Forgiveness...Why So Hard

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4.32

Forgiveness is the willingness to relinquish the pursuit of justice in response to who’s wrong you.  A willingness to free them of the debt that they owe you.  Our motivation to do this is because God forgave us.  Because of the shed blood of Jesus, God’s justice was satisfied and He has forgiven us of the debt that we owed to Him.

Even with this great motivation, forgiveness is still one of the most challenging character traits to walk out.  What makes it so difficult is our inability to forget the offense.  I wish that when I forgave someone the memory of that offense could be wiped from my mind but that is just not the case.  When this happens, I often want to seek justice for things that have already been forgiven and shed the blood of war in peacetime as David said to Solomon in I Kings 2:5.

David’s army commander, Joab, lost a brother in war at the hands of the enemy.  After the war was over and the peace treaty was signed, Joab went and killed the man who had killed his brother.  He sought justice for a wartime offense after peace had been established.

Unfortunately, I can do the exact same thing.  Now, it might not be that I go and murder someone but often times I have extended forgiveness to someone, they have responded appropriately and we are fully reconciled.  Then, one day, week, decade later the memory comes back and I seek justice, again.  I want another, “I’m sorry.”  I am seeking forgiveness in peacetime for something that was already covered.

When the memory comes back, instead of going to the forgiven offender, I need to go to God and ask for Him to heal me in that area and to walk out the forgiveness that was freely given to me.

Bear with Others

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3.13 Forgiveness is one of the hardest acts God calls us to do.  As the wickedness in the world increases, the level of offenses increases as well thus making forgiveness even harder.  To truly walk in forgiveness for these offenses takes much prayer, ministering and even counsel to move beyond the offense.

Many times I focus more on the 2^nd half of this verse, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you,” and the overwhelmingness of that concept almost paralyzes me.  “How can I forgive that offense?”  “It hurts so much”  “They will just do it again”  “It will not change anything” are some of the mantras I start rehearsing in my mind and I often do nothing to move past the offense.

However, if instead of focusing on the second half of the verse, I focus on bearing with others, walking in forgiveness becomes easier.  Not because in any way it lessens the offense but because it causes my heart to begin to softer towards others and to the things of God.  (Please note that this bearing with others may or may not apply to the offender.)

I like to think of bearing with others in the terms of extending grace to them.  Yes, they just did something that could cause me to be offended but I am going to think the best of them and just extend grace.  Yes, what just happened grieved me but I am not going to seek justice in this matter but release them of the debt I believe they owe me and trust God to deal with them.   Christ Jesus on the day He was crucified bore the burdens of our sins and our offenses on His physical body.  Through His Spirit, we can bear with those around us and move toward forgiveness and beyond the offense.

When you are offended, are you quick to seek justice for that offense or are you quick to bear with them and extend grace?  Through out the day today bear with others and intentionally extend grace to all who are around you.

Are You a Pro?

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives tales, rather, train yourself to be godly.  1 Timothy 4:7

A dear friend of mine was an ice dancer and spent countless hours on the rink doing the same 4-minute routine again and again.  They would even break down the free dance and do a specific lift or jump that may only be 10 seconds long dozens of times.  Why?  Because amateurs train until they get it right while professionals train until they can't get it wrong.

The question before us today is, “Are we amateur Christians who do just enough to get by or are we professional Christians who train ourselves to be godly?”

To train ourselves in godliness takes three things:  knowledge, practice and coaching.  Obviously, the most logical place to gain knowledge about godliness is through the study of God’s Word.  But we can also gain knowledge by doing life with others.  Want to know what a godly spouse looks like?  Go hang out with someone who models that.  What to know how to run a business in a godly way?  Read a biography of a businessman who does this.

The next step after gaining the knowledge is to start practicing what we know because to know and not do is sin (James 4:17).  The key point here is that it is practice – sometimes we will nail that jump and sometimes we will fail flat on our face.  But regardless, do it again!!

