The Monday Memo from John Stanko

542: Serve Before Kings

I am in the midst of a seven-part series on purpose in the book of Revelation. Jesus made a promise to each one of the seven churches in Revelation but only if they were victorious and overcame certain obstacles. You can read about the first three promises here before we move on to the fourth this week.  I have to admit that this one is the toughest to see, so don't be too hard on me as you read.

RULE OVER THE NATIONS

Revelation 2:26-28 states:

To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Now the reference to iron scepter and pottery is a quote from Psalm 2, which talks about the Lord ruling in heaven while the kings of the earth try to throw off and avoid the Lord's reign.  Since Psalm 2 is a reference to "now" and not the hereafter, I am assuming that the context of this passage from Revelation is also "now."  Therefore there is some measure of authority that the Lord gives now to those who have overcome.  Still with me?

Now let's look at one more verse in Proverbs 22:29:  "Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank."  The Lord will promote anyone who is skilled in his or her purpose work to the highest level their skill and and gifting can handle. They will in some sense have authority over the nations because they will be serving before and with kings, whether kings of education, industry, governments or entertainment. What's more, the overcomers will have the morning star on their side, which is a reference to the Lord Himself as you can see in Revelation 22:16.

This was certainly the experience of Joseph, David, Daniel and Paul in their purpose work. It can be your experience too, if you are willing to pay the price.

SKILL

God does not promote potential; He promotes those who have developed their potential.  That potential not only includes skill but also character.  Are you willing to pay the price?  In my new book to be out this coming July, I list many people whom I call purpose heroes, those who became leaders because they were men and women of purpose, skill, character and integrity.  They ruled and still rule nations because they made an impact, men and women like George Washington Carver, Florence Nightengale, William Wilberforce, A. B. Simpson and Harriet Tubman. 

I don't know about you, but I want to be on that list someday.  I want to be the best writer, speaker, or coach possible.  I want to overcome the obstacles in myself and around me to serve before kings, to enjoy a measure of authority in my sphere and to have the morning star shining in my life in the dark times.  Will you join me?  Will you not just talk about greatness but devote your life to obtaining it as God helps you? 

The world is waiting for more sons and daughters of the King to rise up and rule now. Your purpose opens the door for you to do so.  I hope and pray you will be up to the task and that God will grant you favor as you seek to fulfill your purpose and extend His kingdom into the affairs of men.  Thanks and have a great week!

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KENYA:  I wrote a post about faith and the money for Kenya that you may want to read here. After you read it, you can give online through my website or by sending a check made out to PurposeQuest to PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.  Thank you for standing with me in this time of great opportunity.

541: Bread and a Stone

It's time once again to continue our look at the topic of purpose in the book of Revelation, a place few people think to look for it! In the first two installments of this seven-part series, I pointed out that the churches mentioned in Revelation were promised something if they were victorious overcomers. This week we look at the third promise for overcomers mentioned in chapter two:

“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it (2:17).

BREAD AND A STONE

Those who overcome are here promised two things: manna from heaven and a new name written on a stone that no one else can see. This passage always causes me to think of purpose; let me explain why. When you find purpose, it is personal and intimate. Your purpose may not mean something to anyone else, it is special to you. It is your message from heaven that God knows you by name and has something for you to do that only you can do!

Once you engage that purpose, it is part of your spiritual sustenance, as we read about Jesus in John 4.  He sent the disciples off to get lunch and then spoke with the woman at the well who had been married five times.  When the disciples returned, Jesus was no longer hungry, which caused them to ask if He had gotten something to eat from another place: "Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, 'Rabbi, eat something.' But Jesus replied, 'I have a kind of food you know nothing about'" (John 4:31-32).

When you work in purpose, it can so energize you that you forget to eat, or find food (along with television and other diversions) less alluring. I have often wondered if the stress from a purposeless life is a cause for being overweight for some.

