I can't do it all

The blogsphere's most quoted pastor, Gordon Atkinson, aka, "Real Live Preacher" , said this:

"These things are clear to me.

You can't know everything you'd like to know.

You can't do everything you'd like to do.

You can't read everything you'd like to read.

You must hold onto some things and let go of others. Learning to make that choice is one of the big lessons of this life."

Who does he think he is? Doesn't Gordon know that I must scramble and hustle and try to squeeze it all in. After all, the more I read, the more I know and the more I do, the better I feel. And certainly God takes notice, right? Every magazine I get, every book I buy, every email I'm sent just must be read. Every relationship needs to be nurtured. Every project I'm asked to participate in, I must follow through.

After all, the world is counting on me.

But then the Red Letters of Jesus poke a hole in this faulty logic retold in Luke 10:38-42.

Mary sat at the Lord's feet, listening to Him speak. Meanwhile, Martha was "distracted by her many tasks." She was more than annoyed and complained, "Don't you care, Jesus? Don't you care that I'm busy and she isn't? Tell her to help out!"

Jesus wasn't impressed by the whirlwind of good deeds that Martha was performing. In fact he lauded Mary as having "chosen the better way -- a way that will not be taken away from her."

Look at your life. What about home, school and work. What things do you need to hold onto? What things do you need to let go? Comment here.

Till death do us part: Is retirement an option anymore?

Waldo McBurney, who at one time was named "America's oldest worker," died last week. He was 106.

Just two years ago he was still "spry and agile," walking the few blocks from his home to his downtown office in High Plains, KS. He finally retired at 104 and spent the last couple years of his life "unemployed." He gained notoriety for running a 100-yard dash at the age of 100.

The thought of going to work at 100, or 90, or even 70 is a tough one to swallow. And with the erosion of many pension plans, working later in life may be a reality. Work for older Americans has been difficult in this economy…but it its often necessary to pay the bills.

How long do you intend to work?

And here's a bigger question. Is retirement a biblical goal for Christians? Are we supposed to work hard so we don't have to work one day? What kinds of thoughts do you have? Comment here.

Related: L.A. Transit authority honors 91-year old who has never missed a day of work

Also, One Christian view of retirement.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Retirement Will Become a Thing of the Past (businesspundit.com)
• Will Your Retirement Be Worse Than Your Parent's Was? (usnews.com)

Does it matter?

Admittedly, going to work isn't always easy. Who wouldn't rather play or spend time at home. But going to a job that really doesn't seem to make a difference -- to anyone -- can be numbing.

In high school, I had a job as a beach security guard. Um. We had a lot of problems. I was basically paid to ogle the girls and work on my tan. I didn't think at the time that the job had one shred of high calling or purpose.

Some professions are deemed as being extremely gratifying. Many medical professions are those that you can see results – often immediately. Throw in mechanics and construction workers and garbage collectors as jobs that have an immediate and visible impact.

Farming seems to be the purest of all work. It’s basically the wits of man and the wiles of the farmer against nature. Sometimes – when the rains don’t come or the winds blow the seed away or the winter freeze comes a month too early- nature is the enemy.

But when the afternoon thunder showers dust the shoots just pushing through the soil and the August evenings are cool and the May days are warm -- nature is your friend. And best of all, when harvest comes, you see results.

By the farmer’s hands and his efforts and his toil are the fruits evident. To pick up a potato or a piece of corn or slice into a steak and to say, “by God’s grace and my efforts, my family and I will now enjoy the end result of my labor,” has got to be the most gratifying of all things.

Does your job make a difference? Or are you in a profession that doesn't seem to matter? Share with us your experience. Click here to comment.

Time Snatchers: Living off the clock

(Thanks to The High Calling for publishing the following article, "Living a Kairos Life in a Chronos World." Here is a snippet, but please read the rest of this article about work and God at TheHighCalling.org.)

Everything we do is marked by the steady march of time. Seconds lead to minutes to hours to days to weeks to years to decades to centuries.

The problem for all of us is that the clock is always running the wrong way, and we simply cannot stop its precipitous crawl toward the next tick. We lose moments to the past, out of our reach, never to be regained.

Where did all the years go?

The kids have grown and gone. We're muddling along in a career, making a living, just existing out of habit more than anything.

Did I miss out on my chance to make a difference?

The Greek language has a couple of words that mean "time." The first is most familiar—chronos . It means the chronology of days, governed by the carefully calculated earths' sweep around the sun. God himself ordained this measurement of days on the fourth day of Creation, spinning the heavenly lights "for seasons, and for days and years."

Boy, do I know about time. The wrinkles etched on my face; the wrinkles etched on my heart are the visual reminders of chronos.

But another word for time is also used in the New Testament—kairos . This speaks more to specific, God-ordained times throughout history, sometimes called the "right time" or "appointed season" (Titus 1:3).

Read the rest of the article here.

Do you give your full effort?

By the work one knows the workmen.

-- Jean De La Fontaine

I fully admit it.

I don't always give it my all at work, at home, at church, in my committments.

