It’s a great day to be a Red Sox fan! Last night they beat the Angels and are now headed to the American League Championship Series. They’ll face the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that “owned” us in the regular season. But there’s something about the playoffs that bring out the best in teams, especially the Red Sox! Afterall, we only needed 4 games to send the Angels–the team with the best regular season record in the leauge this year–home for the season!
Not too long ago my wife, Liz, was looking through our old photo albums for a particular picture that she wanted to pass along to her father. It began as a quick task one afternoon and ended several hours later with the two of us taking an unexpected trip down memory lane! Our pictures were a reminder of times past and helped give us a sense of who we are. In today’s world, knowing who you are is very important. We’ve all heard of people paying lots of money and traveling thousands of miles in order to “find themselves.” I once heard a comedian say that he took a guy who wanted to find himself to a mall, stood him in front of the mall directory and pointed to the “You Are Here” star!
It’s doubtful that such a star would bring purpose to our lives and help us answer the critical question that we all are faced with: who am I? But as simple as it might sound, it is important that each of us know who we are. We are reminded of who we are through our own pictures and memories, but do we know who we really are? Stay with me for a moment as we look back several centuries at the life of one man who sought the answer to this critical question. His name is Nicodemus and we can learn much through his example. We can read about his story in the third chapter of John from the Bible. According to this chapter, Nicodemus was rich, powerful and a leader in the community. He seemed to have much when it came to earthly possessions and if we read on we see Nicodemus do something very peculiar: he travels at night to speak with Jesus.
Now why would a man who seemed to have it all take time out of his busy schedule to go to Jesus? My guess is that Nicodemus was seeking the answer to the “who am I?” question and walked away from his encounter forever changed! Jesus tells him that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). In this verse we see that there is a God who desires to have a personal relationship with each of us. All we have to do is accept the free gift that He has given. And whether your past is filled with memories that you’d like to hold onto or leave behind you can take advantage of the hope that Christ offers to you today by accepting this free gift that He has given to each of us.
So many people that I know have read The Shackthat I decided that I needed to read it as well. I brought it with me on vacation and have to admit that it’s a great read! The author dives into some tough subjects and handles them well. Here’s a few of the quotes I loved:
(In the book these first two quotes are spoken by God)
“Just because I work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn’t mean I orchestrate the tragedies. Don’t ever assume that my using something means I caused it or that I need it to accomplish my purposes. That will only lead you to false notions about me. Grace doesn’t depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors.”
“Humans are not defined by their limitations, but by the intentions that I have for them; not by what they seem to be, but by everything it means to be created in my image.”
(Why God wants to hear us pray)“As we (trinity) are listening to you, it is as if this is the first time we have known about [your prayer requests], and we take great delight in seeing them through your eyes.”
I bought a coffee the other day and the cashier gave me back 27 cents as change. A simple exchange for a common drink. But this change brought back a great memory for me. When I was a kid 27 cents would buy me a pack of my favorite gum: raspberry Bubilicious! And now, every time I see a quarter and two pennies it brings me back to my childhood and I can almost taste the raspberry flavor. What great memories.
Today, I can’t help but think of what 27 cents will buy a child who’s living in a poor country. I bet it would go a long way to help put food in their stomach. It’s all a matter of perspective, I suppose. A few coins in my small hand equaled a sweet treat. A few coins in a hungry child’s hand could mean a full belly!
I was at a friends house the other day and couldn’t help but admire their beautiful house. I enjoyed my time with them and unfortunately walked out thinking, “man, my house is small compared to there’s!” It’s all a matter of perspective, I suppose.
But the things I could do with all that room and the huge plasma TV! And then I was reminded of the young man from Kenya who came to our church to speak to us. He told us about the ONE room that he and his entire family lived in….and he said this with a BIG smile on his face because they lived happily and were thankful for what they had.
It’s all a matter of perspective, I suppose. Learning to be happy with what I have right now.
