For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

Excitement filled the air as the attorneys gathered in the conference room. Each was anxious to share what they experienced at the Democratic Convention in Denver, Colorado. They reminded me of school children clamoring for the teacher’s attention, speaking over top of each other in inaudible rhythms. “History is being made and we are living it!” was the cheer of one attorney. Another burst forth with anthems of praise for the Vice Presidential candidate. Everyone was in agreement except for one – me.

As it became apparent to those gathered that I did not share in their enthusiasm, an odd silence came over the room. For a moment I feared I might be lynched or at least fired. I reminded myself that I was blessed to be an American which guaranteed me freedom of speech. Mustering courage from the depths of my soul I expressed my opinions and the reasons for them. By the shocked look on their faces I thought perhaps I had grown another head. Never had such blasphemy been uttered inside the walls of the prestigious law firm. As they stared with gaping eyes and wide-sprung mouths, I began to pray.

It was then I realized it didn’t matter whether I was a Democrat or Republican. My affiliation with the Father was far more important. I am a Christian. My main duty in life is to represent Christ in a way that brings Him glory. As boldly as I had spoken on behalf of my presidential candidate, I needed to possess the same boldness when speaking on behalf of my Savior. I do not need to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. He died once for all, the Jew and the Greek, the Democrat and the Republican.

Father, please help us to remember that it is your desire for us to be your light in a darkened world. May we never be ashamed to be Your representatives. Temper our speech with truth, humility and love. Let the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our hearts, be acceptable in Thy sight. Amen.

Boats. The pinnacle of all boats has mighty sails, others have roaring motors, some merely wooden oars, and the less fortunate are at the mercy of the tide. They are powerless, purposeless, out of control and without direction.

A life without Christ is a boat with no ability to steer the course. There is no purpose, no power and continually out of control in an ever changing direction. Most have lived life as a boat without oars, attempting to navigate the great sea of life without Christ. That life is unsuccessful and lonely, at best.

Upon accepting Christ, He gave me oars. While oars are helpful, they are very tiring over time and powerless against the great swells of the sea. My ship thrashed about when the seas became rough still at the mercy of the tide when attempting to steer alone.

As my relationship with Christ grew, I gradually became a motor boat. Ah, the feeling of speed, wind in my hair…power. Though much easier to navigate, a motor boat requires maintenance. Initially, I had the power and ability to steer my ship, but eventually found myself in the middle of the sea and out of control since I had not performed the required maintenance.

Floating, drifting, barely surviving, I cried out, “Father God, I have accepted Your Son, Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I know in my heart You are the Alpha, the Omega, and You sent Your son, Jesus, to bridge the gap from Earth to Heaven. Why do I still find myself at the mercy of the sea?” His answer to me was simple. “Surrender completely to Me and I will make you a sail boat. Be obedient to Me and I will fill your sails with wind. Place your trust solely in Me, and I shall guide your ship so that you will never again be at the mercy of the sea alone.”

God is all-powerful, and His provision for us is unfailing. At times you may find yourself at the mercy of the sea, but rest knowing God’s power far surpasses the challenges in life we face if we allow him to fill our sails and guide our ship daily.

As I grew up, he always made my friends feel right at home in what could be otherwise uncomfortable situations. Whenever my girlfriends were over and we stayed up until the wee hours of the morning talking in the kitchen, instead of reprimanding us for staying up so late, he would do a silly “rock and roll” type dance to show he was “hip”, or at least he thought he was - and then we’d all break into a loud laughter. Or the very first time he met Darwin and said, “Wow! I like your earrings. Where did you get them from? Your mother?” And once again, caught off guard, there was lots of laughter. I think he enjoyed making them laugh, EVEN MORE than I enjoyed laughing!

After my mom died, I would visit him every Thursday night for dinner. At the time, I thought I was doing something nice for him, but now I realize how much he was doing for me! He would park elsewhere, just so I could have his parking space. He would shop and prepare an elaborate, several course meal, including homemade chinese soup and my favorite, steamed minced pork with salted egg (no more french toast!). He had me sit at a beautifully set table, (with neatly folded napkin, dad-style), and then proceed to serve me a wonderful hot meal complete with dessert and tea. Then we would just sit and talk, (and even cry) together for hours. At the end of the evening he would insist on washing my dishes, despite my attempts at offering. He wanted to show his love for me. I think he enjoyed displaying his love for his daughter EVEN MORE than I enjoyed being the recipient of it!

Jesus prepared his disciples breakfast, he met people wherever they were at, he even washed their feet, all to convey his deep, boundless love for them. I am humbled not only to have been a recipient of a father’s love for his daughter, but EVEN MORE, a recipient of Christ’s personal love for me shown through my dad.