Lastly, we all need a coach, a mentor, an older man or woman to walk alongside of us and encourage, direct and correct.  It takes a huge act of courage to be willing to be vulnerable enough to allow some one into our lives to see the good, the bad and the ugly.  But when we do that not only will we grow but also we will impact those that are around us.

So strap on those skates, grab a coach and hit the ice!!  The Kingdom of God is relying on us.

What areas do you need to shore up your training routine?  More knowledge?  More practice?  A coach?

I Love My Church!!

Let me say it again, I love my church!!  (On a side note, I pray you feel that way about your church as well.)  Many days at my church are amazing but today might have been over the top. Houston’s First Baptist is committed to prayer and has a vibrant and effective prayer ministry.  Today that ministry actively engaged in our latest building campaign, the expansion and remodel of our Preschool and Kindergarten wing, through a special time called Foundation of Prayer.

The Houston's First Family was invited to write the names of children in their lives on the foundation of the Preschool and Kindergarten areas currently being renovated.  In 2008, on the floor of the Worship Center, thousands of names were written when it was being renovated and the prayer team and others have actively prayed for those names and have seen many come to faith.  Now, the church family will have the opportunity to literally "pray over" the names of thousands of children for years to come – asking God to draw their hearts to Him.

As I walked throughout this space, I was overwhelmed by the Spirit of God and felt His presence in a very tangible way.  I spoke with Melinda, my dear friend and Director of the Preschool and Kindergarten ministry, but only for a moment because I wanted to continue to walk with the Spirit throughout the place.  Tears freely flowed as I read names and Bible verses that parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles had written.

As I kneeled in an area off to the side, I swept the dirt away and ask the Lord what I was to write – what I was to believe for – what I desired above all else for the spiritual children in my life.  Here is what He gave me:

Does this seem impossible?  Yes, but my God is the God of the impossible, and I want to quit believing Him for small things and start believing Him for the miraculous.  I believe one day the Lord will call me away from Houston and Houston’s First Baptist Church but what a comfort to know that they will still be ministering to me as they walk over this little spot where I wrote my desire down.  Some of my spiritual children are yet to be born and how wonderful to think that faithful saints will be praying for my kids long after I have left the church.

Did I tell you that I love my church?

Not Getting to My Flesh

Anyone who has ever been on a mission trip will tell you that the key to having an amazing time is flexibility.  My church's mission leaders as well as the in-country personnel plan and coordinate for as many problems as possible but whenever you are operating in a third world (or for that matter outside of the US), things do not always go so smoothly.  Time schedules vary.  Machines break. Supplies are depleted.  If one is not flexible and willing to adjust to this challenges, the mission trip can be miserable.  However, even though one has knowledge that flexibility is important and even the desire to be flexible is present, the walking out of that flexibility can be difficult.  In October, during HFBC’s Living Water International mission trip to Honduras, I learned how to practically take this head knowledge and heart desire and implement it into my daily life. We were blessed to have a wonderful in-country leader, Emillio (see photo above.) He did an amazing job!  As we were driving through the mountains of Honduras on the way to Saba, our home away from home for the next six days, Emillio spoke a line that I will never forget.  “I am not going to let that get to my flesh."  What was so impactful about this line was that it began with the thought process. I have been on enough trips to respond with flexibility when challenges happen, at least on the outside, but have been know to pick up an offense or respond, in my mind, judgmentally.

I remember distinctly one-time things were not going correctly (at least as I saw it) and I started to grumble and complain in my mind while I still had a fake smile on my face.  (To be honest, I don’t think I was fooling anyone but myself.) Immediately, Emillio’s line came to my mind and I repeated it to myself and my “pasted-on” smile became a true grin as I chose the better way.

What has been so cool since returning to Houston is that that line works here as well!  I can make the decision as to whether or not I will let something get to my flesh.  When I choose to be flexible, I have won the victory and the enemy and my flesh have been defeated!  As always, I go on a mission trip to help others but I ALWAYS get impacted and transformed.