The first time I ever spoke on purpose in 1991, people wept openly as I talked. I recognized then and there that purpose was special, that it was the answer to so many human problems.  That is why I have continued to pursue purpose for myself and others since then.

HUNGRY?

Ultimately Jesus is the bread of life and satisfies our spiritual hunger completely.  Part of that satisfaction, however, is the assignment along with the gifts and calling He has for you.  Are you hungry to find them?  Are you hungry to fulfill them?  Then I urge you to be an overcomer, and work to overcome the fears and distractions that can slow you down or get you off track. God wants you to fulfill your purpose more than you do - that's why He gave it to you - so you can count on His help if you do your part.  And your part is to find that stone and eat that manna that will make your life special and complete.

Whatever price you have to pay to find purpose is worth it!  Don't give up, therefore, as you search and don't give up fulfilling it once you have found it.  If you press through, a heavenly stone and heavenly bread await.  Have a great week!

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URGENT PRAYER REQUEST:  We received notice this week that our shipment to Kenya has been delayed in Durban, South Africa and may arrive while we are in Kenya in mid-March, or even later!  This is unacceptable for we are dedicating the library on Sunday, March 25 and need those books there by then.

So I am asking you to pray that God will work on our behalf and get those books there in plenty of time.  While you are praying, also lift up the financial needs.  We received about $350 last week, which is great and we are on our way toward finishing the $12,000 that we need (we have already raised $13,000).  If you can pray, please do.  If you can give, please do that as well.  You can give online through my website or by sending a check made out to PurposeQuest to PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.  Thank you for standing with me in this time of great opportunity. 

540: Play Without Fear

Last week I started a seven-part series on Purpose in the book of Revelation.  Most people go to Revelation to look for the Antichrist; I go to find purpose.  I think I have a better chance of achieving my objective, but I will leave that for another time.  If you missed last week's first installment, you can find it here.

DEATH

Each one of the seven churches in Revelation was promised some reward if they were faithful to overcome and be victorious.  "What were they to overcome?" you may be thinking and that is a valid question. We aren't really told, but there are clues in the promised reward.  This week, we look at the second promise for overcomers found in Revelation 2:11: "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death."

The second death is the final judgment when everyone who has not put their faith in Jesus will receive their eternal reward. Now if you are free from fear of the second death, you have been set free from the ultimate fear - separation from God and judgment. That means you also don't have to fear the first death, which is your physical one when you cease from this life.  If you are free of fear, then you should be able to live your life in a manner that sets you apart from those who are not free from that fear:

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death" (Hebrews 2:14-15).

PLAY WITHOUT FEAR

When I played basketball years ago, the worst opponent to have was one who played without fear. They were not afraid of getting hurt, taking a risk or playing aggressively. They always seemed one step ahead because they flowed without thought to personal harm or failure. We would say they played big no matter how tall they were. May I suggest that this is how you and I should live our lives?

We should be able to live without fear, for the greatest enemy death has been defeated through the cross of Christ. Yet I find fear still the major debilitating factor for most as they pursue purpose.  I know it is for me. 

When I write, I have to fight fear that I won't finish or it won't be a quality work. When I speak, I have to press through fear that I won't make sense. When I am in a restaurant, I am fearful to send my bad food back because I don't want the people to think poorly of me.  You get the picture; fear is my enemy and it is yours, too.  Fear of death is the ultimate one we have to deal with. The good news is that it has been dealt with for us.

Are you playing the game of life without fear? I hope you are learning to do so.  If not, you will always be looking over your shoulder for the next bad thing that can happen and you will play small.  I urge you to learn to play big and do the work that God created you to do.  Have a great week!

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FREE PURPOSE SEMINAR:  I am hosting a purpose seminar next Saturday, February 18, from noon to 4:30 here in Pittsburgh.  If you are interested in attending, please write and let me know.

KENYA HELP:  THE Kenya trip is fast approaching and I need your help.  Please make a contribution today to help feed orphans and widows, and to establish libraries and learning centers in Kenya.  You can give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.  Thank you!

