The Monday Memo from John Stanko

676: Purpose is Good for You

Last week we looked at the fact that being purposeful is good for your health! If you missed that message, you can go back and read it before proceeding with this week's edition. If you're up to date, then let's move on and continue to talk about how purpose and health relate to one another.

THE WELL WOMAN

I'm sure you are familiar with the story in John 4 of Jesus and his encounter with the woman at the well. It is interesting that Jesus was hungry and resting while His disciples went off to get lunch. When they returned, they saw an energized Jesus talking to that woman. Two things surprised the disciples. One was that Jesus was talking to the woman. The second was that he had no desire for the food they brought. When they urged Him to eat, Jesus gave His well-known response, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about" (John 4:34).

At that moment in time, Jesus was fulfilling HIs purpose, which was (and is) to "seek and save the lost" (Luke 19:10). His hunger subsided when He was talking to that woman and it was better to Him at that moment than food. I often ask people who are seeking clues to their purpose, "What can you do that causes you to lose track of time and to put off your normal mealtime?" Their answers often give people an idea of how to look for and define their purpose.

A BIT DEEPER

John 4 is not the only example from Scripture that tells us how important purpose is because it is God's will for your life. When Jesus was fasting in Matthew to start His public ministry, the devil tempted Him to break His fast by turning stones into bread, to use His supernatural power to serve His own needs. Jesus refused and quoted from the writings of Moses to resist the devil's wiles: “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'" (Matthew 4:4). Jesus was quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, which states, "He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."

God will humble you to see if His will, HIs purpose for your life, is more important than the prestige, the benefits, the trappings of success. In hard times, purpose will keep you going.

Finally, I think of Psalm 34:8, which encourages you to "taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." There is some physical satisfaction derived from serving the Lord when you give all you have to Him and His purpose." It is not bitter, leaves no aftertaste, goes down smoothly and digests well. There are some hesitant to drink or eat too deeply of the Lord and His ways, for they are not sure it will be a pleasant experience. Scripture assures us all that it is safe to eat and drink of the Lord; in fact, it's good for your health! (Does that make you think of any other passages, like John 6, where Jesus said that He was the bread from heaven?)

This week, I urge you not to nibble on the Lord and HIs purpose for you, but to swallow it and let it work in your deepest parts. It won't only taste good, it is good for you in every way and is meant to nourish you on the things of God he purposed in your best interests. Don't be afraid any longer to feast at the purposeful banquet table for it there that you will know the truth found in Psalm 36:8: "They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights." Have a blessed purposeful week.

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PITTSBURGH SEMINAR: I will be hosting a purpose seminar here in Pittsburgh on Saturday, October 4 from noon to 4:30. Space is limited to 40 people but admission is free! Once again, I ask that you send me an email to let me know you will be there - johnstanko@gmail.com. The sessions are held in the Children's Ministry at Allegheny Center Alliance Church.

CREATIVITY SEMINAR ON OCTOBER 10-11: A flier describing a creativity seminar here in Pittsburgh is attached below. It is also free but once again you must register for the event.

KENYA UPDATES: As usual, I have posted several updates about the work in Kenya for your review and consideration. Once you have read, please give generously to my work there, either through my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

MY NEW TV SHOW: You can watch my latest venture into purpose television at my new Vimeo link. And don't forget to check out my weekly radio shows (there are four) at your convenience. All the links for the shows can be found on my website and are available to you 24/7.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING: I am offering a chance for you to purchase my latest devotionals for all your friends and family as you do your holiday shopping. The flier describing the discounts, the books and the cost is found below.

Download Writing Workshop 2

Download Christmas Book Flier

675: Watch What You Eat

I was conducting some team-building sessions for a nonprofit organization in Dallas, Texas last Friday when a woman asked me a question; "Does not being in your purpose cause health problems?" The question surprised me, not because I did not have an answer, but because I have never been asked that before. My answer was an immediate, "Yes!" My reason for the answer was, "Because people without purpose have to swallow things that are difficult or impossible to digest!"

You may ask, "What do people like that have to swallow?" My answer to that is: "Regret, bitterness, anxiety, boredom, guilt and a sense of meaninglessness" just to name a few. People without purpose or who know but are not doing purpose can often live in daily regret and they work hard to 'digest' that regret - to make excuses  - or to self medicate by making false promises to themselves ("next year I am going to do this or that"). That regret, however, doesn't go away. It stays in their system and eventually causes aches, pains and more serious maladies the longer the regret or boredom are part of the eater's diet.