How's Your Faith Impacting Your Work

Last week, I was blessed to be at a breakfast that was raising funds for an amazing ministry, WorkFaith Connection.  I had heard most of the testimonies before and was close to quite a few of those testifying but I was still moved to tears.  WorkFaith Connection is all about helping others understand and find the wonderful gift of work.  More than a job...a new life! As I was reviewing one of The Master's Program books, The Spirit of Disciplines, later that same day this quote by Martin Luther helped me make another connection between Work and Faith.

[Faith] is a living well-founded confidence in the grace of God, so perfectly certain that it would die a thousand times rather than surrender its conviction.  Such confidence and personal knowledge of divine grace makes its possessor joyful, bold, and full of warm affection toward God and all created things - all of which the Holy Spirit works in faith.  Hence, such a man becomes without constraint willing and eager to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer all manner of ills, in order to please and glorify God, who has shown toward him such grace. Because of an unwavering faith (i.e. confidence, assurance, belief, knowledge) that God's grace covers me, it compels me to be a good worker as well as a good friend, a good family member and even a good enemy.  My gratitude for having the physical ability or mental capacity (all given by God) to even have a job should motivate me to give my "utmost for His Highest."  Assurance of His grace should not spur me on to slothfulness but to doing all things as unto the Lord!

The profound thing is this...we don’t need to “work” harder but rather have more faith.  This increased faith will then impact our work.  Of course, our cry will always be, "Lord, I believe.  Help my unbelief!"

How is your faith being demonstrated in your work - whether at the office or at home?  Do we demonstrate our faith in God’s grace by the way we do “life” with those around us?

Regretting or Rejoicing on 1/1/11?

Wahoo! It is the 1st of October! A new month, a new quarter and it is on a Friday! It could only be better if it was a Sunday then it would be a new week as well. I LOVE new beginnings. Pulling out the next set of pages for my planner – they are all blank without anything on them but possibility. It is also a great responsibility – this precious commodity of time. In a flash, it will be gone and I can never reclaim it but if I am mindful and aware, stewardship will come naturally and I will hear a “well done.” We all know that the last quarter of the year flies by because of the “push” the retail world does toward Christmas (I saw them putting up Christmas lights yesterday at Highland Village and it is not even Halloween!) as well as the busyness of our schedules. So, if we are not intentional with our time, the quarter will be gone and we will be eating black-eyed peas and turnip greens on January 1st regretting what we did not get done. I challenge you today to make a plan so that does not happen.  Why not rejoice on that day by setting a few simple goals that will help you be a good steward of this commodity called time?

To give you some ideas, here is what can be done in 90 days in some key areas of our lives.

Lose 10 pounds. Ramp up the exercise, reduce your portions of food (some of us can do by half - others may only need 10-20% reduction) and do not indulge daily from the Halloween candy to the Thanksgiving turkey to the Christmas treats.

Save $250. Are you a Starbuck’s drinker? $4 a day times 5 days a week times 13 weeks. You can even make it spiritually and say you are fasting from Starbuck’s!

Save $650. Are you a family of four that eats out regularly? $50 a meal times 12 weeks…you get the picture

Memorize Psalm 32. It is only 11 verses long!

Read 3 books on significant areas of your life (i.e. marriage, faith, family, leadership, teaching, etc.) On average people read 200 words per minute and a book is on average 60,000 words. If you read only 15 minutes a day, you can read a book in 20 days. Why not skip one TV show a night (they will be doing re-runs in January) and read instead? If you are married, why not read it out loud and discuss it? You may not get as many books read but having deep conversations with your spouse is way more important.

Send 26 handwritten note cards to encourage or bless those who are in your life. Don’t be too closed minded about this….include your friends and family but why not write a note to your pastor or to your Sunday school teacher or the custodian who empties the trash in your office? Also, don’t forget to think about those whom you may never hear back from – governmental leadership that you pray for and support; a solider serving in the military or a famous pastor or Bible teacher who has really impacted your life.

