Ponderings....What I believe about Mission, Vision, Purpose and Calling

Yesterday's ponderings left me with "what do I believe about mission, vision, purpose and calling?" I know there's a difference, but what is it?

- Mission is what I'm going to do "period-the-end." It has nothing to do with money or position. Mission doesn't change without a life changing event. Mission, along with values, is one's core ideology.

- Vision is my desires, plans and goals. It is "where I see myself in 'x' days, months or years." Vision can change.

- Purpose is how I am to serve God's plan for me. I serve God's purpose through faith. As a follower of Christ (a Christian) my life has purpose, the work I do has purpose, beyond just being happy and making money. It is with this purpose I serve His plan. I don't always have a good grip on the plan, but I know I'm to serve Him through His purpose.

- Calling is how "I'm called according to God's purpose." Calling is what I do individually to fit into God's purpose.

Pondering these this morning have led me to really realize that two can be easily summerized, two not.

Lord, what other questions do I need to ponder, to clarify? Not necessarily the answers right now, but what questions?

To that end..........I pray I truly come to understand my purpose and my calling, few do.

Ponderings....what do I believe about work, God and certain matters

Pondering.......What do I believe about work, God and certain matters? What questions do I have?

Ramblings -

- work is not always easy and many times hard

- sometimes it's very fulfilling, sometimes not

- God made humans to work

- God gave us authority over the earth

- God was working when He made the Heavens, Earth, man, woman, animals, things that crawl and things that swim, things that fly

Hurdie Burk Radio Network: Live with Cammy Oney Reyme Designs - Austin, Texas

When the song's over, then I'll shoot him

For where two or more are gathered together

in My name, I am there in their midst"

- Jesus in Mathew 18:20

 
 
Yesterday I was surrounded by kids and grandkids, laughter and swelled bellies. It was great. Love was abounding and I thought again "what if everyday were like Christmas?" There'd be more love and peace shown between all of us, even adversaries. I know, not every where, but there is for those connected a certain way.
 
Here is a story that displays that connection. A love, a peace, that only comes from a connection with the Holy Spirit. Whether we're at work, or play, home, or on the road..."where two or more come together in My name...
 
Ira Sankey provided the music for D. L. Moody's evangelistic meetings. One night after singing a solo called 'The Shepherd's Song' a stranger asked him, 'Did you serve in the Union Army?' When he said he had, the man asked, 'Were you on picket duty one bright moonlit night in1862?' When Sankey said yes, the man continued: 'Me too. But I was in the Confederate Army, and when I saw you I decided to kill you. Then you started singing that song, so I took my finger off the trigger, thinking, 'I'll let him sing then I'll shoot him.' But you stirred up so many childhood memories of my Godly mother that it was impossible for me to follow through. That night when I thought of the God who saved you from certain death, my arm went limp.'  (as told by  Tim Hetzer, President of Lutheran Church Charities)

Elvis Presley, What If Every Day Was Like Christmas?

"..what if everyday were like Christmas,
why can't that feeling go on everyday?
Yes...what a wonderful world that would be!..."

Many around the world don't know what this feeling is like, but it's likely that those reading this do...... Christmas-time, has a certain feeling.

Everyday would be something like this;

A Baby's Hug

From an Anonymous author…..

A Baby's Hug ~

We were the only family with children in the restaurant.

I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, 'Hi.' He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter

And his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.

Melinda Le-Compte Power Consulting and Search Radio Show

Communication Connection by Guest Blogger Gary Seale

Welcome Guest Blogger, Gary Seale. This is a post Gary wrote for this blog in early 2011. Since then it has had 2,165 hits and is the #1 out of over 48,000 hits to this blog. You can read more on what Gary has to say about communicationa and sales at Sales Team Improvement.

Gary provides sales outsourcing services and is the author of the book Business Principles from Proverbs.

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Recently I have been reading a John Maxwell book called “Everyone Communicates, Few Connect.” One of Maxwell’s premises is that we have to know our audience and their level of understanding to truly communicate. It is all too easy to deliver information on our level of comfort and miss the intended audience all together.

Simply doing work in love

There may be no better way to love your neighbor, whether you
are writing parking tickets, software, or books, than to simply do
your work. But only skillful, competent work will do.
- Tim Keller and Katherine Leary Alsdorf
in "Every Good Endeavor"

God tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. How well do we love ourselves? Can we love ourselves well if we don't do our work well? If we just do what it takes to get by? What happens to our own self esteem, what we think about ourselves, what we say to ourselves, if we aren't doing a good job?

Love. Love and work.

The two are connected, blended somehow. When we decide to do each task well, to the best our abilities, and to increase those abilities, a since of satisfaction occurs. When we treat each job as if called-to-it-by-Him-to-do-it-well something changes.

A hole begins filling.

God calls His people to a saving faith in Jesus Christ and equips His people to spread His word as we go about. Much of this going about is serving others through our work.

For most of us, this is the most we can do; serve others through doing work well. Then we start loving ourselves more, and loving others becomes part of what happens.

And it brings Him glory.

To that end........ 

Some days aren't meant for answers

A day to just pause a bit longer and pray. Some days aren't meant for answers. Will Davis Jr. sums it up well http://www.willdavisjr.com/2012/12/my-impromptu-difficult-interview-with-fox-news-on-the-connecticut-tragedy/

Regurgitation can be good

Sometimes you just can't be original, and that's ok. Today, I'm hung up in Swindol's commentary on Nehemiah, Hand Me Another Brick and Maxwell's Law of Navigation.

