The Monday Memo from John Stanko

601: Birthday Thoughts

Since I turned 63 last Friday, it's time to produce some birthday thoughts on this special occasion. Here they are:

1. My father retired from his work at 62. I have never even thought of retiring now or at any time in the future.
2. My father lived to be 79, my mother 92.  If I follow in either of their steps, I have 16 or 29 years left on earth.
3. For all I know, I may only have one day left. I want to make the most of it, or of the next 29 years, or anything in between - whichever it is.
4. I have never felt better than I do today.
5. I will be walking 40 years with the Lord next month.
6. In case you didn't notice, this is the 601st Monday Memo since I started in March, 2001.  I have never, not once, ever sat down and not had something to write. Writer's block is an unknown phenomenon to me.
7. I miss traveling as much as I once did, but I love being home and doing what I am doing. Am I schizophrenic?  Don't answer that.
8. When you are old, people buy you food for your birthday, which you eat, which causes you to gain weight, which could cause you to have health problems and die early.
9. I used to hear people respond "I got up this morning" when asked, "How are you doing?". I thought that was silly.  Not any longer.
10. When my grandparents were my age, I thought they were ancient. Now when someone dies at 70, I think, "She died young."
11. I am now eligible for all kinds of discounts, when I finally have money to pay full price.
12. I understand why some people go to the mall wearing stripes and plaids, with nothing matching.  When you get older, you care less about things that you were passionate about when younger.
13. This year I have had a growth removed from my eye, may have two wisdom teeth pulled, and will have some minor growths taken off my cheek. Some stuff just stops working, malfunctions, or breaks when you get older.
14. People tell me I don't look my age. I don't want to act my age either.
15. I play games on my smartphone to help keep my mind active - that's really my reason.
    
16. I had a great birthday thanks to my family and so many friends and readers.
17. I am not satisfied with what I have acccomplished to this point in my life. I want more, but that is in God's hands.

I could probably go on and on, but I'll stop there. I had a nice birthday, but didn't get nearly enough underwear for the children in Kenya, so I will accept belated gifts whenever you get around to it (this year I have received about 500 pair and $300 to date; in 2010 I got 2500 pair and $4,000). If you can give, do so through my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

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KENYA UPDATE: I heard from Pastor Francis concerning our little Mary, whose boarding school tuition we paid to help her move on with her education. (Mary is pictured at right reciting a poem with a friend on one of my visits.) Please read and then act to provide her tuition for next term and undergarments for young girls like her. You can give through my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

A NEW PAGE: I have added a new page to my website that contains many of my spoken messages from the past along with my archived Saturday morning radio shows. This is my gift to you, made possible in large part by my son's untiring efforts to convert many of my old messages from cassette to MP3 files. Thank you J3!  I hope you find things on this page that are helpful to you. I will update it from time to time as we convert other messages and as the radio show continues to gain momentum here locally.

598: The Month Ahead

I trust you had a blessed Resurrection Day celebration and that you are ready to continue to make room for resurrection power in your life on a daily basis. I just completed a month-long study of time management principles in my daily devotional, and today I begin a month-long series on organization, the fourth of my five Gold Mine Principles. Permit me to share with you some of the highlights of what I learned and how I will apply that in the coming month.

THE MONTH AHEAD  

1. I am working on four book projects that I want to complete this month. When I think of them, I get intimidated and even overwhelmed. So I am controlling my self-talk to manage my anxiety, and I am encouraging myself that I can do all things through Christ who helps me.  I am counting on His help.
2. I teach four college classes in April on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights and one on Saturday morning. I have never taught three of these classes. I am counting on God's help so I can prepare and deliver so that the students are impacted and changed.
3. I preach three times in the next five weekends in a total of 11 services. God will help me as He always has to speak through me to His people.
4. I faciliate The Pacific Institute IIE seminar two days this month. Those are all-day presentations, along with one all-day faculty meeting. God will provide me the grace to do well and help those present learn and apply the principles.

All this is in addition to my pastoral duties, my nine radio show, 30 daily devotionals, five weekly Monday Memo, and two regular online Bible studies from Romans and other projects and assignments that will undoubtedly present themselves for attention this month.