Read the Bible in 90 Days or at least the New Testament.

Take your child out on 13 dates or for that matter how about your spouse. (To not throw #2 or #3 from above off, here are 21 cheap dates that you can modify to do with your child or your spouse.)

Train for a 5K (even if you are a couch potato).

These are just a few of the hundreds of things you can accomplish in just 90 days. What about you? How are you going to avoid regrets on 1/1/11? What are you going to do in the next 90 days? Would love to hear from you!

What I Learned on My FB Sabbatical

My last Facebook status one week ago was, “Will be taking a bit of a sabbatical from Facebook. See you FB friends when I comeback. Blessings!”  I picked last Thursday the 12th on purpose because I was going to be away from the computer for a good three days and did not have to white knuckle it through the de-tox!!  You laugh but unfortunately it is true. Immediately after posting the status, I received an email from a friend asking me about it.  Others have stopped me in meetings and said, “Facebook sabbatical.  Are you ok?”  I even received a phone call from a friend checking on me because of my status.

To all inquires, my response was the banality of Facebook.  Banality is a word I learned from John Piper as he explained why he did not have a TV in his home when his boys were growing up and I thought it applied to me with Facebook.  The Oxford Dictionary used synonyms for banality such as triteness, unimaginativeness, lack of originality and my favorite, prosaicness.

There are lots of things I like about Facebook but for me it had become some such a time waster.  And I was wasting time over such trite things as someone complaining about the traffic or how long the carpool line was.  Instead of checking status updates, why not patiently wait at the light or riding the elevator down to the first floor?  If I was at dinner alone, why not be still and relax instead of reading about someone else’s dinner?   My mind is already on overdrive, why was I making it even crazier filling it with trivia?

So, does this mean I will never be on Facebook again and I am closing down my account?  Not at all.  But I am being mindful of the time I spend on it and I will try and capture those moments of stillness so that I can know God even better.   (Psalm 46:10)

Finishing Well

In May of 2005 at a retreat for about 60 women, I had the privilege of spending quality time with amazing women such as Jennifer O’Neill, Cheryl Reccord and Vonette Bright.  Mrs. Bright as many of you know is the wife of Campus Crusade founder, Bill Bright.  During the long weekend together, I was able to visit with Mrs. Bright and during our conversation I asked how I could pray for her.  She immediately responded, “That I would finish well.” Last week as I read about many of the kings of Judah in II Chronicles, this prayer request came to my mind because most, despite starting strong, did not finish well.  I have been there – have you?  You know, start a diet on Monday and do great until Wednesday’s lunch at the Mexican restaurant and I go off track. Or start on January 1 to read the Bible through in a year and do great until I get to the list of who is begetting who in Genesis or the laws in Leviticus and I stop.  Or I use kind words to those around me until I get cut off in traffic.

Despite the starts and stops, if we want to finish well, we can never quit at a “stop” but we must begin again.  There are five months left in 2010 and I want to finish 2010 well so I must finish August well, September well, October well, etc.  I think you get the picture.  Finishing well does not happen at the finish line but at each day along the way.

Where do you want to finish well?  In five months, 20 pounds of weight loss is possible or going from couch potato to 10K race is obtainable.  You can read the entire New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs in five months or memorize 20 verses of the Bible.  You could send 50 or more encouraging notes to your friends and family or read 10 books.

If you would like to finish strong in 2010, why don’t you take just a few minutes now and write out three goals that you would like to accomplish in the next five months?  Take those goals and make a plan each day to work on them.  I have done that and, if you do it as well, I believe we will both be amazed at what we can accomplish.

