The Monday Memo from John Stanko

394: Sit Down!

It's been a great stay in the UK and I thank my hosts, Dave and Pam Graham of Everlasting Books, for taking such good care of me.  Before I pack for home, however,I need to write this Memo.  It's been eight years since I started writing the Memo and every time I sit down to write, something comes to me. This week's theme came this morning while I was writing next week's Bible study. It's nice when I can use one thing for two purposes, but it doesn't always work like that.

I realize that you are just dying to know what this week's topic is, but you know the rules. You have to read on if you want to know.

BREAD FOR YOU, BUT FIRST. . .

In John 6, Jesus had a massive crowd following Him and He asked Philip how they could possibly feed all those people, about 5,000 in number. Jesus wasn't looking for information or ideas; He already knew what He was going to do. He was testing Philip to see what he would suggest and, of course, he had no ideas, commenting that eight month's wages would only give everyone a snack.

Andrew, perhaps jokingly, said that there was a little boy who had five loaves and two fish but that certainly was not enough to feed the crowd.  It was then that Jesus went into action. It was in what He told the people to do first that gave me the idea for this Memo:

Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them (John 6:10).

Before Jesus would give them any bread, which was symbolic of His own life that He likened as bread from heaven, He ordered the people to sit down in a grassy place.  It was then that I saw this for the first time in the context of Psalm 23.

. . . YOU HAVE TO SIT DOWN

To hear from the Lord, you have to sit down and quiet yourself.  You can't be running here and there, hoping to catch the Lord on the fly.  You have to sit down.  I wonder if you don't know your purpose or aren't more productive because you don't know how or simply don't take time to sit down. Perhaps a refresher on Psalm 23 will help you this week:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet water, he restores my soul.  He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil;  my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:1-6 emphasis added).

God will make you lie down in green pastures and, once you recline, He will give you bread -- whatever it is that you need to sustain your life and purpose.  So this week, why not take the time to just sit down?  It's not very glamorous and I don't have any other suggestions except to take a pad and pen and write down what He says.  If He can feed 5,000 from nothing once they sat, surely He can feed you when you do the same.  As you do that, I am confident you will have a very good week!

************************************

THE SOPHIA FUND:  I received another email from Kenya this week concerning The Sophia Fund, this time from Eddie Adembesa:

Greetings from us all WEMA widows with the trust that all is well by the grace of God.
 
This is to acknowledge that we have received $1,000 Sophie Fund and $50 St. Paul’s Baptist Church which you sent to us through SARAH NETWORK towards the feeding programme for orphans under the care of WEMA widows.
 
This has not only put a smile on the face of the children but also the widows who have great lack due to the prolonged drought that Kenya is facing.
 
To every single person who made this possible, it’s a big thank you and God truly bless you and enlarge your territories. A good measure shaken together, pressed down and overflowing. I call this a divine connection from God. Let’s continue to pray for one another as we continue noble task. Once again thank you and God bless you.

As I promised, every penny you send is going to feed the poor in Zimbabwe and Kenya. Nothing goes to overhead or administration.  With reports like the one above, 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.

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.

BIBLE STUDY:  If you would like to receive the Bible study from John that I mentioned in the first paragraph, I would be glad to send them to you on a weekly basis. If you would like them check or subscribe to receive them as they are published, you can do both here. 

393: A Fat Duck

I read this quote a few years ago from Ralph Waldo Emerson:  "Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be."  That is what I have tried to do through the Monday Memo and my purpose teaching: Inspire you to be who God created you to be, who you have always wanted to be.  I have found, however, that some resemble the duck described by the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard.  I hope you aren't like this duck, but just to make sure you aren't, you had better read on.

GROUNDED

The story has it that there was a duck flying with other wild ducks when they flew over some tame ducks in a barnyard.  The wild duck decided to stay with these tame ducks for a while.  He stayed for an hour, a day and then several months.  Finally, his wild duck cohorts flew overhead one day and beckoned the wild duck to rejoin them, which he gladly did.

