as I get it this week and include it in next week's Memo as well.

THE SOPHIA FUND:  I received the following email from Kenya this week, written by Pastor Francis at the Upako Orphanage:

This is to let you know that we received $1000 from you through Sarah Network for the feeding of the orphans at Upako Centre Nairobi.We are indeed very grateful to you and all involved in this and we have channeled the money to the children's food kitty and to no other use. I will give the breakdown of what we bought with the money after use.

I also want to congratulate the wonderful people who visited Kenya with you and got the opportunity to visit Upako,they too made a difference and may God bless all of you. Finally, keep us in prayer so that you may continue helping Upako Children alongside other projects in Kenya.

Every penny you send will go to feed the poor in Zimbabwe and Kenya. Nothing goes to overhead or administration.  Won't you consider helping orphans and widows today? You can read about my rationale for The Fund here (named after my late mother) that will help feed widows and orphans in Kenya and Zimbabwe. 

Please consider a contribution of at least $5 toward the fund and hopefully more.  You can use the "Chipin" widget on the Monday Memo site to contribute, or go directly to my website to contribute there through PayPal, or send a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  Make sure you let me know it is for The Sophia Fund. Don't delay; give today and make a difference in the world.

The most recent posted entry about The Sophia Fund is here.

FREE PURPOSEQUEST ASSESSMENT:  Don't forget about the free PurposeQuest assessment available on my website.  This is not a scientific survey, but something that is meant to stimulate your thought and direct your study on my site concerning where you stand in your PurposeQuest.  About 800 people have taken the survey so far.  I hope that every Monday Memo reader will eventually take the assessment and heed the follow up email from me on how you can be even more purposeful than you already are.

FACEBOOK:  I continue to update my personal page on Facebook.  Check it out and let's be friends when you have a chance.  Also you can find me on Twitter @johnstanko. Go there to sign up and follow me.

Monday Memo 356: A Little at a Time

Today I am on my way to the Christian Booksellers Convention to premier my new book, The Faith Files: The Gospels.  This is the first of three volumes that looks at every verse on faith in the New Testament, and there are a lot of them.  I first wrote The Faith Files in 2001 and made the notes available to those who were receiving The Monday Memo. That is how I got started sending out my weekly Bible studies.  (See the end of this Memo to find out how you can order a copy.)

When I finish working on Matthew later this year, I will complete my nineteenth New Testament book, doing a verse-by-verse study.  It all started, however, with The Faith Files.  If you have a project and don't know where to start - which should include just about everyone reading this Memo - I urge you to read on.  If you don't think you can accomplish a lot by doing a little at a time, I urge you to read on as well.

HYPOCRITE!

In 2001, I was revising my first book, Life is a Gold Mine. At the end of the section faith, I urged readers to study all that Jesus and Paul had to say about faith as a way to increase their own faith.  When I read that, I thought, "Hypocrite!"  I was recommending that others do something that I had never done!  I decided to rectify that by doing the study, which I thought would take a few days.

I looked up every verse in the New Testament that had the words faith, believe, believes, believing, unbelief, unbelieving and trust and found that there were hundreds of them!  What I thought would take a few days required a few months!  As I was compiling my notes on each verse and passage, I asked those who were reading The Monday Memo if they would like to receive my notes on what I came to call The Faith Files.  Hundreds of people said they did.  I would send out the notes every week to my mailing list that I compiled and maintained on my personal computer.  It was a lot of work and I have never charged any money for any of my studies, and I have sent out millions of them. 

You can see the unpublished portions of The Faith Files on my new website.

WHY STOP THERE?

After I completed my study of faith, I had an idea.  I had always said that "one day" I wanted to write commentaries on the Bible.  I decided to start such a study, determining that I would look at four verses every day and write some devotional material for those verses.  At the end of every week, I would send out those notes to those who were already getting The Faith Files.  The list continued to grow and today about 6,000 people receive my weekly studies.

You can see the past studies in the archives of my new site or subscribe to the weekly studies (currently from Matthew) on the site where those are posted every week. 

So by studying four verses every day since 2002, I have completed studies of 19 New Testament books!  Lord willing, I will have the entire New Testament completed by the end of 2009.  Writing about four verses a day every day has enabled me to accomplish a huge task a little at a time.  I exercise faith every day I sit down to write that I will see something in every verse and also see ways to help the reader apply those verses on that particular day. 

Needless to say, I have learned a lot since I began writing those studies in 2001 and I hope my readers have, too.  Now I excited to start publishing those studies with this first volume of The Faith Files. I know it is the first of many volumes to come.