As grateful as I am to have a Lord and Savior who saved even me, I know He loves me EVEN MORE than I can ever imagine or comprehend! And he purely delights in seeing my delight! What a wonderful, loving Father we have in heaven!

I am at work daily to display to my children what my father exemplified to me: the constant, humble, unconditional love of Jesus through prayer, exortation, and wise counsel. May He be glorified in all things; even french toast.

Something is obviously wrong with this…I recognize that, and I easily admit it. But the part that isn’t easy at all is changing it. That would actually require self discipline and willpower… which is probably exactly why I don’t do my devotions, as that too requires discipline and will power. Yet, the Creator of the universe longs to spend time with me. By admitting that I’m addicted to solitaire, I’m essentially saying that I’d rather spend time on my computer than with my Maker.

However, I’ve come to realize that there is something quite similar between God and solitaire…believe it or not.

Did you know that in solitaire, with one little click you can completely clear your score? Sure, it is somewhat of a sacrifice, as you have to clear away your “wins”. But, considering how much that game is based purely on chance, the likelihood of you having an equal ratio of losses to wins is very slim. So, simply by clicking, you can get rid of all your losses, and start anew…with absolutely no record of your past.

It is so similar with God. By simply asking Him to forgive you, your past is exactly that…passed. And completely forgotten. Yes, you have to sacrifice your pride, and your “winnings” in the world’s eyes, but you are clean and free and no longer have a record of wrong, or of losing. God no longer remembers it. But the best thing is that God is not based on chance. It’s not like sometimes He will forgive you, and at other times, He’ll say “Sorry, you lost the game…better luck next time!” He is completely consistent…always forgiving us and loving us unconditionally.

The thing is that so often we completely forget that…or at least try to convince ourselves that God won’t forgive us. But to be honest, that is equivalent to the solitaire game not doing what it is supposed to when we click “yes” to say that we really do want to reset our score. Don’t get me wrong…I’m not saying that God has to forgive us, but that He chooses to…quite a difference. Yet by convincing ourselves that He won’t forgive us is like clicking “yes” and then having the computer laugh at us, saying “Ha! Just joking. I’m not going to reset your score!” Imagine how frustrating that would be!
Or, what if the computer asked us (after our ratio was really poor) if we wanted to reset our score? Would that not completely catch us off guard?

Yet God gently reminds us in His word, that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us (1 John 1:9). It doesn’t say “if we are on our best behaviour” or “if God is having a good day”. It is a simple cause and effect situation:
–> confession = forgiveness.

Pure and simple…yet, also so amazing and beautiful.

“Be humble before others. Think of others before yourself, and be interested in others and what they are doing.” (Phil 2:3-4-NIV)

Let’s be honest. Building a life of humility is not easy. Like building anything of unfamiliarity, it can be difficult. For most of us, pride gets in the way, people get in the way, and problems get in the way.
Biblically speaking, humility is described as servant leadership. All good leadership requires skill, thoughtfulness, courage, and intuitiveness. Humility, like being a great leader, requires that we get “self” out of the way. As servant leaders of God who are called to exemplify humility, God desires to have His way in us and through us. The result? Like building a house, remodeling a kitchen, or refinishing a deck it’s a “sight to behold,” a “project you can be proud of.” Humility is a place where not only you get to enjoy the benefits, but others do also. And like the house, the kitchen, or the deck, the lasting joy is for generations to come. Today, invite God to move in, and tell pride to ship out. Tomorrow morning at work, instead of telling others about you, find out about them. Remember, the problems we face are no match for the power of a God we trust. Let Him lead the way in you.

Joseph N. Greenfield-Wilmore, KY

Hear my prayer, O Lord;
Let my cry for help come to you.
Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress.
Turn your ear to me.
When I call, answer me quickly.

For my days vanish like smoke;
My bones burn like glowing embers.
My heart is blighted and withered like grass.
I forget to eat my food.
Because of my loud groaning
I am reduced to skin and bones.

I am like a dessert owl, like an owl among the ruins.

Today is my birthday - - proof that I am aging. My purpose on Earth is changing. At 48 years old, I am now more the mentor, than the mentee; more the teacher than the student; more the role model than the naïve explorer.

I have been reading the Bible daily since I was 21 years old. As the years have gone by, even my relationship with God’s Word has evolved…

Where I once related as the young Timothy, I am now the elder Paul.

Where I once related as the daughter-in-law Ruth, I am now the mother-in-law Naomi.

Where I once the prodigal daughter, I am now the prodigal’s mother!

It’s strange that even a person’s relationship with God’s Word can change. Who would have thought that?

I’ll admit, when I first realized my role in God’s plan had changed…that I was now in the “older” category of saints, I was a little unsettled. But it’s just like anything else, when you focus on what you have to be grateful for, the other stuff just falls into place.

