The Monday Memo from John Stanko

402: Moses' Mama

Last week, I wrote about PurposeParents and received a lot of feedback asking for more stuff on purpose and parenting. So due to popular demand, I will delay my series on Daniel that I was about to begin and talk about the topic at hand.

WHAT DID SHE SEE?

When i think of a purpose parent, my mind goes to Moses' mama.  She had the mixed blessing of giving birth to a son.  It was "mixed" because she was certainly joyful at the birth but sad that Pharaoh's edict demanded every male baby be thrown into the river, to be drowned or eaten by crocodiles. That is what all the other mothers had probably done or been forced to do, but the story is a little different for Moses' mama.

So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months (Exodus 2:2).

What did Moses' mama see? When our son was born, his nose was flat against his face, his ears stood out, his hair, though wet, stood straight up and he was blue, red, pink and purple all over!  My wife looked at him and looked at me to say, "Maybe he will be intelligent!"  He certainly wasn't must to look at (we are proud to say he is today both an intelligent and good-looking 31-year-old man). 

What did Moses' mama see that made her boy beautiful?  She saw the purpose of God on him.  She saw past the imperfections and Pharaoh's edict and saw God's hand, as Stephen said while preaching to the Sanhedrin:

"It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father's home (Acts 7:20).

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

So Moses' mama obeyed Pharaoh's edict, sort of.  She threw her son into the river, but first she built and placed him in a waterproof basket.  After all, Pharaoh didn't say that she could not do that, now did he?  She was creative to preserve her son's purpose from the ravages of culture, prejudice and fear.  This woman changed the world because she saw more than her baby boy; she saw God's purpose for him, which made him lovely in the sight of God.

So if and when you are a parent, what will you do?  Will you choose to look at all the wrinkles, faults and weaknesses of your children, or will you focus on his or her purpose? Will you do for them what Egypt says must be done, or will you do what God's purpose warrants for them?  Will you send them into the river without protection or with a handmade basket that will protect them from the dangerous elements of life so they can "float" to their divine destiny?

Moses' mama changed history by being a good PurposeParent and you can, too.  Don't waste time trying to make your children perfect, and don't just hand them over to Egypt. See in them what God sees and then do what you have to do to help bring forth God's purpose in them.  Have a great week!

    Feel free to write a comment to this entry on the site where it is posted.

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1. THE SOPHIA FUND UPDATE: I am so excited. I got an envelope from the local restaurant containing the "first fruits" of the container we placed there, and we got $56!  Plus another $135 came in last week.  I am having more fun with this than any one person should be allowed to have. Yet the purpose of the Fund is not fun, for we are using the money to feed AIDS orphans and widows in Kenya and Zimbabwe. 

I wrote an update and a thank you for those who have given to the Fund last Monday and you can read it here.  You can also 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.

If you give a gift of $25 or more during the month of June, I will send you a free copy of my book, Strictly Business, while supplies last.  Thanks, and I look forward to seeing you play a part in addressing the issues of HIV/AIDS and world hunger.

2. REVELATION: I still need your help. I still cannot find a publisher for an important book I have written, which is a devotional focusing on the book of Revelation. So I feel an urgent need to self-publish this work, which will cost about $2,500. I wrote about this project in my blog a few months ago and encourage you to read what I wrote there.

In that post, I explain my urgency in wanting to get it out for people to read. Once you read my rationale, please consider if the Lord wants you to help me to restore an important book of the Bible that has been obscured by so many weird interpretations. I was ready to remove this appeal this week, but I sense someone is out there who is going to help.  Just do whatever God is telling you to do.

3. DAILY PROVERB: I am now posting a short daily devotional focusing on one verse every day on my blog site.  If you would like to read it or subscribe to receive it, just go to my site and register there.  I promise to have it updated every day. 

4. MONDAY MEMOS ARCHIVE:  Did you know that all 400 Monday Memos are archived on my website along with an index that includes the topic and Scriptural references for each Memo?  This makes it possible to read past Memos or search for specific topics or cross references with ease.

5. HEAR ME PREACH: You can download and listen to yesterday's message I delivered at my local church, entitled Cliffhanger Faith by going here. You can download the notes from that site, too.

