The Monday Memo from John Stanko

604: Strike the Waters

This week I had a break from the classes I have been teaching lately since we were between school sessions. I have so enjoyed my role as an instructor, and hope to do more and more teaching as the years go on. I love teaching new classes I have never taught before, for they force me to go into areas of study that I would not ordinarily pursue. That causes me to grow.

Yet in a sense I have been preparing for those classes all my life. I have diligently followed an aggressive reading and listening program for decades, went back to school at age 57 to earn a Doctor of Ministry degree, and have attended many seminars and certification classes.

In a sense, I am ready to teach after years of preparation. It makes me think of Elisha, who had traveled with Elijah and served him for many years. When Elijah was taken, Elisha took up the cloak Elijah had left behind and did what he had seen Elijah do:

"Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. 'Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?' he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over" - 2 Kings 2:13-14.

When I teach I feel like I am striking the waters and, much to my ongoing surprise, they part. God is helping me, even when I don't feel like I have prepared like I should or would want to in any given week. A lifetime of preparation comes to the fore, and God does the rest - to God be the glory.

What about you? What are you preparing to do for the Lord that may take a few years or decades to complete?  More importantly, when will you be ready to strike the waters like Elisha did and see the same results you watched others produce.

Now it may be your turn to produce and do what you have been talking about and preparing to do. Why not find a good situation to test the waters and see if God will act on your behalf because you have prepared for Him to do so. Don't put it off any longer.  If you are not ready (and you may be more ready than you think you are), however, I urge you to get ready.  Today I thank God I prepared for this day by His direction and grace, and I am having a wonderful time. God wants you to have the same experience. If I can help, let me know. Have a great week!

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PURPOSE SEMINAR: Next Saturday, May 18, I am hosting a free purpose seminar on the North Side of Pittsburgh from noon to 4:30. If you would like to attend, please let me know this week.

KENYA:  No updates from Kenya this week, but I know the needs are urgent. I was able to pay both tuition payments for Mary and Deborah last week, but Peter's transportation remains an unmet need, and he is commuting 8 hours every Sunday for a trip that should only take one hour!  Please help me help him with his transportation needs. He is worthy of our support. You can give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

KENYA BOOKS AND SHOES:  I have an ongoing collection going on for educational resources and shoes for men, women and children. If you have any of those resources and would like to donate, let me know and I can arrange a pick up or to have them shipped.

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.

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

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.

586: Time Out, Time Off

Happy New Year! I trust you and yours had a blessed holiday season. Ours were truly festive and we enter 2013 refreshed and ready for the year that lies ahead. The year starts for me teaching two classes I have never taught before; one of them is entitled, "Theology of Paul from Romans to Timothy."  It was in preparing for this class that I saw something about Paul I had never noticed. I'm sure it's the first of many such insights as the class unfolds. Let me share this insight with you now.

TIME OUT

When Paul was at the peak of his ministry, he felt led to go to Jerusalem: 

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace" (Acts 20:22-24).

When Paul arrived in Jerusalem, he found that many in the city were ambivalent about him and his ministry, so he made an effort to appease them by appearing in the Temple. This led to a near riot during which Paul was seized by the Roman guards to save his life. From there he went to Caesarea to stand trial and eventually appealed to Caesar, which took him to Rome, a place he had desired to visit at some point in time.

From the time that Paul arrived in Jerusalem until the end of the book of Acts when he was under house arrest in Rome took four years of Paul's life. At the time when Paul was most knowledgeable and experienced, when he could have continued traveling to strengthen the churches and disciples, God took Paul out of circulation for four years.

TIME OFF

Why would God do this? I am not second guessing the Lord here, for He knew what He was doing during this period of Paul's life, But look at those four years from Paul's perspective. Here was a man who had done so much for so long and now he was forced to take a time out. During those years, his enemies were free to move into the churches he planted to distort Paul's gospel. Paul could do nothing but trust God and the people who had served his ministry to sort out the problems.

It was during these four years that Paul wrote what are known as his prison epistles -- Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. To write with the insight Paul had, he needed time to reflect on his message and think. He could not produce fresh material and do what he had been doing. God had him take some time off through a time out and the results were letters that still impact the world today.  Paul had to let go of his today in order to embrace his tomorrow. Oh yes, and suffering played a big part in this four-year season of personal growth and development.

Maybe that's where you are. If God has used you, He may be giving you some time off in order to sharpen and freshen your perspective.  It's hard to go from busy to empty, but those seasons can help define who you are and the legacy you will leave. Don't fight it, no matter how difficult it may be.  Instead make the most of your time off from being in charge and busy. In sports, every time out ends with play being resumed, and the same will be true for you.  Enjoy the season and have a great week!