So what about you?  What can you accomplish if you do just a little every day? I have found that most people won't be anything because they can't see how to do everything.  They won't give a little because they can't give a lot. Won't devote a little time because they don't have huge chunks of time.  I decided to do what I could do every day -- four verses -- and now the end of my project is in sight.  There's no telling what you can do if you apply the same principle. 

Stop procrastinating and take one step at a time.  If you keep putting one foot in front of the other, who knows how far you can go.  The Chinese say that the journey of a 1,000 miles starts with the first step.  Why not take your first steps this week?  Have a great week. I know I will.

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THE FAITH FILES: I have 100 copies of The Faith Files in stock right now.  I will send you a copy of The Faith Files for any contribution that you make to my ministry while supplies last.  That's right, you read correctly.  Just remember that your gifts help me publish every week and distribute my studies and my purpose message all over the world.  Send any contribution and get this new volume that can best be summed up as follows:

“Without faith, it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

•    Does your faith affect your everyday life?
•    How do you know if you have faith?
•    Is there anything you can do to increase your faith?

The Faith Files are designed to help you answer these and many more questions where your faith is concerned.  John Stanko wants you to not just know what you believe but know how to apply it to your business, family, life and ministry.

In this first of three volumes, John Stanko looks at every verse that mentions faith in the four gospels.  He then makes some observations and poses questions that help you understand how to apply your faith today, right now, where you are and with what you have.  You can use The Faith Files for personal or small group study, but it is guaranteed to help you exercise more God-pleasing faith.

Simply go to the Contributions page on my site and use PayPal to contribute by credit card or check. Make sure you include your address and we will get your copy of The Faith Files off right away.  Don't miss the great opportunity to have the first of many Bible study volumes that I will publish. 

NEW WEBSITE:  I sent out my special Memo last week outlining the features of my new site. If you haven't checked out the new site, please do so, and make sure you take the free PurposeQuest Assessment that is available on the home page. 

RADIO SHOW:  Don't miss the upcoming broadcast of my radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life, this coming Wednesday, July 9 at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network.  You don't need any special equipment or software.  Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast.  The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section.  The show airs every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to the first three shows by going to station's archives.

Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787.  Here is a description of the next show: 

Episode Nine: Purpose from Tragedy

Most people will never have to face the decision that Gail and Tony McWilliams had to face. Gail was advised to either abort her baby or lose her eyesight.  They decided to proceed with the birth and Gail did indeed go blind.  Yet that was not the end, but only the beginning of a work and ministry that is now called Generations Global.  Join John as he talks to Gail about the power of purpose that can emerge even from a personal tragedy on the next edition of Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life.

Monday Memo 338: You Only Live Twice

Greetings from London! I am here to do some interviews on Revelation TV and then will fly back to the States tomorrow. I've had a short but productive visit to the UK, and I've met many new friends and had more open doors for the purpose message. I also had lunch with friend Yvonne Brooks. Yvonne said I never mention her in my Monday Memos; now she can't say that any more.

I have come to the conclusion this week that we can actually live life at least twice. That’s right, you can live two lives. I’m not talking about reincarnation or leading a double life, but rather experiencing your life events on at least two separate and distinct occasions. How is that possible? I’m glad you asked. To get the answer, you will have to read on.

LIVING LIFE BEFORE IT HAPPENS

I read something once in a book by Matthew Fox’s entitled, Creativity, and it got me thinking about living twice. Fox wrote:

Anais Nin once said: “We write to taste life twice.” I agree. I think we write to taste life twice, and we paint and dance and sing and compose and do all art to “taste life twice.” This opportunity to taste life twice is an invitation to go deeper, to miss nothing, to tell others, to experience the joy a second time in the telling and in handing on the depth and mystery of life. When we behold, we become so struck by what it is we want to share. We call that sharing “art.”

That quote got me thinking about what Stephen Covey wrote in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey said everything that is created is created twice: first in the mind or heart and then in reality. So when you create a business for example, you are living that business twice—once in the theoretical and then the practical. Finally, someone said that our lives are being recorded and will be played back to us in eternity, where we will either weep with joy at the opportunities we took advantage of, or with grief when we see the opportunities we missed.

Since you will live your life twice, either in regret or joy, it is essential that you first focus your mind on what gives you joy and then make every effort to do it. I write The Monday Memo in my mind all week and then I sit down on Sunday to actually write it. I dreamed about starting my business and ministry and now I get to conduct business all over the world. So I enjoy The Monday Memo all week, and get to experience it twice. I also dreamed of my business and now I am living it. In both cases, I enjoyed my work before I ever did it. There's another way, however, that I can live twice, and you can join me and do the same.

