Day 40: Living with Purpose

Wow! another 40 days of purpose!

God has been good during these 40 days as always. I think I said before this is my third time reading the 40 days of purpose book. I was thinking and looking over all my notes from this read and my previous 2 reads of this book and God has truly matured me.

Now I have to be honest about the purpose statement at the end, the first time I read it I did not even attempt my purpose statement. The second time I read it I actually recorded a date that I would start to write and a timeframe for me to complete it. I did not start the purpose statement on the date nor did I finish it by my recorded timeframe. So what about this time, "they say" the third time is the charm. Well I have started my purpose statement.

Now this is what I want to encourage everyone else to do, don't do what i did. Please start to draft your purpose statement today. It might take you some time to complete it. Get a journal, write down the five questions and get started thinking and drafting your answers TODAY. I am serious don't let this opportunity leave without getting your purpose on paper. The best way to stay on purpose is to write it down. Don't worry, it might change and grow but write it down.

But if God has shown to you your purpose as you write get busy operating in your purpose. Don't let writing stop you. I have to be honest I was a little discouraged that I did not follow through on writing my purpose statement but God who loves me reminded me that writing it is not the issue living it is what counts. With God's help I have operated in his purpose for my life and have grown through some of my fears. God has trusted me to work in his kingdom in new and different ways. He has allowed me to do things that I know if it wasn't his will I would not have been able to do. He has trusted me with some additional assignments that I am sure that I did not think of because I am asking him now - God are you sure you intend this work for me. Everytime I ask him, he continue to confirm - yes YOU. So I guess it ME.

So think of the thing that won't let you go. It might be a word, a phrase, a place, etc. Write it in your journal and you have just started writing your purpose statement.


Blessings,
Felicia Kennedy (aka Flea - yes at one time I was a size 0 and now ......)

Day 39: Balancing Your Life

This blog won’t long at all. Why? You ask. Because it is hitting way to close to home. Lately I have been feeling out of sorts, actually “unbalanced.” So today’s devotion is right on time, yet challenging. There always seems to be so many things to juggle and I struggle with where to find the time to fit things in. As I look as the purposes we have explored, I wonder where the “non-church” things fit in….So I made myself a little chart to try to encompass my life within these 5 purposes, to see if (1) it can be done and (2)have a wholistic approach to this so that I am not trying to track a bunch of unconnected things. So here’s my stab at it:

Worship	Fellowship	Discipleship
Church Private worship My body is God’s Temple Exercise Eat right Regular medical exams	Church family Maintain Relationship with those who may not necessarily be part of Church Biological family Friends and Signifi­cant relation­ships	Read the Word daily with an eye toward application Pray daily and without ceasing Attend Bible study weekly Tithe-we grow through giving, Jesus said that where our treasures are, there our hearts will be also
Ministry	Evangelism
Produce prayed over, prepared sermons and Bible studies Develop ministries and ministry leaders in Body of Christ	Develop stronger sermon invitations Take advantage of everyday opportunities to share the Gospel Invite 1 person to Church each week Show the love of Christ in daily living

Because I work in ministry full-time, my ministry section is my job section. For those of you who work in secular professions, you can place what you do in the Evangelism section because we witness by being good stewards of our jobs and working with excellence, integrity, and love. I challenge to begin working on your own charts and continue to develop them. See how what you fits into these 5 purposes and check up on yourself regularly.

Day 38: Becoming a World Class Christian....

Back in the day, when it was said that somebody was "on a mission" it usually meant that the person was not available mentally or physically for any activity outside of what is good for them. These individuals would go about whatever business they had with little thought about those around them. All that mattered to these individuals were making it to their destination.

We all have a mission in life. We are all born with drive and that drive will take us where ever we want-for the good or bad. But as believers, we must be mindful of how we chart our destination. When we accepted Jesus Christ into our life we also accepted the "Great Commission" -- the "Go" of our salvation. Where are you going with the Good News? Are you sharing the message with your family, friends, coworkers, stylist or barber? Have you talked with your neighbor about what God has done in your life? Are you willing to go overseas with this message? I know some may be thinking, "How should I go about sharing the Good News?" While walking up to someone and just proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel may work for some, but for the rest I would suggest that you look for an opportunity. Look for an opening to talk about how good God is.

I like what Rick Warren said when he mentioned "Prayer is the most important tool for your mission in the world. People may refuse our love or reject our message, but they are defenseless against our prayers" (p. 300) In addition to looking for opportunities and openings, don't forget to pray. Pray before you approach someone. Be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

God will use our unique SHAPE to share his word. Therefore we should not undermine our purpose just because it does not resemble someone else's assignment. Just because a person is not in the pulpit or listed among the elders in the church or carry the title of deacon or deaconess, does not mean that they are not equipped for the mission that God has called them to. Use what you got to get the message of the gospel out to the world.

Are you willing to ask God where you should "Go" with the good news that he has placed in your heart? I am!

~Tammy (aka Enerpeace)

Day 34: Thinking Like A Servant

If serving other people was the in thing to do I think more of us would do it! In life we are often caught up wanting to be "down", desiring to be popular, and wanting to be known, seen, acknowledged, and valued. The problem with this is that frequently in order to be acknowledged, valued, or popular we do the things that other people are doing or we do the things that we believe other people expect for us to be doing. Now this isn't always bad because a lot of times this means we try harder, run faster, give a little more all so we can come out on top and do our best. However, our lives are not about us or our personal successes! No, our lives are about doing what God has called us to do! Our lives are about being more like Jesus and being a servant to other. It is so hard in the society we live in to put others before ourselves when we are constantly receiving messages from the word that say, "Do you!" The very first point in today's lesson is one that blessed me, "servants think more about others than about themselves." I appreciated the explanation/reminder that this does not mean that we are called to think less of ourselves, but simply to think of ourselves less. I think that if we could just put down our worries, frustrations, and schedules long enough to help, serve, support, or encourage someone else then maybe God could work our stuff out without us further complicating things by always trying to "fix it." I believe that God wants us to lose our lives by adding to and sacrificing for other peoples lives. Jesus' life and ministry was all about servitude and although he is celebrated now, during his service he never received the Young Man of the Year Award or an award for leadership or service everything he did he did it out of a sense of call from God and a love of God's people.