Mistakes that Lead to Learning

The July 2, 2010 USA Today headline read, “After seeking help, Cabrera sees his life swing in positive direction” and below the story was told of how Major League Baseball player Miguel Cabrera life had changed.  Nine months earlier, Cabrera had been jailed after a night of heavy drinking and when he was released sought help for his addiction.  In the article he says, “I learned so much from my mistakes.” As I read this article, I realized that his comments were true in my life as well.  I did not have a drinking problem but I learned the same way Miguel did…through my own mistakes, I learned the best.  The failures, the struggles, the crashes taught me what NOT to do.

I was at least 40 years old before I discovered that I did not have to touch the hot stove to know that it would burn me.  In my 20’s and deep into my 30’s, wise counselors would tell me to avoid something or to not do something and I would listen but often think, “That doesn’t apply to me or “That consequence won’t happen to me.”  And before I knew it I had burned the fire out of my hand!!  These “burns” were manifested in relational failures, financial struggles and emotional crashes.

But these mistakes got my attention and caused me to change my ways.  They also caused me to not just seek the counsel of others but to actually heed it.  To apply what I was taught to change my life and avoid pitfalls.  Don’t get me wrong, I still make LOTS of mistakes but the consequences are not nearly as grave.  I have learned to quickly adjust when I feel the heat – heat that comes mostly through consequences and the Word of God.

What about you?  Do you have the same learning style as Miguel and I?  What are some of the lessons you have learned through your mistakes?

Do You Have a Nathan?

Accountability is one of those areas in my life that I have a huge love-hate relationship.  As a sales person and as a development director, reporting my “numbers” (i.e. calls made, appointments held, sales closed or money raised) seemed like such a hassle but when I did not have to report I always did worse than when I did report.  Accountability – it can be a burden but it makes me a better person.

In my spiritual life, I also need accountability.  Folks that I know will ask me the tough questions and will not be afraid to confront me if they have discerned that I might be off course.   They are not my Holy Spirit nor are they the righteousness police just looking for a chance to nail me.  First and foremost, they are friends who love me with an agape love.  They are looking out for my best interest.  They are also men and women whom I have given the right to hold me accountable.  I trust them and desire them to speak into my life.  I am a better person because of their influence in my life and for that I am eternally grateful.

The psalmist David had accountability in his life in the form of a prophet named Nathan.  Nathan helped David process through big decisions (see 2 Samuel 7 as David contemplates building the temple for God.)  Nathan rebuked David when he had committed grievous sins (see 2 Samuel 12 concerning his sins against Bathsheba and Uriah.)  Lastly, Nathan gently reminds David of his promises (see 1 Kings 1 as David makes Solomon king.)

Nathan traveled with David throughout his life and both encouraged and confronted this giant killer.  What about you?  Do you have a Nathan in your life?  If so, how has your Nathan made you a better person?

Athletes? Burdens? Inspiration?

Check out this video!  These athletes inspire me, how about you?  The amazing thought is that many of these athletes while in the womb would have been considered, by some, to be "burdens" to society. Now, they inspire the world!

How TMPW Impacted My Life - Part 4

As I shared in my earlier blogs, TMPW has impacted my life in profound ways but the last way I want to share is really the coolest way. As an Activator (see earlier blog), dreaming is challenging to me because I don't daydream, I just do it as soon as I think it. However, TMPW forced me to get in that settled place and make a list of dreams.  What is so amazing about making a list is that things on the list just start to happen.  I believe there are two reasons for this...the power of the mind and the awesomeness of God.  When we write things down, our mind begins working on it - even if it is subconscious.  I also believe that when God sees us write it down He believes us and begins making things happen to accomplish it.  He wants to give us the desires of our heart when we are fixed on Him. Through the exercise I also began dreaming beyond myself.  Because of my self-reliance and independence (read "pride" here), I struggle to dream beyond my capabilities.  By using the tools given to me by TMPW I can dream on a whole different level and I so look forward to the amazing things the Dream Master will do in my life in the next 12 months, 3 years, decade.