539: Your Garden Work

When I was in Zimbabwe last December, I taught on the topic of purpose in the book of Revelation. Now that's something I imagine you haven't heard anyone else try to do! Since I love risks, I thought I would take the next few weeks, seven to be exact, to share with you what I talked about there. If it doesn't work out, we can blame it on the Antichrist!

THE GARDEN

Jesus came to restore all things that were lost when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden. Before they sinned, our parents freely ate of the tree of life.  They had fellowship with God, purpose, creativity and the ability to work together as a team.  When they fell, they lost all that, or at least it was marred by their sin.

The evangelical church has emphasized, rightly so, that Jesus came to offer us forgiveness for sin and to restore our fellowship with God. The problem is that the message has stopped there. The church has done little to tell people, "Once your sins are forgiven, your fellowship with God also enables you to have purpose, be creative and work in a team with others."  Therefore believers forfeit much of the finished work of Christ due to ignorance. Their sins are forgiven but they are cut off from "the tree of life," which in part is purposeful, joyful work.

That brings us to the book of Revelation and to what I call your Garden Work.

THE TREE OF LIFE

The book of Revelation contains many references to familiar symbols from Old Testament, like the Temple, tabernacle, and covenant. This is to indicate that what was begun in the Old Testament was finished in the New through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  There are two important passages that indicate Jesus restored what was lost:

1. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7). 
2. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lambdown the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:1-2). 

So if the tree of life is once again available to God's people, then that means the conditions of the Garden have been restored and you are now free to pursue what I call your Garden Work, or purpose, because of the finished work of the cross.  Since God paid such a high price to restore your ability to flow in purpose, don't you think you should urgently be about finding and fulfilling it?

The message of Revelation is not one of fear, but of liberation. The Lamb is on the throne and reigns, and that means that we reign too.  Part of our royal rule is to function in purpose and finish our Garden Work under God's direction with your gifts and creativity once again rightly related to God. I hope this series helps you live in the fullness of Christ's work for your life.  Have a great week!

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FOOD FOR MIND AND BODY:  Our supplies are heading over to Kenya, and I am getting ready to go over on March 15 - but I need your help!  $550 came in last week so we are on our way to raising the second half of The Big Blessing $25,000 goal.  Read the latest from Pastor Peter in Kenya here (the picture at left is of two young men who are waiting for the library) and then please do what you can to help me provide food for minds and bodies over there. You can give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

WWJA: I started my latest daily devotional called What Would Jesus Ask? on January 1 and it is going well.  If you would like to check it out or subscribe to receive it every day, you can do either here.

MEMO INDEX:  Did you know that every Monday Memo I have ever written is on my website?  Did you also know that there is an index with the title, topic and biblical cross references for each Monday also on my site. To browse through any of the 538 prior Memos, you can go here.  Next month, the Memo turns 11 years old! 

ISRAEL 2013:  Just so you know, I have postponed my next trip to Israel until September, 2013. If you are interested in information when it is available, drop me a line and let me know.

538: Joy Oil

I am in the midst of a rewrite of my book So Many Leaders, So Little Leadership, which I wrote in 2000. I have half-jokingly said that I no longer believe some of what is in that book, but I think it's that my views on leadership have matured since then. It was time to put those new views on paper. I am already behind my publisher's requested submission date but I think I am two days away from completion - if I can find some chunks of time to work on it uninterrupted.

When you put this much work into a project, you ask yourself along the way, "Why am I doing this?" and you consider quitting altogether or at least postponing completion until a more opportune time, which of course will never come.  So I have learned to press on and look for the joy oil while I work.  Let's consider that concept now.

JOY OIL

I was at a meeting of pastors this week and one of them read Hebrews 1:9, which got me thinking about this week's Memo: "You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”  This verse makes reference to Jesus Christ and of course Christ means "Anointed One."  Notice what Jesus' anointing was.  It wasn't power or authority or knowledge.  It was joy.