He found, however, that his barnyard living had made him so soft and heavy that he could not fly high enough to join his former mates.  So he dropped back into the barnyard, promising that he would get in shape to join them the next time.  The next time he heard them, he flapped his wings but could not even get off the ground.  Finally, after many attempts, wishful thinking and a lot of broken promises, the wild duck became a domesticated bird that looked good but never went anywhere.

FLYING HIGH OR NOT AT ALL?

Did you dream of flying high at one time?  Better yet, did you actually taste the heights you had determined to reach?  Then where are you now?  Are you still flying high or content with the safety and provision of the barnyard full of chickens and goats? 

I am almost 59 years of age and am in the midst of a Doctor of Ministry program here in Pittsburgh.  This summer, I will release my ninth book, with one more in the works for this year.  I continue to produce regular Bible studies that are sent to 5,000 people. I want to fly high and refuse to forsake the heights of productivity for the safety of the barnyard, with its regular rations.  I listen to music that inspires me, go to places that move me and read books that engage me.  I want to fly high and far and I do things that contribute to those objectives.

Flying high can be dangerous, but the view is fantastic!  This week, ask yourself some tough questions.  Do you talk about flying, or do you really fly?  Are you content with barnyard chatter and routine, or are you ready to flap your wings to see how high and far you can go?  I hope you are ready to fly and that you will take others with you on the journey. I look forward to seeing you in high places.  If you settle for the barnyard, we won't be meeting any time soon. Have a great week!

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

************************************

UK TRIP: I am in the UK as I write and will be a guest on the World in Focus show on Revelation TV live this coming Wednesday, April 1 from 9.15pm to 10:30pm.  You can call in your questions from 10:00 to 10:30. Make sure you tune in.  I need all the support I can get. 

PROVERBS:  I am attaching my April daily devotional from my book, A Daily Dose of Proverbs, as a Resurrection season gift.  Enjoy!   Download April

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.

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.

387: 50 Years Later at 39,000 Feet

I was thinking while flying over to Kenya the other day at 39,000 feet that if and when I need inspiration or a word from God, I must get on a plane going somewhere, anywhere.  I can't explain it, but it's a magical moment for me every time I fly, and I have logged 3.5 million miles since 1989! I can remember when it all started, however, and I was only ten years old, although I would not be on a plane for another nine years after that. If you want to know the whole story, you know the rules.  You will have to read on.

A FIFTY-YEAR OLD MEMORY

My family never traveled anywhere.  We never took a trip longer than 40 miles from our home and we never had a family holiday or vacation together.  I remember playing in my back yard as a child and looking up at the airplanes flying overhead and wondering where they were going without me.

Then one day my young life changed forever.

My father told me that he was taking me somewhere, but would not tell me where.  We got in our car and drove 32 miles to visit, not fly out of but just visit, the Greater Pittsburgh Airport.

When you drove into the old airport (they have since built a new one), they had elaborate fountains. We parked the car and went into the airport, which had shops, a movie theater, a game arcade and an observation deck.

Now keep in mind that this was probably in 1959.  Most of the planes were still of the propeller variety, but I remember standing on that observation deck and watching them start up, take off and land. I was fascinated. We got there in the early evening and then found out a jet plane was coming in from Chicago at 9 PM, which was the time of the summer sunset.  My dad said we could wait for the jet to come in and we did.

I will never, ever forget seeing that TWA jet approach and land while there was still some daylight.  I used the deck's binoculars to watch it come in and I was absolutely spellbound and speechless.  When we left that night after spending about three hours there, I said to myself as a nine-year old boy, "I will be on one of those planes one day."  I have fulfilled my vow over and over again.

WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES?

That story is part of who I am.  So who are you?  What experiences have shaped your life?  Are you being true to those experiences?  How so?  If not, how can you re-connect with those things that helped make you the person you are today?  Was it music, travel, art, business, medicine or entertainment?  It may not be too late to do something about what you once only dreamed of doing.

I am staying home more this year, so I have placed my love for travel in God's hands.  I am not anxious, but I know it won't go away.  I cannot distance myself from that 50-year-old memory, nor do I want to do so.  It would be great if you can share any similar experiences with my readers at the site where this entry is posted.  In the meantime, I hope you have a great, memory-filled week.