I have written in the past about John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist church. John Wesley found his purpose and therefore was able to produce "healthy" results. Read this excerpt from Christian History Magazine to see what I mean:

Wesley would preach three times a day, beginning at 5:00 a.m. since workers could stop to hear him as they walked to their daily drudgery. He sometimes covered sixty miles a day on horseback. Weather conditions made no difference; he made his schedule and kept it regardless. He would flee an angry mob by jumping into a cold pond, swim out and go on to preach again. He had the ability to turn hostile people his way. In all he went to Ireland forty-two times and to Scotland twenty-two times.

John Wesley taught as much by example as by his measured sermons. He published many volumes for use in devotions and turned profits into such projects as a dispensary for the poor. His personal life was beyond reproach. He translated hymns, interpreted scripture, wrote hundreds of letters, trained hundreds of men and women, and kept in his journals a record of expended energy that has hardly a rival in western literature.

He made the following diary entry on Tuesday, June 28, 1774:

This being my birthday, the first day of my seventy-scond year, I was considering: How is this, that I find just the same strength as I did thirty years ago?  That my sight is considerably better now, and my nerves firmer than they were then? That I have none of the infirmities of old age, and have lost several I had in my youth? The grand reason is the good pleasure of God, who doth whatsoever pleaseth him. The chief means are: 1) my constantly rising at four, for about fifty years; 2) my generally preaching at five in the morning, one of the most healthy exercises in the world; 3) my never travelling less, by sea or land, than four thousand five hundred miles a year.

During his ministry, Wesley rode over 250,000 miles on horseback, a distance equal to ten circuits of the globe along the equator. He preached over 40,000 sermons. Today his followers number 40 million people.

The conclusion: John Wesley's purpose was good for his health - and purpose will be good for your health, too. As you enter another week, ask yourself whether or not you are achieving purpose results that are good for your physical, emotional and spiritual health. Are you accomplishing all that you were created to do, or are you achieving far below your potential? Is it costing you something in energy, causing you to be more self-focused instead of God- or others-focused?

If you aren't happy with your results, then you need to change your 'diet." Instead of a steady diet of regret and guilt, perhaps it's time to dine on the excitement and exhilaration of a life filled with purpose. I pray that you will find ways to 'eat' better purpose food and that you will change the world, just like John Wesley did. Have a great week!

674: Shalom

In many Christian circles, I hear people talk about peace, but they use the Hebrew word 'shalom,' which is translated 'peace.' This word is a greeting or parting word commonly used in Israel, sort of like 'hello' and 'good bye.' Over the years I have not given much thought to it when anyone used the word 'shalom,' and at times thought they were simply trying to be trendy or cool when they used it.

I have been thinking more about it, however, and of course I have had a limited and sometimes cynical view on the word. My church uses the word to describe what they want to accomplish in the community in which the church is located and we have indeed contributed to the peace of the city. It has not simply been because we hold worship services in that community, however. We have brought shalom because we have been involved beyond Sunday, fostering and promoting many innovative, creative ministries that bring help and support to the residents every day of the week.

So here are my thoughts on how you can bring shalom to your community and your world.

SHALOM CARRIER

You can bring peace to your world by finding and fulfilling your purpose. You can bring peace by doing what is in your heart to do, not talking yourself out of it using a myriad of excuses why you cannot be the one to do this or that. You bring peace in purpose and productivity not because you are a nice person or because your are smart, but because when you do the works prepared beforehand for you to do, then God works with and through you. You are a shalom carrier because you are God's representative when you flow and function in purpose. And where God is and people are doing His will, there is shalom.

A good example of the power of individual shalom is found in Nehemiah. No one could rebuild the entire city, but each person could do what they could do where they could do it as described in this passage from Nehemiah 3:10-12:

Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.

You can see that some worked close to their home and others worked on the wall as a family project. Each one contributed what they could and, as the old adage goes, "many hands make light work." They did not pray for the peace of their city, they worked for the peace of their city. When they were threatened, they were willing to fight for the peace of their city. Fight for peace - that has a strange sound to it but it's true. If you want to contribute to peace, then fight through the turmoil in your own life and heart that is keeping you from doing what you can do to bring peace through purpose.

I write and create order out of chaos (my personal purpose) and my contributions bring peace where my writings and I are able to go. I cannot be a peace-maker or peace-bringer by myself. I can only repair my part of the wall and trust that you will repair your portion. I urge you today, if you want to bring peace to your city and your world, to find and fulfill your purpose and set plans that will enable you to achieve the dreams and goals in your heart. Shalom is not part of the heavenly Jerusalem that will descend magically on high. Shalom will 'happen' as you and many others like you take your place on God's wall and make your contribution with all the energy and creativity that God supplies. Thank you and have a blessed week!