We cannot get caught up in what other people are doing or not doing, we must simply push on and do the things that we know are right. I can remeber being in High School and hating my god-father for making me get up every single Saturdat at 9am to study for the SATs and so every couple of weeks I would muster up the courage to tell him that I didn't understand why I had to be up studying on a Saturday morning when everyone else in the WORLD was sleeping! Each time he would look at me and simply say don't worry about anybody else, just do what you have to do! And I believe that this is what God is saying to us right now, it doesn't matter what anybody else is doing all that matters is that we serve, we make a difference, we tithe, we worship, we encourage others, we live like we have some sense! True servants of God can't be caught up in what other people are doing or saying because thay are too busy trying to serve and please God!

I think the picture above of the Walmart smock with the popular slogan of "How May I Help You?" is one that reminds us that we should live our lives constantly seeking to serve others and to serve God. So, on today I am going to do my best (it's harder some days than others) to forget about myself and to be of service to God and God's people. I don't need a title, a robe, a plaque or a position what I really desire is to be of service to God and God's people. On today are you willing to wear the attitude of the blue smock in your spirit?

~Min. Shareka aka Swift Turtle

Day 32: Using What God Gave You

“It’s been a long , long time coming but I know a change has come!

Is it just me or does today’s reading fit perfectly with last night’s events?! BARACK OBAMA is the President of the United States of America, a BLACK MAN and we are alive to see it and had the opportunity to make it happen. Like many of you, I am grateful, thankful, excited, overwhelmed, joyous to the point of hysteria, and yet am having trouble taking it all in. I feel like Mary—“the Mighty One has done great things for me; Holy is his name” (Lk. 1:49). My mind knows the fact, an overwhelming victory with record numbers of people having participated in the democratic process. But my heart, it’s about to burst from this news and even though we know this is an historic moment and event in the history of the WORLD, we have not even begun to grasp the significance of what has just happened. But this I know—Barack used what God gave him!

When you look at this race for the White House, Barack really used his SHAPE to serve. He didn’t allow people’s criticism about what he did not have to cause him to focus on his (perceived) lack. He worked with what God gave him in the form of his innate gifts, talents, passions, and experiences. One of the major criticisms to Obama early on was that he was a “community organizer” and therefore not ready to lead a nation. But Barack used what God gave him and took that community organization model and grass roots level campaigning and organized a nation poised and ready for change. The things they said would count him out are the gifts he used to get in. And the results have been profound.

It really makes me wonder what God could do in our lives and in the world through us if we did the same? What if we said, “Yes, we can” and had the courage to use what God gave us rather than focus on what we don’t? What if we realized for real that God has already equipped us with whatever we need to serve? What if today, we thought, acted, and lived like that was true?

I am going to make my list today of my gifts, talents, and passions and then use them. Because that’s what God have me.

Day 31: Understanding Your Shape

"It is this last category, painful experiences, that God uses the most to prepare you for ministry. God never wastes a hurt! In fact, your greatest ministry will most likely come out of your greatest hurt" (Purpose Driven Life, p. 246)

Very few people know that I am a high school dropout. As a teenager, I would have been considered a juvenile delinquent had I been caught in the various acts of social transgressions I committed. For years I looked outside of myself for answers to God calling in my life. When the answer was not clear, I would borrow someone else's vision to validate and give shape to my life. Could anything good could from my life experience? My response to this question was an adamant no. As a result, I lived my life as fugitive running from my past in hopes that it would never catch up to me. But one day it did.

A few weeks ago I was facilitating a staff meeting at my office. New Jersey Youth Corps (a program for at-risk youth) was one of our guest speakers. As I was introducing the presenters to an audience who appeared to be tired and bored, I ended my introduction with the following statement, "The New Jersey Youth Corps is very dear to my heart as I am alumni from this program" Suddenly it seemed as if I had everyone attention. All eyes were on me from that point on. If that was not enough, one of the Case Work Supervisors asked for me to share my experience as a participant in this program. Following the presentation and with a trembling voice I began to disclose to my colleagues, boss, and visitors the events that led me to dropping out of high school and how I got back on track -- which was a result of my conversion and godly counsel from an older sister in Christ.

Had it not been for me excepting Jesus Christ as my personal savior and becoming actively involved within my local congregation, I would have never meet Jean Hunt Garroway - the sister who mentored me as a babe in Christ and provided me with information about the New Jersey Youth Corps. If I had not joined the New Jersey Youth Corps, I would have never obtained my GED and received the encouragement and support I needed to apply and gain admission into Rutgers University-where I obtained my Bachelors of Science degree with a double major in Criminal Justice and Psychology. My employment with the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) coupled with my belief that communities of faith are viable change agents to address social and educational decay within our cities pushed me to pursue and obtain my MPA (Masters of Public Administration) from the School of Public Affairs and Administration. It was through my studies in this program that I explored the intersection of religion and public administration. “Adding Religion to the Mix of Social Service Delivery” was the title of my capstone policy paper and the area where I am developing my muscles in ministry.

Truly, God can transform your misery into a ministry. This is the personal experience that I offer to my church at Worship in the Grove.

Yours Truly in Christ,

Tammy (Enerpeace)

Day 30: Shaped For Serving God

Tommorow is election day! Keeping with the spirit of this election season, I would like to remind everyone to get out and Vote!

_____________________________

Before God created us, he had to consider what our purpose would be on Earth. We know that part of our purpose includes worshiping God. God also had to consider how we would fit into this Earth and fulfill this purpose. God has given each of us different talents, qualities, and skills. None of us are exactly alike and we each have our ways of expressing things. This was not by accident, but was by design.

What's interesting about our gifts and talents are that they are constantly shaped throughout our lives. God has placed circumstances and situations in our lives to help grow our gifts to help worship him and fulfill our purpose in life.

This chapter focuses on your gifts. God gives each of us gifts that are to be used for ministry. There aren't any gifts that God has given us that can not be used for serving him. From the technology focused to the orators, God has provided all of us with specific gifts that can be used to lift his message. These gifts are not something that can be learned or studied. These gifts are specific to individuals that can only be given to us by God.