THE KEY

The key for the month of April will be to control my fear and ask God to ''stop the sun" just like Joshua did in Joshua 10. I am trusting the Lord for the time and energy to carry out the things I believe He wants me to do. As I mentioned in all four items above, I am counting on God's help. Now is the time for the truth of Philippians 4:13 to flow through my life: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Now if I can attempt all these things in April, what more can you do?  You don't have to do the same things as I or as many things, but I am certain you can do more things than you are planning right now. Don't quote Philippians 4:13 and then have an April iike every other April. Apply the resurrection life we celebrated yesterday to your schedule and write the poetry, compose the song, go back to school or visit your family in that resurrection power.

I am challenged by the April ahead, but I am confident in God, and not my own capabilities.  Yet I am prepared to do my part, which is trust Him and apply myself, and then trust Him for the rest. And I will report back to you the first Monday in May to let you know how we (God and I) did for the month.  Have a blessed week and month ahead.

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EXCITING KENYA UPDATE: You don't want to miss this exciting update on little Mary as she sets out for her new boarding school. I have read it many times already, and I helped write it!  After you have read, allow resurrection power to flow through your giving either by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882 or using my website. Thank you for your help, and of course, Mary thanks you, too.

A NEW PAGE: I have added a new page to my website that contains many of my spoken messages from the past along with my archived Saturday morning radio shows. This is my gift to you, made possible in large part by my son's untiring efforts to convert many of my old messages from cassette to MP3 files. Thank you J3!  I hope you find things on this page that are helpful to you.  I will update it from time to time as we convert other messages and as the radio show continues to gain momentum here locally.

597: A Daily Easter

Easter Sunday is next week, so I thought I would represent my Memo I have written in the past concerning the Resurrection.  I hope you spend some time meditating this week on the significance of Easter and what its significance for your PurposeQuest.

A PACKED HOUSE

My church has six weekend services every week, and we are getting ready for overflow crowds next weekend.  People who don't darken the door of a church throughout the year will come to church on Easter Sunday along with some who have returned to the area to visit family, which will make for a packed house. They all sit with the regular attenders, family and friends, and pay homage to the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead. It is probably the same in your church.

We will assemble next week and say by our presence, "Yes, we believe Jesus was dead.  Furthermore, we believe that He was in the tomb for three days.  Yes, we believe that God raised Jesus, who was both fully God and fully man, back to life. And yes, we further attest to the fact that Jesus ascended into heaven, and that our flesh, Mary's boy, intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father."  I hope you agree that those affirmations summarize theruths of Easter.  But is that all the truth of Easter?

It always intrigues me that many will come and attest to these truths yet all too often those truths have no meaning in or implication for their daily lives.  Stop for a minute and ask, "So what if Jesus was raised from the dead?  What difference does that make in my life?"  Those are good questions; let's try to come up with some answers so you can enjoy Easter every day of your life.

MAKING EASTER PERSONAL

If you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, then you can believe God for anything!  If God raises the dead, which He does, then He can cure cancer. He can provide for your business or ministry.  He can transform you into the person He intended you to be, that person you want to be. If God can take a dead body and give it life, then nothing is beyond His miracle-working power. What's more, you have the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead living in you!  It is not a replica or a portion of that Spirit.  You have the Spirit that raises the dead living in you. Here is what Paul had to say about the implications of this Spirit-resident:

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you (Romans 8:9-11).

I trust you plan on being at your local church fellowship next weekend.  Don't go as someone merely giving mental assent to the historical fact of the resurrection, go celebrating the truth that God is alive in You  Then find how to release that resurrection power into your life, relationships, work and purpose. If you can believe that God raises the dead - and you should - then you can believe God for anything.  Have a great resurrection-power-filled week filled with a daily Easter!  Happy Resurrection Day!

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EASTER GIFT FOR KENYA: I posted two emails from Kenya, one giving thanks and the other making a request. Please read them here and then consider a special gift this Holy Week for the urgent needs represented there. You can give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.  Thank you in advance.

MONDAY MEMO ANNIVERSARY: In honor of the Memo's 12th anniversary, attached is my free gift of the twelve best Memos from the archives as my way of saying thanks for your faith readership.

Download Best 12 Memos

596: A Dangerous Prayer

This past week, I had the opportunity to once again facilitate a seminar with material on cognitive learning from The Pacific Institute.  It was a great class, and those present connected with the material in a special way that I know will impact them for the rest of their lives.  During the seminar, I read a prayer I found in a book entitled Chazown:  A Different Way to See Your Life by Craig Groeschel.  I urge you to pray that prayer, if you dare.  I already did and it works, but not in the way you may think.