In my leadership book revision, I talk about the importance of anointing, not just in church work but in any purpose work.  If the joy isn't there, there are no anointed results - and anointed simply means that God is helping you do the work.

As I write and get bogged down or discouraged, I look for the joy oil.  And the joy oil for me is visualizing people reading, learning and growing.  It's people closer to understanding and fulfilling their purpore than before they started reading. The oil isn't in the money, there isn't very much in publishing unless you have mass media to market, but I write for the joy.

FIND IT

I have been asking audiences lately, "Why does a bird sing?"  A bird doesn't sing for an audience or money.  A bird sings because it has a song inside it to sing, nothing more nothing less. I supposed a bird can't have joy oil, but sometimes when I watch them sing, I think maybe they do!  Or maybe they sing just to bring us joy. Why will you sing or write, or compose, or teach, or lead?  It may be for money or to serve others, but ultimately it had better be for joy because that's what's in you to do.

If you are going to write or do just about anything related to purpose, then you must find that oil of joy to be successful and fulfilled.  Where is it for you?  Are you afraid of it? Are you trying to operate without it? All those are good questions to address this week, while I work feverishly to finish my manuscript.  When you find your joy oil as I have found mine, you will have all the motivation you need to carry on and through all opposition and hindrances, especially those that come from within you.  Have a great week!

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KENYA REPORT:  I depart for Kenya in six weeks and must raise $12,000 before then to reach my goal of $25,000 for The Big Blessing. I will start writing and updating you in earnest next week and I know the Lord will come through, using you in the process.  You don't have to wait but can give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8881, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0881.

MEMO INDEX:  Did you know that every Memo I have ever written is on my website in groups of five, along with an index that includes every Scripture reference, topic and Memo title.  If you are looking for something specific, you can look here, or just do some reading of back issues at your leisure.

WWJA:  Have you checked out my new daily devotional, What Would Jesus Ask?  If not, take a look here and subscribe at the same site to receive it every day. 

ISRAEL POSTPONED:  I did not have enough people interested for this May, so I have rescheduled the next Israel trip for September, 2013.  It will be here before you know it, so plan to be part of that trip now.

537: Afraid of Happy?

Two weeks ago we looked at a summary of five regrets of the dying, as reported by an Australian woman who worked with those who were terminally ill.  We have covered two of the five regrets the last two weeks, and this week we will cover a third (and last), and the move on.  The fifth regret was "I wish that I had let myself be happier."  Notice they did not say they wish they were happier, but rather they wish they had let themselves be happy.  That means that they actually did not give themselves permission to be happy and enjoy life. How sad. 

APART FROM THE LORD

I know there is no true fulfillment or happiness outside of the Lord, and it's possible that some or many of those surveyed were not believers.  My experience, however, is that some or perhaps many believers are guilty of the same thing:  they are fighting themselves and their joy.  They are so conditioned to think that joy and happiness are traps and not really consistent with the Christian life that they avoid joy and happiness.  In other words, they are afraid of joy?  Is this possible?

The writer of Ecclesiastes conducted a life experiment, as you can read in Ecclesiastes 2.  He tried all kinds of pleasure, pursued knowledge and wisdom, undertook great projects and amassed considerable wealth.  None of these things in and of themselves brought the writer happiness.

Having done all these things, he came to this conclusion:

A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26).

So let me ask you a question based on the writer's conclusion:  Are you happy in your work?

AFRAID OF HAPPY?

Do you enjoy your work or are you afraid of the joy and happiness it can bring?  Are you conditioned to think that work must be miserable or at least only tolerable?  Have you put the pursuit of the big three, career, a nice salary and benefits, ahead of joyful work?  There is nothing wrong with any of those three things, but if you are pursuing them and don't have joy, you will eventually be frustrated and even burn out.