Come start discovering your dreams!  First meeting is this week!!  Please contact me to let me know if you would like to come or have any further questions.

How TMPW Impacted My Life - Part 3

Earlier I shared of two ways in which the TMPW impacted my life – living intentionally and the process of change.  Today I want to share a fantastic blessing of being a part of TMPW – the books we received.  As an avid reader (thanks, mom, for instilling that in me), this component was especially meaningful. Of all the 30+ books we receive, by far, the one book that had the greatest influence on me was Strengths Finder 2.0. It was so impactful that I gave about 30 of these books away as Christmas gifts in 2009. My top strengths were Achiever, Activator, Strategic, Communication and Discipline.  They all fit me to a tee and others agreed.  It was so influential because it gave me clarity on the skills that the Lord had created in me.  I was better able to understand myself and why I make a to-do list on vacation and why I can be impatient at inactivity.  I cannot use these as excuses to ignore the Spirit of God in me or the Biblical commands He has given us, but they have helped me know exactly what my role is in His Kingdom.

Another area of growth for me has to be the Sabbath.  As an achiever and activator, rest is hard for me.  But as I learned through TMPW as well as reading The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan, if I want to restore my soul then I have to rest.  I also learned that Sabbath does not mean that I am sitting around doing nothing.  I might be taking a lesson at the Apple store or getting a massage.  I actually signed up as a monthly member of Massage Envy to "force" myself to rest.  Now, I am not perfect in this area by any means but by practicing a regular Sabbath these past three years, I know that resting in Him during a significant transition in my life in the Spring of 2010 was possible.

Would so love to have you join me on July 1^st for the introductory meeting!  Please contact me to let me know if you would like to come or have any further questions.

How TMPW Impacted My Life - Part 2

In my earlier post, I began sharing how TMPWhas significantly impacted my life.  Today I want to share another teaching that I think about on almost a daily basis, The process of change. Here are the four steps:

Step 1:  Unconscious incompetence.

Step 2:  Conscious incompetence.

Step 3:  Conscious competence.

Step 4:  Unconscious competence.

It made such sense to me and I began asking myself how do I move – and how do others move – from Step 2 to Step 3? Often, I would  know that I was failing in an area but I would not take the initiative to get better.  Unfortunately, the only thing that moves me – and I believe most people – is pain.  When the pain gets greater than the ignorance, we are willing to move.  So when pain comes in my life, whether it is physical, emotional, mental or spiritual – the first question I ask myself is “Is there an area in my life where I am ignoring what I know to be true?”  The longer I wait before making the change the greater the pain.  This was big motivation to make changes in my life.

It has become a goal of mine to change before the pain gets too great.  When I recognize or am told of an area that I need to work on, I try to go ahead and jump on it so that the pain does not have to increase.  It has also allows me to free others that may be doing things, as I see it, wrong.  When the pain gets great enough in them they will change.  (Of course, I have to remind myself, often, that God is usually NOT calling me to be the source of pain for them.)

Come be a part of the wonderful TMPW experience!  First meeting is just around the corner.  Please contact me to let me know if you would like to come or have any further questions.  Plan on being a part of experiencing The Master’s Program for Women up close and personal.  You might learn how to avoid some pain!

How TMPW Impacted My Life - Part 1

As many of you know from my posts and in my blogs, I am pretty pumped about teaching The Master’s Program for Women (TMPW)!  Why am I so excited about teaching it?  I am thrilled because TMPW changed my life and when something that powerful impacts me I not only want to tell others but come alongside and help them experience the impact of living an intentional life.  Which leads right into the very first example of how it changed my life…. In the very first session of the three year course, there is a teaching from Ephesians 5:15, 16 that says, "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." (KJV)  The keyword to me is circumspectly - coming from the same root as circumference.  So I began having a 360-degree look at my life.  How was I doing in all the realms of my life (Personal, Influence and Kingdom)?  It really prompted me to live diligently and intentionally.   I am not one to be loosy-goosy but this really pushed me over the edge to be mindful of every moment of every day.