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KENYA UPDATES: As usual, I have posted several updates about the work in Kenya for your review and consideration. Once you have read, please give generously to my work there, either through my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

DALLAS, TEXAS ON SEPTEMBER 20: I will be in Dallas next Saturday morning for a purpose seminar. The flier with information is attached below. The admission is free but you must register. Let me hear from you this week.

CREATIVITY SEMINAR ON OCTOBER 10-11: A flier describing a creativity seminar here in Pittsburgh is also attached below. It is also free but once again you must register for the event.

PITTSBURGH SEMINAR: I will be hosting a purpose seminar here in Pittsburgh on Saturday, October 4 from noon to 4:30. Space is limited to 40 people but admission is free! Once again, I ask that you send me an email to let me know you will be there. My email address is johnstanko@gmail.com. The sessions are held in the Children's MInistry at Allegheny Center Alliance Church.

Download Writing Workshop 2

Download Purpose Seminar Flier

My Latest Ministry Update

Since 1991, I have worked to provide resources to help you and people all over the world like you to find and fulfill your God-given purpose. Here are some of the ways you can benefit from and get in touch with those resources in the days to come:

KENYA UPDATE: I posted the latest update from my work in Kenya on my blog. You can read about the work we are doing with orphans there, and you can read through a history of our work by viewing all my Kenya entries here. Once you have read, I ask that you donate generously to help us continue the work. You can do this through my website using PayPal or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

KENYA COLLECTIONS:  I collect items of need for Kenya year-round and ship them over once a year to found libraries and equip schools. Items collected include shoes (men's, women's, kid's, dress, casual, new and used), books (fiction and non-fiction, non-textbooks, new or used), used but in-working-order laptops, educational supplies, undergarments for children, musical instruments, and art supplies. Contact me for pickup or drop items off at Allegheny Center Alliance Church on the North Side of Pittsburgh.

KENYA TRIP: The deadline for applications for the 2015 Kenya trip is Sunday, September 28. The final information meeting will be held for those interested in going on that day as well, at 12:30 PM on the North Side of Pittsburgh. Let me know if you will be attending. You can read about past trips on my travel blog.

COMING TO DALLAS TEXAS: I will be conducting a purpose seminar in Dallas on Saturday, September 20 from 10 to 12:30 at 8115 Preston Road in Dallas (this is a board room in an office complex and not a church or nonprofit organization). I am sponsoring this myself with the help of my friend, John Mogk, and the admission is free, but you do need to register! I need to hear that you are coming no later than Thursday, September 18 at 5 PM. Just send me an email and I will send you a confirmation!

PITTSBURGH SEMINAR: I will be hosting a purpose seminar here in Pittsburgh on Saturday, October 4 from noon to 4:30. Space is limited to 40 people but admission is free! Once again, I ask that you send me an email to let me know you will be there. My email address is johnstanko@gmail.com. The sessions are held in the Children's MInistry facility at Allegheny Center Alliance Church.

CREATIVITY GROUP: Last year I began a once-a-month meeting of creative people who get together for encouragement, teaching, and feedback on their work. The group is called G1 (short for Genesis 1) since we are created in the image of the Creator. The upcoming meetings are September 27, October 25 and November 22 (all Saturdays) from 1PM to 3PM in Pittsburgh on the North Side. Again, just let me know you are coming. The group has created a Facebook page for you to access.

RADIO: I currently host or co-host four weekly radio shows: one is on a local AM station and three are strictly Internet productions. You can tune in to Ministry Beat on Tuesdays at 4PM, Urban Heroes on Wednesday at 8AM, Leadership Talk on Friday at 4PM and Wake Up to Purpose at 8AM on Saturday morning on WPIT-730AM (you can listen to this online or using the WPIT mobile app anywhere in the world; archived shows are available on my website). If you cannot listen live (and most can't) all these shows are placed in an archive, which you can access at your convenience on the link provided.

MESSAGES: You can listen to or watch messages I have spoken at my local church on the church's website or other messages in my own website archives.

BOOKS: I currently have 20 books in publication, three of which are devotionals published this year. The devotionals make a great gift to yourself or others, for they keep on giving every day of the year! You can see all my books on Amazon and most are available in paper or Kindle versions. The three new devotionals are A String of Pearls: Wisdom for Productive People, A Daily Taste of Proverbs and What Would Jesus Ask You Today? 