DISTURB ME

The prayer was first prayed by Sir Francis Drake, who sailed around the world for England in 1577.  The prayer goes like this:

    Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore.

    Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity; and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.

     Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push into the future in strength, courage, hope, and love.

Now you see why I cautioned you about this prayer.  It is dangerous!  As I travel and talk with many people, however, it is a prayer that many desperately need to pray, perhaps even you.

SHRINKING BACK

I have been looking at a passage in Hebrews 10:35-39 that address the issues raised in the prayer:

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.  For in just a very little while, 'He who is coming will come and not delay.  But my righteous one will live by faith.  And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.'  But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. 

Many will say they are living by faith, but perhaps that is because they are living so small. Their goals are timid, their fears overwhelming and their vision limiting.  They are not doing anything big, so of course it appears that they are living a full life.  Instead, they are living woefully below what God has for them.  They have shrunk back to their comfort zone but describe it as only a place of respite.  In actuality, it is a place of refuge from which they have little intention of venturing out.

I hope you aren't among those whom I describe in the previous paragraph.  If you are, however, and you know it, now is the time to do something about it. It's time to set some goals and live by faith once again. The beauty of doing this is that you don't need to have any idea how you will do those things; that's where the faith comes in.  If you've decided, however, that faith is just too demanding or stressful, then you may be guilty of shrinking back and incurring God's displeasure.

So the choice is clear:  have faith and please God, shrink back and displease God.  The choice is yours and I do hope you will choose wisely. If you choose faith, then go back to the beginning and pray the "Disturb Us" prayer every day this week.  As you do, I know God will hear you and will certainly disturb you with new visions and dreams before very long.  Have a great week!

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KENYA UPDATE: As I try to do every week, I have posted the latest from Kenya so you know what's going on and can have a chance to contribute. Thank you to all who did last week.  I am sending Mary's tuition to her (we raised almost $750), we have $750 for Peter's van and a few other donations came in.  Plus, I saw a whole mound of stuff at church that will go toward our next shipment.  God is good, and you are wonderful.  You can give this week through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

MONDAY MEMO ANNIVERSARY:  In honor of the Monday Memo's 12th anniversary, I am once again attaching below 12 of my best Monday Memos.  Thank you for your faithful readership and support.

Download Best 12 Memos

594: 12 Years

Trumpets and drum roll, please!  This month the Monday Memo turns 12 years old! From humble beginnings in 2001, the Memo has gone on to impact thousands of lives and inspire many to purposeful living. On this special occasion, please allow me to muse and reflect on these last 12 years.

WHY?

I started the Monday Memo because I was launching a website and wanted something that would 'drive' people to the site, something that would cause people to remember that the site existed. I read the author Seth Godin, who still impacts my life and work, and he talked about permission marketing, through which you created something of value that people gave you permission to send. While speaking at a conference in Ohio, I asked how many would like to receive something like the Monday Memo and eight people signed up. The rest is history.  If anything, the Memo has become the main attraction and the website a sideshow, supporting the audience I reach through the Memo. Who would have thought?

When I first started, I didn't know what I would write or how people would respond.  I never thought that I would be writing 12 years later and it has been a faith step to sit down every Sunday night for 12 years, sometimes not knowing what I would write. Yet when I would start, something would always come and I am grateful to the Lord for His help in creating and maintaining this project.  In 12 years, I think I only missed writing the Memo about 25 times.

WHY NOT?

Every year at this time, I reflect on whether or not to continue the Memo. The readership is not as large as it once was, for when I started the Memo, there were very few other regular email offerings. Today there are a myriad and I would like to think I encouraged some of them to start. Yet 6,000 people still receive every week and I get feedback regularly that the Memo still inspires and mentors many people. Also, I have used the Memo to create awareness of my work in Kenya and many people have contributed to the needs there, which is a source of great joy for me and those we help.

So why not continue the Memo for another year?

In honor of this special event, I am attaching a gift - a document containing the 12 best Memos from the last 12 years. These Memos got the most feedback and actually a few of them appeared more than once as reprints. I hope you enjoy them again as much as I did writing and now compiling and editing them.

And of course, I want to challenge you to do what's in your heart to do. The Memo was in my heart, I wrote and God blessed.  If He did it for me, He can do it for you. But He can't work with what you don't produce. So go for it and, as you do, celebrate with me God's goodness in your life over the last 12 years. Have a great week and Happy Anniversary, Monday Memo!