This entire chapter reminds me of how the United States elections work. You have many different people with different views and different beliefs. Each person goes to the polls to express thier views and vote for the person who you believe best represents your views. Ultimatly, everyone is voting to help better the United States and our society. Everyone serves a different role in the election process but the ultimate end goal is the same.

Our purpose in life is similar. We are all different people with a different set of skills, talents, and gifts. All of these different gifts work together to fulfill the purpose of worshiping God.

_______________________________________

Don't Forget To Get Out and Vote!

Day 27: Defeating Temptation

There are some quotes that simply live in the conversations I have with some of my friends. Many of them are simply funny things that one of us may have said in a previous conversation that when well placed in a new conversation demands laughter and hysteria! However, some of them are quotes taken from family members that just always seem to fit our conversations perfectly. A quote from one friends grand-mother, "Don't let Satan in your car, next thing you know he'll be trying to drive!" This one gets a lot of play when we start talking about the idea of flirting with sin or just walking the fine line between right and dead wrong! My favorite quote however, comes from the mother of on of my closest friends E-Dubb, "Watch your eye gate!" You simply just can't expose yourself to everything. You're not strong enough to see certain things and carry on business as usual.













So, after reading today's devotional the thought that I walked away with is RUN!!! Run very fast away from the temptations that are trying to jump all over you like a spider monkey! We must learn to remove ourselves from situations and people that tempt us to do things that are not pleasing to God. The other thing that I kept thinking of while I was reading today's devotional was that song that says, "Oh be careful little eyes what you see, oh be careful little eyes what you see, for the Father up above is looking down with love, so be careful little eyes what you see!" That song also says be careful little hands what you do, which reminds us that we ALL need to be mindful of the things we do, see, and say because God sees everything we do. And when it comes down to it I would rather God see me struggling with temptation, fiercely trying to distract myself from the allure of....(Mind your business! Dag!), and taking up random new hobbies rather then Him seeing me just giving in to temptation willingly because after all we all sin. What do you need to protect your eye gate from? And how will you distract yourself in order to defeat temptation?

~Min.Shareka aka Swift Turtle

Day 26: Growing Through Temptation

Yield Not To Temptation....................

...... Just ask the Savior to help you ...........................

These words started to come to me as I read the devotional lesson for today. I especially focused on the statement that our temptations grow us. I hope I can be honest with everybody today. I have some recurring temptations that I sometimes defeat and I sometimes give in to. I have to say I don't always pay attention to how I am feeling or what is triggering my weak moments. I feel really bad and not so smart when this happens. I really beat up on myself. Also, I haven't always remembered to ask God for help. I can honestly say sometimes I don't ask him for help because I don't want his help.

Also, I thought God gets tired of me falling for the same stuff and was tired of me coming to him and asking for forgiveness. I thought he was ready for me to be done with the foolishness but i have discovered that he is growing me. At one point there was a list of temptations that would defeat me and now there aren't as many on the list. At one point I did not even have a clue that these things were temptations that would lead me to sin but now I know. At one point I did not even care that I did certain things that led to sin but now I do. So you see, if God can work on me, there is hope for everyone.

Now, don't spend any time judging me as I am working my issues with God and we have a plan. Just be encouraged to know that God is available to you. Just ask him to help you and he will carry you through!

Felicia Kennedy (aka Flea - yes there was a time when I was a size 0 and now ..............)

Day 25: Transformed by Trouble

I think, no, I know that God has a sense of humor. My proof—that today was my day to blog and if there is anything I know about it is trouble. After sharing a bit of my family history with my campus pastor, he turned to me in stunned amazement and said, “I know that I am not supposed to say this but do you realize that you should be dead? How are you still alive and functioning?” Yeah, I know trouble and I do not like that I know it, been through it, endured it, had to overcome it. Sometimes, I’m very angry about it and I want a break. I think I deserve a break and some undisturbed joy. Not just the joy that comes from serving the Lord, but joy that is the result of one’s circumstances lining up to cause joy. I don’t want “faith joy” where I am believing and trusting God; I want “sight joy” where stuff is actually OK and my present reality is good—you feel me? It’s not that my life is horrible but there have been some horrid moments and everything in me rails against them. I’m no super saint, I’d rather be transformed by anything else other than trouble. Why not chocolate? Why can’t I be transformed by chocolate?!



But here’s what I have learned about trouble. I am not transformed by it. I am transformed by my trust in God. Trouble presents the opportunity to trust God and when I take that opportunity, I am transformed. The experience that crystallized this for me was when my father died. My prayer had been that God would leave me with 1 parent (I had already lost my mother) until I married and had a child. I counted on the fact that God was a healer and maybe God would have mercy on me. But God didn't. My father died and I have never hurt like that before or since. In 1 day, I lost both my parents. On that day, I might have punched someone in the face had they told me, “God is good.”

There was no goodness. It didn’t feel good. It didn’t look good. It was NOT good, at all!!! And I remember, in the quietness of hotel room after ministering powerfully at a retreat and being angry with God for deciding to show up at the worship service but not in my father’s hospital room, that in this instance I had to believe God was good because I saw no empirical evidence to support what I previously accepted as fact. That’s when I was transformed, when I decided (not felt like, was led to) yes decided to trust the goodness of God when I could not trace it; when I could not see any good being worked out.

I still miss my father terribly. The pain of his loss has been so acute that is has taken me six years to cry freely. For so long, I was like a child who falls and hurts herself so badly that she jumps up and down with that stunned look, mouth open, but no sound or tears come out because the pain is so overwhelming. I have learned to live with the loss but it’s still not good. Yet I dare to believe that God is working this together for my good; that God is good when life points to the contrary. I believe that and to answer my campus pastor’s question—it’s the reason why I am still here. I’ve been transformed by my trust.

Rev. Raquel

Day 24: Transformed by Truth

The Word of God is a living agent working around and within us to transform our lives.

I am not a Gardner. However, my rudimentary knowledge of gardening tells me that before any thing can come out of soil, the soil must be cultivated. The cultivation of soil prepares it to bring forth harvest. Likewise, if our lives are going to bring forth Christ to the world, we must be cultivated by the Word of God.

When we abide in the Word of God, the word makes its habitation within us. Once the Word of God is rooted in our lives it begins its work of transformation within us. The word will settle, anchor, and keep us during any life situation. The same word that chastises and corrects us is the same word that comforts and care for us. We must give the Word of God priority in our lives if we expect to see change.