6. FACEBOOK:  I update my status on Facebook (you can find me by searching my email, johnstanko@att.net) every morning to include a daily verse from Proverbs and an inspirational quote.  I do the same on Twitter @johnstanko. Go there to sign up and follow along.

7. FREE PURPOSEQUEST ASSESSMENT: I updated and improved the feeback email you receive from your online assessment, so now is a great time to take or re-take the purpose assessment on my website.  This is not a scientific survey, but something that is meant to stimulate your thought and direct your study concerning where you are in your PurposeQuest.

401: PurposeParents

I have been thinking about the role that parents play in a child's PurposeQuest, even when those children are mature and out of the house.  This week,  I want to focus on three parents in the Old Testament, make some comments on how they were as PurposeParents and then give them a grade.  See if you agree with my evaluation.

1.    Abraham – Abraham was distracted at times by his attachment to Ishmael, whom he fathered to Hagar while he was waiting for God’s promised son. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son at God’s command, which shows that he certainly put God before his son and had his priorities correct. To his credit, Abraham got involved in finding Isaac a wife, but Isaac wasn’t a purpose-driven man. 

Isaac never accomplished much of anything and we will see that he was a poor father.  That leads me to say that Abraham failed to provide adequate direction for Isaac, whose only accomplishment seems to have been unstopping some of his father’s wells that the locals had filled in.  Isaac obviously knew about the promises that God made to Abraham, but did little to carry them out.  For all that, I give Abraham a C as a PurposeParent.

2.    Isaac - Isaac was a man of many weaknesses.  His wife Rebekah regularly had to intervene in the family’s affairs when Isaac didn’t seem to pay attention.  No one will ever convince me that Isaac didn’t know it was Jacob standing before him when Jacob tricked Isaac into giving him the blessing that belonged to the eldest. “Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau." He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him. "Are you really my son Esau?" he asked (Genesis 27:22-24).  Isaac did not want to confront Jacob or to anger his wife. 

Jacob never mentioned his father and, in part due to Isaac’s poor parenting model, Jacob’s family was a mess. I give Isaac an F as a PurposeParent

3.    Jacob – What can we say about a man who played favorites, didn’t confront the obvious animosity between his sons, fathered sons to four different women and paid more attention to his business than to his offspring?  We would say that he was a bad parent, and that’s what Jacob was.  I give Jacob a D as a parent (at least he had the sense to favor Joseph over the rest, although the way he showed it caused Joseph tremendous problems).

I want to go one step further with Jacob, however.  I would give Jacob an A as a grandfather.  Read Genesis 48:1-22 and see how Jacob handled the blessing of Joseph’s sons.  He got it right!  He didn’t pay attention to the grandsons' age, but rather to God's purpose for their lives.  He refused to follow what Joseph wanted him to do and instead released each grandchild to his divine destiny. 

PurposeParent Lessons:

• It's never too late to instill purpose in your children or grandchildren.
• There are no perfect parents, only a perfect God.
• God was known as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, so He identifies with the weak and imperfect. There is hope for you and me!
• God has a purpose for each child. 

As a parent (or future parent), meditate on and discuss the parenting skills of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as they relate to your child’s purpose.  What can you learn about what not to do with your children?  What can you learn that will make you more effective?  Can you think of other parental models to consider from the Bible?  How about Mary, Moses’ parents, Hannah, Jesse or David?  What can you learn from them that will make your children more in tune with their purpose and destiny?  Have a great week!

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REVELATION: I need your help. I urgently want to publish my next book, this time a devotional from the book of Revelation. I wrote about this project in my blog last week and encourage you to read what I wrote there. In that post, I explain my urgency in wanting to get it out for people to read. Then please consider if the Lord wants you to help me to restore an important book of the Bible that has been obscured by so many weird interpretations.  If you have any questions about the project, please don't hesitate to contact me.

THE SOPHIA FUND UPDATE:  Last week, $150 came in for The Fund.  As I promised, every penny you send is going 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.

