Day 40

“Living with purpose is the only way to truly live.”
Purpose Driven Life
Point to Ponder: Day 40

The last day,
And I have nothing left to say…

Day 39

“Blessed are the balanced.”
Purpose Driven Life
Point to Ponder: Day 39

I have a hard time with balance....

I live impulsively, going from one extreme to the other....

In the end it produces balance but it is a rollercoaster ride to get there.

“You speak of the one who will bring balance to the Force.”

Day 38

“The Great Commission is my commission.”
Purpose Driven Life
Point to Ponder: Day 38

I have always wanted to go to other places. Whether though books or movies, using my mind or my body I enjoy exploring the known.

Over the last five years I have been blessed to be able to travel all over this country and meet fascinating people. From California up to Washington, Wyoming down to New Mexico, Mississippi over to Maryland and all in between (and of course I can not fail to mention the wonderful state of Tennessee and its magnificent inhabitants).

For the next few years of my life I hope to be able to begin my international experience. For my Evangelism and Mission training I will have a Mission Emersion Experience in Rio De Janeiro in 2006. The following summer I hope to go to the Holy Land for a Middle Eastern Seminar. I hope that these will be two of many more international explorations. I look forward to the new opportunities God is giving to me and hope to use them for the expansion of the Kingdom of Heaven. For we are blessed to be a blessing and I have indeed been blessed.

Day 37

“God wants to say something to the world through me.”
Purpose Driven Life
Point to Ponder: Day 37

I have been learning this truth intensely for the past six months.

I am not usually a talker (although it depends upon who you ask). However last night I was able to have dinner with a friend that was coming through town. We had a 3-hour conversation over hotdogs and BBQ sandwiches at the Varsity. We talked about every spiritual topic imaginable including salvation, sin, witnessing, education, and world religions among others.

It was a very motivating time for me. I am realizing that I have a story to tell. I am thankful for that story and hope to have many other opportunities to tell about what God is showing me in my life.

Day 36

“I was made for a mission.”
Purpose Driven Life
Point to Ponder: Day 36

What is the mission for which we are made?

I use to say that we were made to get as many souls into heaven as possible.

In a way this is true, but I have grossly misunderstood the concept of the soul and heaven.

I thought the soul was the essence within the body but independent of it. I thus thought heaven was a place where our independent, disembodied souls go when we die.

But this understanding of souls and heaven is at best incomplete and more likely completely wrong.

Day 35

“God works best when I admit my weakness.”
Purpose Driven Life
Point to Ponder: Day 35

This is hard for me to do. I live with the belief that I can do anything. There are a couple of reasons for this.
• I have always been told by my parents and teachers that I can do anything that I want to do.
• My personality causes me to see the world, not as it is, but as it could be. Therefore whenever I look at a situation I don’t see it as actuality but as possibility.
• I have always had a relationship with God and a knowledge of the creator of the universe.
These factors have combined to never allow me to believe I can’t do something. Just because I may not do something doesn’t mean I can’t do it. It is more important for me to be able to say I could do something than it is for me to say I have done something.

With an awareness of this I have a weakness in actually doing things. That is the one thing I can’t do.

Slightly ironic.

Day 34

“To be a servant I must think like a servant.”
Purpose Driven Life
Point to Ponder: Day 34

I must confess I do not like being treated as a servant. I can recall a number of times in ministry when I have been used to the point where I have nothing left and then simply thrown away without the slightest thought or thank you leaving me feeling like a used tissue thrown in a wastebasket.

I do not like that feeling. But I can handle it (most of the time) and I am sure I will have to continue to handle it. It is not so bad when it comes from serving the world but when it comes from within the leadership of the church or a church related organization it’s a little bit tougher.

In fact I myself may have treated some people serving under me in that way without realizing it. If you are reading this and have felt that I have ever mistreated you in such a way that you “felt like a used tissue thrown in a wastebasket” I am truly sorry.

We should act in a way that honors servants rather than abuses them.

Sadly that is rarely the case.