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!

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

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.

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.

**********
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.

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.

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

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

588: Look for It

I meet with people almost every week to talk about purpose and creativity. In most cases if not all, I find that fear is holding them back in some way. What's more, most don't recognize the fear because it disguises itself so well. I have found this true in my own life, so let's talk about fear and what it is costing you.

WHERE IS IT?

Any more, I don't need to see the affects of fear to go looking for it in my own life. I assume it's there, so I begin to turn over the rocks, so to speak, in my heart and mind looking for the scorpions of fear that live below. I am no longer in denial but living in reality that fear is my constant companion.  I must recognize it, bring it to the light of day, and confront it or else fear will continue to rob me of my opportunities.

So I go on a fear hunt, saying to myself, "Where is it?  I know it's here somewhere?  Aha there it is!"

What am I afraid of?  You name it.  I am afraid of what others think.  I am afraid that I don't have enough time to do something.  I am afraid I don't have time to do something well. I am afraid I may miss the Lord by doing something. I am afraid I will miss the Lord by not doing something. I am afraid I won't have the finances to do something before me to do.

You get the idea by now.  You may think I am weird or unusual, but don't you have the same struggle? 

WHERE DO WE GET IT?

We get our fears from our parents going all the way back to Adam and Eve. When Adam and Eve fell, what did they do?  They hid. And why did they hide?  They hid because they were afraid! 

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid" (Genesis 3:8-10).

WHAT TO DO?

I want you to do this week what I am doing.  I want you to assume that fear is present in your life and go looking for it.  Know that it is cleverly disguised as being rational or spiritual and it can and does make a convincing case that it really isn't fear.  Don't buy into it!  Confront it for what it is, for until you know and accept the truth, the truth cannot set you free. Knowing it's fear is the first step to courage.

Once you find the fear, consider what it has cost you and then take action to counteract the effects of the fear. If you are like me, you will like the results of that exercise so much that you will no longer wait for fear to knock you on the side of the head before you deal with it.  Instead you will go looking for it, knowing that is the great enemy of purpose and creativity that has cost you much in the way of productivity and joy.  Have a great week!

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

KENYA: Every day that passes brings me closer to my departure on January 31 and I still need about $17,000 to reach my goal to be able to bless the children and widows in Kenya.  If you can help, please give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you!

DAILY DEVOTIONAL:  My new daily devotional is getting a lot of attention. You can find it here and, once you check it out, you can subscribe to receive it there, too.

FACEBOOK: Please go to my PurposeQuest International ministry page on Facebook and give me a "Like." I will be transitioning a lot of my ministry stuff I currently place on my personal FB page to that ministry page soon.

ISRAEL: The time to register for my September pilgrimage is now! Attached is the brochure.  Let me know if you are going for space for the trip will disappear soon. The brochures is attached below.

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.

Download 1 PCoach FAQs

Download 1 Israel Brochure

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!

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

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.

546: 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 62 years of age and I still have a lot of flying I want to do.  This summer, I will release my 14th book.  I now teach at the university at both the undergraduate and graduate level. I continue to produce regular Bible studies that are regularly sent to 4,000 people, as well as writing a daily devotional. 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 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!

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

FLYING HIGH IN KENYA: I had a great day yesterday in Kenya and you can read about it here.  It was the fulfillment of years of dreaming and working and it fits right in with what I wrote above.  I hope you will take the time to read it. I also hope you will take the time to read more about all the day's activities here. (Click on the picture to read the inscription.)

538: Joy Oil

I am in the midst of a rewrite of my book So Many Leaders, So Little Leadership, which I wrote in 2000. I have half-jokingly said that I no longer believe some of what is in that book, but I think it's that my views on leadership have matured since then. It was time to put those new views on paper. I am already behind my publisher's requested submission date but I think I am two days away from completion - if I can find some chunks of time to work on it uninterrupted.

When you put this much work into a project, you ask yourself along the way, "Why am I doing this?" and you consider quitting altogether or at least postponing completion until a more opportune time, which of course will never come.  So I have learned to press on and look for the joy oil while I work.  Let's consider that concept now.

