Chuch shared a provocative message and answered questions on “Four Principles to Guide Career Decisions“. I encourage you to listen to it here on our website.

Chuck also showed a powerful video of an interview with Andy Murray, who is the Worldwide CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi X. He shared a powerful perspective that really grabbed me. He talked about when things come into your life or work, the question to ask is “how does this fit, NOT does it fit.” You can watch Andy Murray on “Life is a Mosaic” here.

If you are a “learning leader”, you can camp on this blog for a while, soaking in the wisdom and experience shared from these leaders on Career Decisions.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

1Corinthians 9:24-27

Last week Scott Street, President and CEO of St. Mary’s Mercy Health spoke at our Eight to Five.  He was sharing some great wisdom and insight, but then he dropped a genuine pearl on us that I will never forget.  He said he was at home at the end of a busy day and one of his boys was trying to tell him about something.  He was listening in that distracted manner when his son called him out and said, “Daddy, Listen to me.”  He responded saying, “Son, I am listening to you.”  His son grabbed his face and turned it to where he was looking right at him and then said, “No Daddy.  Listen with your eyes.”  The room sat there in stunned silence knowing that they had just heard something profound from the mouth of a child.

Lets respect our fellow co-workers and when they want to talk, put down the phone or whatever and give them your full attention.  Listen to them with your eyes!

Blessings!

Solitude.  The word brings to mind several thoughts, some good and some not so good.  But, solitude is necessary.  I have known many who in silent seclusion have made significant decisions, altered values, reversed directions and become faithful servants of the Lord.   We need those places of retreat where God breaks into our insane schedules, where TV, Internet, cell phones and all other sorts of gadgetry are silenced.  It is often only here that God’s message we have been missing can get through the noise .  Scripture is full of examples of God sending his mighty servants into solitary seclusion to prepare for strenuous service.

Do you think anyone needs this lesson more than our culture today? We schedule every minute of every day with all our important activity and find no time is left for serious prayer and meditation.  Unless we find a way to voluntarily schedule moments for prayer, God may force us into a room of reflection in the solitude of sickness, sorrow or disappointment.   From time to time, schedule a time for extended prayer and communion with the Father.  Get alone with the Lord for an entire morning or day, just you and Him.  You will be blessed.

Sam

“Lord, I need you.  I believe you are here right now in battle, right beside me.  Please help me to overcome this.  Thank you that I don’t have to overcome this alone, with my limited resources.  Please guide me as I seek to use my skills to the best of my ability in this situation.  You are my God and I trust you.  I cannot do this on my own power.  I need you to bless and enable my efforts.  Thank you for the help of your Holy Spirit and for hearing my prayers.”

Have a spectacular weekend!

Sam

The first question is – Why does God have me on this road?

Our initial instinct when we ask ourselves this question may be to look for the obvious, and sometimes that’s not a bad place to start.  God may have already revealed the purpose for our circumstances to us, and we may have great clarity on what to do next and why to do it.  Or, the road we are on might be a result of our actions from an earlier time, whether recent or from long ago.  There’s no denying that our actions have consequences, and sometimes those consequences are long lasting.

For many, the question today may be less about how we arrived and more about – Why am I still here? Or better yet – What do I do now? It’s the latter question that should divert our attention away from ourselves and focus it more on those around us.

In the Bible, Paul gives us a great example of someone who, in spite of his own situation, was consistently focused on other people instead of himself.  In 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10, Paul talks about the “thorn” that God had given him and how Paul begged God to remove it.  God’s response was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Paul’s life reflects his understanding of the question – Why does God have me on this road? He was laser-focused on influencing others for Christ.  However, his road was never easy.  In fact, he was beaten, dishonored, imprisoned, shipwrecked . . . hardships that most of us probably have never seen.  On top of that, he had his “thorn” that God refused to remove.

Paul never used his difficult road as an excuse to do nothing.  Instead, he fully embraced his road, and 2 Corinthians 12: 10 sums up his attitude:  “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Paul did his best with what he had been given, and the question we’ll look at tomorrow is – Am I doing my best with what I’ve been given?

Click here to listen to the Terry Turpin podcast.

Terry Turpin, partner and COO of Acumen Holdings, LLC

The taste of this verse is bitter to modern man.  Even the most devout must admit to a measure of impatience.  Much of the best of life is lost because of it.  We become restless and irritable when that email  does not get to someone within a minute or so after sending it.  If dinner is five minutes late….if a departure is delayed thirty seconds by another family member.  I’m sure you can add some of you own irritations to this.

And, at times we even get impatient with God.  We decide the interval is too great between our prayer and its answer, or between our work and its result. So much like Job, we call God on the carpet:  ”I cried out to you, but you do not hear me” (Job 30:20).

Patience is not an easily learned attribute.  I have heard it said that there is something harder than believing….that’s waiting!  All of us know this is true that has stood by the bedside of a critically ill child…or anxiously waited for the test results or patiently prayed for the return of a wayward child.

Patiently pursuing that which is gradual is more difficult than accepting immediate results.  But we should not despair.  Like those fishermen who “fished all night but caught nothing” the moment may be near when God is ready to bless our labor with success.  He is faithful and will reward our patient waiting.

Father, we have become so spoiled in our generation expecting immediate gratification for everything.  We get angry and irritated when things don’t happen on our timetable or go exactly like we want.  Forgive us Lord and help us to trust in your timing.   Help us to accept the fact that waiting on You will ultimately strengthen our faith and deepen our relationship with you.  Amen