The Monday Memo from John Stanko

The Monday Memo 252

I am in Johannesburg on my way home.  I have been gone since April 23, so I am anxious to get home and enjoy some of our summer weather.  I will post an entry to my blog later today about what I will do when I get home, so if for some strange reason you are interested in what that may be, you can check it out for yourself. 

I've been thinking about Pharaoh this past week.  That may sound like strange meditation material, but I've been reflecting on the Pharaoh without and the Pharaoh within each of us.  You may respond, "I don't know what you're talking about.  I don't have a Pharaoh in my life."  I hope you don't, but just in case you do, read on.

THE PHARAOH WITHOUT

There are two Egyptian Pharaohs that get attention in the Bible.  Joseph was the contemporary of one and Moses the other.  I have done some study and writing on the good Pharaoh over Joseph and that can be found on my website.  For now, we want to look at the bad Pharaoh, the one whose stubbornness brought the plagues upon his people and affected his nation's effectiveness down to this very day.

What was this bad Pharaoh like?  He was consumed with working and building, with amassing wealth and using people to get that wealth.  He was a hard taskmaster and drove the people and his overseers, not allowing any off days or seasons of rest.  When Moses confronted him, Pharaoh got even more difficult, ordering that the Israelites were to make bricks and gather their own straw, the straw having been provided for them previously.  He was suspicious and was focused on one thing--production.

Perhaps you have worked for a Pharaoh like this.  There is no joy in working for or with this kind of manager or leader.  They see you as a means to production, nothing more, nothing less.  It is easy to dislike this kind of leader, but often what can you do?  You must work to feed your family and besides, work isn't something really to enjoy.  It's often something to endure, which leads us to our discussion of the Pharaoh within.

THE PHARAOH WITHIN

When you "buy into" Pharaoh's attitude, even if you aren't in leadership, then you are working for a Pharaoh.  What do I mean?  Your mentality says, "I need to work.  It's not something that I should expect to enjoy.  I should just do it and look for fulfillment outside of my place of employment."  That is what it means to have a Pharaoh within--you are your own taskmaster!

When I work with people one-on-one, I ask them what they would do if they had all the money they needed.  Many struggle with the question.  Then I urge them to ask me.  When they do, I respond, "I would do what I'm doing today, except that I'd fly business class more often!"  About six years ago, I stopped being driven by a false concept that my work is to be endured and not enjoyed.  I faced my Pharaoh within and fired him!  Now I work for the Lord, who ordered Pharaoh to "let my people go." 

If you work for a Pharaoh without, there may not be much you can do as long as you stay where you are.  But if you work for a Pharaoh within, then there is something you can do.  You can change the way you view work and purpose.  It is possible to enjoy what you do; in fact it's the will of God for you!  Once you embrace that truth, it will cause you to pursue different things to do.  You will give yourself permission to pursue what you enjoy.  When you are free from the Pharaoh within, you can be a person of purpose on and off the job.  It's a great way to live.

If I were you, I would assess how many Pharaohs there are in your life right now.  I would suggest that even one is too many!  Determine this week to at least face the truth and, if one of those Pharaohs is inside you, to face and deal with him.  Don't let him bully you anymore, but rather determine to free yourself so that you can pursue the word of the Lord, the word that says you are free. Have a great week!

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1.Here is my schedule for the months of July and August.  Let me know if you would like to meet for a purpose session when I am in your area.

July 6-10 -- Virginia Beach, Virginia

July 12-13 -- Denver, Colorado

July 17-18 -- Dallas, Texas

July 27-30 -- Maywood, New Jersey

August 7-11 -- Seattle, Washington

August 25-27 -- Johannesburg, South Africa

August 28-September 3 -- Harare, Zimbabwe

Also, I am still leading a cruise retracing the steps of the apostle Paul from October 26-November 3.  If you are interested in being part of that cruise, email me and let me know.

2.  If you need to change your address to which this Memo is sent, hit the unsubscribe link below this automatic Feedblitz mail out.  Then go to this link and enter your new email address in the box in the right hand column.  You can add a gift subscription by going to the link and adding the new email address of the person you think would benefit from The Monday Memo. 

And the archives of past Monday Memos can still be located on my website. 

3  If you would like to unsubscribe, just click the link below (if you receive this as an automatic message). 

4.  You can subscribe to automatically receive my regular blog posts by going to the site and entering your email below where it says "your email address."  Once you do, you will receive a confirmation email and can also easily unsubscribe at any time. 

5.  We are almost finished with our study of First Corinthians, which I send out every week. When we finish, we will automatically move into Second Corinthians.  These studies focus on four verses every day.  When I send them out, I send out a week's worth of verses.  I never make my studies technical; they are always practical and include questions to help you apply what you read every day.  If you would like to subscribe, go to the site and enter your email address.  I have all my previous studies available for free on my website.

The Monday Memo 251

I just got back to Harare from Kenya where I helped coordinate the Tambira Nairobi 2006 tour featuring the Celebration Choir.  It certainly brought back memories of the days when I coordinated tours for Integrity Music.  It was when I was working for Integrity Music that I began to travel in earnest and to teach workshops on purpose during the worship seminars I organized.  So I have many fond memories of that season in my life.