JOY OIL

I was at a meeting of pastors this week and one of them read Hebrews 1:9, which got me thinking about this week's Memo: "You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”  This verse makes reference to Jesus Christ and of course Christ means "Anointed One."  Notice what Jesus' anointing was.  It wasn't power or authority or knowledge.  It was joy.

In my leadership book revision, I talk about the importance of anointing, not just in church work but in any purpose work.  If the joy isn't there, there are no anointed results - and anointed simply means that God is helping you do the work.

As I write and get bogged down or discouraged, I look for the joy oil.  And the joy oil for me is visualizing people reading, learning and growing.  It's people closer to understanding and fulfilling their purpore than before they started reading. The oil isn't in the money, there isn't very much in publishing unless you have mass media to market, but I write for the joy.

FIND IT

I have been asking audiences lately, "Why does a bird sing?"  A bird doesn't sing for an audience or money.  A bird sings because it has a song inside it to sing, nothing more nothing less. I supposed a bird can't have joy oil, but sometimes when I watch them sing, I think maybe they do!  Or maybe they sing just to bring us joy. Why will you sing or write, or compose, or teach, or lead?  It may be for money or to serve others, but ultimately it had better be for joy because that's what's in you to do.

If you are going to write or do just about anything related to purpose, then you must find that oil of joy to be successful and fulfilled.  Where is it for you?  Are you afraid of it? Are you trying to operate without it? All those are good questions to address this week, while I work feverishly to finish my manuscript.  When you find your joy oil as I have found mine, you will have all the motivation you need to carry on and through all opposition and hindrances, especially those that come from within you.  Have a great week!

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

KENYA REPORT:  I depart for Kenya in six weeks and must raise $12,000 before then to reach my goal of $25,000 for The Big Blessing. I will start writing and updating you in earnest next week and I know the Lord will come through, using you in the process.  You don't have to wait but can give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8881, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0881.

MEMO INDEX:  Did you know that every Memo I have ever written is on my website in groups of five, along with an index that includes every Scripture reference, topic and Memo title.  If you are looking for something specific, you can look here, or just do some reading of back issues at your leisure.

WWJA:  Have you checked out my new daily devotional, What Would Jesus Ask?  If not, take a look here and subscribe at the same site to receive it every day. 

ISRAEL POSTPONED:  I did not have enough people interested for this May, so I have rescheduled the next Israel trip for September, 2013.  It will be here before you know it, so plan to be part of that trip now.

532: Down But Not Out

Last week on my long trip from Munich to Atlanta, I had a chance to listen to Handel's Messiah in its entirety.  That reminded me of this post in the Monday Memo archives, and I thought I would revise and share this classic with you again this year.  Have a happy holiday season and remember to set some goals for the new year during this festive season - JS.

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

I have seen and listened to the Messiah many times but it never gets old.  Let's take a look at the circumstances that surrounded Handel as he composed his work and see if there are any purpose lessons there for you (you know there are).

MESSIAH

The Messiah is considered by many to be the greatest musical accomplishment in the history of mankind. Commissioned by a charity for a benefit concert, Handel wrote the Messiah in only 24 days. A musician once told me that someone trying to copy the Messiah could not do so in 24 days—that is the level of inspiration in which Handel operated when he wrote. Handel never left his house for those three weeks. His food trays remained untouched outside his office door. A friend who visited him as he composed found him sobbing with intense emotions. Later, as Handel groped for words to describe what he had experienced, he quoted St. Paul, saying, “Whether I was in the body or out of my body when I wrote it, I know not.”

What’s even more impressive is that Handel wrote Messiah under extreme duress. The Church of England strongly criticized and opposed Handel and his previous Scriptural works put to music. At the age of 56, he had no money, often going out only at night so as to avoid his creditors. Handel performed what he considered his farewell concert and went home, fully expecting to end up in debtor’s prison.

Yet the first performance of Messiah in Ireland in 1742 raised almost £400 for charity and freed 142 men from debtor's prison. Of course the rest is history as countless millions have enjoyed and marveled at this work for more than 250 years. Handel also went on from there to enjoy tremendous success and popularity in his latter years.