************************************
THE SOPHIA FUND:  I am glad to report that I was able to bring $2,000 with me for The Sophia Fund, which I have already turned over to local workers (designated money has also been sent into Zimbabwe already as well).  If you haven't sent anything yet, you can still do so.  I have set up a secure and reliable transfer procedure with people who take no salary and will only use the money for its stated purpose, which is to feed widows and orphans. 

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.

BIBLE STUDY:  I will send out the fourth installment from my John Bible study later this week.  If you would like to check out the first three or subscribe to receive them as they are published, you can do both 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 361: You Don't Have Time

There are two types of people in the world of productivity. There are those who say they don't have enough time and they don't. Then there are those who say they don't have enough time and they don't. Confused? You should be, for I have defined two separate groups with the identical phrase. What could I possibly mean by this? Ah, to find out, you will have to read on.

GROUP ONE

The first group doesn't get things done that they would like to do because they are waiting for conditions to be just right before they move forward. They are waiting to have the mortgage paid off, the children to be grown and gone, their retirement years to arrive, or a ton of money saved in the bank. Then there are others who are waiting for unrealistic chunks of time to become available before they even start on their goal or dream.

I once had someone say to me, "I wish I could go off for about eight weeks and do nothing but write! Then I could get something done." I replied, "Believe me, you don't know what you are asking. If you ever have eight free or uninterrupted weeks to do something, that means you have lost your job, broken your leg or are recovering from a heart attack!" The people in this group remind me of what the wisdom writer had to say: "Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap" (Ecclesiastes 11:4).

Some of those in group one are perfectionists; others are fearful that they can't produce or do what they want, so they use the excuse that they don't have time to prevent them from ever starting or seriously planning.

GROUP TWO

Then there is group two who says they don't have time and they are correct -- they really don't! This group, including yours truly, usually tries to shoe horn four hours work into two hours. We can't say "no," so we tend to overcommit, believing that all things are possible for those who work hard and are called according to His purpose (a slight variation on Romans 8:28). Our to-do list is as long as our arm and even then we feel like we are underachieving.

For group one, the solution is to be realistic. You usually don't have huge blocks of uncommitted time, so you must learn to use what you have. This group must also deal with their unrealistic perfectionism, which says that only the perfect will do in any situation. This group would do well to heed the verses immediately following the verse mentioned above: "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 11:5-6).

For group two, the solution is also a dose of realism. If we are doing to do some of the things we want to do, we must stop doing some of the things we are currently doing. There is only one way that I could embrace going to school and that was to stop traveling as much as I was. There are only 24 hours in a day and no matter how organized or committed you are, there are limitations. Where are those limits? I don't know; that's what you have to find out. For group one, the answer is a to-do list; the answer for group two is a stop to-do list.

I know which group I am in. Into which group do you fall? It would be good to find out and then take steps this week that will enable you to do some of the things that are important to you and that are in your heart to do. Discover this week why you don't have enough time and then find the proper mindset that will enable you to produce. The answer is to get more busy so you can use the time you have or to get less busy so you can use the time you have. Have a great week!

Monday Memo 350: You Are The Problem

You may be the greatest obstacle you face in your PurposeQuest.  It's not the economy, your education, how much money you have, or your age. The problem isn't any of those things.  The problem is you.  More specifically, it's the way you think.

What's more, you are probably trying to change yourself while holding on to old thought patterns, expecting different results while you think the same thoughts.  You are seeking a personal transformation, and you are focusing on changing your habits, knowledge, spiritual disciplines or place of employment.  If you are the problem, then wherever you go and whatever you do, you take you with you, along with your old habits of thought.  When that happens, even if you pray or read the Bible more, you won't see any difference in your life.

You need to change your mind if you are going to change yourself.  It's that simple, but that difficult.

SEND THEM HOME

In Matthew 14, Jesus had taught a large crowd of people in a remote place:

As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat" (Matthew 14:15-16).

What was the problem here?  Was it the lateness of the hour?  Was it the lack of food that the disciples had?  Was it that the crowd, in their zeal to follow Jesus, had not given enough thought about what they would eat? 