Same subject. Recognition of a problem, praying, reflecting, planning, re-purposing, pursuing.

There are some problems we just take a deep breath and do our best to FIDO (forget it drive on). Other problems seem too familiar and we know we've been here before. These are times we don't need to waste the struggle.

Instead, don't just sail the ship....chart a better course.

To that end.......

Margins for problems

Margins are the space needed to stay sane.

Sometimes it's not enough to just not add something else to your plate. Sometimes what's already there grows and you have to stop doing something you're already doing.

Confusion, frustration and quit will set in otherwise. Margins. Evaluation. Correction.

I was asked recently, what law of leadership is most important to me financially, and how? Instantly I thought of my current favorite (besides the other 20) - The Law of the Lid.

How? Right out of the book -

• People Skills
• Planning and Strategic Thinking
• Vision
• Results

Plus - margins. Margins in the day for unexpected problems that must be dealt with, time to pause and reflect, evaluate and correct, time to just pay attention.

It's been formulating for a few weeks, but around midnight last night I realized that I need more margins early in the day. No commitments except to myself and God to come to my desk and pay attention.

I love what and how questions.

To that end..........

 

Mortgage Rates Commentary: 12/12/12

Summary: the Federal Reserve announced that interest rates will stay low until the unemployment falls to 6.5%. They furtheris going to buy mortgage backed securities causing rates to remain low or possibly move a little lower. Upward pressure is not present at this time, although it is always best to remember we're dealing with the monetary markets and there are other international events that can trigger upward rates.

The choice is not whether to choose a job or ministry

Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever
situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.
This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.
- 1 Coorinthians 7:17 (NIV)

I get a little twisted when talking to someone and they seperate work from ministry as if they must make a choice between the two. The twist gets tighter if the discussion turns to one's "calling." The Bible tells us much less about being called specifically to positions in vocational ministry than it does "ordinary" work. What the Bible does tell us is -

What does that have to do with anything?

Me: you don't like the way things are going?

Him: no.

Me: what are you doing to change?

Him: I don't know.

Me: how much do you read?

Him: I don't like to read.

Me What does that have to do with anything?

Think....past the moment...pause...think...again..

Slow moving body, rapid mind this morning; worked late again last night. desk a mess from yesterday (cluttered), a pile of work (thankfully), thoughts bouncing like a steal marble in a pin-ball machine....and then I thought about this bumper sticker.

Think....it's not illegal yet. Thank you Lord!

Pause, reflect....get focused....clean clutter...start the day with intention.

Be intentional.

What's important? Service to existing business FIRST. Pay attention to where business is coming from. Where's the passion? Understand it. Where's the connections? Who am I connecting with that is also connecting with me?

I'm learning that in order to start the day with intentionality I need to pause and reflect a bit of the mornings also.

To that end...give me my daily bread.

You are a product of your environment - period. The end.

You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment
that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyz your life in
terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping your
toward success - or are they holding you back? 

- W. Clement Stone

Are we products of our environment? Yes. It is a profound law and if we don't like the product, then we change the environment.

John C. Maxwell, in his book, "The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth," tells the reader that in order to change to..............

Assess your personal-growth needs in the three main areas (pages 99-100) -

1. The right soil to grow in: What nurishes me? Growth

2. The right air to breath in: What keeps me alive? Purpose

3. The right climate to live in: What sustains me? People

Are you changing? Yes. Are you changing purposefully? Zig Ziglar was the first I heard say "you'll be the same 5 years from today, as you are today, except for what you listen to, what you read and who you associate with."

Change your environment and grow.

To that end....

Process it process it process it process it - #LawofConsistency

One of the best things you can do for yourself as a learner

is to cultivate the ability to value and enjoy the process of

growth. It is going to take a long time, so you might

as well enjoy the journey - John C. Maxwell

Success

It's a process

Life is a process

Cultivate your process

Learn to enjoy your process

Re-engage daily in your process

Engage consistently in your process

Fail forward back again into your process

Robustly evaluate and correct your daily process

Growth is best when thought of as a consistent process
Consistently process it process it process it process it process

 

What if work was more about making you holy, than happy

There is no better starting point for a meaningful work life

than a firm grasp of this balanced work and rest theology.

- Tim Keller and Katherine Leary Alsdorf

in "Every Good Endeavor"

Have someone said something that caused a serious pause in your step? That happened to me 3 years ago when I heard Tim Keller say.........."if you don't have a good balance between your work and rest you don't have good understanding of the doctrine of work." The part of the brain that stores knowledge is said to be a different part than the part that controls behavior. Maybe I already knew this thing about work and rest, but the behavior wasn't always there. At least not as it pertained to the doctrine of work. When there was rest, there seemed to be guilt.

Tim Hawks said recently, tongue-in-cheek, "we're a nation of healthy individuals because we have all the facts. We know what we should eat, or not. We know the optimal time to exercise, the correct heart rate for our age, etc etc etc." (my paraphrase)

Maxwell refers to the "knowledge gap between knowing and growing." Blanchard the "know-can-do." It takes practice.......practicing the knowledge.

Prayerfully this workaholic/knowledgaholic, is changing by learning to practice the behaviors of work and rest, the behaviors of what I know, and maybe then learn some more (?).

To that end.............

 - for more on God and work ponderings, go to http://godandworkmatters.blogspot.com/