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THE PACIFIC INSTITUTE:  I am going to host my annual seminar TPI here in PIttsburgh on March 14 and 15 and then again on April 25 and 26.  What is TPI? The training offered is the best I have ever encountered and has made me better and more effective at everything I do. The cost is $400, so it represents an investment in yourself, but it will pay dividends for the rest of your life!  If you are interested, write and I will send you more information.

KENYA: You can read my latest updates from Kenya that include a thank you from some widows (pictured right) and a list of needs from a children's' ministry. Please read and then give as the Lord leads, either through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you (and the children thank you, too).

Download Best 12 Memos

593: Omission or Commission?

I had heard it all before. I was asking a group of students to give me feedback on some material I taught and what they were going to do with it.  Almost unanimously they declared that they were going to get serious and do something with it. But I had heard that before. In essence they were saying, "We are fixing to get ready to begin to take the first steps of what will be the genesis of the start of the initial stages of what we hope to accomplish in the Lord." In other words, they were not really ready to get started; they were only talking about possibly beginning, when conditions were right and God opened whatever doors they perceived needed to be opened. Their words were tentative and consequently their actions would be, too.

I have concluded that it isn't that people don't want to get started, but rather they don't know how to get started. What's more, it's a whole lot easier to talk about starting than to actually start. And since we are people of the 'Word' and words, when we have said something sincerely, we believe we have done something.

I listened to our pastor preach a great sermon this weekend about repentance. He asked everyone at the end to do some business with the Lord and allow the Spirit to show them something from which they have been resisting the Lord and not repenting. I may be mistaken, but I would imagine most people repented of things they were doing - gossip, watching bad movies, smoking and the like.  I wonder how many of us repented of things we are not doing that God wants us to do, like missions, writing, creating, teaching and studying?

When I closed my eyes and asked God what I needed to repent of, I sensed He was showing me "fear."  That is not what I expected.  Yet if there is anything the Lord saying to me over and over again for the last few years, it's been, "Don't be afraid." So if I continue in fear when God says not to, then I need to repent of my attitude and stop walking and talking in fear. To fear when I know it is wrong is a sin of commission. The things my fear keeps me from doing are sins of omission.

In Catholic theology, there are sins of commission - things you do that are wrong.  Yet there are also sins of omission - things you should have done but did not do. I tend to consider commission worse than omission, but is that really the case? Don't the good deeds and purposeful acts I could do but don't produce negative results, just like my sins of commission?  Why do I think omission is excusable but commission is evil?  It seems like a double standard or worse yet, misplaced priorities on what sin actually is. Sin isn't always the presence of evil, but also not doing the good that could and should be done.

How about you?  Where is your emphasis these days, on commission or omission?  I urge you to consider that omission may be as bad or worse than commission and then get busy doing the things you know you should be doing. Stop getting ready to begin the start of the genesis of your purposeful work, seek out help in how to get started and then take your first steps.  After that, just keep on walking.  Have a blessed week.

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THE PACIFIC INSTITUTE:  I am going to host my annual seminar TPI here in PIttsburgh on March 14 and 15 and then again on April 25 and 26.  What is TPI? The training offered is the best I have ever encountered and has made me better and more effective at everything I do. The cost is $400, so it represents an investment in yourself, but it will pay dividends for the rest of your life!  If you are interested, write and I will send you more information.

KENYA: You can read my latest updates from Kenya that include some urgent needs for education and food for children such as those pictured here. Please read and then give as the Lord leads, either through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you (and the children thank you, too).

PURPOSECOACH: The special on my PurposeCoach Program ends this Thursday, February 28.  For $99 (Usually $199), you can have access to my online purpose coaching program and some personal attention from me.  You can pay for your PurposeCoach Program via Paypal or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8881, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0881. Make the investment in your life today. I am attaching a FAQ sheet concerning PurposeCoach, along with an enrollment application, below. Because I have digitized everything, you can enroll no matter where your geographic righteousness is - in other words, no matter where you live.

Download 1 PCoach FAQs

592: Economic Terrorism

I have noticed that when you set out to fulfill your purpose, something interesting happens. If you make it to purpose, you will be tested as to whether or not you can maintain purpose.  Very often this test is financial and what is what I call financial terrorism.  If the enemy can't keep you from purpose, he will try to surround your 'city' and starve you out, hoping you will give up and go back. God allows this to happen, for those tough times will empower you for your future success and keep you humble. This economic terrorism is what I like to call a million dollar experience that I would not give ten cents to go through again.