I back off.

I slack off.

I take a step and let someone else run with it.

Oh, and the excuses are amazingly boring and overused:

• I'm tired.


• I'm overcommitted.


• The boss (wife, friend, organization) doesn't appreciate me.
  

There is a universal urge to give a B effort despite A abilities.

And then there is the Bible with its pesky admonition: "Whatever you do in word or deed, do as unto the Lord." Col 3.23

And there goes all my excuses. How about you? Comment here.

Keeping it simple

Image via Wikipedia

Jesus kept it simple – real simple.

He steered clear of religious talk and jargon. He spoke simply and plainly. He found the sinners where they lived and then communicated with them in language they could understand.

He told the woman at the well that the gospel was like water. He told the fisherman to go make converts, just like fishing. He spoke to farmers about figs and wheat and tares. He spoke to merchants about lost treasures and pearls of great price. He spoke to the military man about spiritual enemies. He spoke to common working men about storing up treasures in heaven. He spoke to children about a Heavenly Father.

Jesus found a way to reach every population group, every demographic, every profession with simple truth that was tailored to their needs. Even Jesus’ most ardent critics “were amazed at his words.”

So, how about you?

She might have cleaned up after Presidents, but she worked for God

“Each night for 24 years, she would diligently clean the White House. When she came to the president's chair, she would pause, cleaning materials in hand, and say a quick prayer.” So reads the lead in yesterday’s Washington Post.

Emma Gray passed away last week and newspapers are extolling her simple, faithful service that was rooted in her faith.

And what a faith it was. Who knows how she influenced the world with her simple duty of cleaning the Presidents office.

She would pray for “blessings, wisdom and safety for each of the six presidents she served.”

She took great pride in her work. She started in the Government Accountability Office but was eventually transferred to the White House in 1955 because of her impeccable work habits. She worked there until her retirement in 1979.

Her daughter said, “It wasn't just her work, it was her character. She was a lady, a Christian lady."

She left behind 35 grandchildren; and 61 great-grandchildren.

She also left a legacy of prayer and duty. Her work could never be called drudgery. She wasn’t there just to straighten the desk and vacuum under the chairs and polish the woodwork and collect her check and wait for the weekend.

Emma Gray found meaning and purpose in her work – a High Calling. The world is probably a different place, because of the faithfulness of a cleaning lady.

Mrs. Gray might have cleaned up after the President, but she worked for God.

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do it all as unto the Lord.” Col 3.23

Atta boy

“Well done.”
“Great job.”
“Wow. Impressive.”

We like praise. We love praise. We crave praise.

It started as children when even the worse drawing with a blunt crayon was hung on the refrigerator. Proudly beaming for days, we sulked when it finally had to come down. Something inside of us wants our efforts to be applauded.

"Look at me!"

Although we might coyly wave off words of admiration, we sneak a smile in when we are alone. Our inner human is stroked by the scratch of praise. It feels good to know that our efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, that our duty actually isn’t performed in a vacuum.

"He finally noticed!"

Admittedly, the words of others affirm us. They measure our worth. They justify our value. They reinforce our sense of importance. Without these words, without any external appreciation of our contributions, some of us may wither or worse, finally rebel against our superiors.

"I keep giving and giving and no one seems to notice."

But ask yourself this: Just how important is that validation? Is appreciation a prerequisite for giving your all? Or are we called to higher standard, performing to full capacity despite who notices.

Here are some tough questions.

Could you work an entire career without ever being recognized?

Can you live in an affirming relationship that is not reciprocal?

Is it possible to always give and never expect thanks?

Your thoughts here.

(please, please tell me how great this post is!!!!....uh, never mind :) )

“…for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” John 12:43

Will we ever trust again?

“…Let your yes be yes and your no be no….” Matt 5:33

Trust is a critical component -- in the workplace, in the home, in churches and in politics.

Nothing will derail good intentions faster than a lack of trust.Many of our societal ills come from a lack of trust. Government manipulation of data to support the Vietnam War, capped by Watergate started the modern-day age of mistrust.

Investigative reporters became a standard at most newsrooms. And before you knew it, every authority figure was looked at askance, as if anything they said was not to be trusted.Suddenly, liars were everywhere – or so it seemed. Prominent church leaders, politicians and journalists have all fallen from their precarious perches. Companies crumbled and took their shareholders and pensioners savings down with them.

Can I ever trust again?

Does a Christian have more credibility than a non Christian?

A Red Letter Believer is a Christian who keeps his word in all affairs. We should never stretch the truth for our own benefit. Our word means nothing when we say one thing and then do another.Trust isn’t complicated. It’s earned through words and backed by actions.

What are your feelings on trust? Are you more trusting now than you were? Or are you cynical and jaded, lacking the ability to trust most people you come into contact with at work? What are the benefits and drawbacks of a lack of trust?

Uphold me in the common strife

Give me the grace to work and plan

And in the marketplace of life

O keep me, Lord, an honest man. —Bayliss

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“Trust me”

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