PURPOSECOACH: I am available for one-on-one purpose mentoring, personality assessments, 360-degree profiles and creativity coaching. I am also available to speak or consult with your company or organization around the topics of purpose, team building, leadership development and strategic planning.

THE PACIFIC INSTITUTE: I am a certified facilitator for the cognitive learning programs offered through The Pacific Institute, a world leader in personal development and leadership training.

TELEVISION: I am currently launching a new television show called Your PurposeQuest. This is a show designed to help you find purpose through the stories of my guests. The show can be seen locally on the Pittsburgh Community Channel. Never fear, however, if you cannot get that channel. Just go to my Vimeo channel and you can watch it any time from anywhere in the world.

WEBSITE: My website, PurposeQuest, is chock full of tools to help you find your purpose. Go there to take a purpose assessment and to see all the latest resources to help you be a person of purpose.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL: I write every day and post it for your devotional enjoyment and spiritual growth. This year's devotional is The Leadership Walk. You can subscribe to receive it every day or simply go there to check it out from time to time. I also post that daily devotional on Linkedin.

NEW TESTAMENT DEVOTIONAL: I have completed a verse-by-verse devotional of the entire New Testament, which is available on my Bible blog or on my website. I edit these on a regular basis and you can subscribe to receive those updates at the Bible blog site.

SOCIAL MEDIA: I have three Facebook pages - my personal page, one for my ministry PurposeQuest International and one called Feeding Widows and Orphans in Africa. My personal page is maxed out, but you can go to the other pages and register a 'like' so you can stay in touch with what's happening. I am also on Twitter at @johnstanko.

CONTRIBUTIONS: If you notice, most of what I listed above is free of charge. I seldom ask, but if you would like to contribute to my personal support and ministry, you can do so through my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

Thank you and I pray the Lord will use the resources and programs above to encourage and equip you for purposeful living.

673: Proper Perspective

I have written about the practice of false humility and the harm it does to your purpose and productivity. When you act like or deny the fact that you can do something well (false humility), you are talking yourself out of its importance and of your urgent need to do (or be) it more. While it seems spiritual to act with a lack of urgency, a passive attitude and self-deprecation, it often hinders, and can even thwart, God's ability to use you.

This past week I posted a well-known quote from the Scottish poet Robert Burns, which states:

Oh that the gods
The gift would gi'e us
To see ourselves
As others see us

Now often we think of the need to see ourselves as others see us when we are acting like jerks, which does happen from time to time. I contend, however, that the need is greater that we see ourselves as others see us in our strengths and purpose, and not in our sin and weakness.

MIGHTY WARRIOR

When the Lord appeared to Gideon in Judges 6, this is how he greeted Gideon: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior" (Judges 6:12). The interesting thing is that Gideon was not acting like a mighty warrior at the time; he was cowering in fear as he threshed wheat in a spot hidden from his enemies. Gideon went on to engage in false humility, telling the Lord: “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family" (Judges 6:15).

Something tells me that you have reacted just as Gideon did; I know I have, too.

God had something to do that only he could do and God saw it; Gideon did not, either because he could not or he refused. At this point, you may say, "Well, that was what God saw and He knows everything." But often when God sees it (the it being your giftedness, power or potential), others do as well. Note later what someone said as they interpreted a dream another person had described:

"Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. 'I had a dream,' he was saying. 'A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.'  His friend responded, This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands'" (Judges 7:13-14).

It wasn't just God who saw Midian's power; others saw it as well.

OTHERS SEE IT

Yes, there are times when you need to see yourself as others do when you are misbehaving. It is more important, however, as others see you in the power of your purpose. Paul wrote about this matter when he said: "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you" (Romans 12:3). He warned not to think more highly of yourself than is appropriate but did not say not to accurately assess yourself.

Where are you dismissing your power because you have been taught that it's the spiritual thing to do? Where has it caused you to be passive instead of aggressive in the revealed will of God for your life? Maybe this week you need to harken to prophetic words, or seek out a trusted mentor, or listen to the encouragement that others have been or are giving you. Whatever it takes, I urge you to stop acting like false humility is spiritual and get about the work of accurately assessing the importance and power that God in His sovereign will had chosen to bestow upon you for His purpose and glory. Have a great week!

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I am going to do something I have done only a few other times in the 13-year history of the Monday Memo. I am going to publish a separate Memo outlining the latest developments, programs and publications that are part of my ministry and work. I promise not to make it a regular habit.