But you may ask if there is any biblical precedent for this 'terrorism'. I believe there is. To see if you agree with me, you will have to read on.

THE LAND

God brought Abraham out of his homeland and promised to give him the land to which God was sending Him. He also promised that Abraham's descendants would be more numerous than the sands on the seashore. I wonder how Abraham knew about seashore sand, unless he had visited the beach during his lifetime?  Anyway, I digress.

Abraham pursued his purpose and entered the land that God had promised. A funny thing happened, however, for he had to leave the very land God had given him. Why did he leave? Let's look at what the Bible says: ^"Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe" (Genesis 12:10).

God gave Abraham the land but then Abraham had to leave it because there was a famine. Abraham had to leave or he would have starved! Why would God allow this to happen? During his departure, Abraham decided to misrepresent his wife Sarah, portraying her as his cousin and not his wife.  Part of the reason is so that God could reveal the work that still needed done in Abraham's' life and faith.  The other was to teach Abraham to hold on to God's promise and not the circumstances surrounding the promise.

Your own lack during your economic terrorism season will also reveal the real you.

MY OWN JOURNEY

I went through my own economic terrorism in 2001. There were days when I didn't think we were going to make it and survive. I thought about turning aside to a job or some other means of support, but I decided to endure and press on. Today, I am glad I did. What's more, my only regret is that I didn't engage my purpose full time earlier than 2001! 

Today I am stronger and have more faith in God than before. I am not intimidated by lack before I set my goals. Famine, survival and economic terrorism taught me a lot about myself and God. I am a better day today not only because of purpose, but because of my lack when I started to move forward.

Are you experiencing economic terrorism of some sort?  This isn't an indication you have done something wrong, but something right! Don't panic and trust God. You will live, although there will be times when are you are convinced you will die! When it's over, you will be able to see what God was doing and has done, and you will rejoice. During the famine, it's hard to do that.

Use this time to strengthen your faith and keep your eyes on God. He is in control and won't allow your terrorism to last one day longer than it must. It must take place, however, and its end will bring not only a sigh of relief but a great blessing that God had in mind all along.  Have a blessed week!

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KENYA: You can read the latest thank you from my most recent visit to Kenya here.  When you have read it, you can give using my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.  You can also read my travel blog while I was here to see that we put your contributions to good use. Pictured here are the students at Karen Academy to receive their lunch the day we went there to host a festival for 340 of them.

PURPOSECOACH:  I had such a good response to my revived  PurposeCoach program that I am extending the special price of $99 for the program through February 28.  The program includes some listening, some reading and some connecting time with me and can now be done from anywhere in the world, since everything is digitized and online. You can pay for your PurposeCoach Program via Paypal or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8881, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0881. Make the investment in your life today. I am attaching a FAQ sheet concerning PurposeCoach, along with an enrollment application, below. Because I have digitized everything, you can enroll no matter where your geographic righteousness is - in other words, no matter where you live.

576: Exiled

I am teaching a class on Apocalyptic Literature on Monday evenings. Of course we are focusing mostly on John's Revelation, but have also looked at apocalyptic sections in Daniel and Ezekiel.  One thing struck me about all three of those authors is that they were in exile when they received their revelation. John was on Patmos and the other two were in Babylon. I thought it interesting that they were all in foreign lands when they received a coded message from heavenly headquarters revealing important truth.

That insight led me to reflect on my own exile and the role it played in my personal development and life message.  Let me explain.

EXILED

In 2001, I made a major life and ministry transition. I went from the phone ringing off the hook to no one calling.  My calendar, once chock full to overflowing, was empty. People called me not to come visit them, but to stay away. The only door that was open to me, with a few exceptions, was Africa. I have always said that God will make His will clear by eliminating all other options. I knew without a doubt Africa was where I was to be.

When I started to travel there, I would go for two weeks at a time. Then I expanded it to four, then eight and then at times up to 14 to 16 weeks. When I add up all the time I spent in Africa from 2001 to 2009, it came to a total of 4.5 years. I refer to that time as my exile.

There were days and nights during my exile where no one knew where I was but the Lord. I wasn't imprisoned during those years, but I was in a place where I was pretty much alone and had lots of time to think, write and reflect. Those years represent a million dollar experience that I would not give you ten cents to go through again. It was valuable but painful, priceless but costly, and I learned a lot about myself in those years.  Some of what I learned was what I had to unlearn, for there were attitudes and habits that were not suited to what the Lord had in store for me in the coming years.

