....lead a quiet life

I've been on a journey to "raise my lid" for a long time. This road has led me to places like 

- My work matters to God

- In His Glory, God conceals matters. The glory of kings is to search matters out (Proverbs 25:2)

- Staying in the box. Digging deeper to discover the real me God made in His image 

- God intends me to experience a Sabbath rest. And not just on Sundays

- That God's intended doctrine of work includes a good practice of rest

.....and then this morning, journaling my thoughts as I read "The Accidental Pharisee" I come across this scripture - 

"and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you" (1 Thessalonians 4:11 NIV)

Now that leads me to slow down for a time of pause and reflection specifically about "purpose." There's even some thoughts of validation streaming in!

To that end...

"Leadership develops daily, not in a day" - John Maxwell

In His Image...Gaining insight and being reconstructed

We are at this moment as close to God as we
really choose to be. True, there are times when we
would like to know a deeper intimacy, but when it comes to
the point, we are not prepared to pay the price involved. 

- J. Oswald Sanders

Continuing from the previous post about insight, some use the think-out-of-the-box approach to stretching ourselves. I have a hang-up on the thinking-out-of-the-box "fad." My experience is it leads to lack of responsibility and fickleness. Yes, fickleness. LOL. Instead of digging into life, thinking-out-of-the-box allows one to escape the struggle of reality. Oh, and this thinking of mine isn't something new. See my profile and the "In-the-Box-Thinking" blog I started years ago (now DannyLSmith.com).

Thinking-out-of-the-box doesn't cause one to stretch. Thinking-out-of-the-box only adds to the confusion. When I want stretch myself, I stay-in-the-box and dig deeper. God made me in His image. I need to raise my lid, from within...searching for the answer inside...that causes a stretch you can't even imagine.

God tells us we are "made in His image" at least 6 times in the Old and New Testament. Wow. What does that really mean, to be made in His image? What would it have been like with sin? What would it be like live, and see ourselves "in His image?" That takes some digging through a mess of things we've piled into our "box."

How glorious that would be, to discover how glorious He made me. Proverbs 25:2 says "In His glory, God conceals matters. The glory of kings is to search matters out." I think that means from the inside-out, gaining insight and being reconstructed. And to Mr. Sanders point, am I willing to pay the price for the intimacy of the reconstruction?

To that end....

The Fine Art of Insight

Vast knowledge of Bible facts won't make anyone more insightful

- Charles R. Swindoll in Hand Me Another Brick.

My friend Charles Middlebrooks gave me Swindoll's book in 1996. Cathy, Austen, Bear and I were moving back to Austin. We weren't sure about a lot of things, including where to live, job stabililty  and little insight. A travel trailer at the South Austin KOA ended up being our home for 21 months.

Insight increased during this time. 15 years later, a lot of living and I don't have the fine art part down, but it's a clearer picture. Paul Martinelli on the subject of will (God's vs mine), says, "the more time I spend with God, the time I invest with Him, the more I recognize His voice, His will." Yes, absolutely.

The more time I invest with Him....That's getting into the fine art Swindoll's talking about, the reinstruction of the people he labels the last seven chapters of the "Book of Nehemiah." What happens when we invest time with Him? Insight, and we become reconstructed.

Insight.....is it attainable? I believe it is, and in abundance. Having good insight can take time and more than a little extra pause, prayer and pondering will help. Taking time to remove the clutter (another Martinelli lesson) helps me to be more creative (what God wants...us to expand His creation, to dig...and clutter stops that digging like a limestone in the Texas Hill Country).

Reinstruction...how much? As much as it takes. There are some days where I wake up and think.."ug...I didn't go to Heaven. Now I have to do this all over again!" But every so often, and they're happening more and more, I seem to get-it. That restful feeling describe in Hebrews. That's powerful and I know the reconstruction is working from the inside-out....I'm learning to use what's "in-the-box" first.

Swindol ends his insight chapter, The Fine Art of Insight, with

...insightful leadership is attainable..but no one has a corner on the virtue. It is available to all who are willing to pay the price. Insight not lonly gives you good perspective on the past and the ability to face the future with confidence and vision, it will also give you an honest appraisal of yourself...

