Score

Hey all,

I went by a church sign today and it read.....

"God does not want you to keep score, HE wants you to play the game".

While many of the those church signs you see are pretty corny, I thought this one really spoke the truth.

Are you a scorekeeper or a player? 

Is your life focused on keeping score or is your life focused on being a player?    If you think about it, keeping score is always easier than playing the game isn't it?  It is far easier to sit back and judge the outcome than it is to actually play the game.  For some reason we sometimes think that we make a better judge than we do a player. 

But here's the thing......even though we may often think that our role is to be the scorekeeper, we are really called to "play" the game......to be a participant.  To get in there and actually "play".  There is no better feeling than when we are engaged and "in the game"........when we "leave it all on the field".  God calls us to play, not keep score.  We are far more needed to be a player than a scorekeeper. 

And when we are playing............we always know what the score is.

Strength and Honor,

-S

Gifts

Hey all,

Have you ever thought about what gifts you have?  What are you really good at?  What have you been blessed with?  Is there something that comes easy to you?

All of us are blessed with gifts.........spiritual gifts.  And I repeat.........all of us.  We all are given certain things that we are born to be good at. We are gifted, and deep down, we know it.  We know what we are good at.  It comes easy.

The question is....are we using our gifts?  Do we really believe that we what we are good at is a blessing?  The world would often tell us that what we are good at is not what is important.  It would tell us that even though we can do it well, it doesn't matter.  It doesn't "pay the bills".  It is irrelevant.     

I think that is wrong.

Whatever the Lord blessed you with as a gift is just that.......a gift.  It is a gift from HIM.  And a gift is something that is intended to be given away.  Our gifts are supposed to be given away.   To others.  HE wants us to give it away.  HE expects us to give it away.  

Don't hold back what you are good at.  Go for it.  Let your light shine.  Give it away. 

Someone needs it.

Strength and Honor,

-S

What We Most Need to Know

Hey all,

Have you ever heard the phrase...."we preach best what we most need to know"?  It means that the things we preach (or speak to others about) are often the things we "most need to know" ourselves.  In other words......most of what is placed on our hearts to say or do is often what we are dealing with as well.

I am reminded of this phrase every time I write something on this blog.  I heard a great pastor speak today and he reminded me again of how we should recognize this in our lives.  

So check this out......it is not a bad thing.  It is ok to speak to something that we also need to know our self.  In fact, it is often better when we do this because we can include ourselves in it.  When we exclude ourselves from what we passionately speak about then we are in dangerous waters.  Arrogance and judgement sets in and the point is lost.  Our stories are filled with experiences that should and need to be shared.  And sometimes it is ok to be speaking to our current chapter in life.  It is ok to be speaking to what is going on right now in our lives. 

I often write about the things that "I most need to know" (or be reminded of).  Things that I may be processing through at the same moment.  It is "current chapter" stuff.

So what about you?  You don't have to be a Preacher or a writer / blogger for this to apply.  Maybe you are a Manager, a Teacher, a Coach, a Mentor, a Parent..........whatever role(s) you have.  None of us should be afraid to "preach the things that we most need to know our selves".  Don't be afraid of our own weaknesses or challenges.  Don't be afraid to share with others "things you may need to know yourself".  Maybe that other person in your life needs to hear it.  They may be in the same place.

I believe that we should not wait for the final chapter to be written in our stories before we share anything with others.

Someone may need the chapter we are in now.

Strength and Honor,

-S 

Anxiety

Hey all,

What are you anxious about?  Are there things going on in your life that have you in a state of "anxiety"?

Maybe it is work.  Maybe it is something with the kids.  Maybe it is something that you have "stepped" out of your comfort zone on and it has you really "anxious" about how it will work out? 

Don't you hate being anxious?  It drives us crazy sometimes doesn't it?  The worry and stress can really get to us.  It brings us down.  It takes away life.  We can miss the great moments of life because we are worried about how things are going to work out.  

But think about this.........where does that anxiety come from?  Really....think about that.  Where is it coming from?  If we are trusting in the Lord for ALL things......and I mean really trusting.........then where is that anxiety coming from?  Is it from HIM?  Does the Lord really want us to be "anxious" when we put our total and complete trust in HIM?  Does he want us to stress and worry about the things that we putting our trust in HIM to complete?  The thngs that we feel we have no control over.

Of course not.

HE is in complete control.  HE knows our steps before we take them.  HE knows what is going to happen before it happens.  He is the master planner and ultimate authority.  If we place our trust in HIM then regardless of how things work out, we are still in HIM.  And isn't that where we long to be anyway?  In HIM and with HIM.  When we realize and place our trust in that, then the worry and anxiety goes away because we are already at peace with the ultimate goal.......which is to knowing that we are in "step" with HIM. 