PURPOSE

God had a purpose for my exile, just like He did for John, Daniel and Ezekiel. Sometimes you must have a radical break from your routine in order for God to reveal Himself to you in fresh new ways. He needs to take you out of your comfort zone to new levels of intimacy and insight and that can only happen when it's you and Him and very few others.  Exile is painful, but it is also critical if you are to reach your full potential.

Like the three apocalyptic authors, I also gained much insight from my exile.  It is when I faced and embraced my creativity. It is when I confronted negative thinking that was limiting God's work in my life. It was then I learned to trust Him for more than I had ever had before.

God has a purpose for your exile, too. You may find yourself alone or out of the loops that were once an integral part of your life. You haven't done anything wrong, but God has to take you away from life as you have known it to speak to you and work on some things. The three exiled authors were all productive in their exile. What's more, they received and wrote about things that still impact the world today.  God knew what He was doing with them, He knew with me and He knows with you.  Trust Him.

Don't only trust Him, however, but make your exile a special time that will serve you well in the coming years.  Learn, study, grow, try new things, make new friends but most of all plumb the depths of God's love and purpose for you. When your exile ends, and it almost always ends, you will be a new and better version of your old self and who knows what revelation you will receive during that time. For while all others may forsake you, God never will and that is the best thing about exile. Before you had to share your time with others; in exile you have all the time in the world for God. Make the most of it and while you are in it have a great week!

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PURPOSE SEMINAR:  I am hosting a purpose seminar here in Pittsburgh on Saturday, November 3, from noon to 3:30.  It's free but space is limited, so send me an email so I can get you registered if you are interested.

RADIO:  Don't forget that I am on radio on Saturdays from 8 am to 9 am on WPIT 73 AM here in Pittsburgh.  You can listen online, however, or download the WPIT mobile app and listen on your phone. You can also call in at 412.333.9748. I have had calls from Florida and Nebraska, so you don't have to be local to join in the fun.

MORE RADIO:  I also host an Internet radio show on Tuesdays at 4 PM called Your PurposeQuest.  You can listen live here or also go there to access the archives of every show I have done in the last 18 months. Listen live or listen later, just make sure you listen to my interviews with purposeful people who have something to help you in your own PurposeQuest.

HALLOWEEN ARTICLE:  I wrote a magazine article years ago entitled, "Unmasking Halloween." If you need some info on this day's sordid roots, then check out the article on my website.

573: Getting Ahead of the Lord

I often write about timing, seasons and how difficult it is, in my opinion, to "get ahead of the Lord," something people ask me about all the time. Here is what one reader sent me after I wrote about this topic a while back:

I usually don't find much to disagree with in your posts, and always appreciate your insights on purpose. But in this case, I have to mention one of the most glaring examples of bad timing and "getting ahead of God" in all of Scripture: the birth of Ishmael. I believe we can attempt to fulfill God's purpose in our own strength and time, as Abraham and Sarah did, with an outcome perhaps not as disastrous as theirs.

I've got one more example of what could be considered getting ahead of the Lord and that is when Moses killed the Egyptian in Exodus 2:11-13. So let's examine both these examples at the same time. Are these good examples of how we can get ahead of the Lord as we discussed last week? i think not. To find my reasons, you will have to read on.

OLD TESTAMENT

Breaking God's moral laws is never justified as you set out to do His will, and that is what both Abraham and Moses did! Let's consider Abraham. God established in Genesis that man will have one wife. Abraham did not obey this law. On two occasions, he put his wife in jeopardy by not identifying her as his wife. On this occasion, he followed the custom of the land and took Hagar, Sarah's maid, and got her pregnant. That's not getting ahead of the Lord; that's sin!

Then what about Moses? Moses killed an Egyptian and he knew it was wrong. How do we know that? Because he "looked this way and that" before he killed the man. Then Moses hid the evidence, yet fled when he discovered that others knew what he had done! He did all this before the commandment came not to kill. Yet Moses had that law written on the tablets of his heart, so when he took another's life, he fled in guilt and fear. Moses didn't get ahead of the Lord. He murdered. It's no wonder that God took him to the backside of the desert for 40 years.

These examples would be the equivalent of someone robbing a bank today to get the money they needed, money for which they were believing the Lord. That would not not only be getting ahead of God. That would be criminal, and sinful.