What does this have to do with you? Perhaps you are a person of purpose but you feel frustrated, even defeated in your PurposeQuest. Maybe you find yourself down and out, discouraged and criticized, forgotten and a failure. Perhaps your finances are in poor shape. If that description fits you, read on, for this Memo can restore your hope and faith. If that’s not you, read on anyway, for you will probably enter that phase one day as you pursue your purpose.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE DOWN AND OUT.

What should you do if you are in a season of “un-use,” disfavor or inaction? As we close out 2011, I would urge you to do three things if you are discouraged, disillusioned or dismayed. And if you’re not, I urge you to find someone who is—you shouldn’t have to look too hard—and encourage them in their dark time.

1. Renew your faith in God. Your success and purpose expression doesn’t depend on your faithfulness; it depends on God’s. Remind yourself that God can do anything, and then rest in Him. Handel went home to retire and perhaps thought it was all over for him. Yet God helped him, a group found and commissioned him and God can and do the same for you.
2. Keep preparing for your day of success. I don’t think Handel went home to retire and abandoned music. Don't you abandon your love either. Keep writing, reading, learning and practicing. When the phone rings or the mail comes with your opportunity, you will be fresh and prepared, having worked in faith for the day of success.
3. Be generous. Handel wrote the Messiah for charity, even though he was destitute. What can you do for someone else, even though you are down and out?  It is a good thing to do the unexpected in hard times, and giving something away definitely fits the bill when you are in need yourself. What better way to express your trust in God?

I’m grateful for 2011 and I hope you can find reasons to be as well. If not, then just thank God for His faithfulness. At least you’re still alive! Then take this Memo to heart or share it with someone who needs it. I pray that as you do what I recommended above, you will see a purpose breakthrough in 2012. Thank you for allowing me to come into your life every week and thank you for being a PurposeQuest-er. As I close this Memo, I wish you not only a great week, but also a very Merry Christmas!

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

KENYA UPDATES:  I posted two updates from Kenya.  One is on the library project and the need for power tools here.  The other is from Pastor Francis and Upako Centre here.  Please read them and then give generously to help feed a child like the one pictured left, either through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you and Merry Christmas.

KINDLE BOOKS:  Three of my books are now available via Amazon in kindle format.   Those three are The Revelation Project, A Daily Dose of Proverbs and Faith Files, Volume Two. Download a copy today and then carry me with you wherever you and your e-reader go! 

531: My Work, Your Work

I wrap up my stay in Africa today and will be home tomorrow, Lord willing!  It has been a great stay, as always, with many open doors for the purpose message.  It's time to go home, however, and I have been seeking the Lord about "home" while I have been here.  I thought I would share some thoughts with you in this Memo.

GLORIFY GOD

Jesus had work to do that only He could do. That seems like an obvious statement. When Jesus was praying in John 17, he said:

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do" (John 17:1-4, emphasis added).

Jesus glorified the Father by completing the work the Father had assigned. He did not glorify Him by talking, singing or preaching. You will glorify God in the same manner.  Because there are many things you can do, it is essential you identify and engage the work that only you can do. 

MY WORK, YOUR WORK

I have prayed this year that God would help me structure my "world," which consists of: 1) pastoral duties; 2) college instructor; 3) author; 4) administrator; 5) coach; and 6) consultant. I have been looking for how I can perform more effectively in all these areas, or seeking to determine which areas I should eliminate or reduce. 

In my most recent efforts to structure, I have been praying, "Lord, show me the work that I am supposed to do, that only I can do, and then help me delegate or eliminate everything else." One big breakthrough is that I hired an administrative assistant who has been a wonderful addition to my life and work (my first assistant since 1991).  Yet there is more to be done if I am to do the work that only I can do and glorify God in the process. I sense I will have to stop doing some things, perhaps many things, if that is to occur.

This will require some additional adjustments and changes as I enter 2012. I must ruthlessly jettison all things that others can do in the interests of doing what only I can do.  That will require courage and self-awareness, for I must pay attention to my heart: "Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy" (Proverbs 14:10).