The problem was this:  The disciples were thinking too small and, consequently, only saw one option available to them at that moment.  They suggested that Jesus dismiss the meeting and send the people home.  Jesus had another idea and that was to take what the disciples had, bless it and then feed the people with that.  We know that this is what He did and the crowd of 5,000 plus women and children were fed with twelve baskets of leftovers.  When you think too small, you do what the disciples to do:  you send your opportunities away because you don't think you have what it takes to seize the moment.

WE STILL CAN'T DO IT

So the disciples learned their lesson, right?  Wrong!  In the very next chapter, they complained to Jesus that there was no way they could feed a smaller crowd in a similar situation (see Matthew 15:29-39).  Jesus did the same thing He did in Matthew 14 and fed the crowd with what the disciples had.  The disciples were still stuck in old patterns of thinking and that limited their creativity and ability to solve the problem that was before them.

How about you?  Are you any different than those early disciples?  The challenge isn't what you have and don't have.  It's how you think about what you have, it's how you think about who you are.  If you don't think you can, then you won't.  What's more, you won't even try.  If you think you can or if you think God can through and with you, then God will plant new ideas and thoughts just like He did with the disciples when He said, "You give them something to eat."

Paul was clear.  If you are going to be transformed, you must do so by renewing your mind (see Romans 12:1-2).  That won't just happen, however, unless you take steps to make it happen.  You must learn to be ruthless with your old thoughts that have gotten you nowhere and replace them with thoughts that can take you somewhere, thoughts full of faith and possibilities, not thoughts full of defeat and pessimism.

We will continue this discussion next week, but for this week, I want you to become aware -- aware of what you are thinking.  Listen to yourself think; listen to what you say.  Try to be more conscious of how you are limiting yourself, or how you are limiting what God can do with your loaves and fishes.  Then next week we will look at what to do so that your thinking will no longer be the problem but the solution to your lack of progress in your PurposeQuest.  Have a great week!
*****************************************************
SPECIAL NOTICE:  Don't miss the third broadcast of my new radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life this coming Wednesday, June 4 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 will air every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to the first two 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 Three: Stop Doing What You Love. . . So You Can Do What You Love

Do you enjoy what you are doing, but don’t feel like you are making the impact you would like to make?  Do you see the problems in the world and wish you could make more of a difference?  If so, then join John Stanko and his special guest, Bill Hobbs, director or Urban Youth Impact in West Palm Beach, Florida as they discuss Bill’s “longest drive” – his journey from professional golf to inner city youth work. 

Monday Memo 321: Your Board of Directors

I'm confused, which may not be big news for you, since you figured this out a while ago. There seems to be a glaring contradiction in the Bible.

At one point, John wrote this:

As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him (1 John 2:27).

All right, I have no need for anyone to teach me, according to John.

Yet Paul wrote this:

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11).

Paul declares that teachers are in the "big five." One wrote I don't need a teacher; the other stated that teachers were critical to my development as a believer. Which one is correct? How can we resolve this contradiction? To find out, of course you must read on.

JOHN WAS RIGHT

John wrote his letter to some who had teachers telling them that Jesus was not the Christ. John identified those teachers are liars, telling the reader that they knew better. The "anointing" inside them taught them and bore witness that Jesus was indeed who He said He was. There were some things, according to John, that believers knew just because the truth was in them. They had no need for anyone to confirm or teach them.

One of those things that believers "know," in my experience, is the truth about their purpose. No one can give or assign you a purpose. It is in you and, when you hear or see it, it rings true. I would say it is part of the "anointing" that John refers to, for it is something that is personal and directly assigned by the Lord Himself.

Yet your purpose increases your need for the church and the "big five," which includes pastors and teachers. You can't stand alone once you find what only you can find and know -- your purpose.

PAUL WAS RIGHT, TOO.

As usual, there is no contradiction in the Bible on this point. There are some things you know, like your purpose, but there are other things you need to learn, like doctrine, right behavior and values. Your purpose sets you apart, but your need for coaches, mentors and teachers makes you part of a team, and that team is often found in the church. This doesn't mean that your purpose isn't relevant in the world of business, medicine or education. It just means that you won't be as effective as you could be if you don't embrace those in the church who are assigned to instruct and guide you in the ways of God.