Are you aware that Gods word seeks after us? As we are growing and maturing in Christ we must learn to make Christ centered decisions. But sometimes we fall short; and when we fall, it is the Word of God that finds us and helps us to get back on our feet. But if we don’t have the word within us, it can not help us. This is why regular bible study, memorization, and meditation upon the word God is vital to our existence.

The enemy will attempt to shake or choke God words out of our lives. Nevertheless, if we are diligent in seeking God for direction through his word, we will remain steadfast and unmovable in the word of truth.

Blessings,

Tammy (Enerpeace)

Day 23: How We Grow (Man / Woman 'ing Up!)

Please Watch the video above before you continue reading.
You may look at the video above and wonder what in the world does Lion King have to do with “How We Grow”. When I was younger I used to watch the Lion King movie. Matter of fact, this is secretly one of my favorite movies. I love the message of growth and finding oneself that runs throughout the movie. The Lion King movie has MANY great messages (Like This One: Click Here).The movie helps teach kids about responsibility and ultimately how everything and everyone in life have a common purpose. We are all one and tie in together. In the video above, you see young Simba learning about Hakuna Matatta. This is a an idea of a carefree and easy going life. You can see that he learns this at a very young age and carries it with him throughout his young adult life. I picked this video to show that we Grow based upon the decisions we make in our life. In the end of the movie Simba ultimately changes his ideas and beliefs and winds up becoming the King.

I love messages about positive growth and even more about spiritual growth. Before I continue blogging about this days message, I wanted to highlight one of my favorite bible verses. It just so happened that this appeared in Day 23 of the book.

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." - 1 Corinthians 13 : 11

This chapter was a great introduction to spiritual growth. It helped frame the idea of spiritual growth and the responsibility needed to grow.

First off, you must want to grow. There must be a self motivated desire, an internal yearning to grow. This is similar to external locus of control. External locus of control deals with how you view faults and guilt. People who have a view of external locus of control feel that the world is in control for thier actions. There are outside forces that motivate them to do things. On the flip side, Internal locus of control focuses on self motivation and responsiblity. You are responsible for your own actions and you are the motivation for doing the things you do. Spiritual growth is similar. Spiritual growth can not happen without you deciding that you want to grow. The pastor, your friends, & your family can not force you to want to grow spiritually. You can not be prodded, poked, and guilted into wanting to grow spiritually. You have to want to grow.

It's not enough to want to grow, you must also commit to growing. There are alot of people who WANT to success, fame, money, and many different things. But you must also commit to what you want. If you want to grow spiritually, you must commit to growing spiritually. Again, you can not be poked, prodded, and guilited into commiting. A commitment has to come from your heart and be genuine.

Part of commiting requires you to change your ways. Changing your ways can be highlighted by the bible verse I quoted above. When you were a child, you did childish things. You were immature, selfish, and materialistic. However, part of growing up and maturing is letting go of all of those childish traits.

The book states that you need to change your auto pilot. I think that this ties into changing your ways. You act a certain way because this is embeded in how you think. You act on your thoughts and how you were raised. Some of these traits were engrained in your personality when you were younger or habits that you picked up throughout your life. In order to change your autopilot, it requires that you change the way you think and how you view things. This can be the most difficult part of growing. It requires dedication and endurance.

I know people often use the term "Man Up" or "Woman Up". It often means to not be afraid of a situation and step up. I challenge each of us to Man / Woman up. I can not force you to want to grow nor can I tell you what traits you need to change in order to help you grow spiritually. You are the only one that can look at yourself and decide what you need to do. But as we continue to walk through the 40 days of Purpose, God may talk to you and challenge you to "Man Up". Are you up for the challenge?

I'll close this posting with a video for all of the Lion King fans...

- Keith (AKA Deeply Rooted)

Day 19: Cultivating Community

Community requires commitment. Here is the list of of the nine characteristics of bibilical fellowship:

We share our true feelings (authenticity)
We encourage each other (mutuality)
WE support each other (sympathy)
We forgive each other (mercy)
We speak the truth in love (honesty)
We admit our weaknesses (humility)
We respect our differences (courtesy)
We don't gossip (confidentiality)
We make group a priority (frequency)

When I read the lesson today explaining how all these were important for community building immediately I started to think about which of these characteristics was I good at and which ones I need the most development. I pondered this questions and decided that I would have to challenge myself the most in the area of humility. At first I thought, I don't act like I got the big head all the time and I can accept others and follow their lead sometimes. So I thought I was good at being humble but when I thought a little more about the statememt above "admitting my weaknesses" I had to be honest and say I am not good at being humble. My inability to admit my weaknesses are rooted in the fact that I don't want to give anyone any thing that they can use to hurt me or judge me. I often say I am a good friend to people but I don't always allow them to be good friends to me. I think I started to keep people at a distance and not trust them with my weaknesses in grade school. ( I can't believe I can remember that far back! LOL) I had this group of girls who I thought were my best friends in the world. We did everything together or should I say they did everything I said do. I thought they were really my friends until one day I was late meeting the group and happened to show up at our spot late and without them knowing that I was around the corner. I heard them talking about me and saying things about me that really hurt my feelings. These were girls who had stayed at my house, went to dinner with me and my parents, met my Muddear, etc. I thought we were tight and I heard them making fun of me for crying about some family issues and me being afraid to sleep with the lights off. Now as petty as this sounds, I never forgot that I heard them talking about me and what I thought were major secrets about me and my issues.

I don't remember how I reacted or if I called them on talking about me (knowing me I am sure I did and it wasn't nice) but I can say for that day forward I am a little guarded and I don't show my weaknessess to people in general or close friends.

Now what is my challenge - I am certainly not planning to bleed all over people but for those folks who I need to be in community with I am deciding today to turn in my superwoman tights and wonderwoman outfit (even though I might keep the braclets LOL!).

Hit me back about which of these characteristics hit home with you.

Blessings,
Felicia Kennedy (aka Flea - yes at one time I was a size 0 and now ......)

Day 18: Experiencing Life Together

“Mutuality is the art of giving and receiving” (p.140). This was the line that needled me during my devotional reading. I think I do mutuality well. I know how to reciprocate and receive based on what I have given. It’s not the mutuality that trips me up; it’s grace. Grace is unmerited favor. It’s getting something you did not earn or ask for. Grace gives “just because.”