No one can tell me the condition of my heart, or yours for that matter.  No one can tell you, "Oh, you should be so happy with what you are doing.  You are so talented and gifted, there is no way you should be doing this or not doing that."  It is my job to get in touch with my heart and then follow its leading, trusting that God is in control, fulfilling the promise in Psalm 37:4: "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."  God fulfills those desires because He placed them there in the first place.

As you close out 2011, I encourage you to do what I am doing:  Take a good, long look at your "world" and identify the work that only you can do. Then with courage and determination, structure your life to do that work. As I return home, I don't have all the answers, but I will not give up, for I want to glorify God just like Jesus did - by completing the work God gave me to do.  Have a great week!

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

THE BIG BLESSING: I distributed almost $3,000 here in Kenya toward the library project and food for Upako Centre and Each One Touch One Orphanage. Yet there is much more to do as I work toward the $25,000 goal of The Big Blessing to be collected and distributed by March, 2012.

As you pray about your year-end giving, I urge you to consider my work here in Kenya. Conditions are tough (19% inflation, shortage of cooking gas, high fuel prices and an election next year that always seems to cause great economic turmoil).  Help me start libraries where children can have electricity and find their textbooks to do their homework. Help me feed hungry orphans. Help me build a facility where HIV/AIDS widows can learn, work and grow. If you want to read more about my work in Kenya that The Big Blessing will support, you can do so here. 

Then please give as 2011 ends through my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.  When you give, the orphans will give you a big "thumbs up" for your kindness and mercy shown them. And I hope and pray that you and yours will enjoy the blessings of Christmas and enter into a prosperous New Year.  Thank you and God bless you!

You can read the first thank you from my most recent trip here.

530: Live Like You Were Dying

I had some time in my hotel room this week, and decided to listen to some music on iTunes. It was then that I listened to a song that I downloaded years ago and wrote about in a 2008 Monday Memo. It's sung by country western singer Tim McGraw, and it's called Live Like You Were Dying. I thought I would share the lyrics with you again and let you draw your own lessons from what they have to say. (If you would rather watch it performed, you can do so here.)

THE SONG

He said, "I was in my early forties
with a lot of life before me,
when a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
And I spent most of the next days
looking at the x-rays,
talking bout the options
and talking 'bout sweet time.
I asked him when it sank in
that this might really be the real end."
How's it hit you when you get that kinda news.
Man what would you do?

And he said,
"I went sky diving,
I went Rocky Mountain climbing.
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu.
And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying.
And he said someday I hope you get the chance
to live like you were dying."

He said, "I was finally the husband
that most the time I wasn't.
And I became a friend a friend would like to have.
And all of a sudden going fishin
wasn't such an imposition,
and I went three times that year I lost my dad.
Well I finally read the good book
and I took a good long hard look
at what I'd do if I could do it all again."

"And then
I went sky diving,
I went Rocky Mountain climbing.
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu.
And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying.
And he said someday I hope you get the chance
to live like you were dying."

"Like tomorrow was a gift and you got eternity to think about.
What would you do with it? What did you do with it?
What did I do with it?
what would I do with it?"

"Sky diving,
I went Rocky Mountain climbing,
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu.
And then I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
and I watched an eagle as it was flying.
And he said someday I hope you get the chance
to live like you were dying."

ARE YOU READY?

Are you ready to live today and everyday like it was your last? If so, what changes do you need to make? Do you need some calamity to make those changes, or do you have the courage to make them today? I am ready to live today like I was dying. Will you join me?

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

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

I NEED $500:  If I receive another $500 before I leave Kenya on December 10, I can give two of our orphan ministries $1,000 each to buy food. Can you help me out?  If you can, please do so through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.  Write and tell if me if you send a check and I will front the money until I get home. Thank you and God bless you.

 

 

KENYA TIME:  I will be in Kenya this coming week. I will be conducting a three-day seminar from December 5-7 for The Pacific Institute and then a one-day seminar on Saturday, December 10 for Royal and Rich.  I am attaching the Royal and Rich flier to this post (click on it to enlarge).  If you are interested in The Pacific Institute, I can send you plenty of material that describes exactly what that is - which is quite simply the best training for goal setting and change with which I have ever been involved!  Write me for more information and then invest in yourself at one or both of these outstanding seminars.