Friday, April 29, 2016

Random Pursuits for Friday


Improve your abilities! That always sounds good, and all it requires is to read a novel. Yes, you read it correctly - read a novel! "Bibliophiles are right - a book can change your life. Immersing your in a fictional story can lead to changes in brain functions for up to five days, according to a recent study published in Brain Connectivity." I can certainly suggest a wonderful, historical novel that will not only improve brain functions, but will add to your spiritual growth.  
Polycarp - A destroyer of our gods - By Rick Lambert

Read the findings for yourself at:


Leadership Highlight - I thoroughly enjoy the study of leadership and developing the skills necessary to be a more effective leader. I find the focus of this article useful, and though it's not written from a spiritual mindset, it taps into a powerful Scriptural principle I think you'll enjoy.
Good managers focus on employees' strengths, not weaknesses


Worth a look - If you are looking for a stylish, yet comfortable pair of sandals, then look no further than Cordoba Leather. David Somers is a young entrepreneur who has been creating some quality leather products with a focus on sandals. I own a pair, and have worn them all over the world. Did I mention that they are custom designed to the shape of your foot.  You'll love them. Take a look.
Cordoba Leather








Thursday, April 28, 2016

What the trying of your faith actually accomplishes


That often used and seemingly worn out cliche always seems ready for us to utter in those occasions when we see no progress in our lives; “I seem to moving two steps forward and three steps backwards.” However dismal our circumstances appear to us, things aren’t as they appear if you are a follower of Christ. Let me share with you another way to view challenging times when it seems you are being thrown backwards. 

Here is an excerpt from my novel - Polycarp, a destroyer of our gods, in chapter 14 where Polycarp is teaching one of his sons a valuable principle of life.

“I like to think of myself as an arrow positioned in the bow that is being firmly held by the hands of a mighty man. God is that mighty man. He crafts me into a straight arrow with a sharp tip and prepares to launch me towards the enemy, using me to wound, overpower, and kill the threat of the enemy.... Before an archer can launch his arrow however, he must apply great pressure.... How many times I have felt I was going backwards and was crumbling under the pressure, when all the time I was simply feeling the tension of the bow, and the backward motion as preparation for battle. And at the right moment, under the strain of the pressure, the arrow was shot into the air as it accelerates towards its target. Do you understand? The arrow lives for the tension; it requires it. The greater the pressure, the more power it possesses when launched at the target.”

Progress is one thing, but effectiveness in that progress is everything, and effectiveness is never an accident. As a follower of Christ, you believe that God controls your destiny, and will guide you through the obstacles and challenges of life into the fulfillment of a useful and happy life. The tension you feel and the frustrating days of little progress or backward motion is really God preparing you for that future advance. 

Be patient! Isn’t this essentially what James was charging the church regarding the purpose of trials in his letter in James 1:2-4? You could say that the trying of the faith God has worked into you is having a completing, finishing type of work. It not only increases your effectiveness, but you could also say your velocity into the renewed direction. 

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Practical and godly solutions for plowing through 

all our daily projects



For someone who has a lot of irons in the fire, I found this article by John Piper, both interesting and helpful. It's not one of those typical "time-managements" pieces. Dr. Piper blends practical solutions with our spiritually-inherent, Christ-centered desires. What a lovely, and yes, joyful way to glorify God in all we do.


Ten Principles for Personal Productivity
http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/ten-principles-for-personal-productivity

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

“I hate quitters!” That’s what he actually said to me. 

(How fortitude is developed)


When I was in the seventh grade and was part of the track team, I can recall one of those epochal moments where instead of "seizing the opportunity" as the saying goes, the intimidation of the opportunity seized me. It was like all I could see was a large neon sign rapidly flashing "QUIT!"  

It was a gloomy day with a steady drizzle of rain. We had left the comfortable suburbs and were preparing to run against a team way out in the boonies. They didn’t have an all-weather track; just a cinder track that didn’t make for good traction. As I surveyed the other team stretching and warming up, they appeared bigger, stronger and faster. Fear crept in, and I soon found myself paralyzed with dread and overwhelmed with the desire to quit.