I am grateful for the relationships I have with my family and friends - - things that take time to develop and a level of maturity to fully appreciate. I’m grateful for my place in the children’s ministry - - again something that my years of experience can only sweeten. After all, I’ve been a troubled shy youngster and a mother of young children. I can minister to both sides of the fence.

My dear Heavenly Father also takes care of my “aging” concerns in the most amusing of ways. I go every year to visit my ex-mother in-law in California. A couple of years ago during one of my visits, I was in the car with she and 3 of her friends….all in their mid-80’s. During the course of our evening, one asked me how hold I was. When I responded “46,” she exclaimed with a surprising level of intensity, “Oh… if only I knew then what I know now!” I was so amused and encouraged by her outburst that it almost made me feel young again!

I gather from my 80-something friend that I still have a lot learning to do!

Therefore, I will take care of this temple. I will feed it well, exercise it regularly, and give it a weekly Sabbath…because as it says in Jeremiah 28:11 (with the hope that God will forgive the one word I have added)…God says He STILL knows the plans He has for me, plans for good and not for evil, plans for a hope and a future.

And I plan to stay ready!

Perhaps the most heartwarming parable Jesus tells us is about a relationship between a father and son in Luke 11. In the parable, a son leaves his father with his inheritance in hand for a life of self-fulfillment, only to ultimately come back with nothing.

Now, I’ve never received an inheritance and run off to Las Vegas, but recently I’ve uncovered parallels to the parable in my own life.

While bootstrapping for a startup I borrowed significantly from my father. The company was growing and was already in talks for acquisition, but needed additional capital to move it forward. A few months later the acquisition went through, but some loose ends held us back from collecting. As such, I wasn’t able to repay my father. Some time later, I was still chasing loose ends, and it wasn’t until I heard from my father that the severity of the situation hit me. “I knew there was a problem weeks ago,” my father said, “my son stopped calling me.”

My heart sunk as I realized that in the midst of my work, even toward a worthwhile goal, I had let my relationship with my father falter. More troubling was that it was in the midst of enormous blessing that I lost focus on what was really important. Especially since it was my father’s backing that enabled this blessing in the first place.

Like the parable, my father was far more concerned about our relationship than about the money. But the experience has taught me a great deal about how the Lord values my relationship with him.

How have you faltered in relationships because of your work? In Matthew 6, Christ urges us to store up treasures in heaven, because “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” In what ways has your treasure on earth hindered relationship building for eternity?

The “American Dream”, that you can achieve your dreams, is a concept of entitlement in which we deserve anything we want, anything we expect. Though I am a Christian and believe and trust that God has the ultimate plan, it hasn’t stopped me from expecting many things from my life, and being disappointed when they didn’t turn out according my expectations.

The problem with the American Dream is that it puts us in control of our destiny, it puts us responsible for the outcome of our life. Even though we pray to God for guidance, its in accordance to our own expectations that we set out for our lives, not with open hands as we’re guided to do in Proverbs 3 – (5) Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; (6) in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

It’s tempting to create a career path or make business decisions based solely on what benefits us, according to our expectations - but we don’t need to be convinced that more than often, life unfolds in ways very different from what we expected, good and bad. How we deal with these “unexpected” circumstances is key to following God’s will for our life.

The problem is, none of us are born with a business plan for our lives, every step outlined, “just do this to follow God’s will”. God is far wiser than that (we humbly believe), he allows us to experience life, to learn to live life by observing Christ’s life, to be guided by his spirit, and to be redeemed by him when we make mistakes. God gives us talents, passions and circumstances to live in, its tempting to take all this and feel like we’re running the show. Once we find that we’re hardly running anything at all, its often devastating and feels like we’ve failed or experienced major setbacks in our lives.

However, Phillippians 4 gives us perspective: (6) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (7) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God’s true will for us isn’t a series of specific actions or outcomes; His will is for us to be redeemed by his promise of life. That no matter how we’re disappointed from a human perspective, God has a greater plan for our lives than we can understand. If we truly trust God, we won’t feel bad when life happens within our expectations or not.

Upon serious reflection, lots of prayer, and guidance from mentors (including my father) during this time, I realized that I am called to be in full-time ministry (albeit a different definition of full-time ministry), and I am called to be in the marketplace. This realization altered my entire mindset about business, ministry, and calling, and I, for the first time in my life, had a peace about spending the majority of my time in the marketplace and understanding that I will be in ministry as a part of my life as a business professional. This reflection of who God is in my life may be expressed through my passions in various for-profit and non-profit settings over time; however, I now realize that full-time ministry is more about worshiping and serving God and serving others in the environment I’m in than about what my vocation is or what organization, business, product, or service I’m working with.

How do you view your life as a business professional? Is it a job? A calling? A passion? A lifestyle? A ministry?

I realized for the first time in my life during this time of reflection just after business school that for me, it is all of the above.