I give well but have a hard time receiving from people if I feel like I haven’t done anything to deserve it. Gifts “just because” no matter how small make me a little uncomfortable. It’s one of my little idiosyn-crazies. A person I only recently met bought me a seltzer and chips when we stopped at a little bakery before our meeting. I could hardly concentrate on the conversation because I was so messed up by the food. It was only like $2.50 worth of stuff but I kept thinking, “Why did she do that? I have money. Should I have accepted this?”

Funny thing is I do not have this problem with God, only people. I’m a practical person. I know there is no way possible for me to earn what God gives me. If I am to receive anything from the Lord, I have to accept God’s grace towards me. It’s the people who challenge me…

I think it has a lot to do with my upbringing. I am an adult child of an alcoholic so I did a lot, achieved a lot, excelled a lot in hopes that it and I would be good enough reasons for the drinking to stop. It didn’t but I got used to giving, kept on giving anyway. However, I never really learned how to receive. I stopped expecting things from people, especially the important stuff so now it’s hard for me to receive. There was a time when I could not receive at all. Now I do but everything in me feels uncomfortable, slightly off balance when I cannot seem to understand the connection between what I get and what I give. I’m beginning to explore why being me isn’t enough of a reason to receive something when it is usually the only reason I need to give to another. I am beginning to see how my inability to receive stunts the growth of the giver, because the giver needs a receiver. And I am realizing that I need to be a better receiver if I truly want to be in fellowship with other believers.

I think that most people feel more comfortable with either giving OR receiving. Which side do you lean on? Fellowship requires both. I want the fellowship!

Rev. Raquel (aka #1 Superguy but trying to become less “super”)

Day 17: A Place to Belong

Take a moment and look at your key ring or somebody else’s key ring. Some of us will find a multitude of key tags that give exclusive benefits for members at various locations. We accept free and sometime fee related membership with certain entities because of the special perks they provide for members. Membership provides individuals with incentives for belonging. Yet, the only way one can receive the benefits is by initiating and/or welcoming participation.

As I was reading today’s devotional, the popular phrase that came to mind was “Membership has its benefits.” Are you aware that being a member of the Body of Christ has benefits? These benefits are designed for your spiritual growth and maturity; which leads to manifested changes in your lifestyle. But in order to receive these benefits, one must be willing to initiate and welcome invitations to become involved with the activity of the local church. As members of one body, we all have a role to play in the development of our communities by spreading the good news of the Gospel in word and deed.

We were not created to live a life of solitary confinement. I often question the logic of individuals who say that all they need is Jesus and never seek to develop Christ centered relationships. Jesus example alone reveals that he had a social network of at least twelve individuals (i.e. the disciples). In addition, his public ministry exposed him to individuals from all walks of life. His connections were meaningful and useful for his purpose on the earth. The relationships that we develop as a result of membership within the body of Christ can help us to reach our God given purposes if we are willing to activate them.

You belong to the Body of Christ and the Body of Christ belongs to you. Make use of your membership benefits today!

Blessings,

Tammy (Enerpeace)

Day 16 - What Matters Most (Battling The Busy)

"I have to work late tonight because..."
"I can't because..."
"I just don't have the time..."

I often find myself saying these things during the course of my day. Not because I don't want to do certain things, it's because I just don't have the time. Life has a way of drowning you in work & responsibilities that by the time you get to catch your breath for the day, it's time to go to sleep so that you're ready for another day of the same thing.

I think we can all relate to this. It feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, and if you don't do it...it won't get done. Or sometimes, you just feel like your being pulled in so many different directions that you possibly can't do everything that's being asked of you.

This chapter helped me realize that sometimes we need to take a step back and look at what's important. The first sentence in the chapter states "Life is all about Love". It's easy to dismiss this as cliche but deep down we all know this is true. Throughout the Bible, Jesus has shown unconditional love to us. The 10 commandments have their foundation in idea of Love. Love is essential for fulfilling our purpose in Life.

We're told that it is important to Love everyone, but love God's people a little more. This is because we want to set the example that those who follow God, are filled with love.

Essentially, the chapter helped me understand that the BEST way to express Love is to give your time. When you love someone or you care about something you put 100% of your time into. We need to take this idea and apply it to our every day life. The "hustle" of life is not important. Bills are not important (although the bill collectors will say differently), your job is not important (although your boss may raise an eyebrow), and your money is not important (although your bank account cries out when it's low). What's important in life is our relationships. We will be judged in the afterlife based upon our relationships here on Earth. We need to invest our Time / Love in our relationships with our loved ones and others. This is more important then anything else. I think with that mindset, the statements of "I'm to busy" & "I don't have the time" will dissapear. This is because we will have cut back on the not so important things in life and focus on our relationships.

~Keith (aka DeeplyRooted)

Week 3: Fellowship - Memory Verse

"So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."

~Romans 12:15(NIV)

Day 14: When God Seems Distant

Surprise! Saturday Blog!

(I wonder why my blogs tend to start with childhood stories?)

When my father taught me how to ride a bike, I remember feeling like I could go anywhere in the world! Well, up and down the block because I wasn't allowed to cross the street but it felt like anywhere. One day, Dad took the training wheels off and walked along with me to keep me from falling. After a few times, he let go and stood back and watched. A few feet away, I started to wobble, panicked and looked back to find that Dad wasn't holding the bike anymore and immediately fell.

When we are new to Christ, God is always there, making sure that we feel his presence. He answers every prayer and makes sure that you know that He is always there. As we grow in Christ, He starts to take a step back. Never too far away but enough to see what we will do on our own. Things will start to seem bad and we will cry out for God to come fix the problem or make it all go away. When He doesn't answer right away, we look down and realize that the "training wheels" are gone and we feel alone.

When this happens, we can't get angry with God or turn away from God. This is when we need to worship God even more! We need to remember that God loves us and has a plan for our lives. We need to keep pedaling like we did in the good times. We may need to use our legs more to hold our balance but God does not give us more than we can bear. We need to stay focused on God, continue to trust him and worship him in the deepest way!