Over the next week or so I will share three more specific examples of the life-changing impact TMPW had on my life.  Please plan on joining me at the next session - it is starting in just a few weeks!!  The introductory meeting will be July 1st from 3 pm – 8 pm at a friend’s home, which is located not far from Beltway 8 and Memorial Drive.  Please contact me to let me know if you would like to come or have any further questions.  Dinner will be served so plan on being a part of experiencing The Master’s Program for Women up close and personal.  You will be blessed!

Update on the Great Adventure

If you read my earlier post, you know that I am on a great adventure!! Since resigning from LifeHouse of Houston in February, the Lord has continued to led me on an amazing walk and through it all He has shown Himself, once again, so faithful.  God continues to reveal confirmation after confirmation to not get a “real” job but to do my own consulting and coaching business.   God has demonstrated this to me in a really cool way – almost like a postcard in the mail – people have called (and continue to call) asking me to work with them.  To date, all of my engagements have been prompted by my clients.  How much clearer does He need to be? One of my clients, The Master’s Program for Women (TMP), is a unique three-year program of life-designing and coaching that encourages women to discover and pursue God's plans for their lives.  It has been developed to answer their deepest questions as well as help them gain a new understanding of their Kingdom Calling – that one thing that God created only THEM to do for His Kingdom.  TMP focuses on one’s ability to manage the foremost issues in their life, including their faith, family, career, relationships and the varied opportunities to serve.

I went through TMP as a participant beginning in 2006 and as I applied the tools I gained in the program, I became more balanced in my life.  I experienced increased margin in my day to day living and gained a clearer focus of God’s calling on my life.  I believe that these last five months would have turned out totally different if not for the coaching and knowledge I received through TMP!!

The time commitment is only a 5-hour class once a quarter that will include lectures, small group activities as well as fellowship over a meal.  The same group of ladies stays together throughout the three-year time period and has a great opportunity to experience community.  The “homework” each quarter can be a couple of hours or several days just depending on what peaks her interest.  On a quarterly basis, I will also meet one on one with the participants to give personalized coaching on her greatest area of need.

The first class is starting in just a few weeks on July 1st!!  And so, the adventure continues….

How is Your Heart?

I had just sent off my 2009 tax return along with payment to the IRS – so grateful that it was MUCH less than I had anticipated – when I clicked over to TweetDeck to read the latest twitters.  As a scrolled through, I decided to check out this news story from FoxNews.com: Some tax day fun: RT @WhiteHouse See Obama and Biden's tax returns http://bit.ly/ci7qTb

And this is what I learned…the President and the First Lady filed a joint tax return and their adjusted gross income was $5,505,409 and reported donating $329,100 to 40 different charities, which is just short of 6% of their income.  Meanwhile, the Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden did not do quite as well, both in income and charitable giving.  Their adjusted gross income was $333,182 and they contributed $4,820, which is 1.5% of their income.

As I have pondered this over the past month I have gone from amazement to anger to apathy until I heard some stats my pastor shared in his sermon this past Sunday.  At Houston’s First Baptist Church (HFBC), 50% of our members gave zero to the church in 2009.  Thirty percent of the members gave less than a $1,000.  It is that 80/20 rule all over again – over 80% of the budget was carried by 20% of the people.  Now, I am sad.

What saddens me, and what saddened Pastor, is that if 80% of the members of HFBC are giving so little financially to God, have they encountered God?  Have they really given their hearts to Him?  Based on what Jesus said I believe the answer to that is no.  Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Pastor Gregg made it so clear that it is not at all about the money.  God does not need our money, He desires our heart.  You see if we encounter God, we have to respond to God – in worship, in service, in obedience and in giving of our time, talent and treasure.  And what is so amazing is that when we respond to God, we will once again encounter God and the circle continues.

