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The Storms of Life
Tomorrow my wife of 33 years is having surgery. Doctors are removing her thyroid due to cancer. This procedure marks four years we’ve been caught in what I’ll refer to as the storms of life.
This surgery comes four years after I had my thyroid removed due to cancer. My surgery came just two weeks following the death of my wife’s mother. During these four years we’ve also experienced the passing of my wife’s father.
The storms continued as I was released from two ministry positions in a 13 month period. Our son and daughter-in-love were also released from their ministry positions. All due to budget issues.
Our son-in-love has battled medical issues and his wife, our daughter, has endured six miscarriages. They are expecting their first son in January of 2017! Our other daughter and son-in-love experienced a miscarriage of their own this past May.
In July of 2015 I went through four surgeries, three ER visits, and three hospitalizations in a three-week period. Only one surgery was scheduled. The remaining three were considered emergency surgeries. Three months later I had a final procedure needed due to one of the surgeries.
Finally, I’ve not had a steady income since the Spring of 2015.
I say all of this for one simple reason. God has been faithful. He has been with us through each storm.
Bottom line is that we all go through storms. Storms are inevitable in life. Through it all, God has been by our side, comforting us, providing for us, loving us.
May the God of peace, speak peace in the midst of storms you are or will face.
Peace.
Photo:The Storm on the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt.
Oh, How I Miss Garbage!
The other day I took out the garbage. I know…I know…you do too. So what’s the big deal?
When I went to throw the garbage in the big, blue, plastic container I noticed how empty our container was. Still not a big deal? Keep reading.
Just yesterday (not really, just seems like it) our big, blue, plastic container was filled each week for the big, blue, metal garbage truck. What has happened to all our garbage? Where did it go? Why do we only have one bag a week rather than five or six bags a week?
It graduated and moved on. No, the garbage didn’t move on. I was just using symbolism.
Our kids graduated and moved on. No, they are not garbage. I love my kids. Stop getting ahead of me. Let me finish.
As each child moved on the amount of garbage collected and placed by the curb on Wednesday night diminished. My wife and I don’t produce near as much garbage as when there were six of us living at home.
My weekly trip to the curb with my big, blue, plastic container is a reminder that my kids have graduated and moved on.
Oh, how I miss garbage!
Why I Don’t Like My Prayer Life
A few years ago I was able to go to Israel. One of our stops included the Garden of Gethsemane. The place where Jesus prayed, prior to His death on the cross. Looking back on this…
I discovered something about myself through my own prayer life.
I don’t like the way I pray. Why? Because it reveals so much about who I am, who I’ve yet to become and what’s in my heart. I found, through my prayers, that I’m pretty selfish.
I guess I’ve known this for some time, as I’ve often prayed, “help me not to be so selfish.” However, even in that prayer it reveals my selfishness. I hate to admit this but my prayer life has become about me.
I don’t know how long this has been going on and I guess it doesn’t matter. What does matter is turning the corner on this, and soon. So beginning today my prayers will be less about me and more about others.
This morning several prayers were offered up for extended family members and friends. My speaking with God included other nations and my own community. Prayers for another pastor and his wife were uttered as well as a couple facing a major surgery.
My pastor and his wife were included as well. God heard me offer up prayers for my wife, kids (who aren’t kids anymore) and grandkids. My final words came in the form of gratitude for all God has done in and through me and for others.
Perhaps moving from ‘I’ centered prayers to ‘other’ centered prayers is an answer to my selfishness, greed, lusts, pride,…well the list continues.
So here goes…how can I pray for you?
12 Christmas Gifts That Outlive You
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The average person will spend about $800 on gifts this year. Tragically one year from now the giver of gifts will have little to show for it. To leave a meaningful gift is to leave one that outlasts you…one that costs YOU something. Something you can’t put a price tag on but has incredible value to the recipients.
So why not make Christmas a bit more spectacular this year? Not that your previous holiday celebrations have not already been marvelous. But what about doing something a bit extraordinary?
Each of us have our favorite holiday traditions. My favorite is having the family come over to open stockings and then have a hearty breakfast. By all means, keep those…just add one or two others. Why not do something outside the wrapped Christmas box?
If you’re reading this blog (thanks!), you’ve celebrated at least seven December 25ths, (more than likely several more than that). Why not do something that creates more of a life legacy and less of a pile of discarded wrapping paper. A gift that’s truly long-lasting and huge!
So in the spirit of the 12 days of Christmas, here are 12 gift suggestions that outlive you.
- Invite someone in your neighborhood/community who doesn’t have family to join you for dinner
- Sponsor a child – http://www.compactfamilyservices.org/home
- Help serve dinner or lead Christmas carols in a nursing home
- Give a gift to a child – http://www.prisonfellowship.org
- Surprise a police officer with a coffee gift card
- Feed a child – http://www.feedone.com
- Purchase a tree w/lights for a single parent family
- Donate coats, blankets, clothes to a homeless shelter
- Volunteer as a family at a soup kitchen/shelter
- Give an offering to your favorite charity
- Give a handmade ornament to co-workers
- Purchase a small gift, given with a message of encouragement, to hand out to people you come in contact with during the day. These could include grocery store clerks, gas station attendants, waiters, mall security, bank tellers, etc…
In other words do something for someone who can offer you nothing in return. Make this holiday truly a holiday about giving. After all isn’t this the reason Christmas began in the first place?
What new tradition will you add this Christmas?
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/340205887/”>Stuck in Customs</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>cc</a>
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/tuliobertorini/3159130543/”>tbertor1</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”>cc</a>
7 Career Coaching Questions to Ask
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Are you in your sweet spot when it comes to your career? In other words is what you’re doing today what you were made to do? Too many individuals spend their entire life simply doing a job. Yet changing careers at any point in your life requires a risk, with great amounts of uncertainty. So the question becomes, do I stay in my present role, one that requires no risk, and leaves me unfulfilled or do I take a risk, step out in order to fulfill my mission?
With the new year approaching, many make goals, re-evaluate dreams, and make some sort of mental ascent in order to tackle the coming year with a fresh perspective. Could it be time for you to take a step of faith? Embarking on a faith journey demands tremendous trust in God and on-going support from others. What you’ll find with the seven coaching questions are quintessential steps necessary to help you on your journey.
Imagine for a moment your journey is an intense back-packing trip. For the novice hiker, making such a trek could spell disaster. Yet for the seasoned hiker, all the potential danger found along the path, goes unnoticed in comparison with the beauty discovered along the way. For the seasoned hiker to experience the beauty, he must first pack and prepare for the future expedition.
Moving forward with your goals requires no less preparation.
So back to the original question. Are you in your sweet spot when it comes to your career? Once you’ve answered this question, the next seven questions begin to make sense. Answering these questions is no guarantee of success, but they will certainly get you on your way. Consider them the preparation aspect of your career climb.
So here they are…
- If the sky’s the limit, what would you like to do? What is it your passionate about? What gets you up in the morning?
- Who are the people in your life today/networks you have, who can best help you reach your goals?
- What books, podcasts, articles are you reading/listening to that will help you reach your dream?
- What character trait(s) do you need to strengthen/change to move you closer to your passion?
- Who are you currently mentoring with the sole purpose of helping them reach their dreams?
- What is one thing you can do today that propels you further in fulfilling the desire of your heart?
- What is holding you back from taking that first step?
And the bonus question.
When will you begin?
rodwhitlock 