I wasted no time running over to the coach and telling him how ill I felt, and that I was on the brink of throwing up. I just wouldn’t be able to run my events that day. Now I don’t want to brag, but I was pretty fast, and had only lost one race which happened to have been my first one the year before.

My coach thought it odd that I had suddenly taken ill, and he reluctantly let me off the hook, and told me to take a place up in the bleachers. I felt guilty and angry with myself for quitting, and as I sat their sulking, I was startled to see my dad walking around surveying the field trying to find me. He looked surprised to see me sitting at the top of the stands, and made his way up to find out what was going on.

My dad was the last person I wanted to see. I sure didn’t expect him at the meet that day, but there he was, walking towards me, and obviously curious as to why I wasn’t preparing to race. Of course, I told him in pathetic tones how sick I felt, and that the coach encouraged me to sit this one out (he didn’t put it quite that way, but I thought it would add to my defense). After pleading my case, he just stood there; hands on his hips and shaking his head in disbelief. I thought he was over-reacting; It was only a Jr. High race. It’s not like I was trying out for the Olympics.

Finally, after enough silence passed necessary for me to fully feel his disappointment, he said;
“So, you’re quitting.”
“No,” I whined, “I just don’t feel well. I’m sorry.”
“You sure are,” he replied.

He then pointed down to the field and said; “I want you to get your body down there, stretch out, and run your events. Your team is counting on you, and I didn’t drive all this way to sit with a quitter.”
Okay, that hurt! Not because it was cruel, but because it was true. My dad always new the right buttons to press when it came to getting my attention. Don’t mistake the relationship I had with my dad. He was a godly man, an exceptional father, a very good pastor and undoubtedly my best friend. He loved sports, but he didn’t love them more than me, nor was he on some ego trip that required my success in sports. He desired that I be a godly man and exceptional in character. He liked seeing me take on hard things and do them, and if possible, do them well. Many times, the hardest things we must engage come down to conquering our own weaknesses.

I was a bit more startled by his next statement. It was stronger, and was the verbal equivalent to a kick in the seat of the pants when he stated;
“Rick, I hate quitters!” He actually said that to me. Of course, I knew him well enough to know that he didn’t hate me, but he hated the weakness that I had chosen to be my identity.

“Get out there and run,” he added. “I don’t care if you cross the finish line dead last. You are not going to quit. You are going to race.” And then he added a phrase I had heard him say many times in other fatherly commands; “You are going to run, and you are going to like it!”

I protested a few more minutes, but to no avail. It was pointless to continue. He was not going to let me quit. I could imagine him throwing me over his shoulder and running the race with me flopping around on his back. That thought was intolerable.

I reluctantly went down and informed the coach of my miraculous healing, and was prepared to race. I’m not sure, but I think I caught him looking beyond me and exchanging a smile with my dad.

Quitting is more than an action, it is the reflection of wrong emotions that blind vision and stifle creativity. It’s not the present hardship that makes us want to quit, but the laziness of our soul to want to persevere. Emotions are powerful, that is for sure, and life would be outright boring without them, but our emotions make terrible leaders, fickle captains and poor decision makers. Our minds are better at leadership, and allied with the fortitude of our wills, they can order emotions to stand down. Fortitude is the strength of our will fueled from the desire to persevere in our minds. The emotions are added for the drama.

The gun fired, and I was out of the block running, and I even won; and yes, I did rather enjoy it. My dad hated quitters, and he knew I really wasn’t a quitter. Through him, my fortitude powered up my desire to persevere, and I won more than just a race that day. Sometimes you don’t know what the real prize is until you cross the finish line. The simple lesson is this: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” (I Corinthians 9:24)

Monday, April 25, 2016

I am currently participating in writer's workshop, and one of our assignments is to maintain a blog. I am pretty disciplined in most things,but blogging has never been one of those things. As you can see, this blog has been off and on for some time. However, I would like to think I have new motivation. We'll see, won't we? I thought my re-inauguration should begin with a pleasant reminder my brother, David, gave to me upon hearing of my return to the blogosphere. Thanks Dave.