821: I'm Trusting the Lord for . . .

Now that Celebrate a Failure week is over, I hope you have stared your failures right in the eye and are ready to move on to much success in the Lord. Once you realize that your failures did not destroy you but were a vital learning experience, you can set goals and pursue your dreams without the debilitating fear that emanates from the fear of failure. With that in mind, I thought I would share with you some of the things I am trusting the Lord to help me accomplish while I battle my own fears that I have gone too far or am trying to do too much. Here goes.

THIS IS WHAT I'M TRUSTING THE LORD FOR

1. I am writing my next book, a fiction fable that includes lessons on the book of Psalms and the relationship between Saul and David, and how that relationship helped develop David and a few of the psalms he wrote. For that, I am trusting the Lord.
2. I just released my latest book called A Leadership Carol: A Classic Tale for Modern Leaders, which I co-authored with my friend Jim Dittmar. I believe this book has the potential to make a significant contribution to the study of leadership, and I hope that it will sell well. For that, I am trusting the Lord.
3. My company, Urban Press, is currently developing about 24 book projects, and I am involved in helping to write and edit every one of them. For that, I am trusting the Lord.
4. I sent off the shipping list for the next container heading to Kenya, which contains 25,000 books, 2,500 shoes, and a ton of school supplies -- 750 boxes in all. The cost will be about $15,000, of which I still need to raise $5,000. For that, I am trusting the Lord.
5. I am heading to Nigeria in October to teach a graduate class that has not been taught in 10 years. The syllabus is outdated, the Nigerians will not connect well with the book list, which means I will have to teach 37 hours in one week and make the material relevant to the 24 students will fulfilling the requirements of the university. For that, I am trusting the Lord.
6. After Nigeria, I will visit Kenya to plan our February trip. During that trip, I hope to sponsor a retreat weekend for the instructors from three schools with which we partner. I will need to raise $10,000 to sponsor the weekend as well as develop the content for the weekend. For that, I am trusting the Lord.
7. I am teaching two undergraduate classes this coming semester, while juggling my travel schedule and publishing duties. For that, I am trusting the Lord.
8. I have published four volumes of my New Testament commentaries, and I am editing volume five, which will be Paul's prison epistles. For that, I am trusting the Lord.
9. I am preaching next weekend in my own church and on September 3 at Victory Church in Oklahoma City. For that, I am trusting the Lord.

YOUR TURN

I have shared my faith projects with you. Now I am asking you to do the same. Take a moment and write a report to my readers about your faith projects, and include it in the comments on the site where this entry is posted. This will serve to encourage others to face their fears of failure and clarify and state their own faith venture.

The goal of the Celebrate a Failure week was not to exalt failure, but to prepare for fruitful success. Failure is always a possibility, but we should not allow its specter to hinder our goals or aspirations. I look forward to hearing from you this week, and I pray you will pursue purpose and creativity with unfettered enthusiasm as you serve the Lord. Have a blessed week!