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NEW DAILY DEVOTIONAL: I have begun a new daily devotional for 2013 entitled "Purpose Pearls."  The response to the first six has been strong.  You can check it out here and then subscribe so that you don't miss a one.

KENYA REPORT: All is on course for my visit to Kenya on February 1. All I need is the money we need to bless the people while we are there.  At this point, we have raised $12,000 of the $30,000 target for the trip, which will be used for food for orphans and widows, school supplies and renovations, and other special projects.  Please help me this month raise the money needed to do what's in our heart to do for the people of Kenya.  You can give online or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

PURPOSECOACH:  I have resurrected my PurposeCoach program, but this time put it all online to make it easier and more streamlined for you. And for the month of January only, I am offering a special price of $99 for the program, which includes some listening, some reading and some connecting time with me.  I am attaching a FAQ sheet concerning PurposeCoach, along with an enrollment application, below.

ISRAEL TRIP:  I am returning to Israel this coming September.  If would like to come along, let me know and I will send you the brochure.

Download 1 PCoach FAQs

580: Self-Promotion 1

I had a friend who was in turmoil write me this week and we chatted on Facebook. He was in turmoil because he is talented and gifted, but struggles when it comes to what he called "self promotion."  He asked that, after a lifetime of being taught that promoting yourself is wrong, how can he step forward and now talk about himself, his gifts and what God has put in his heart to do?

That's a great question to ask and one that I have pondered for a long time, so I thought I would write about it over the next few weeks. I will need your help as we examine this issue, however, and I ask you to respond with your own throughts once you have read what I have to say.

CONCEIT    

The main concern with self-promotion is best summarized in Philippians 2:3, where Paul wrote: ^"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves."  So many conclude talking about yourself in almost any situation is wrong or at least improper, and ambition is also considered to be in bad taste or downright evil. Are these interpretations correct?

Here are some thoughts off the top of my head for this week's discussion.

1. When Paul wrote his letters, he clearly identified himself as an apostle.
2. David approached Goliath and declared what he was going to do to the giant in no uncertain terms.
3. Jesus made many claims, although sometimes veiled to hide from unbelievers, concerning who He was and what He had come to do

Let's examine that last point a little more.

PUBLIC FIGURE

Jesus' family thought he was self-promoting and eager for to be a public figure as you can see from John 7:3-4: Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." It's comforting to know that Jesus' family thought He was self-promoting. And to some extent He was - promoting that is, but without self and with a purpose. Is that possible for you and I to do?

Weren't Jesus miracles a means by which He could gather a crowd to announce the coming of His kingdom? Did not the Father make Jesus a household name and a celebrity in all of Israel? Did Jesus gather disciples whom He then sent out to extend His work and announce God's plan with even greater intensity that He did?

We are not going to settle this issue this week, but I wanted to start the dialogue with these thoughts. What do you think?  Is it wrong to promote yourself?  When, if ever, is it permissible? Does Philippians 2:3 prohibit any kind of ambition or marketing?  I leave you to ponder these questions until next week. Till then, have a blessed week!

    Please respond to this post on the site where it is posted and let's get the dialogue going.

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NEED YOUR HELP:  I need your help in two things.  First, if you have not already, please take the free purpose assessment found on my website homepage, from which you will receive a score to let you know where I think you are in your PurposeQuest. Then, please send me what you believe to be your purpose statement. I need them both for my next book project that will provide a profile to help take the guesswork out of describing your purpose. You can send your purpose statement to me at johnstanko@gmail.com.

ORDER COFFEE:  Today I ordered coffee from the Greater Bean Coffee Company.  They donate a portion of their profits to The Sophia Fund and I am grateful.  As you think of the holidays, order some of their coffee to serve or give to family and friends.

GIVE A GIFT TO AN ORPHAN:  I have updated my website page that describes what I am doing in Kenya and how you can help.  One of the new features is to give a gift of $35 to an orphan this holiday season, which will feed, clothe and care for that orphan for one month. Please check out the new page and then give generously to the cause through PayPal on that page or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsbugh, PA 15221-0882.

578: I Learned to Speak by Not Speaking

Most people don't know or think it a paradox that I learned to speak by not speaking. If you don't think that's possible, it is true. To understand how I did it, you will have to read on.

ELEVEN YEARS

I was an associate pastor for 11 years from 1978-1989. While I had many chances to lead a small home group, I only got two chances in those 11 years to speak before the entire church. The second time I spoke was the last Sunday I was there before I left, so it's an accurate statement that I averaged one talk every 11 years. That's a lot of preparation time between messages, don't you think?

