Friday, October 14, 2011

...then fed by anyone else.

"I'd sooner be eaten by you then fed by anyone else."
- The Horse and His Boy by CS Lewis

I love the power of this quote.

How often can we say that to Jesus Christ?

That we would rather be caught up in His consuming fire than taken in by all the world's pleasures.That we would rather follow Him by faith into all the troubles of this world than live by the world's comforts...

Or in the words of the afflicted prophet Job, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." (Job 13:15)

Are we willing to be consumed by Christ, devoured by His saving grace, and slain by His atoning blood?

Five Laws...

The law of VALUE
Your true worth is determined by how much more
you give in value than you take in payment.

The law of COMPENSATION
Your income is determined by how many people you serve and
how well you serve them.

The law of INFLUENCE
Your influence is determined by how abundantly
you place other people's interests first.

The law of AUTHENTICITY
The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.

The law of RECEPTIVITY
The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

My banner will be clear.

When I'm struggling in life it helps to remember who I am...

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed.
The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made.
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.
I won't look back, let up, slow down, or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.
I'm finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, positions, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.
I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk with patience,
am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power.
My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven.
My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few,
my guide is reliable, my mission is clear.
I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided, or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity,
or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, and paid up for the cause of Christ. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He returns for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.
My banner will be clear.

A Forever Family

I want a family that laughs together, learns together, and loves together.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

"To love would be an awfully big adventure.”

A spouse, a partner, a friend, and a lover to:
  • share ideas with and discuss current events
  • to go on bike rides with
  • to scrimp and save with
  • to change the world with
  • to see the marvels of the world with, but also help me remember the drops of oil on the spoon
  • to tell me when I'm wrong and accept my apologies
  • to share my dreams and aspirations with
  • to tell me its all going to be alright after I've had a bad day
  • to watch our kids open presents on Christmas morning with, after staying up all night putting them together
  • to go camping with and watch the stars
  • get lost on road trips
  • to achieve our goals with
  • to watch movies with
  • to succeed with
  • and fail with
  • to be my partner
  • to be my best friend
  • take long talks with and lose track of time
  • to inspire me to be better than I thought I could be
  • to inspire
  • to share the rest of my life
  • to share myself
  • to travel the world with (China, Italy, France, Australia, Africa, Mexico...)
  • to grow old with
  • to ride a train to the tip of Maine and be the first people to watch the sunrise over America
  • to have an eternal family with
  • to buy our dream house with and fill it with children and pictures and books
  • to adopt with
  • be honest
  • to respect
  • that loves me
  • I'm in love with.
Is that too much to ask? I hope not...

(PS - I borrowed the title quote from Michal. Isn't it great?)

Home is Where the Heart Is

I want a home that
  • we can raise a family in...
  • we an host get togethers with my extended family...
  • is paid off...
  • my children want to hang out in...
  • that as a sense of style to it...
  • that as all the quirks that I've thought of over the years, like outlets in the cupboards and a double entry doors, and stairs that are easy to get a Christmas tree down...
  • my kids write on the walls and I'm ok with it...
  • shows the wear and tear of raising a family.

Monday, October 10, 2011

"Do what you believe is great work..."

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you fit in. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle." --Steve Jobs

I want a career that allows me to support my family, but doesn't keep me from spending time with them. I won't be a slave to my job. I would rather be poor and happy that rich and miserable.

I want a career that gives me the opportunity to fulfill my dreams and isn't about the money. Being the richest guy in the cemetery doesn't matter to me. I want a career that makes the world a better place, as cliche as that sounds.

I want a career that doesn't feel like work - something that I have fun doing and puts a smile on my face, something that I'm good at and that I can get excited about. I don't want to settle on my career - I'm going to keep looking...

Friday, October 7, 2011

Hey you...

Hey you!

Yes, you.

Stop being unhappy with yourself. You are perfect.

Stop wishing you looked like someone else or wishing people liked you as much as they like someone else.

Stop trying to get attention from those who hurt you. Stop hating your body, your face, your personality, your quirks. Love them. Without those things you wouldn't be you. Why would you want to be anyone else?

Be confident with who you are. Smile. It'll draw people in.

Say, "My happiness will not depend on others anymore.

I'm happy because I love who I am. I love my flaws. I love my imperfections. They make me ME...and "me" is pretty amazing."

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Christ - the only complete realist

"No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have always lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it; and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation really means—the only complete realist." -- Clive Staples Lewis