When you are afraid of happy, you are in some ways fighting yourself, resisting who God made you to be and what He created you to do.  God wanted to make the process a bit simpler for you but attaching joy to the work He has for you to do.  When you fight the joy, you fight God as well as yourself.  So do yourself a favor, listen to the writer and pursue what you love - the money will follow eventually, I promise.  Don't let yourself be scared of your own shadow of happiness, but let it come into the fullness of the light of your daily existence.  Thank you and have a great week!

536: Hard Work

Last week, I shared the five regrets of the dying as reported by a women in Australia who worked with many dying patients, which you can access here. We looked at the first regret and that was people wished they had been more true to themselves and not to others' expectations. I wasn't planning on going through the other four regrets, but let's at least look at one or two more before we move on.

HARD WORK

The second regret was, "I wish I had not worked so hard."  That is interesting to me, for work is God's gift to mankind.  When the writer of Ecclesiastes discussed his life lessons learned from pursuing many things, he came to this conclusion: "So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot" (Ecclesiastes 3:22).  That verse and conclusion number two led me to ask a question:  Were the people doing the right work that caused them to wish they had not worked so hard?

You see, if it is God's lot for you to enjoy your work, then why would He not want you to engage that work as often as possible?  Isn't the joy an incentive to pursue the work, at least in part? I wonder if the regret should have been worded, "I wish I had not worked at the wrong work so hard"?

PAUL'S PERSPECTIVE

Years ago I was complaining to the Lord that I was working too hard. I had a dream one night and heard this verse in my dream, and have used it as a guide for most of my adult life.  It is in 1 Corinthians 15:10: "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."

Paul acknowledged that it was God's grace with him that caused him to work as hard as he did.  I felt the Lord was indicating that He was not going to send me any less work, but actually more work.  Yet it would be work that I would enjoy, work that He would help me achieve.  I would say He has done that for me, and I think He wants to do it for you, too.

If I got the end of my life and had devoted thousands of hours to work I hated or that didn't matter, I think I would regret that like those who were part of that woman's conclusions.  Rather I have worked doing what I love and that has made my adult life enjoyable, meaningful and rich.  My father retired from his work at 62, and I will be that age this year.  I cannot even imagine stopping doing what I love to do something else or nothing at all. I hope you feel the same.

If you don't, what are you prepared to do about it?  It's not too late to lay the foundation for meaningful, enjoyable work.  What are you waiting for?  Most people know what that work would be, but they let fear rob them of the efforts to perform it. Don't end up like those people in the survey who wished they had not worked so hard. Instead be like Paul who rejoiced that God's grace empowered him to work hard and see results.  Thank you and have a great week!

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THE BIG BLESSING UPDATE: I posted some new pictures, a video and a financial update for The Big Blessing $25,000 target raised by March 15 on my blog site.  Take a look when you have a chance and then help me reach my goal!  Thank you. 

PURPOSEQUEST ASSESSMENT:  Don't forget to take the free Purpose Assessment on my website to determine where you may be on your individual purpose journey.

LAST CALL FOR ISRAEL:  If you are interested in my trip to Israel from May 15-29, you must let me know immediately so we can hold airline seats. Just drop me an email and let me know that you are interested.

535: The Five Regrets of the Dying

I found a link to an article over the holidays and wanted to share it first chance I had, so this looks like a good week.  It's written by an Australian woman, Bronnie Ware, and can be found in its entirety here.  I will summarize the five points of her article "The Five Regrets of The Dying," and focus on one point in particular.

THE FIVE REGRETS

Here are the five regrets that Bronnie discovered in working with those patients close to death over the years:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I didn't work so hard.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

Here is what Ware had to say about the first point, the courage to be true to self and not others:

This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people have had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

DON'T LET IT BE YOUR REGRET

It takes courage to be true to yourself and who God created you to be. Before David went out to fight Goliath, King Saul tried to have David wear his (Saul's) battle armor.  Saul was a tall man, however, and the armor didn't fit.  David did not try and please the king. Instead he rejected the armor and took along his sling shot, something that was more true to who he was.  His success is legendary (see 1 Samuel 17:38-40).