IT'S OVER.

But that season of my life is over.  I kept thinking the entire time that I was on tour last week, "Did I really do this for a living at one time?"  It was strange because I loved what I did when I was with Integrity Music and I admit that I enjoyed some of the aspects of the tour last week.  I no longer enjoy the pressures of putting on an event, however, where it takes so much work for everything to go well, and still have many things that are beyond your control go not so well.

That is the point I want to make this week.  You must give yourself permission to grow and for things to change if you are to have a successful PurposeQuest.  When things change and when you change, you must not spend time and energy trying to recapture what is gone.  When a season is over, it's over.  You must learn to let it go.

I spent time last night with a businessman who was trying to talk himself out of how he felt.  There is an aspect of his company that is making money and that work is something he has done for many years.  In some ways, he is emotionally attached to that work.  Yet the joy is gone and he was wrestling with the fact that he didn't have the time to build other aspects of his business because that particular division took so much of his time and energy.  What's more, he no longer enjoyed that aspect of his work.

By the end of our three-hour session, he decided to let it go to pursue other things.  I think he made the correct decision.

MOVE ON.

Has something changed in you or your work?  The answer may not be to redouble your efforts to capture what is gone.  The answer may be to discover new areas where you can invest your energy with renewed enthusiasm.  I am not spending any time trying to recover my long-gone love for event planning and touring.  Instead I want to invest my life and energy in writing, seminars and eventually media.  That's where the life is for me today.

I thank God for my past work as an event planner, but I thank God it is in the past.  What should be in your past that you are trying to keep in the present?  If there is anything that needs to end, I urge you to be honest with yourself and let it go!  There's so much more ahead for you, but first you must decide to move ahead.  I'm not saying it will be easy.  It requires great courage to face reality, but if you don't, you will never find all that God has for you to do.  So do what you know you must do and, in the meantime, have a great week!

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1. If you need to change your address to which this Memo is sent, hit the unsubscribe link below this automatic Feedblitz mailout.  Then go to this link and enter your new email address in the box in the right hand column.  You can add a gift subscription by going to the link and adding the new email address of the person you think would benefit from The Monday Memo. 

And the archives of past Monday Memos can still be located on my website. 

2  If you would like to unsubscribe, just click the link below (if you receive this as an automatic message). 

3.  You can subscribe to automatically receive my regular blog posts by going to the site and entering your email below where it says "your email address."  Once you do, you will receive a confirmatino email and can also easily unsubscribe at any time. 

4.  We are more than half way through the study of First Corinthians, which I send out every week. These studies focus on four verses every day.  When I send them out, I send out a week's worth of verses.  I never make my studies technical; they are always practical and include questions to help you apply what you read every day.  If you would like to subscribe, go to the site and enter your email address. 

The Monday Memo 250

When I started writing The Monday Memo in March, 2001, I didn't really think I would write 250 issues.  Then again, my purpose has allowed me to do things and go places that were just a dream.  As you read this, my son and I will be enjoying a game drive in the famous Masai Mara region of Kenya.  I have been there before, but this is his first time.  In fact, he has been with me for four weeks on this trip and he has visited a lot of places he has never been to before.  It has been my honor to serve as his tour guide for the trip.

Coming to Africa as I do is truly a dream come true, and the dream goes back to childhood.  When I was young, I was an avid stamp collector.  I would sit for hours and study the stamps of the the nations of the world, especially Africa.  I would watch any show on television that had anything to do with Africa and its animals. 

Then in 1981, I discovered my purpose to create order out of chaos.  Shortly after that, I sensed that my purpose would bring me to Africa one day.  I didn't know when or how, but I knew I would go.

My first visit to Africa was in 1993 when I worked for Integrity Music.  A turning point in my life, however, was my infamous visit to Zimbabwe in 1995.  I had planned on staying one day, until someone stole my briefcase with my passport in it.  I ended up staying four days.  During those four days, God arrested my heart and gave me a new assignment. 

Since then, I have visited countless times and have used Zimbabwe as a base to visit Malawi, Botswana, Zambia, Kenya, and Uganda.  I have also brought about 250 people with me over the years, introducing them to the joys and pains of work and ministry in Africa.  Much of what I teach and write I have developed while here in Africa.  And no longer am I watching shows about the animals here, I am seeing them firsthand. 

So as you read, I may be watching a herd of elephants or hearing the crunching sounds of a lion eating his prey.  I may be tracking a leopard or getting so close to a rhino that I could reach out and touch him.  What's even better is that I am doing it all because I am a man of purpose and God has opened doors for that purpose all over the world.

What are your dreams?  What did you think of doing when you were young?  What do you dream of doing today?  The key to fulfill those dreams may not be to pursue them directly, but to clarify your purpose and pursue it wholeheartedly.  As you do, your purpose will open doors and along the way you will find your dreams coming true.  As you read this, I hope you will think to yourself, "Hey, if God did that for John Stanko, then God can do that for me!"  And your thinking would be correct.  Have a great week!