I hope you aren't waiting around for someone to tell you what your purpose. That is something only you can find out and only you can recognize when it comes. At the same time, if you know your purpose, I hope you are a part of a team that can help equip and train you to be effective and relevant. Purpose is personal but your expression is not, and that's where some miss it. Often no one can help you find your purpose but many can help you fulfill it.

I have written in the past about your need for a personal board of directors, people who are living or dead who can train and teach you. (I have included below a past memo that discussed this issue.) Who is on your board of directors? Who inspires you to better performance? Who challenges you to grow and develop? Who helps clarify your values and then helps insure that you live them? This would be a good week to first clarify your purpose and then to recognize and maybe even formalize your team of teachers and mentors who give you life and direction. Make a list of who they are, or make a list of who you would like them to be. Don't be confused, however, about their role. Only you can find your purpose but only they can help make it all that God wants it to be. Have a great week!

***************************************************************************
Feel free to join the debate on my blog. The question there is, "Can you give your way to prosperity?" I've already received some that I am sure you will want to see. I hope you will add yours to the discussion.

Download Memo on personal board of directors: Memo 169.doc

Monday Memo 314: I Am What I Am

I returned to Zimbabwe from Israel a few hours ago and it was a great trip. Everyone came back happy, healthy, with all their luggage, with a lot of great memories and with no money. That's what a trip to Holy Land will do for you! If you are interested in our daily activities there for the last 12 days, you can read my daily entries on my blog site. And if you would like to join us in Israel and Egypt next year around this time, please write and let me know. And don't forget about the Alaska Cruise scheduled for July 4-11, 2008.

I have a busy week ahead and it has reminded me of something that happened to me when I was in a busy season 20 years ago. The lessons I learned then have served me well and I thought I would share them with you this week. What are those lessons? I'm glad you asked, but to find out you will have to read on.

SOMETHING HAS TO GO!

Twenty years ago I was too busy and involved in way too many projects, or so I thought. I decided to spend some time seeking the Lord to determine what I could and should eliminate from my calendar and life. I was certain that something had to go.

I prayed, listened and kept a journal, yet nothing happened. I got neither relief nor insight. Then one night I had a dream. I don't remember the dream; I only remember that a voice spoke to me in the dream and gave me a verse from the Bible. I never had that happen before or since that I woke up with a verse on my mind. But it happened that night and I clearly heard 1 Corinthians 15:10. I was not familiar with that verse and had no idea what it said.

So finally I got out a Bible and this is what I read:

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

The meaning to me was clear right away. God wasn't going to send any less for me to do. He was actually going to send more, but was also going to teach me how to handle more. He did, I have and the lessons I learned from that verse continue to bear fruit 20 years later.

THE LESSONS, PLEASE.

Here's what I learned:

1. By the grace of God I am what I am -- People ask me all the time how I am able to do what I do. My standard is answer is that I stopped doing what I can't do so that I can do what I do best. Who made me a good administrator? God by His grace. Who didn't make me a Sunday-morning pastor? God by His grace. Who made with a love for sports and a great sense of humor? God by His grace. I decided back then that if anyone had a problem with who I am, that's their problem. i cannot use that as an excuse for bad behavior or rudeness, but I can use it as a foundation upon which to live my life.

2. His grace toward me did not prove vain -- It is possible to receive God's grace in vain! You can talk about God's purpose, swim in God's purpose, write about it and meditate on it. Yet your purpose is to make you productive in the will of God, nothing more, nothing less. I don't know how many days I have yet to live, so I want to maximize them all. I am grateful for God's grace and I want His grace to yield a return that will be pleasing to Him.

3. I labored more than all of them -- I knew then and there that God wanted me to be a model of productivity and hard work. I was not to engage in just any hard work, but labor that was related to my purpose and sphere of influence. I live in Africa five months a year. Two years ago I spent 22 nights on a plane flying somewhere. Why? Because God wants me to work hard and produce! He has taught me how both to manage and have faith for time, and I know I can squeeze as much out of 24 hours as anyone. I do this not because I have to but because I choose to. It is a joy to me.