~Camille (aka Bookworm)

Day 13: Worship That Pleases God

Recently a preacher friend of mine said to me that he felt like his congregation was really struggling in worship, at the time I commented saying that maybe they were just worshiping in their own way which was different from what he was hoping for. I thought my response was pretty good until he looked at me and said, "Worshiping God and paying your respects at a funeral should never look the same!" Wow! Okay, so maybe he was right, perhaps his congregation was genuinely struggling with worship! However, I believe that there is a huge difference between us being contemplative or demonstrative in church versus genuinely worshiping God! In order for us to genuinely worship God we have to be willing to love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength and because rarely are we accustomed to giving our all to anyone or anything we have to be intentional about sincerely giving all ourselves to God!

The part of today's devotion where I got stuck though was on the idea of having to be willing to sacrifice in worship, because like David we should not give God something that cost us nothing! So, now with that said this is something that I have personally been struggling with for some time now. I have been consciously trying to give God more of myself in worship regardless of where I am or who is around! My confession is that for far to long I have restricted my worship based on where I was and who I was around so much so that I am now just getting free to the point where I can ask God what He desires of me in worship and then be obedient enough to do the things that please God, but every now and then push me beyond my comfort zone! Worship is not about me! This is what I have had to tell myself over the last couple of months, worship is not about the songs I like, sermons that minister to me, my favorite dance rendition, who I am sitting next to, or even who is watching me worship! No, worship is about pleasing God and expressing to God to what extent we are grateful to be in relationship with Him! So, I have let myself off the hook as far as any false expectations that my worship has to look like someone elses, so I may never run around the sanctuary (even though sometimes I feel that, so hey you never know), I may not "shout", I may not always lift my hands, I may not speak in tongues, I may not sing as good as some other people, but I WILL give more to God each time I am in His presence. I will sacrifice more of my body and my comfort! When it is all said in done I want to God to know that I love Him, adore Him, respect Him, am grateful for a relationship with Him, revere Him!

When I was little my mother used to say to me, "Your actions speak so loud I can't hear what you're saying!" And so now my desire is that my actions will line up with my words in such a way that I am always worshiping because I live my life as a willing sacrifice to God! I sacrifice personal comfort and boundaries to worship God in spirit and in truth! What are you willing to sacrifice?

~Min. Shareka aka Swift Turtle

Day 12: Developing Your Friendship With God

WELL - As I sit here in Joburg, South Africa - I am singing I am a friend of God, I am a friend of God and I just can't believe he calls me friend.

This is the exciting part of this lesson today - knowing that I am a friend of God. I am so humbled and proud to finally get that God wants to be my friend. Today reading the blog I felt God close to me saying I am your friend. I was overtaken with joy. I kept thinking I just can't believe that you would want to be my friend. God is so good to me.

While reading the devotional for today, what caught my attention most is that friendship with God requires obedience. This really started me to thinking. Most times the people that I obey I don't always consider friend. I respect them and love them but don't always think of them as friends. Now that I have a better understand of obedience being a way to get as close to God as he wants to be to me. I have decided that I am going to do what God says do when he says do it. I am sure none of you are like me but sometimes I am a little slow to act when God says so. I am slow because of fear mostly. Sometimes, I think I can't do what God has asked me to do or sometimes I just don't want to do what God has asked me to do. Ok, I said it sometimes I don't want to do what God has asked me to do. I can't believe the words that I have put in this blog but it's true. However, after understanding that obedience is apart of being God's friend and I am a friend of God. I am ready and willing to just do what he tells me to do even if I don't want to or if I am afraid.

Ok, I've got to get ready for my day here in Joburg but let me hear from you. I want to know how being God's friend has motivated you to serve him.

Peace and Blessings,
Flea (yes I was once a size 0 but now .........)

Day 11: Becoming Best Friends With God

On the first day of 6th grade, my teacher sent me to travel back on the bus to go find a girl named Jamie who had missed it. Little did I know that this girl would turn out to be my BFF (my best friend forever). Jamie and I quickly learned that we shared a love of reading, loved the game UNO and had the ability to recite Disney movies from beginning to end. This friendship has lasted over the last 15 years, it has grown and changed. I was there with her when her father passed away, she forgave me for giving her a fat lip (it was an accident!), we even kept in touch when she moved to Massachusetts and I went to Washington, DC for college. She just stood as one of my Maids of Honor at our wedding last year.

As much as I treasure this friendship, I know that being best friends with God means so much more. Yes, we should go to church on Sunday and yes, we should have our private time with God but God wants and deserves more. God wants to be involved in every action, every word, every thought that we do.

At first glance, this seems hard but when I take a step back and look again, it looks different. I am in constant contact with my husband, my parents, my sister and my friends. Sitting right next to me right now is my blackberry. It will buzz over 100 times a day alerting me to a phone call, an email, a text message, an instant message, etc. I don't think twice about picking it up, reading the message and responding.

I'm not saying that I should be sending God a text message every minute, but to pray without ceasing. It can be as simple as "Thank you for allowing me to go get to work this morning" or "I want to be closer to you" or as the book says "You are my God." These little prayers help me to worship God even while I am at work or doing the laundry.

Jamie and I had a secret code that we would use when writing notes to each other. Using this code, helped our friendship to grow. We used it so much that we no longer needed the code key to decipher the messages. God has many secrets that he wants to share with us. He put them in the Bible for us to read. The more we read it, the more we will discover and take root in our hearts and minds. If we meditate and concentrate on His Word and keep it in our hearts throughout the day, we will continue to understand his "secrets."

I'm excited about becoming BFF's with God!

~Camille (aka Bookworm)

Day 10: The Heart of Worship

Are you allowing Jesus to make himself at home in your heart; or do you only allow him a seat where there is space? Is Jesus a permanent resident in your life; or is he just a visitor on Sunday, holidays or special events? Does Jesus have the keys to your place; or is he only allowed entry when it is convenient for you... (Enerpeace)

Surrender is a conscious decision.

I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior at the age of eighteen. My acceptance of Jesus Christ for salvation was one act of surrender. Yet, I used to think, that my acceptance back then meant that I would be surrendered for the rest of my life. I soon realized that this was not the case. Surrender does not automatically occur. Surrender is something we choose to do on a daily basis. Everyday we face different decisions and challenges. Everyday we learn something new about God. Therefore, every day we must make a conscious decision to align ourselves with the will of God.

