LEAN IN

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Last Sunday at my home church, our YOUTH Pastor, John Marc was, along with several students, recapping their recent trip to FORWARD.  https://forwardconference.org/index.html

All the kids took some time to talk about the trip, the highlights and more importantly some of the lessons learned.  As you can see from the link, Forward offers a pretty remarkable lineup of content, worship and speakers.  So, it most certainly is an environment for enlightening and inspiration.

But as John was “teeing up” the kids he shared that he ENCOURAGED the students to LEAN IN each day; to listen with intention even when the attention span wanted to wane for there was always something to LEARN, something that would resonate.

And as I was traveling down to Atlanta yesterday and had the 8 hours or so in the car, I got to thinking about what John had encouraged.  And I can honestly say that over the last 11 years when I have employed that strategy, I have LEARNED, I have been INSPIRED, and I have been ENLIGHTENED.  And many times, what I gained was something or a relationship that I would need or could cultivate sometime “down the road”.

I think about why I am down here today.  I have a friend Kevin who is an expert in the area of SBIRT engagement. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment. So, I was “leaning in and learning” via a FAITH-FOCUSED WEBINAR on this subject so I could then forward him the content.  What resulted from me “leaning in” was a connection to KELLY.  Kelly is a leader in GEORGIA who is hosting her 9^th FAITH/SECULAR Recovery Conference today and tomorrow.  I had never heard of Kelly or the organization that is hosting me today, but because I leaned in, I know there is something to learn or someone to meet that I can bring back to OHIO to help our folks (and myself I am sure) in our journey of RECOVERY.

I am CONFIDENT you have similar stories.  I am sure you have had those Sundays when you felt the Pastor might have been eavesdropping on your week because the message seemed written for you!

And as I thought about this, that each day ALL day GOD is wanting to intersect with us, engage us, educate us, and lead us.  Our job is to BE AWARE, to LEAN IN to the day with INTENTION and ATTENTION. 

Made me think of this passage…This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are...Romans 8:15 (MSG).

We aren’t to have a “grave-tending” life but rather one that is ADVENTUROUSLY EXPECTANT!  I translate that as one that LEANS IN and is READY to EXPERIENCE GOD and ALL the wonderful things a FATHER who loves us has for his kids today.

So, the encouragement today should be obvious.  LEAN IN and GET READY to LEARN.  GOD has something (maybe MANY things) for you today!

Every happening, great and small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message. - Malcolm Muggeridge

I love you all!

Opportunities for Hope

LAST WORD

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Feels like it has been a week since I shared with you.  Oh, that is because it has.  At least I think so.  Last week was so full of “things to do”, “plans”, “trips” and “initiatives”.  And yet with a simple text all of that changed for me and for my family, especially my dad.

And what came to mind was this from Proverbs, “We may make our plans, but God has the last word.” – 16:1 (GNT)

For those of you close to me and my family and a part of the several thousand on Facebook you know my dad who is now 84 has been going through a rough patch.  Gastroschisis, what appear to be staggering tension related headaches, weight loss and now sometimes crippling anxiety landed him in the emergency room and then eventually on a familiar floor at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton Ohio.  I say familiar because I have spent a healthy amount of time on that floor dealing with the consequences of being less than healthy.  It was the floor I rediscovered sobriety and began the journey in recovery.

And while none of us want to be DISRUPTED like this, the LORD, like the LORD does has been cultivating something during this time with my dad and it was affirmed by a good friend via text last week.  GOD asks for us to ABIDE in Him, not STRIVE in Him (John 15).

So while there was a modicum of stress regarding the gatherings we were postponing, the initiatives that we were putting on the back burner for a spell, the trips that were put on hold, the Lord reminded me via this friend that while GOD appreciates the WORK, it isn’t always about the WORK. 

Sometimes it is about leaning in, reprioritizing, and responding to HIS plan.

I think I have mentioned in the past that my wife, Dr. Delaney, consistently reminds me that we must always attend to our PRIMARY CONGREGATION.  So, we did. 

I will be honest it didn’t feel so good at the outset, but I was deeply grateful for the good counsel and for the decision to just “be” with dad and make him the focus of mine and our attention.

It gave me time to update my friends and family and witness him be so BLESSED by the innumerable prayers, affirmations, and encouragements.  He has been overwhelmed by the outpouring and I firmly believe that he has been buoyed by them.

He has most certainly needed them.  Us too.

And that brings me to the point today.  

Simply put, we sometimes make plans.  They can be GREAT plans full of merit, faith, purpose and reverence.  But GOD indeed has the last word.  He can (and sometimes does) shift the schedule on a dime.  He can REPRIORITIZE our focus.  Our job is not question but to pause, listen, embrace and ABIDE in the shift; trusting that HE will make ALL THINGS RIGHT if we surrender the CONTROL listening for …His reassuring voice saying: Don’t yield to fear… Revelation 1:17 - TPT

And remembering that He KNOWS THE PLANS He has made for us… (Jeremiah 29:11), so the LAST word is and always has been His. 

Our job? 

Simply ABIDE. 

I love you all!

Opportunities for Hope

SERVE FOR LOVE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Yesterday I posted this little quote from nun and saint, Clare of Assisi. "Love God, serve God; everything is in that."

I attached this little verse to “re-emphasize” the point.

Make this your one purpose: to revere Him and serve Him faithfully with complete devotion because He has done great things for you. - 1 Samuel 12:24 (V)

I do think we often “OVER COMPLICATE” things.

GOD kept things pretty simple.

Love Him

Love Others.

Do that and everything else does fall into line, everything is in that.  And BECAUSE we love Him, we SHOULD serve Him.

Like the old song says,

I will serve Thee because I love Thee

You have given life to me

I was nothing before You found me

You have given life to me

Heartaches, broken pieces

Ruined lives are why You died on Calvary

Your touch is what I longed for

You have given life to me

The LORD has breathed life into you today.  That commands our reverence.  He GAVE everything so that we could HAVE everything.  That alone should be PLENTY of MOTIVATION to serve Him today, right?

Coron said it this way, “Coming from a place of humility instead of entitlement and recognizing that you are blessed enough to get the chance to do something, can change everything.”

Friends WE ARE BLESSED to have the chance to humbly SERVE Him today.  And I believe that GOD would want nothing more than for that service to bless someone else; someone who could really use a glimpse of the goodness and glory of GOD today. 

So, there is your assignment.

Acknowledge your LOVE for GOD.  Humbly ASK Him where or who you can SERVE today and then do it!

Remember…

He remembers the love you demonstrate as you continually serve his beloved ones for the glory of his name. Hebrews 6:10 (TPT)

I love you all!

Opportunities for Hope