400: More Ramblings

This is Monday Memo 400.  It's hard to believe I have been writing the Memo for more than eight years. What started simply has taken on a life of its own, with its own site and a pretty hefty following.  I have found something to write about on 400 Sunday evenings when I sat down at the computer and i have learned a lot in the process.  Here are some of my thoughts, which you may consider ramblings:

1. I have grown more confident in my writing skills since 2001 and it serves me well as I continue to write books and produce papers for my classes at Reformed Presbyterian Seminary.  The more I write, the more I want to write.  It is almost addictive.


2. When I am afraid, I procrastinate. What am I afraid of?  Mostly I am afraid I don't have time to produce something of the quality I desire, so I find all kinds of excuses to put off trying.  I have come to the conclusion that most procrastination is rooted in fear.


3. As I have become a better writer, I have been able to encourage others to take the "plunge" and write, too.  There are many today who write their own regular updates because of the Monday Memo and I consider that an honor.


4. Every year I seriously consider whether or not I should stop writing the Memo.  I am thinking about it now.  I think, however, that I would rather change the format at this point and not stop, but I am procrastinating (see number 2 above).


5. I am always amazed at the power of regular Internet communication to build relationships.  Many people write or tell me that I have mentored them through the Monday Memo, yet I have never met them face-to-face.  When people tell me the Internet is impersonal, I just shake my head, knowing that they don't fully understand what they are talking about.


6. I can look back into my childhood and see the first signs that I wanted to be a writer. Your childhood often holds significant clues as to your purpose.


7. I have written two books using Monday Memos as the content. When you can do two things with one effort, it certainly makes it more efficient and worthwhile.

While many people have been blessed by the Monday Memo, I am the one who is the most blessed. I have given them away free of charge and it is my joy to do so.  I never grow tired of someone saying, "I read your stuff."  I almost always respond, "Great!  If you keep reading, I'll keep writing."  So let me close with that thought before I ramble too long and far, and you grow weary of my words. Have a great week!

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THE SOPHIA FUND UPDATE:  It would be a fantastic way to celebrate issue 400 of the Memo by making a contribution to The Sophia Fund. Last week, $335 came in for The Fund.  As I promised, every penny you send is going to feed the poor in Zimbabwe and Kenya (We wired $1000 to Kenya two weeks ago, with another $500 slated to go to Zimbabwe this week). 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.

REVELATION: I know there is someone or someones out there who are supposed to help me with this project. I urgently want to publish my next book, this time a devotional from the book of Revelation. I wrote about this project in my blog last week and encourage you to read what I wrote there. In that post, I explain my urgency in wanting to get it out for people to read. Then please consider if the Lord wants you to help me to restore an important book of the Bible that has been obscured by so many weird interpretations.  If you have any questions about the project, please don't hesitate to contact me.

399: Dorcas

I can't believe it.  I have written 398 Memos and I have never, ever written about one of my favorite stories?  I checked and rechecked and it's true. There's no way that can be true, but it is.  What an oversight.  Here is the story:

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!"Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord (Acts 9:36-42).

ANALYSIS

If you are like me, for many years, I made Peter the focus when I read that passage.  For this Memo, let's make Dorcas the focus.  If Dorcas was alive today, she would have a sewing machine, a source for material and a heart to sew for the poor. She was a "nothing" woman - she had no prestige or position - in a "nowhere" village who was helping 'nobody' people.  Dorcas had nothing going for her except that she was a woman of purpose, always doing good and helping the poor.  Therefore in reality, she had everything going for her.

In her day of trouble, when she could not cry out on her own behalf, the evidence of a life yielded to God's purpose cried out for her.  Peter, the most significant spiritual leader at the time, broke off what he was doing to come down and view her dead body. He was so moved both by how much everyone missed Dorcas and by the impact she had made while she was alive that he brought her back from the dead to continue her work.

Once that happened, a revival broke out in Dorcas' village and she never even preached a message.  She just did good deeds for poor people.  What an amazing story.

