Pause and let life catch-up

Sometimes one needs to just pause and let life catch-up.

The past 11 hours has been one of those times; busy week, working on filling events, planning more events, data base problems, need new loans, new loans, working through appraisal problems, need documents from client, more blending of the two-faces-of-social-media, desire to help new people, 4 mastermind groups, am I spending enough time in scripture and prayer, bombing in Boston, explosion in West, what do I need to pay attention to, what's working, market smarter not harder, whoops...should have been more attentive to Cathy, didn't see any of the kids/grandkids this week, Randy seems to be doing ok, butt-dialed my Mom and acted like it was on purpose, hmmm...mower setting in middle of back yard and I didn't put it there, forgot to buy picture hangers last night, home office desk is mess/cluttered cluttered...has been for weeks, what is that telling me, social media marketing has been slack for 2-3 weeks, what's up with that, Chick-fil-A Leadercast, need to pay attention to May calendar, newsletter, data base. STOP....pause, reflect, pray...let life catch-up.

Browsing through previous writings in this blog and I ran across this 2008 post. I remember when Ted Lesley recommended the book to me...I was setting in my truck outside church. I was likely in a pause and reflect mode then also.

Good to ponder on....

2008 Notes from "The Joy of Fearing God" by Jerry Bridges

page 162 - If we express our fear of God by keeping all His decrees and commands as Moses said (Deut 6:2), then we must give attention to our interpersonal relationships.

Consider, for example the following from Romans 12:

• Love sincerely (v9), Be devoted to one another in brotherly love (10)
• Honor others above yourself (10)
• Share with others in need (13)
• Practice hospitality (13)
• Bless those who persecute you (14)
• Rejoice with those who rejoice (15)
• Mourn with those who mourn (15)
• Live in harmony with one another (16)
• Do not be proud or conceited (16)
• Do not repay evil for evil (17)
• Seek to live at peace with everyone (18)
• Do not seek revenge (19)
• Overcome evil with good (21)

From 9/18/2008 http://in-the-box-readwell.blogspot.com/

So much to learn!

Thank God for His grace and mercy.

To that end....

Theology is not a private reserve of theologians

This is another required reading for the Theology of Work class at Bakke Graduate University. The author is also the Professor at BGU and Regents College.


From the back cover......"Stevens challenges the idea that a select few are called to minister to others and argues that the clergy-laity division is not only biblically wrong but practically counterproductive. "Professor Stevens lays out the complete argument that a person's 'calling' is a call to salvation, holiness, and to service. He also insists that "calling" is to before do."

Anyone wrestling with whether or not their work is their ministry will want to read this book and consider, even challenge, Stevens' points and references.


In this 255 page read, scripture is referenced over 800 times and at least 50 different pages mentions the Holy Spirit.


Chapter 2, Reinventing Laity and Clergy is a must read. He starts the chapter out with this provocative quote from Karl Barth....


Theology is not a private reserve of theologians. It is not a private affair for professors....Nor is it a private affair for pastors...Theology is a matter for the church. It does not get on well without professors and pastors. But its problem, the purity of the church's service, is put to the whole church. The term 'laity' is one of the worst in the vocabulary of religion and ought to be banished from Christian conversation.


From post on Reading Blog