Archives for September 2015

Several weeks ago I spoke to a crowd of about 200 little people. They were precious. And at one point in the message I asked for volunteers. I think 180 hands shot up.  They were so quick to volunteer!

And so was Moses … at first.

When God called Moses from the burning bush, he was quick to raise his hand.

“Here I am!” 

But when God made it clear that he had a pretty tough assignment for him, Moses lowered his hand and came up with four excuses.

• I’m not qualified
• I have no authority
• I have no credentials
• I’m a terrible speaker

God SO graciously answered every single one of Moses’ objections. But when it came down to it, Moses said,

“Send someone else.”  

He was quick to volunteer. But when he heard the assignment, he failed to trust God. He lowered his hand. 

Has God given you a big assignment? A scary assignment? One that is WAY beyond our comfort zone. How might God use you if you stop making excuses and keep your hand up?  

If you’d like to dig a little deeper, check out Exodus 3-4.  And,  would you tell me about the assignment God’s given you that stretches you beyond your comfort zone? I’d love to pray for you!

What work is God doing in my world today? 

Jesus is walking through Jerusalem, and he comes upon a pool. The pool is pretty impressive with five roofed colonnades.  And gathered around this pool are people who are blind, lame, paralyzed. As Jesus is walking, he’s  listening to the voice of his Father. He knows his Father is always working. One man caught Jesus’ eye.

Jesus stooped down and asked him a question.

“Do you want to be healed?”

You would think the man would have answered, “Yes!” But he didn’t. He said,”Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up.”

Jesus could have left him there at that point. Or he could have waited around until the water was stirred up and helped the man get in. But, he knew his Father was working … right then.  

“Pick up your mat and walk.”

And that’s exactly what the man did.

And while this was fabulous for the man, there was more going on. It was the Sabbath, which meant that it was against the religious tradition for the healed man to carry his mat. But God’s work wasn’t limited by their religious traditions.

When the Jews confronted Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, he answered,

“My Father is always working. And so am I.”  (John 5:1-18)

The best question we can ask every single day is this:

What work is God doing in my world today?

God is always working. Always. If we will be bold enough to:

• Ask God what he’s doing
• Listen and look for his answer, and
• Join him in his work,

we will make lasting impact every single day.  What work is God doing in your world today?  

Recently I participated in a leadership webinar sponsored by a fabulous training organization. The two presenters clearly knew their stuff. But there was a difference in the way that they spoke.

One of the presenters  came across as confident, not arrogant. He was sure of himself, and what he was sharing.  He was fun, engaging. He spoke declaratively.

The other presenter had fabulous content to share. But every time she spoke, she put invisible question marks at the end of every sentence. She made me wonder if she believed in what she was saying. 

Jesus went up on the mountain, sat down, and crowds of people gathered around. He spoke truth. And he spoke it declaratively, without any invisible question marks.  

• Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• You are the light of the world.
• Love your enemies.
• You cannot serve God and money.
• Do not be anxious about tomorrow.

And when he finished teaching, the crowds were astonished at his teaching for he was teaching them as one who had authority.  (Matthew 5-7)

There were no invisible question marks in his message.

You and I certainly aren’t Jesus. And there’s no way that we can be as confident as Jesus. But, when you have a message to deliver … erase the invisible question marks.

Would  you like to add to the conversation? Connect with me on Facebook!  Let’s chat!

Bill and I were at the beach this past weekend celebrating our 24th wedding anniversary.  And, boy, did we NEED this time.

 

August was blistering, and I’m not talking about the heat. Two of our daughters, Grace and Adelyn, had been away all summer and came home for less than 48 hours before heading back to college. And we moved our son, Josiah, into college.

Big feelings, folks, all the way around. More than once I found myself wishing that I could have just one more day of swing sets and sprinklers.

Big things have also been happening with RiverCross. I just sent out my September newsletter.  Here’s what’s in it:

Does Your Partnership Really Make a Difference? 

A beautiful story of how one woman’s partnership is making a connection across the world.

TWR Interns! Could Be Your Future!

Are you a college student? Do you know a college student? This fun video may make you consider a TWR Internship in the Summer of 2016!

Shout Out!

Just a few of the folks who have gone above-and-beyond to advance the cause of RiverCross.

What’s Up?

Want to know what’s coming up in the next month?  Here’s where you’ll find it!

Just Like That! 

An update on the adventures of the Finley Family!

How Can I Get Involved?

Specific ways that you can invest time, talent, and treasure to build bridges of hope for the world’s most vulnerable children.

If you’re not on my email list and would like to be, just click on the button up-and-to the-right. Enter your name and email address, and I’ll get that newsletter right out to you!