So what did I do for those 600 Sundays, plus conferences and special meetings, when I watched and listened to so many speakers? I got ready to speak!

I knew that one day I would address large audiences, even though I was far from doing that during those 11 years. So first, I would visualize myself speaking before people. I often tell audiences today that I saw them before I ever came to be with them. Second, I studied the speakers I witnessed. I watched what worked and what didn't. I decided what kind of speaker I would be before I ever got a chance to speak, just by watching and learning. I think the most difficult thing was to watch ineffective speakers when I knew in my heart that I could do a better job.

Third, I prepared things to say, even though I had no invitations or speaking engagements. I wrote my Life is a Gold Mine seminar in 1985, well before I ever had an invitation to deliver it. I prepared the slides, outlines and material. I had a few chances outside of my local church to speak, and I made the most of those opportunities, although at times I wasn't very effective.

Finally, I never gave up my dream, even though I had few opportunities to speak. I watched comediennes. listened and read great speeches of history and went to school to earn my doctorate. I did all that I knew to do. There were times I was so discouraged when nothing happened to advance my vision that I, well, I just cried. But I never gave up.

THE BREAKTHROUGH

Then I moved to Orlando in 1989 to pastor, and it was then that I also began to speak in prisons. I would speak once a week at the church, but often spoke six or seven times a week in a jail or prison. I went from not speaking to nonstop speaking. Today, I have no lack of engagements and I continue to hone my skills. My main preparation, however, was during those 11 years of non-activity.

What is the dynamic here that is important for you to grasp? I think it's found in Proverbs 22:29:

    Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.

I don't care what your dream is. If you spend time pursuing excellence and becoming good at what you do, you won't have to go looking for "kings." The kings will come looking for you. So don't waste any more time waiting for your breakthrough. Rather invest your time in preparing for the day when your breakthrough comes, and that preparation can begin the minute you finish reading this Monday Memo. Have a great week!

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KENYA UPDATES: I have no Kenya updates this week, but that doesn't mean there is no news! We are preparing the latest shipment of books and supplies. Last week more than $500 came in toward my $30,000 goal. As we approach the holiday season, I urge you to make a generous contribution to help me fund my work in Kenya. You can give through my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. 

577: Fighting Yourself

You are probably familiar with John 7:38: "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

There is a flow that is to come out of you and the water from that flow, while originating in the Spirit, should taste like you. It can't be bitter with anger or unforgiveness, and it can't be salty with lies and deception. And it should not be artificially flavored to taste like someone else's water.  Other than that, the water should taste like you.  Your flow should have your distinct characteristics as you carry out God's work and you should not apologize for this.

This is important because you may be among the many who believe that your water is 'bad.' If it isn't bad, you think it needs to have another flavor or maybe some fizzy gas added. Most people are fighting themselves, who they are, what they like, even trying to distance themselves from the dreams in their hearts. If that's you, can you recognize how counterproductive it is for you to be opposing you?

I love live sporting events. I make people laugh. I thrive when I travel and am bored with the mundane. I love teaching, and dread bureaucracy. I love to write and sign books, even shaking hands and posing for a picture or two with my 'fans.'That is who I am, what my water tastes like. Can you describe to me the flavor of your living water?

My writing, speaking and consulting has my "flavor," and it flows. Are you damming up the flow, trying not to be who you are?  Or are you filtering the water for impurities and then letting it gush from your life?  What's more, the water that flows is not for your benefit; it's for others to drink.  So in this case, it's alright for people to drink your flavored water.

Is there anything you enjoy doing or being that you are trying to curtail or even adjust?  Well, maybe it's part of your flow and you should stop interfering.  Perhaps that characteristic that you are convinced has to change is something God built into you.  When you oppose it, you are actually opposing God, telling Him He made a mistake when He put that in you.

So I will continue to smile and shake hands as I go, not worrying about why I enjoy it as much as I do.  I just want to be who God made me to be and if anyone has a problem with that, that is their problem and not mine.  I got tired of opposing myself and I hope you get tired of it too. Have a great week!

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KENYA UPDATES: I posted two separate updates from Kenya here and here.  Please read the latest news of the work there as we prepare our next shipment of books, clothes, shoes and supplies to honor the latest requests for more libraries and community support. Then I urge you to give a generous contribution today toward the $30,000 goal I have set to ship the goods and buy some food.  You can give through my website or by writing and sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you for acting so promptly and generously.

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.