4. Not I, but the grace of God with me -- My hard work and productivity cannot be a source of pride, nor can I impose my work load or expectations on someone else. It's what God has for me to do. Yes, I cooperate and partner with God. Yet if He wasn't with me, helping me every step of the way, I would not be able to do anything, as the psalmist reminds us: "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves." (Psalm 127:1-2 NAS).

So there you have my lessons learned from 1 Corinthians 15:10. Why don't you meditate on that verse and see how you can apply it to your current life and situation? Are you as productive as you would like to be? Do you feel like you're too busy? Do you sense God's grace helping you on a daily basis? Reflect on those questions and feel free to share your insights or answers with my readers by writing a comment to this entry on the site where it is posted. And of course, as always, I wish you a great week as you seek to be who you are by and in God's grace.

Monday Memo 304: Goals

As you read this, I will be on my way to Atlanta, Georgia and the annual Christian Booksellers Convention, where I will premier my seventh book, Beyond Purpose: Keys to Unlocking a Life of Productivity and Fulfillment. It is a 52-lesson guide to a more creative and productive life and I am pleased with the outcome. You can find out how to order a copy at the end of this Memo.

This week I feel like updating you on some things going on in my life, with the hope that these things will spur you to set some goals and set about achieving them.

WRITING

I have a goal to earn more revenue from writing so that I can spend more time writing. I regularly visualize myself in a major bookstore somewhere, sitting behind a table, busily autographing my books for eager, paying customers lined up around the store. Any time I am writing, I keep that image before me and it encourages me to write. Today and tomorrow I will have a book signing hour for bookstore owners from around the world. I already see long lines forming to get my latest book at that event.

I had a toy typewriter when I was a child, and I used to spend hours typing out articles and chapters from magazines and books. My goal as a 10-year-old was to have a pile of papers next to that typewriter that was the size of a manuscript. I didn't write anything original then, but I knew I wanted to write something that had substance to it. Today, I am doing just that.

SCHOOL

I have always enjoyed school and was a good student. I graduated in the top ten percent of my university class, went on to graduate school for economics and then earned a doctorate in pastoral ministries in 1995. I have decided it's time to go back to school, so in August I will start a doctorate in ministry program at the Reformed Theological Presbyterian Seminary here in Pittsburgh.

It is a two-year cohort program, which means I will be with the same classmates (my cohorts) throughout the program. Then I will have a ministry project to do and will hopefully finish in not much longer than the two years the classes will take to complete. Right now I am in the midst of the 18 books I have to read for the start of classes on August 6. I guess when I graduate, you will have to call me Doctor-Doctor.

My goal is to enroll for something every year that will add to my effectiveness. Last year, I attended the training at The Pacific Institute, and that changed my life in so many ways. This doctoral program will fulfill my training goal for the next two years and help direct my reading program to relevant and helpful material.

GOALS

My book and school are the direct result of goals I have set for myself. No one forces me to set or achieve those goals. They are things I want and choose to do. There may be more income for me from those goals, but that is incidental to why I set them. I want to be the best that I can be at what I do and writing and study help make that possible. I have other goals that I won't mention here, but I hope you get the picture.

So what are your goals? Do you have any? Can you set some more? If you don't have any, why don't you? What are afraid of? To help you understand the goal-setting process even more, I have attached an excerpt below from my first book, Life is a Gold Mine: Can You Dig It? Take some time this week to read this article, examine the goals you have and set some goals you would like to achieve. Then get busy visualizing and actualizing how you will accomplish those goals. Who knows, one day you may be sitting at that table with me and we may be signing some books together. That would be great, wouldn't it? While you're dreaming and planning, I hope you have a great week! I know I will!

************************************************************
The cost of my new book is $15 US. If you order in July, I'll pay the domestic shipping or give you a $3 US credit toward international shipping. You can use PayPal to pay for your book. Just use my email address, johnstanko@att.net, and they will notify me when your payment is in my account. Just include your address with the payment and we'll get your book(s) out to you right away.

If you can't use PayPal, then send me an email and we'll work something out, but order today.