Are you wearing someone else's armor?  If you are, then you are headed for the number one regret expressed by the dying.  Don't do it!  I cannot say what you should do, but I can only urge you to follow your heart and stop living your life for someone else, unless however it is for the Lord.  I was challenged by this list and I hope you are, too.  Now get about the work of living before it's too late. Have a great week!

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KENYA LIBRARY UPDATE:  We were able to ship 179 boxes weighing a total of 7,500 pounds to Texas to be containered for shipment to Kenya. You can read about it here.  My thanks to so many who made this next step possible, but stay tuned:  We will need more help before this is all complete.

PURPOSEQUEST ASSESSMENT:  Don't forget to take the free Purpose Assessment on my website to determine where you may be on your individual purpose journey.  Then let me know how I can help you be even more purposeful.

534: Teenie Harris, Frank Lloyd Wright & Larry Fitzgerald

I am still on vacation, but have used this time to refresh and retool for the coming year.  To help do that, I traveled out West and also took some time to visit a museum in my hometown.  I encountered three men of purpose during the holidays who inspired me. I would like to tell you about them and their impact on me this holiday season.

THREE MEN

The first man is Charles "Teenie" Harris. He was a local photographer in Pittsburgh who worked for the famous black newspaper, The Pittsburgh Courier.  Harris spent his life taking photographs of the African American community in Pittsburgh (and things of interest to the black community).  He amassed a collection of 80,000 pictures in his lifetime and they are on display now through April 7 in the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh (If you live in or near Pittsburgh, run, don't walk, to see this exhibit).

The second man is Frank Llloyd Wright. Wright was the famous American architect who spent 70 years creating architectural concepts that revolutionized how modern buildings were and are designed. There is a display honoring Wright's work here at the Phoenix Museum of Art.  Wright's blueprints and conceptual drawings are framed and hung as art, and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has its headquarters here in Phoenix at a complex Wright designed called Taliesin West.  I am going to visit there later today.

The third man is Larry Fitzgerald, a wide receiver for the professional football team here in Phoenix called the Arizona Cardinals.  Fitzgerald played his college ball in Pittsburgh and has gone on to become one of the best receivers in the NFL today.  I saw Fitzgerald perform yesterday when the Arizona Cardinals played the Seattle Seahawks here in Phoenix (Fitzgerald had a great game and I think half the people in the stadium were wearing his jersey).

ONE MAN

What do these three men have to do with me (and you)?  These men were or are the best at what they do.  They impacted the world while alive and two are still impacting the world after their death. They did not try to do all the things they could do, but rather focused on being the best at the one thing they could or can do that no one else could or can match. 

That is what I want my legacy to be. I want to do what one man can do, with God's help, to touch and change the world.

I want to be the best purpose coach and writer I can be.  While I cannot guarantee the results now or after I am gone, I want to give God my best results and present Him things that, if He chooses, can be used to bless and touch others. 

With that in mind, I commit myself to be the best expression of who God intended me to be in 2012.  I want to produce resources that will help you and others.  I want to "sing my song," and trust God for the results, even if I am only singing for His ears.  An audience of one, if God is that One, is not time wasted.

So Happy New Year to you and yours.  I invite you to join me, along with Teenie, Frank and Larry, to be the best person in your work that you can be in 2012 and beyond.  Continue to lay the foundation and pay the price to be the best you can be, and trust God for the results.  Who knows, maybe some day, someone will come to visit your display in a museum and another person like me will write about you.  Have a great week and year!

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THANK YOU:  We met our matching grant deadline.  $650 came in yesterday, so we qualified to receive the $750 matching grant.  The cool thing about it is that the last $300 came in at 11:30 PM, thirty minutes before the grant deadline.  Isn't God good?  I don't have the totals, but I believe this puts us about halfway toward our $25,000 goal for March.  I will have the totals for you next week.