RELIVING LIFE AFTER IT HAPPENS

When I write, I get to enjoy life again after it happens. Last week I wrote about my drive into New York City on my blog. In that situation, I experienced life first and then got to relive it after it happened by sharing it with my readers. I admit that I sat in my hotel room the other night, reading that post and reliving that drive. It was great.

At times I have even relived my most painful memories by counseling and teaching people about what I learned from those experiences. They were hard to live through once, but I have used those failures to make them (and me) into something that could help others. In some ways, I have relived those mistakes, made them right and gave them new meaning by distilling the most important lessons to be learned and creatively sharing them with my audiences.

Since you have many creative ideas, you want to act on those that will provide the greatest benefit for you and others as they are experienced over and over again. I have chosen writing and teaching as my main creative expressions. My books will outlive me and my teaching can help shape lives and destinies. What can you do? Can you write poetry, write screenplays, paint pictures or develop a cure for a problem that plagues mankind?

You can go through life experiencing things only once, reacting and allowing things to happen, or you can release your creativity and help make them happen or give them new meaning, thus living them at least twice. I hope you will choose the creative path that, even though more difficult, produces greater rewards and benefits for you and others. Have a great week!

Feel free to write your comments on the site where this entry is posted or go to that site to read previous editions of The Monday Memo.

Monday Memo 337: Hit It Hard, Wish It Well

I am off to England in a few hours to be at the Christian Booksellers Convention in Telford. Then I have a five-day a speaking tour put together by David Graham with Everlasting Books. I always enjoy going to England, but, come to think of it, I enjoy going just about anywhere. I love to travel, but there was a time when I did little traveling at all. During those years, I learned valuable lessons, one of which I would like to share with you this week. What is that lesson? I'm glad you asked, but to find out, you will have to read on.

A PHILOSOPHY FOR WINNING AT SOFTBALL . . . AND AT LIFE!

For eleven years, I lived in Alabama, a state in the deep South. Since I was home then, I played in a church softball league for nine of those years. Softball is a game similar to American baseball, but the ball is bigger and the pitcher throws it more slowly using an underhand motion. I was a better fielder than batter, and my teams won a few more than they lost.

There was one team from another church, however, that was very good, and they beat us most of the time year after year. They didn’t look as sharp as we did because we got new uniforms almost every year and they played in whatever they had. We practiced weekly yet we never, ever saw them on the practice field. They just knew how to win.

One night we met with some of their players to see if we could understand the secret of their success. We asked many questions, but then our coach asked their best batsman, “When you’re at bat, do you have an offensive philosophy? Do you try to hit it over the fence or do you try to advance the runners one base at a time?” The man stared at our coach with a surprised look for a short minute and then answered, “We don’t have any philosophy. We just hit it hard and wish it well.”

That simple statement changed my life, and from that point forward became my philosophy not only for softball but also for life itself!

As I have sought to express my creativity, I have found this a great strategy to employ. This week perhaps you too just need to stop thinking about what you want to do and just go “hit it hard and wish it well.” In softball, sometimes you can do everything just right and not get to first base. Other times your technique can be all wrong, yet the ball off your bat lands in the right spot and you win the game for your team. Maybe you’re waiting for perfection before you try something, or perhaps you’re frustrated that you have done everything correctly, but things haven’t worked out so far. This week you need to overcome your hesitancy or discouragement and go to bat one more time.

"HIT IT HARD" IS IN THE BIBLE!

“Hit is hard and wish it well” is a principle found in the Bible. The writer of Ecclesiastes wrote thousands of years ago:

“If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie. Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well” (Ecclesiastes 11:3-6).

Do you have any creative ideas on which you need to act? The time to analyze is over; the time to act has come. This week step to the plate and take your turn. As you do, I am right there with you. I don't know if my radio show on the internet will be a success or how I will even pay for it all at this point. You know what? I'm going to hit it hard and wish it well! I don't know where I will get the money for the leadership center at the University of Zimbabwe, but I am laying the plans as if I have all the money in the world! I am at bat and I'm going to take my swings and see what happens.

You should do the same thing. Paint the picture, apply for the degree, start the business, or plan the vacation. Don’t fret about uncertain results over which you have no control. Do what you can do this week and trust that it will work out for the good. If you do, I know you will have a great week!

Feel free to add you comments to this entry on the site where it is posted.