APPLICATION

Do you see any needs around you that you can meet like Dorcas did? If you do, what are you waiting for?  Go meet them!  Are you hung up on what you don't have and what you can't do?  Then start focusing on what you do have and can do. Have you convinced yourself that you can't make a difference in the world around you, or have you chosen not to make that difference?  Either way, your thinking is wrong! The only reason you can't is that you have told yourself you can't and it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Please take the lessons from Dorcas' life to heart this week and follow her example. When you do, you have all of heaven's attention, no matter how trivial or insignificant what you are doing seems to be.  It's time to stop examining what you don't have and consider what you do have, and that is a purpose that no one else can perform like you.  It's time that you answer a difficult and challenging question: When you leave, will people miss you like they missed Dorcas?  The only way you will be able to answer "yes" is to start fulfilling your purpose today, right now.  As you do, you will not only have a great week, but also a great life.

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REVELATION: I need your help. I urgently want to publish my next book, this time a devotional from the book of Revelation. I wrote about this project in my blog last week and encourage you to read what I wrote there. In that post, I explain my urgency in wanting to get it out for people to read. Then please consider if the Lord wants you to help me to restore an important book of the Bible that has been obscured by so many weird interpretations.  If you have any questions about the project, please don't hesitate to contact me.

THE SOPHIA FUND UPDATE:  Last week, $110 came in for The Fund and I placed a container in a major restaurant to collect money for The Fund. As I promised, every penny you send is going to feed the poor in Zimbabwe and Kenya (We wired $1000 to Kenya two weeks ago, with another $500 slated to go to Zimbabwe as soon as someone can carry it over for me). 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.

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.

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.

Memo 398: Purpose Ramblings

I feel pensive and reflective as I sit at my desk to write this Memo.  So allow me to share some random ramblings with you about purpose.  I won't follow the format of any past Memos, but here goes.

1. My most recent purpose coaching sessions have been fascinating. They have all been accompanied by tears, something that happened twenty years ago when I first presented purpose and has not stopped. When you realize that God knows your name and that you have something from Him so deeply ingrained in who you are, it is hard not to weep for joy.

2. It has taken me 15-20 minutes in my last few sessions to get to the bottom of someone's purpose, or at least to give them a lot of things about which to think and pray.  I hope those I am coaching don't dismiss the results because they come so quickly.

3. To be good at something, anything, you must put the hours and effort into developing your greatness.  I have sat with more than 2,500 people in the last ten years in one-on-one purpose sessions.  I would like to think God has helped me hone my skill.

4. I am often sad that I don't speak or preach more regularly, but the other day I had this thought: "If I was preaching, I probably would not be writing as much as I do." God closed one door and opened another.  He knows what He is doing.

5. I still have the duty to find more opportunities to use my speaking gift, so I am teaching some classes at the Center for Urban Biblical Ministry. I just finished a class entitled, Messianic Prophecies: The Old Testament in the New.  It was a great class!

6. I am now writing a daily Proverb and one inspirational quote on Twitter and Facebook for my "twitterati" and "friends."  Here is one from the other day:

"There comes a special moment in everyone's life, a moment for which that person was born. That special opportunity when he seizes it, will fulfill his mission - a mission for which he is uniquely qualified. In that moment, he finds greatness. It is his finest hour" - Winston Churchill.

7. Oh, how I wish I could reach more young people with the purpose message. I just wrote an article for someone in the UK by the title, "Never Too Young for Purpose."  I am attaching it to this Memo below.

8. I am selling more of my Daily of Proverbs books than ever before.  There is no feeling like selling something you have written and then have people come back to tell you they enjoyed it.

Okay, I invite and even challenge you to write me this week with one purpose rambling from your own experience.  Click here so you can add it to the end of this entry on the site where it is posted. Have a great week!

Download Purpose and Youth

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REVELATION: I need your help. I urgently want to publish my next book, this time a devotional from the book of Revelation. I wrote about this project in my blog last week and encourage you to read what I wrote there. In that post, I explain my urgency in wanting to get it out for people to read. Then please consider if the Lord wants you to help me to restore an important book of the Bible that has been obscured by so many weird interpretations.  If you have any questions about the project, please don't hesitate to contact me.

THE SOPHIA FUND UPDATE:  Last week, $200 came in for The Fund. As I promised, every penny you send is going to feed the poor in Zimbabwe and Kenya (we wired $1000 to Kenya this past week). 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.

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.

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.