These examples are from the Old Testament. I wonder if there are any examples of getting ahead of the Lord in the New Testament? Let's find out.

NEW TESTAMENT

The only example I can find is when Simon the magician offered a bribe in order to receive the ability to impart the Holy Spirit to others in Acts 8:17-19. If you can, send it along in the comments section on the site where this post is located. In the New Testament, people were led of the Spirit who was giving them the mind of Christ. They were aggressive and active in their faith. Consider Acts 4.

The apostles were standing before the leaders of their day and preaching only a few years after they had met and been with Jesus. They never worried whether or not they were getting ahead of God. They had faith that God was leading them and they stepped out. You need to follow their example. I assume as you do that you will not follow the example of Abraham or Moses--or Simon. Follow the example of Peter, James, John and Paul, who never stopped moving forward, doing what was in their heart to do. They moved because they had faith that God had put the desire in their heart in the first place.

In Acts 16:6-10, Paul was trying to go in one direction and the Lord resisted him. Then Paul finally had a dream that set the correct course for Macedonia and Paul set out immediately. That is the mindset you and I need to have as we pursue our purpose and dreams.

The comment about Abraham and Sarah this week really got me thinking. I am not trying to argue the point with the person who sent the comment, and I hope this will encourage and not discourage you from sending your own comments from time to time. I stand by my stated premise that it is possible to get ahead of the Lord but probably more difficult than we make it out to be. Move out in faith and see what happens. Just don't rob any banks as you do. Have a great week!

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KENYA THANK YOU:  Please take time to read the latest thoughtful report and thank you from Pastor Peter in regards to the library project.  As you read, I hope you will make room in your heart to help us continue to feed the children in Kenya, both physically and intellectually.  I am collecting books, shoes, games, and art supplies during the month of October to ship to Kenya.  Of course, this will all cost money, so I am asking for your financial help as well.  The need and the goal are bigger than ever before, so please give through my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA  15221-0882.

572: Dance!

The other day a song came on the readio and it brought back vivid memories for me.  This song showed up and it helped me through a tough time.  It was great to listen the other day and think of how far I’ve come in the eleven years since I first heard it.

DANCE

It was January, 2001 and I had just gone through a job transition from which  I was hurt, angry and wounded. Little did I know that, as bad as it was then, it would get worse as the year went on.  At any rate, a friend gave me a CD of music by Lee Ann Womack and thought it would help me to listen.  I took it with me when I went to speak at a church in Florida and put it in the car as I was driving around.  That’s when I first heard the song, I Hope You Dance.  That song didn’t just help me, it saved my life!  I played it over and over again that weekend and for months after that, hanging on each word as I felt like Lee Ann was singing directly to me in my situation. 

Maybe you already know this song. This week I thought I would give you the words, or you can watch a video of the song here.

    I hope you never lose your sense of wonder 

    You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
    May you never take one single breath for granted 

    God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
    I hope you still feel small when you stand by the ocean 

    Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
    Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance 


    And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance, I hope you dance 


    I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance 

    Never settle for the path of least resistance 

    Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking
    Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth making 

    Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter 

    When you come close to selling out, reconsider
    Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
    And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance

A SURVIVOR

When you think about it, you’re already a survivor even if you are young.  Reflect on what you’ve been through and survived to read this Memo today.  Why is that important?  If you’ve survived before, you’ll survive again, even through the pain that you may encounter today.  You can do it by God’s grace because you’ve already done it.  You may not have had a song to get you through it, but you got through nonetheless.  So why not make a list right now of the recoveries you’ve made in your life up to this point?  Write them down and study them and then take courage from the fact that you have survived. 

You’ve made it this far in spite of those things you listed. In fact, looking at that list will help you realize the truth that one godless philosopher spoke, “That which does not kill me can only make me stronger.”  Read the word to the song again and ask yourself if it’s time to start dancing again.  I hope you will come to the conclusion that it is.  Have a great week!

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LATEST UPDATE FROM KENYA:  Check out the latest update from Kenya and the Upako Centre here. Then get ready for the announcement of the major fundraiser to prepare for my trip next February in the next week or two. Plus, I am shipping over a large container of resources in December, so if you have shoes, children's books, games, wholesome adult fiction, Bibles, leadership books or commentaries that you would like to contribute, let me know and I will get the shipping address to you.  If you live in Pittsburgh, you can simply let me know and you can drop them off or I can pick them up.