This week we ship 180 boxes of books and supplies to Kenya for our arrival in March.  Please pray that all goes well.  And thank you for your giving and prayers that helped us once again meet a deadline for the orphans and widows.

MATCHING GRANT: You can issue your own challenge grant to help me fulfill the second half of our $25,000 goal. All you have to do is give me an amount ("I will give $1000"), and a deadline ("I will give $1,000 by January 31") and then I challenge my readers to give toward that grant.  If we receive $1,000 in matching gifts and you give your $1,000, you have effectively doubled your gift!  Let me know if this is something you would be interested in doing and I will take it from there.

PURPOSEQUEST ASSESSMENT:  Why not start off the year by taking (or retaking) the free Purpose Assessment on the home page of my website. Then follow up on the email I send you with your score.

NEW DEVOTIONAL:  I have started a new daily devotional called "What Would Jesus Ask" and you can check it out or subscribe to receive it on my personal blog site.  I pose a question every day from the Bible and give you some thoughts to help you seek the answers to the questions.  

533: Daylight on the Night Shift

This week I borrow another classic Monday Memo from the archives in honor of Christmas. After you read it, please make sure you see the announcement at the end of the Memo for another matching grant for Kenya that expires on December 31. Here's wishing you and yours the happiest of holiday seasons!

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I receive many emails every year asking how to find purpose. Many say they have "no idea" what their purpose is and ask me for help. While I respond as best I can, after all these years I know that I cannot help anyone see his or her purpose.  I know the One who can, however, and how He does it is similar to the story of the shepherds at Christmas, something I call daylight on the night shift.  Read on to see what I mean.

THE NIGHT SHIFT

The shepherds in the Christmas story were working the night shift, doing what they and their ancestors had done for centuries. They went to work that night without any thought that anything extraordinary was about to happen. On the night Jesus was born, they were tending their flocks on the hillsides outside Bethlehem, minding their own business. Suddenly God sent them messengers, who brought great light to the night shift:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. (Luke 2:8-16).

These shepherds were doing what they knew to do at that time in their life and God interrupted them with a special news report. This both scared and thrilled them. That's how it is when you find your life purpose. Often you are doing what you know to do at the time, usually a job or role that is less than fulfilling. Suddenly God, the Great Communicator, breaks into your conscious being and brings a message of purpose, of what He has always wanted you to do. That not only terrifies you but also gives you a desire to clarify and fulfill it.

That night the shepherds went to work like any other day. God spoke to them, however, and they were never the same. They started by sitting on a hillside in cold weather; they ended by finding a great treasure in Bethlehem, a treasure that had not been revealed to anyone else but them.

YOUR PURPOSEQUEST

Maybe you have been in a desperate search for your purpose and its expression. As we end this year, I suggest that you be encouraged as you remember the shepherds. Finding your purpose doesn't depend on your diligence; it depends on God's grace. Yes, you must search for your purpose, but only God can reveal it to you. I don't know when or how He will do that. It may be one cold, dark night when you go about your business like countless other nights. At that point, God may send His messenger and change your life forever. I don't know when or how He will do it, I just know He will.

So have faith and relax this holiday season. Keep asking God to help you see who you are and what you were born to do, and after that, trust Him. You may even want to thank Him for your purpose whether or not you understand what it is.  He wants you to fulfill your purpose more than you do. He will show you in the fullness of time, bring you daylight even if you are working the night shift. When He does, you will join with the shepherds as laborers who found more than business as usual one night when they went to work. May the God of purpose speak to you soon and may you have the courage to believe what He says!  Here's wishing you and yours a happy holiday season!

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This week I received a $750 matching grant toward The Big Blessing for Kenya to help feed children like those pictured here. The grant offer expires, however, on December 31. That means for every dollar you give between now and then, you are actually giving two dollars. Don't miss this chance to be a blessing and to double your gift.  You can give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.  Remember to mark your contribution "Matching Grant" and I will take care of the rest. Thank you and Happy New Year!