So next time you are worried and anxious about something, just remember that as long as we are in step with HIM, then our path is straight..........and.regardless of what the enemy tells us.........

Our worries (and anxiety) are few.

Strength and Honor,

-S

 

Friends

Hey all,

Who are your best friends? Friends that you know you can count on for anything.  As I get older, I am seeing all of my relationships and friends in a renewed light. 

I am a believer in a saying that my good friend Dan has said many times before.  He says that people are placed in our lives through one of three ways.....they are either in our lives....

- for a reason

- for a season

- for a lifetime

I have been reflecting on this recently and it is cool.  As we live "life", you can start to see how God has placed people in our lives for each of the above. 

First, don't miss the people that God has put in our path for a reason.  If we are not available, then we may miss a major message we need to hear through or from them.  Or God may need us to give them something that they need. 

Secondly, don't take for granted the people that are (or were) in our life for a season. While we may not see them as much anymore (or at all), don't lose the "fruit" that was given during that season with them.  Some of my fondest memories of friendship were for a season. 

Lastly, let's be thankful for those that were put in our life for a lifetime.  Lift them up and let them know what they mean to you.  It's crazy but they are often the one's we take for granted the most don't we?  Again, as we get older, it really starts to become clear who our lifetime friends are. They are our real "brothers and sisters".  Our core. 

So next time you are trying to figure out a relationship or just thinking about your friends.......remember that they may be for a reason........they may be for a season........or if we are really blessed......

For a lifetime.

Strength and Honor,

-S 

Focus

Hey all,

Focus is hard sometimes isn't it?  Let's face it, the world is full of distractions. We are pulled in many directions every day.  The tasks of life sometimes just seem to keep us away from the thing that we really want to focus on doesn't it? 

If you have been following this blog lately then you know that I have been writing a lot lately about our "calling" and what that looks like.  Our calling takes focus.  If we don't do it, no one will.  We have to focus. 

So think about this.  Jesus says in Matthew 7:13-14.

"Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Think about that.  Only a few find it.  Why?  Because the distractions of life life constantly try and take us through the broad gate.  We are herded along like sheep into our daily and worldly distractions.................right through the big and wide broad gate.  And when we go through the broad gate, the distractions of the world keep us from focusing on our hearts true desires.  And it leads to destruction. The destruction of our calling.

Doing what we are "called" to do is hard.  It takes focus and effort.  It is no wonder few find it. 

But guess what?  We all have what it takes.  While the gate is narrow, if we "narrow" our focus, then we can find it.  We will find it.  It is worth the effort.  We can go down that the elusive narrow road.  The road that leads to life.  Don't be distracted.........narrow your focus and press on. 

And be one of the few.

Strength and Honor,

-S
   

Waiting

Hey all,

Are you waiting for something?  I don't mean like a package to come in the mail or for something to change in your circumstance.  I mean are you waiting on something before you engage in your "calling"?  The thing that calls on your heart to "go and do". 

But you are not sure?  So you wait.  Wait for the sign.  The proverbial "burning bush" moment. 

But it doesn't seem to come.  So you keep waiting.

For a lot of us, this "waiting" period can be really frustrating.  If you are like most, then you can get discouraged during this "desert" period in your life.  It is easy to get down over not hearing exactly what it is is that you are supposed to "go and do".  I believe that all us have a calling.  It is unique to us and if we don't do it.........then no one will.  But waiting for clarity can be difficult.  We want so badly to know what to do and when to do it.

Don't despair.  This time of waiting is set out from God to make us stronger.  

I am currently finishing a great book called "Change Agent" by Os Hillman and it has really been challenging me on why we seem to continually "wait" on our "calling" before we actually do anything. To go and be a Change Agent. 

Check this out........

Hillman says..."God is working while his Change Agents wait and wait and wait.  Each is being selected for a handpicked assignment.  This waiting is preparation for a greater depth of use and greater anointing that cannot be accomplished otherwise.  Because of the waiting and testing you endure, you will be given even greater authority.  The waiting period actually creates a level of authority for you to carry out your assignment from God." 

We all have an assignment to carry out that is uniquely given to us by God.  If we don't do it, then no one will.  But don't be frustrated by the waiting.  It is a time for us to become stronger.  To become clear on our mission.....our calling.

And when you have waited long enough....God will tell you.  Then it's time to act.  And guess what.......HE wants you to act on it.

If you don't do it, no one will. 

Strength and Honor,

-S