Speaking of money and payments, every now and then I like to remind you that I live by faith. I send out thousands of Memos and weekly Bible studies free of charge and I enjoy doing it. If you have been blessed by my purpose message or work, however, would you consider a contribution at this time. You can go to my website and donate using PayPal, or you can send a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA, 15221 USA. Just think of your donation that will help make my schooling possible. Thank you for considering my request.

Download goals article: Personal Goals.doc

Monday Memo 289: A Bad Leader Can Teach You to be a Good Leader.

Have you ever been in a bad situation, one from which you could not escape or see any reason for being there?  I have and so did King David.  We alluded to it last week, so let's pick up this week with more of the story.

A BAD LEADER

I think we can all agree that King Saul wasn't a good leader.  While he started strong, he ended miserably.  Last week, I pointed out that Saul quickly became David's nemesis.  While David faithfully served Saul, the king was increasingly envious of David and eventually tried to kill him on three separate occasions.  When that failed, Saul spent years using the armies that should have been devoted to fighting the Philistines to hunting down David. 

David suffered greatly during that time.  Although David knew he was to be the next king, he had to endure persecution at the suffering of the current king.  Many urged David to take matters into his own hands to remove Saul and some tried to act on his behalf.  David resisted each temptation to do so, choosing rather to wait for God to put him on the throne rather than put himself there.

Why would God have put David in such a position? Why did David suffer so long at the hands of a man that God had rejected as king?  What was God doing during that time?

It's clear what God was doing.  God was teaching David how to lead from the firsthand example of a bad leader.  David learned more about leadership from Saul than from anyone else.  What did he learn?  He learned how not to lead!

Could this be the answer to your current dilemma, which finds you far away from the fulfillment of a purpose that you understand and think you are ready to embrace?

TALK IS CHEAP.

There are many who say, "If I was in charge, this would happen or that would not happen."  That kind of talk sounds good.  Even the leaders in Jesus' day said the same thing: 

"And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets" (Matthew 23:30).

The problem is that this talk is cheap.  If you don't decide what kind of purposeful leader you will be before you have money or power, you are doomed to replicate the same miserable leadership style that you had to endure to become a leader yourself.  You don't believe me?  Read what Jesus said in response to those potential leaders:

"Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers.  Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue them from town to town." (Matthew 23:34).

God will eventually give you a chance to lead, just he did David.  David learned his lessons well and decided what kind of leader he was going to be while Saul was still pursuing him.  What's more important, David actually became that kind of leader.  He learned his lessons well. Jesus' contemporaries duplicated the same mistakes of the past because they didn't learn good leadership skills from their bad leaders. When they refused to learn, they were doomed to repeat history.

Why are you where you are right now?  Why is your situation so tough?  Part of the reason may be so that you will learn how not to lead when you finally get the chance.  If people are being stingy with you, learn to be generous now.  If no one expresses thanks to you now, remember how it feels and say thank you when you are in charge. 

If that's what God is teaching you, then you can embrace your current situation more enthusiastically because it simply part of your learning training.  When you learn the lesson, God will move you on.  Just don't be guilty of saying today that things will be different when you are in charge.  Make it happen tomorrow when you have the chance. If and when you do that, the hard lessons of these days will be well worth the price you are paying to become the leader that God wants you to be.  Have a great week!

**********************************************************************************************************************

Please write your comments to this Memo on the site where it is posted.  Your comments will help others as they seek to apply the lesson for the week. It also serves to encourage me.  If you have any suggestions for topics or improvements for The Monday Memo, please feel free to email them to me. 

You can also go to The Memo site to read last year's Memos (Memos prior to 240 can be found on my website).  Don't forget to check out the PurposeQuest website, which has a lot of material that will help you find your purpose and be productive.  You can also sign up for my weekly Bible studies where we are currently studying Mark's gospel. 

You can check out my blog and sign up to receive my updates as I write them.

Finally, please remember PurposeQuest and the Stankos in your missions giving. 

Here is my itinerary for the next few months:

• March 20-24 -- Dallas, Texas
• March 25-27 -- Seattle, Washington
• April 24-29 -- England
• April 30-May 7 -- Nairobi, Kenya
• May 8-June 30 -- Zimbabwe

Let me know if I can help you with your PurposeQuest when I come to your area.