Monday Memo 336: Uninspired or Lazy?

I have recovered from my bout with the flu last week, which I used to start the manuscript on my next book. Next Sunday I depart for England where I will be part of the Christian Booksellers Convention. You can see my itinerary below.

I have been writing on creativity and will do so for a few more weeks. Before we go on, however, let’s review the major points we have made so far:

1. You are a creative person. Whether you think you are or not, you were created by a creative God the Creator to be creative. Creativity is built into the essence of your being.
2. Your creativity has enemies. We saw how fear, perfectionism and comparison are the main hindrances to your creative expressions.
3. There are many expressions of creativity. We began to build a list of creative expressions, which included raising children, how you dress, repairs, gardening, time management and problem solving. A list of other possible expressions can be found on my website.
4. Jesus was a creative person. Jesus was a carpenter, so He knew how to work with His hands. Then He used parables to creatively express the truths He came to proclaim. Since Jesus was and is creative, He can help you express yours.

CREATIVITY IS WORK

And now let’s add one more point to the list: creativity is hard work. Thomas Edison, the famous inventor and creator, once said, “Genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.” This is an important point because many people are sitting around, waiting for a lightning bolt of inspiration to hit them before they begin to express their creativity. Since that lightning bolt seldom comes, they don’t create, or at least don’t think that what they want to do qualifies as creativity.

I was reading the creation story in Genesis and came across this verse: “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work” (Genesis 2:2). Why did God have to rest? He had to rest following His six-day work of creation. People ask me all the time, “How do you write your books?” My answer is always the same: “One page at a time, one day at a time.”

I begin almost every day by sitting down at my computer to write my daily Bible study devotional that I send out every week ( have now completed commentaries on 18 books of the New Testament by writing about four verses a day every day for the last six years.) Three or four times every week I write for my blog and have written the Monday Memo for seven years next month.I do all this whether or not I feel creative or have any ideas. I begin to write and somehow my creativity flows. But it doesn’t just fall down from heaven; I must work at it—work at being creative.

UNINSPIRED OR LAZY?

Could it be that we aren’t more creative because we’re lazy? All right, I'll be more specific. Are you not as creative as you could be because you are lazy? Is your lack of creativity due to a lack of discipline that doesn’t allow you to sit down and write, or go to your workshop or pick up your paintbrush? Are you waiting for inspiration when you should be producing perspiration?

I was also thinking about the word recreation this week. Look at that word: re-creation. When you work at creativity, you need rest and re-creation. Why? So you can resume your creative expressions. If God rested from His creative work, then you and I will need to do the same. But we recreate not just to have fun, but also to replenish what is lost in the creation process so we can start all over again. Recreation isn’t a right; it's something you earn as you create. Recreation that is separated from the work of creation is selfish idleness and can be a waste of time.

So what are you prepared to do this week with your creativity? I hope you have decided to work at it. Stop putting off until tomorrow the work that must be done today. As you do, plan for some rest and recreation. I trust that this week you will earn the right and create the need for some re-creation as you work to express your God-given creativity. Have a great week!

Feel free to add you comments to this entry on the site where it is posted.

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INTERNET RADIO SPONSOR: I am soon launching a radio program with an internet radio network and have raised about one third of the sponsors needed. People will have access to this show all over the world, so if your service, product, ministry or message needs an international audience, write me and let's talk. Maybe you would simply like to be part of this program that will broadcast the purpose message all over the world. This has been on my mind for quite a while and now is the time to do it. I identified one sponsor this past week but need a few more before I can proceed. If you would be interested in being a sponsor for this show, write and let me know.

UK SCHEDULE: Here is what I have so far for my time in the UK. I will be staying in Walsall, so if you would like to schedule some time to have a purpose session, write and let me know

Tuesday 4th March and Wednesday 5th March -- Christian Booksellers Convention booth book signing; times to be confirmed.

Thursday 6th March - Service Albion Street Pentecostal Church in Stourbridge, 7.30pm

Thursday 6th March through Saturday 8th March - Charis Bible School in Walsall

Sunday 9th March - Kingdom Life Church Northampton, 10.30 AM

Sunday 9th March - AOG Church Worcester, 6.30 PM

ZIMBABWE LEADERSHIP CENTER: I have been talking on my blog about my desire to start a leadership center at the University of Zimbabwe Medical School. If you know anyone, group or individual, who can fund such a project that will impact Africa's medical sphere for generations to come, please write and let me know. I can send you a one-page summary of the plans if you would like to have one.