To that end...have a great Sunday

True success....a conception of what we want

"Condition One of true success: we need a clear
conception of what we want, a vivid vision, a goal
or set of goals powerfully imagined"

- Tom Morris is True Success

...a vivid vision, a goal, as set of goals...powerfully imagined. That's a dream. I need a dream. I have a dream. The goals will come about, the growth will happen...because I have a dream to hear these words -

"Well done good and faithful servant"

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....

Things a wife wants to hear...

If you're wife is standing, you should be also.

- Doug Sherman in 

"Your Work Matters to God" Bible Study

I'm not sure if that's exactly how he says it, but that's how I remember Doug saying that 20+ years ago. It was another moment where I almost got up and walked out. Seriously? Does he really mean that? How about now, I wonder if he still feels that way?

Hmmm...that's another question I'll ask him if I get the chance.

My feelings have changed over the years because yes, I believe it. The depth and width of practicing such is usually beyond me, but I do have flashes of clarity every so often.

Here are some other quotes...

Doug Sherman - "As men, we need to go through re-entry on the way home each day."

Stormie Omartian - "The top 4 things I wife wants to hear from her husband:
- I love you
- You look beautiful
- The bills are paid
- I'm praying for you"

To that end...I'll be sure and say 1, 2 and 4 today (working on 3)

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

Don't let criticism crush your creativity

Thanks to Tim Hetzner, President of Lutheran Church Charities

 for his article that prompted my thoughts on this matter.

In A Closer Walk Catherine Marshall writes, 'One morning last week God gave me an assignment for one day. I was to go on a "fast" from criticism. I was not to criticize anybody or anything. 'For the first half of the day I simply felt a void, almost as if I'd been wiped out as a person. This was especially true at lunch. I listened to the others and kept silent. In our talkative family nobody seemed to notice. Bemused, I noted that the Federal Government, the judicial system, and the institutional church could apparently get along just fine without my personal observations! But still I did not see what this "fast from criticism" was accomplishing - until mid-afternoon. 'In the afternoon God gave me a new vision for my life. And it had His unmistakable hallmark on it - joy! Ideas began to come to me in a way I hadn't experienced in years. Now it was apparent what the Lord wanted me to see. My critical nature had not solved a single one of the multitudinous things I had found fault with. What it had done was to stifle my own creativity.'

Creativity is a huge part of marketing smarter and when we're cynical and critical about our competition, ourselves and well....., it stifles our energy and thoughts.

To that end....stay focused on your competitive advantages!

(this is a re-post from 1/14/12 in my blog Market-Smarter)

Sacred Work: Maturing

We tend to judge others based upon actions, ourselves upon intentions.

In a short conversation with Jim Butt (@JimButt3) on Friday he said "It's good to see how you've become more alive with your Christian walk in the last 2 years."

I was thankful, but also a bit stunned. Was he saying I wasn't always this forthcoming? I thought it was well known by anyone around me for very long that I was a believer. But, thinking about the period in my life when Jim and I met, I realized what he was saying. My feelings were I've been this way for years. My thoughts instantly jumped to a different period when we regularly talked about glorifying God through policies and procedures, prayed before meetings and even had people leave the company because of our beliefs. When I took someone to lunch, anyone, I'd say "I hope you don't mind but since I'm paying, we're praying." And I bought a lot of lunches in those days!

But....that was more "before" when I was a CEO with 8-10 direct reports and over 400 hundred employees. Things changed, surroundings changed, people within my daily circle shrunk. Two years ago I was trying to find myself, my dream and a new plan.

My mission has been intact; make a difference (Colossians 1:28,29) but I was struggling with how to do that in my new role. Ha! I wasn't sure what my new role was. Sometimes one day-at-a-time was just too long. I wasn't as open with my testimony as I had been. John Piper says "God is most glorified, when I'm most satisfied, in Him." I'm afraid I was not well satisfied.

But, that's when "the rubber meets the road" and one learns to put one foot in front of another, pause, pray, reflect and let life catch up. Those are the times we learn to be, in the words of John Eldridge, "alert and oriented x 5." Or not.

I thankful for these times, all times, God wants me to "....search the matters out" (Proverbs 25:2) and I know now that as much as I was worshiping Him and searching Him out before, I'm closer to Him today. God has led me through new times and my heart, soul and mind have been strengthened.


Thanks for the compliment and reminder Jim.


To that end.....blessings and God's mercy.