I love giving things away! Here’s what I have…I wrote a very short article for the Journal of Christian Coaching and they sent me extra copies of their latest edition. If you want a copy, send me an email (larry@focusincoaching.com) and include your mailing address. I’ll drop it it in the mail at no charge to you! Here’s the catch: I only have 2 copies left so you better hurry with your email!
This journal is a nice read because it’s filled with great ideas and resources to help coaches and leaders (every one of us is a leader to someone!) become better at what they do. I love the encouraging stories and the articles are filled with helpful insight. It’s added value to my life!
Ok, I’ll admit it. I am a person who likes to plan and then work that plan without deviating from it. This is my nature and I often have to fight against it. Planning is great, but if I’m not careful I spend too much time dreaming about what could be and not enough time actually getting out there and doing it! So, here’s the principle that I’m learning this week:
Ready, Fire, Aim!
Yes, you read that right. Fire your shot before you aim. The idea is to keep you focused on action rather than on planning. Many of us love to dream of a better tomorrow, but are stopped dead in our tracks when it comes to actually putting our dreams into actions. For me, I feel like I have to have everything figured out, all the details thought through and taken care of before I lift a finger and put the plan into action. But, it’s this dependence on the plan that prevents me from action and the best way to learn and improve on my results. What about you? Is it hard to take the jump from planning to putting it into action?
The quickest way to hit your target is to fire a shot, check to see where it landed, adjust your aim and then fire again. Your aim gets better and your results will be closer to your target with each shot that you take. You learn best by doing. Planning has its place, but make sure it doesn’t keep you from acting on it. One of my favorite Bible verses is Jeremiah 33:3:
Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.
What “great and mighty things” does God have in store for you? Quite often we don’t know until we take that first action step of faith. Pray and ask God to show you what your next action step is. Big or small, I want to encourage you to take that next step. What do you have to lose? Get out there, take your shot, check your aim and then take your next shot! You’ll be glad you did!
We’d love to hear your story! Share how God is working in your life by posting a response on this blog. It’s a great way to encourage others on in their journey!
I got the opportunity to review Mark Batterson’s new book, Wild Goose Chase. The book arrived on Saturday and I finished it on Monday. It was an amazing read! Here’s the Big Idea from the first chapter:
We try to reduce the will of God to the logical limits of our left brain. But the will of God is neither logical nor linear. It is down right confusing and complicated. A part of us feels as if something is spiritually wrong with us when we experience circumstantial uncertainty. But that is precisely what Jesus promised us when we are born of the Spirit and start following Him. Most of us will have no idea where we are going most of the time. And I know that is unsettling. But circumstantail uncertainty also goes by another name: adventure. Nothing is more unnerving or discorienting than passionately pursuing God. And the sooner we come to terms with that spiritual reality, the more we will enjoy the journey.
This opening statement hit home with me. So many times I try to make God’s will fit in this neat little box so that I can manage and try to understand every aspect of it. I’m now realizing that it’s not my job to figure it all out. Instead, I want to follow Him in the adventure and be sure to enjoy the journey wherever it takes me!
Here’s a few more quotes from the book:
The Wild Goose chase begins when we come to terms with our greatest responsibility: pursuing the passions God has put in our heart.
If you want to discover your God-ordained passions, then you need to identify what makes you sad, mad or glad.
When Christianity turns into a noun, it becomes a turnoff. Christianity was always intended to be a verb. And, more specifically, an action verb. If the twenty-first century church said less and did more, maybe we would have the same kind of impact the first-century church did.
Who you are isn’t the issue; the issue is whose you are!
Powerful quotes! This book is now one of my all-time favorites. It’s very encouraging, refreshing and inspiring! It’s being released today so be sure to get a copy.
Oh yeah, I do have a free book that I’m giving away. Be the first person to post a comment and I’ll mail it out to you at no charge to you!
I’m listening to the Star Spangled Banner as I type this. Today, as I think about this Memorial Day I am thankful. Thankful for the thousands of men and women who have risked and given their lives so that I can live in the greatest country in the world!
I’m also thankful that I get to spend the day with my wife. It’s a gorgeous day and I hope to spend most of it outside. Hope you’re enjoying your holiday too!