Eighteen years after my conversion, I continue to learn about surrender in my walk with Christ. Another lesson I learned about surrender is that it is not forced. Jesus does not impose his will upon us. Instead, He requires that we take it upon ourselves to become conformed to his will. Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart.” (See Matthew 11:29-30) Jesus draws us with love and He expects us to draw near to Him in love.

Surrender, as Christ has modeled, is a love agreement. Surrender is not the end result of a battle between our will and the will of God. Surrender is the agreement of wills together in love – like marriage. When Jesus called Peter and Andrew from their fishing occupation, he did not say, follow me and forget about the fishing business. Instead, He said “follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (see Matthew 4:19) In other words, God has nothing against your will (your personal interest, livelihood, or hobbies) which produce fruitful and constructive attributes in your life. God just wants us to reconcile these activities for His purpose. He wants to show us how to maximize our skills and talents to glorify Him and expand His Kingdom. I tell you, when I realized that God was interested in me, and all of me, I said yes and found my rest…

To me, surrender and agreement means the same thing. Therefore, if anyone finds it difficult surrendering to God, try agreeing with God!

In His love,

Tammy Peoples (pseudonym: Enerpeace)

Day 9 - What Makes God Smile? (The "Cool" Kid)

Everyone wants to be the "cool" kid. The "Cool" kid is the person that marches to the beat of their own drum, who does what they want, and is the person everyone wants to be like. The "cool" kid is the person who is too cool to do "geeky" or "uncool" stuff. When reading through Day 9 of "The Purpose Driven Life", I kept thinking of the "cool kid"mentality.

I/We get so entrenched in what other people think of us, that we try so hard to be apart of that cool crowd. Even if it means changing who we are to fit in. We'll walk the walk of the cool crowd and talk the talk, but in our hearts we know that it's not who we are.

In the book, Rick Warren talks about how Noah was the only person who was pleasing to God. Noah was the only person who had his focus on God. He trusted God so much that he built an ark in the middle of nowhere, just because God asked. At the time, the rest of the world was focused on themselves and did not worship God. I think that there are similarities to what happened back then and what happens in today's society. You don't seem part of the "cool" crowd if you worship God. Your only part of the "cool" crowd if you worship that football team, sportscar, magazine model, or the "mighty" dollar. You're not "cool" if you thank God for your skills or your blessing, but your "cool" if you thank yourself for everything YOU have done. You're not part of the cool crowd if you pray and talk to God everyday but you're "cool" if your always on the phone talking to people you really have no business talking to...

I found it ironic that the same theme of "coolness" that was happening around Noah back then seems to be happening now.

But what's interesting about the "cool people" mentality is that while your trying to be cool with everyone on earth, you're not cool with the person that matters the most.

It pleases God when we thank God for everything he has done, is doing, and will do in our lives. That's why it's so important to thank him in advance...we have no idea what he has in store for us, but because we trust him, he loves us. It pleases God when we love him, even when everyone else around us is in love with material things. It pleases God when we obey him, even when we don't understand what he is asking from us. We obey him because we love him and trust him. God will never do anything to damage our trust and love in him. He loves us unconditionally, and we must do the same. God loves us when we use our abilities to serve and praise him and not use those abilities to further our own personal agendas.

The cool kid mentality is a funny thing. When times are good, everyone wants to be the cool kid. You can't tell them anything, they're just to cool. But when times are bad, and the cool kid's in trouble (look at this past weeks market crash), everyone doesn't want to be the cool kid. Society is the same way. Society has that "cool kid" mentality and turns it's back on God. Society forgets of God's love and patience with us. Society forgets how giving God has been to us.

I think being a real "cool" person is doing what GOD wants us to do no matter what society is doing around us. Following God's vision for our lives is more important then what others want for us. I'd rather be the "Cool" kid in God's eyes then the "Uncool" kid in societies eyes. In the end, I think being Cool with God makes him smile.

-Keith (aka DeeplyRooted)

Week 2: Worship - Memory Verse

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."
~Mark 12:30 (NIV)

Day 6: Life Is a Temporary Assignment

I've never really been a temporary assignment kind of person! The idea of not being able to fully settle in somewhere has simply never been appealing to me. That's why even when I came home from college and all of my friends were doing temp work I just could not bring myself to do it even though they were getting paid so well. (Like $20 an hr, it was crazy!!!!) I want to be able to put up pictures, have toys on my desk, and be settled in. I've never lived in a house with unpacked boxes, because when I move in I make a commitment to my space! I unpack, choose color patterns, put up pictures, and decide where things go! There will be no unpacked boxes hiding in my house!!!! No more wire hangers!!!! Okay, so I'm not this intense about it , but I do feel strongly about the whole unpacking thing.

However, after reading today's devotion I think that in many instances I've committed to this space (Earth) too fully! I've invested too much time and energy in things that are fleeting and/or in things that in the grand scheme of thing just don't matter. And truthfully it is precisely at the point where I feel over-invested, under appreciated, overwhelmed and burnt out that I realize almost in true light bulb fashion that I've been giving too much of myself to things that don't matter and expecting to feel fulfilled! :( In my life I have run after positions that haven't lasted, titles that have changed, people who didn't care, credentials that didn't mean that much, and objects that could be repossessed and now I am now beginning to realize that only what I do for God really matters. So, not in a real holy sense like praying and fasting are the only things important, but in the sense that now I realize that the way I treat my family and friends is a reflection of my relationship with Christ, how diligent I am on my job reflects on who I believe I am to God, and how I spend my time tells GOD what I value.

So, maybe I need to live my life the way I live on vacations. You see, when I go on vacation I do not move into the hotel room! (It always bugs me out when ppl put their clothes in the hotel draws for an over night stay....lol....anyway I digress.) No, when I go on vacation I go to have fun, try new things, experience new things, learn something, and although I am always fully committed to my time away in the back of my mind I know that I am going back home and that the hotel is just a temporary home away from home! That's why when I go away I live out of my suitcase because everything I need for my trip is in there and plus that way when its time to leave I'm ready to go! I believe that if I lived my life as if I was a foreigner living out of a packed suitcase I'd spend more time reading the Bible because it would help guide me for my trip, more time consciously investing in relationships (because I always make friends while on vacation), and less time wasting time because after all who leaves home to go somewhere else to be tired and frustrated all the time? How would today be different for you if today was the last day of your temporary assignment? I'd hug some people I care about, laugh real hard, write one more sermon, take a good nap, and go out to dinner with some people I love! (Only because where I would wanna go would take too many hours to fly there. lol) Holla at me.