Intelligently cultivating thoughts

The workplace is today the most strategic arena

for Christian thinking and influence

- Doug Sherman and

William Hendricks

It's a powerful claim to declare the workplace to be the most strategic arena for Christian thinking and influence. Seriously, if it's true, where's the evidence of this activity? Thinking and influence become two very powerful words when combined with "and."

In his classic As a Man Thinketh James Allen writes "Man's mind may be likened to a garden , which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed-seeds will fall therein, and will continues to produce their kind."

I've been challenged this week, from a stage, but also by my own thoughts to

• think
• cultivate
• produce

My prayer today is, in the spirit of Colossians 1:28 and 29, that I'd think about life and purposefully cultivate my thoughts. I pray that I come to really realize the potential God has given me and that I'm able to influence others to dream, think and reach their potential.

To that end

Do right now well

Our grand business is not to see what lies dimly at a

distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand

- Thomas Carlyle

When I can't make a decision about tomorrow; I need to remember to just live for today. If today's too long; live in this moment.

Do right now well.

If it's a struggle, don't waste it. The struggle could be the prize and missing that prize would be a strategy. Don't stop three feet from gold.

Father, give me today my daily bread - Matthew 6:11

To that end

(this a re-post from Do right now well at www.DannyLSmith.com)

The four questions that will shape your destiny

There is no personal benefit in believing that there is

a God who cares unless we realize that He cares for us personally.

- Ed Silvoso

I read that statement, skimmed the chapter for the four questions and thought "true." As I then went about some other things, I started thinking "why was I so quick to agree, and who wouldn't?"

The realization that so many people don't know, or don't agree, or don't know enough, haven't searched out enough to agree - well, it's puzzling. And sad. But then, the way I act much of the time...if I really understood how much He cared, would I act that way? Would I have so much uncertainty? Would I be so..............!

Is there a God?

Does God care?

Does God care for me?

Does God care about what we do?

I know a lot of people who believe there's "a" God, but with each question get farther away from the real yes.

Heavenly Father. Give me today my daily bread. I know You are the one and only God, my Father, my Savior. Thank You Lord. I know You care and care for me, and I know you care about what I do.

Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Thank You for dying for me, for coming to life again and going to prepare a place for me. Thank You for sending Your Spirit to help me through the day, to provide that daily bread.

I lift up to You those reading this that don't know you. I pray they would come to know You through Your death on the cross. I pray we all come to know You closer and know how much You care for us.


To that end.........Amen


(this is a re-post from The four questions that will shape your destiny at www.DannyLSmith.com)

If I ever write a book on "God and Work" it will be named..

Sacred Work: What If God Intended Work to Make You Holy More Than Happy?


These are some highlights of what I've learned about God's view of work over the past 23 years -

• God is a worker. Always has been, still is
• God created man and woman as His co-workers
• Before the fall, God created work
• Work is not the result of the curse
• nature of work is good, not evil
• work became hard after the fall
• Through work we,
• serve others
• meet our personal and family needs
• earn money to give to others
• take what God has made and re-create new products and services
• Christ's death did not change work, but the worker
• Ghrist gives the worker the opportunity to be back in the right relationship with God
• Christ wants to transform me as a worker
• The Hebrew word for "to work" "to serve" and "to worship" is the same
• In the New Testament, the focus of worship shifts from the temple to Jesus. Through my belief in Jesus, and with the help of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent, I can worship God anywhere.

And, I've learned God wants me to have a proper balance with all areas of my life, including my family and resting.

And prayer. What a difference pausing and praying makes to my work, my life. That time in the morning, on and off during the day, it makes a difference that goes past happy.

So what if work is more about making me holy?

To that end.......

My name is Andre Agassi...I play tennis...and I hate it

"My name is Andre Agassi.....I play tennis for a living, even though I hate tennis. I hate it with a dark and secret passion, and always have." - from the opening paragraph of his autobiography "OPEN"

WOW! What a shocking statement from an incredible athlete who reached the pinnacle of his field.

How do you feel about your job? Do you hate your job/career, but continue to because of.......? Do you strive to be the best in the world at what you do, yet hate it? Agassi, while he hated playing tennis, he felt he had a job to do, a mission to fulfill. How do you feel about your job, or career? Do you feel you're called to do what you do? Do you struggle with the purpose - the why?

Or...are you just not sure why you don't do better than you do? ...your not sure what job you would even really want to do, even if you had a choice. You've heard about callings but have no idea what it means; you keep asking "what am I supposed to do with my life?"