So my question to you today is where is your heart?  Is it going to take a treadmill stress test for the Lord to know if your heart is fully His?  Do you need some CPR?  He challenges us to test Him in this area and says, “…see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”  (Malachi 3:10)  Why don’t you test Him and see if you don’t encounter Him in a profound way?

The Great Adventure

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, God has me on a new race - a new adventure - and I am thrilled!!!  Right now I do have a road map of sorts and a Compass that always points True.  So, to answer the questions that I am hearing from so many dear friends and family, this is what I am up to...

Stewardship Consulting God has opened several doors of opportunity in this area.  People have been contacting me and asking if I would be willing to help them.  I have several projects lined up that will pay the bills for the next few months – praise the Lord and have several more strong prospects.

The essence of what I am doing is summed up in the tag line, “Serving Others...Better.”  I am coming alongside those who are serving, ministering, touching others and help them do it even better – especially in the areas of fundraising and operational excellence.  Helping them be better in the stewardship of their time and treasure.  Be looking for a tab real soon on this website that says “Consulting” so that will have more information.

Writing a Book This is really a God-calling!  For years, I have been encouraged by many to write a book but I have never done it because I did not have the time and it was too much work.  Well, at least one of those excuses is out the window and after writing 15,000+ words so far the second excuse is becoming less formidable.  The book is primarily autobiographical and many never get in a published form but for now I am clearly called to write it and we will go from there.

The Master’s Program for Women (TMPW) I am probably most excited about this opportunity.  The mission of TMPW is "To prepare Christian leaders to change their world and build God's Kingdom through their irresistible lifestyles and influential works of service."  It is a 3 year long program that is comprised of 12 interactive meetings (one a quarter), 12 notebooks filled with practical, hands on information, almost 30 books and, of course, personal coaching from me.

To accomplish the mission, TMPW teaches LifeMastery.  The first year is focused on the personal realm (body, mind, soul and spirit).  In this realm one exercises discipline.  The second year is focused on the family and professional realm (marriage, children, career/volunteerism and resources).  In this realm one exercises authority.  And lastly, the third year is focused on the Kingdom realm (the Church and the world).

The first session for Houston will be Thursday, September 16th.  However, I know that God will open other cities (i.e. Atlanta, Tampa, Dallas, etc.) as I continue to seek His face and find favor with Him and His people.

There you have it!  Steve Curtis Chapman was right on when he sang, "This is a life like no other - this is The Great Adventure."  And, what a Great Adventure I am on!!!

So, what about you?  Are you in an at-ease position or are you at the ready?  What Great Adventure are you on?

Faith Walk in Action

“Any leads?”  “Are you staying in Houston?”  “What are you up to these days?”  These questions and others have been the conversation starters of many of my visits with my friends these past 30 or so days.  How blessed I am to have so many who truly care about me as well as what my future holds? As many of you know, I have felt much like Abraham these past few months.  From the Bible, Hebrews 11:8 tells us, “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”  I was definitely called to leave LifeHouse and upon my resignation, was not the least bit certain of where I was to go next.  But, I loved this recent tweet by Suzanne Eller, gave me great comfort “God didn't ask Abraham to leave his country as a sacrifice, but to move him closer to the promise...”

As I shared in an earlier post, God has given me some direction but it still has been one of the strangest faith walks I have ever been on.  What has been so unique about this walk is that instead of being in an “at-ease” position between steps – you know, where you take a step with the left foot and then bring your right foot parallel to your left and stand.  This walk has looked more like this…

And since much of this came down during the winter Olympics, apart from the skin tight suit, I have felt a bit like this...

In the ready.  On my mark.  Awaiting the starter’s gun.  Not wanting to miss the signal but also not wanting to get ahead of the voice of God.

Well, now, after being back from vacation for two weeks, I definitely feel like I am in my stride in this next season of my life.  There is joy in my steps, my yoke is easy and my burden light.  Tomorrow, I will share exactly what I am up!