~Min. Shareka aka Swift Turtle :)

Day 5: Seeing Life from God's View

Wow! Day 5 of 40 days of purpose - Seeing Life From God's View - amazing!

This is about my third time reading the 40 days of purpose book and each time I have come to this day i have labored over the questions at the end of the chapter- What has happened to me recently that I now realize was test from God? What are the greatest matters God has entrusted to me?

Well this third time is no different than the last two times before, I am not feeling the best about the recent test and let's just say I did not pass with flying colors but I am not smoking and burning either( now that was a "deep" statement).

Anyway, I want to focus more on the second question - What are the greatest matters God has entrusted to me? I reviewed my answers and I think this year I am finally starting to view life the way God view's life. The previous years my items were very self serving and actually were totally about me. This year I could honestly without thinking respond to the question totally thinking about others. One of the things that God has entrusted to me is to start writing grants for service related organizations. Now because of the time and effort it takes to complete these grants, I do charge a fee but for the most part I am writing these grants for free. God has placed it on my heart to work to help others who are serving in the kingdom. I have actively sought out people to help and I find myself talking about writing grants or thinking about writing grants most of the time. I really believe that we could make the world better by serving others and allowing God to lead us. I wish I could find all the money necessary for all of the non-profit organizations to exceed their goals for years to come. I know that does not sound realistic but I know that with God all things are possible. So I am trying one grant at a time to help as many as I can and I believe this is truly seeing life the way God does.

Thanks for reading this blog and let me hear from you. Oh yes, about the test you would be proud. What I was about to do did not work and I am thankful that God takes care of "fools and children"

Blessing
Felicia (aka Flea - yes there was a time when I was a size 0 but ............)

Day 4: Made To Last Forever

As I read Day 4’s devotion, I pondered the question at the end of the chapter—“What should I start doing and what should I stop?” My answer may be somewhat ironic after a whole chapter whose purpose was to promote long-term thinking. My answer is simply this: to spend more time in the present and quit focusing on the future. I am ALWAYS thinking long-term and to my detriment because most of the time I am playing out “what if” scenarios and trying to guard against the day everything will fall apart (why I fear it will fall apart requires a deep foray into my childhood…) . I can be so busy hedging my bets that I am not really living at all. I am missing God in the moment.

So, I have committed to living in the present and paying attention to today rather than fearing, calculating, and planning for tomorrow. It is not that I do not plan, that would be unwise, but I take better care of today rather than wasting energy stressing about tomorrow. Jesus said, “Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matt. 6:34b). And what I am finding out is that I am enjoying this life more and preparing better for the next. It is making me more sensitive the voice of God and the movement of the Holy Spirit in my life. I seek to discern what God is saying, doing, and prompting me to do today. It makes me strive to be more obedient in the moment rather than planning on being obedient later (you know, when it’s more convenient or better yet, if I wait it out long enough, maybe God will forget…and if you buy that one, I have a bridge for you!) This present thinking makes me presently available to God and the way I figure it, if I can walk with God today (and the days that follow) I’ll automatically arrive at eternity with God. That’s my plan…what do you think?

-Rev. Raquel ( aka #1 Superguy)

Day 3: What Drives Your Life

I will never forget the day when my doctor told me that I had a health condition that was related to being several pounds overweight. My body was not functioning properly and part of the remedy was to lose weight. Prior to this confrontation, I had not given any thought to weight loss. As far as I was concerned, I was OK. But once it became apparent that my health was in jeopardy; it was not long after that I joined a weight loss program.

Motivation comes in many different forms. Regardless of it character, motivation is an intangible force that propels you from one state of being to the next. The goal of motivation is to empower an individual to take action. As mentioned above, a health issue became a motivating factor in my life to lose weight. While this same event could have yielded a response of resistance, there was something timely about my doctor words that resonated within me and set me on the right path.

It is my prayer that when life presents us with circumstances that call for action, that we would be motivated to do what is right and good. Part of our memory verse for the week holds that we were”…Created in Christ Jesus to do good works….” God has a way of orchestrating events in our lives that cause us to stop, take notice, and act. If we yield to the authority of His Word and seek his counsel through prayer, we will be primed to respond appropriately for ourselves and the good of others. Don’t miss an opportunity to do good – allow the word of God to motivate your life.

~Tammy Peoples

Day 2: You Are Not An Accident

The Divine Engineer. This is what kept going through my mind when I read through Day 2 of the Purpose Driven Life. Engineers take months and sometimes years to plan different designs before production. Even during the planning process the Engineer knows what she or he wants the product to look like, how it should function, and what it's purpose is.



Unlike so many products & inventions, God did not create you by accident. Most of the time, inventors stumble upon a product by accident. They "tinker" in their labs and by mistake create a successful invention. Many times, the original function of the invention has been altered so much, you do not know what the original purpose was.



God is the Divine Engineer. Before this Earth was even formed, he had a plan for each of us. Before we were even born, God had a purpose for us. His purpose for us far exceed our hopes of a trouble free life, prosperity, and good health. God has a purpose for us that far exceeds the physical manifestation of our hopes and dreams. God created us and placed us exactly where we are in life for a specific reason. We may not immediately see the purpose as we walk through our day to day life but like most engineering schematics, you have to take a step back. You need to step out the rat race of every day life and realize where you are and where you have come from. More importantly then just taking a step back, you need to ask the engineer! Sometimes the plans may be so complex that we ourselves can not understand what we are looking at. Only the engineer can break it down to us so we can understand the purpose. The only way we can truly understand the plan is to talk to and have a relationship with God, "The Divine Engineer".

There were no mistakes, no random occurrence of events, & no accidents. God has a specific purpose for each of us. The "Divine" engineer has a plan for all of us...

- Keith Bonds (St. James Tech Crew)

Week 1: Purpose - Memory Verse

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ~ Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)