Maybe you "I keep waiting for God to show me what he wants me to do, so for now I just do this."

Or...you're in the perfect job, but know you can do better than you do; you've leveled out, no longer and can't figure out why and not sure what to do about it.

Agassi's story is not unique. There are plenty who are incredibly good at what they do, yet dislike the job in some form or fashion. Yet, they're feel stuck.

Maybe you're not really that good at your job, don't have the best competencies? Yet through the efforts of yourself and/or boss/others, stay on the job or in the field.

Or...are you without a job and wondering all of this on top of needing to make your financial ends meet?

Genesis says "The Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground....The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it..." (Gen 2:7, 15) And then sin happened and God cast man and woman out of the garden. In no uncertain terms He let them know things were going to be hard.

But God didn't cast us out without giving us some help. Part of that help comes from the Holy Spirit, Another part from the Bible, a book full of instructions though about life and work. A book about people working and how to make a bit of sense to the whole matter.

Help also comes from other men and women. Some who are pastors and teachers. Others who are friends. I've found teachers through many really good books on this subject of God and Work. Three teachers/authors are Addington, Graves and Maxwell. In their book Life@Work they help us identify and put together the fragmented parts of our lives.

The reader is asked "which of the following do you most identify with?"

- I'm fatigued from juggling two worlds

- I need more meaning from my work

- I need a clear picture of what being a christian on the job looks like

- I need a faith that makes a difference in my job and life

- I feel like I'm receiving no help connectin my worlds

Using the lessons from Life@Work we'll explore more about what the Bible says about work, jobs and careers in the coming weeks. You can also find more on this subject at http://godandworkmatters.blogspot.com/.

And we'll explore what it means to find,understand, accept and fulfill that mission.

I welcome your comments below, emails and calls.

To that end.....

Pondering..What I believe about work, God and certain matters

Ramblings -

- work is not always easy and many times hard

- sometimes it's very fulfilling, sometimes not

- God made humans to work

- God gave us authority over the earth

- God was working when He made the Heavens, Earth, man, woman, animals, things that crawl and things that swim, things that fly

- God is still working, 24/7

- God gave humans permission to work with His creation

- God sent His son Jesus to live and die for the sins of those who believe

- there's evil

- God calls me to glorify him in every circumstance

- God calls me to serve Him and His community

- God assigns me to certain work

- when Jesus said "go ye therefore..." He meant "as you go about..."

- I struggle with the God calls be to a "certain career/job" thought process. Really? Or is it more of a "here's what I want to do? where God has me today? where God is leading me? this is a good career move?" decision? Is it more of a "I like doing this, it energizes me" decision. If I'm trusting in God, looking to Him in everything I do, does it really matter? Just asking.

- What if work were more about making me holy instead of happy? Hmph. That's not good...philosophers since Socrates have pondered the question "what is the one thing man most deeply desires?" They've always come up with "happiness."

- What if work were more about making me holy instead of happy? What if.........

- If work is easy on too regular basis, I'm probably not growing

- Rest. Keller says if I don't have a good grip on the balance of work and rest, then I don't understand the true doctrine of work

- margins and routines. Both have become very important to me over the past 3 years. I'm much more productive and prayerful when I plan margins and work in routines (or rythms, hmmm...systems/ process)

- evil is trying to keep me from glorifying God through my work. Evil wants me to be cynical and judging and blaming. Evil doesn't want me to grow.

- Growing....why do we have to grow? We just do...we just grow; if not purposefully, then the way the wind blows us. The wind being our culture, our environment. We all change, which means we all grow...into something different than we are now.

- Work. Am I doing what God wants me to do? What does God want me to do?........Glorify HIM.

- Piper says "God is most glorified when we are most satisfied, in Him." Ok..if that is true - I'm glorifing God when I'm satisfied in Him when I'm working loans, leading masterminds, being energized, or not......."God is most glorified when I'm most satisfied, in Him."

Where has all this brought me this morning?

Work is sometimes hard, sometimes easy, sometimes fulfilling, sometimes draining, sometimes energizing, sometimes tiring - but when I remember Him; when I remember the pain He went through on that cross........even when I don't....when I have that feeling of just feeling good, and realize I'm satisfied in Him;

He's glorifed.

To that end...........I ask questions to dig deeper, to clarify, to know what He wants