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1. In keeping with a practice I started last month, I am attaching my monthly prayer letter to this Memo.  If you feel led and can commit to pray for me over the coming days, I invited you to download the letter.  If you don't feel disposed to do so, then just ignore the attachment.

2. If you need to change your address to which this Memo is sent, hit the unsubscribe link below this automatic Feedblitz mailout.  Then go to this link and enter your new email address in the box in the right hand column.  You can add a gift subscription by going to the link and adding the new email address of the person you think would benefit from The Monday Memo. 

And the archives of past Monday Memos can still be located on my website. 

3.  If you would like to unsubscribe, just click the link below (if you receive this as an automatic message). 

4.  You can subscribe to automatically receive my regular blog posts by going to the site and entering your email below where it says "your email address."  Once you do, you will receive a confirmatino email and can also easily unsubscribe at any time. 

5.  We are more than half way through the study of First Corinthians, which I send out every week. These studies focus on four verses every day.  When I send them out, I send out a week's worth of verses.  I never make my studies technical; they are always practical and include questions to help you apply what you read every day.  If you would like to subscribe, go to the site and enter your email address. 

Prayer letter:  Download june_prayer_letter.doc

The Monday Memo 249

I feel reflective and philosophical today.  I have spent some time thinking the last few days about my involvement in what I call the purpose revolution.  I delivered my first purpose message in November, 2001.  Since then, I estimate that I have spoken on purpose about 900 times in various settings.  I don't think there are many others who can reflect on this message the way I can.  I thought I would share some of those reflections with you in this Memo.

MY BIGGEST JOY

I think my greatest joy in purpose has been the number of people who have been impacted by the message.  Little did I know in November, 2001 that I would not only speak so often about purpose but would also write six books and 249 Monday Memos.  I hear from people all over the world who share their stories, testimonies and questions about purpose. What's more, there's no end in sight.   

The people who write or call all tend to say the same thing:  The purpose message is liberating and affirming.  Even those who struggle to clarify their purpose write to say that they are better off for having searched, even if they aren't clear yet.   What a privilege to be part of something that has touched so many lives.

MY BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

When I first started speaking on purpose, I thought it would be just a matter of time before churches everywhere wanted to hear this message.  I am delighted that Rick Warren's book,  The Purpose Driven Life, has touched so many and gone so far. I have never been comfortable with the fact, however, that purpose was confined to a 40-day study in Pastor Warren's approach.  And, for the most part, I have been disappointed at how unresponsive the church and especially the leaders have been to the purpose message, even after they have completed the 40-day program.  Unless pastors see how this message can help their church grow, they just aren't that interested. 

I had one pastor tell me that purpose doesn't work in the church.  People, he said, can't be free to choose what they will do; they must be assigned or told what to do.  Another pastor asked me not to speak on purpose while I was at his church.  He said that he had everything "set" the way he wanted it, and the purpose message would only stir discontent.  Perhaps he was correct--about the discontent I mean. 

In part, this has been due to my inability to adequately show how purpose can help a church grow, which it can.  Nevertheless I don't fully understand why leaders would not want to equip their people to know what they were created to do, whether or not it gains more ushers or workers for the church.

MY BIGGEST SURPRISE

My biggest surprise has been how practical the purpose message is.  I have never had anyone get weird once they have embarked on a serious PurposeQuest.  No one has ever said to me, "I think I'm supposed to be an astronaut," or have someone say, "I"m the next Billy Graham."  The purpose message delivers people from being super-spiritual.  It also causes them to do a sane assessment of who they are and who they are not. 

Purpose expands the opportunities that people have to do God's will.  No longer does anyone have to choose from a short list of acceptable purpose statements (to do God's will, to be holy, to be a pastor, to name a few).  Purpose allows people to serve God in the realm of art, music, business, education or the military, where they can do the will of God outside the church and still be spiritual.

So there you have my reflections.  Feel free to add your comments to this Memo at the site where it is posted.  In the meantime, I urge you to stay true to your PurposeQuest, as I stay true to the message that captured my heart almost 15 years ago. 

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1. If you need to change your address to which this Memo is sent, hit the unsubscribe link below this automatic Feedblitz mailout.  Then go to this link and enter your new email address in the box in the right hand column.  You can add a gift subscription by going to the link and adding the new email address of the person you think would benefit from The Monday Memo. 

And the archives of past Monday Memos can still be located on my website. 

2.  If you would like to unsubscribe, just click the link below (if you receive this as an automatic message). 

3.  You can subscribe to automatically receive my regular blog posts by going to the site and entering your email below where it says "your email address."  Once you do, you will receive a confirmatino email and can also easily unsubscribe at any time. 

4.  I resumed sending my Corinthian Bible study notes last week.  If you would like to subscribe, go to the site and enter your email address. 

5.  I will be back in Kenya from June 8 to June 21.  If you would like to book a profiling/purpose appointment, please email me at your earliest convenience.