Celebrating Failure

April 13, 2013 in Personal Growth with 0 Comments

My first business failure was a will typing business.  We bought our first computer (complete with a 40 MB hard drive), some office furniture and some nice paper.  We still have the office furniture and paper, but we did not make enough revenue to cover our expenses.  But I learned a lot!

My next business failure was when I was trying to get a new business started for the utility I was working for.  That failed too, but fortunately was with someone else’s money, not mine.

That experience gave me the courage to start my own business as a financial planner.  My first six years in business was awful; I worked really hard and I didn’t make much money.  Even though those first years were a bust, I learned a lot and now I am making more money that I would have if I was still at the utility, have more job security, have built a business that I can sell, and most importantly, I am enjoying it much more!

Fear of failing is the number one killer of experiencing new possibilities and better things to come.  Because most people are afraid of failure, they will choose the security, even if it means a boring and unfulfilling life.  They give up hope of living the life they truly want.

There is a difference of being a failure and failing at something.  The paradox is that people that have accomplished the most have failed the most.   Those who are willing to fail end up being the most successful.  Those who are unwilling to risk failing settle for living someone else’s script.

So when you fail, grab a friend and go celebrate, sharing what you learned.  You are one step closer to success!

Food and My Identity

March 20, 2013 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

Yesterday in my coaching class, one of my instructors asked for a volunteer to coach and the topic lead to the issue with his struggle with his eating habits, which is something that we all do.  The thought that I woke up with this morning is that the key issue here is identity.  What does this issue of food have to do with identity? 

What does this have to do with me?  What is my identity?  Who am I and who do I want to become?  What is the purpose for food, how does that relate to my body and my relationship with food?

My body is a temple of the Lord, and I want to be healthy and strong so that I have the energy and stamina over a long period of time that I might walk with God, enjoy Him and bring Him glory.  The purpose of food is to help my body be strong, so that I can be and do what is really important.

At the same time, food is a gift, something to God gave us to be enjoyed.  Is 55:1-4 says, “”Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!  …Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.”

So how do these two things, which seem to be in a conflict with each other, work themselves out?  What if having “rich food” all the time is not good for my health?  And how does this relate to my identity?

I know that I need to look to God to meet all of my needs and for him to satisfy me.  Sometimes he satisfies me directly, sometimes he gives me things on this earth that satisfy me, like good food.  What should this look like?

Enjoying good food in God’s way would look like it would be consumed in moderation, perhaps as part of a special celebration; perhaps going out to eat and enjoying a delicious meal as a special occasion.  But if I am looking to food to satisfy me and meet my needs, then food becomes an idol for me; lusting and craving for food to satisfy me.

So how does this all relate to me and my identity?  Well, what is the ideal for my body?  I am about 10 lbs overweight, and I have a bit more of a gut than I want.  If God would give me the grace to be disciplined enough to eat the foods that are best for me and get the exercise that is best for me—which is really about living a healthy lifestyle—then I think it would bring God glory to lose that weight.  In the process, I would experience God in a special way as I walked alongside him in this journey.  Paul said that through weakness we become strong.  That is a wonderful outcome that would honor God and be a great adventure.    

In the long run, I think that being healthy and at my ideal weight, and experiencing God’s grace in the journey of getting there, would be the most satisfying experience of all.  That is in better alignment of my true identity than to suffer through saying no and “missing out” on the foods that I like.  I think from time-to-time I can enjoy a gift of foods that I really like, yet having my focus be on eating healthy foods.

That resonates with my soul, and brings into alignment my relationship with God, my satisfaction, my soul and my body.  That feels like shalom to me.

Note: I highly recommend that you invest $20 and two hours to purchase and watch a webinar called “Attachments & Food” by Ed Khouri.  Ed goes to the root issues of our relationship with food and how we bond with whoever feeds us.  He explores why we may have an emotional bond with food that we are not even conscious of and where that may come from.  He finishes by discussing how to use food to help us bond with God.

Below is a link describing the webinar:

 http://www.lifemodel.org/shopping/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=22&products_id=182

 

Treasuring and Pondering

March 15, 2013 in Spiritual Growth with 0 Comments

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. –Luke 2:19

The shepherds had shown up out of nowhere to visit Mary and her family, saying that an angel had said that the Christ, the Messiah was born in the City of David and they should go and visit him in a manger.  They said that a host of angels were singing of God’s favor with men.

She didn’t just glance over this and go on her merry way.  (Pardon my pun.)  She paused, took all this in, and treasured, valued and relished the experience.  She drank deeply from the richness of what was going on.  She was aware that God was doing something amazing here; she had her eyes open and recognized God’s hand in what was going on.

The Greek word for treasured is suntereo–to preserve (a thing from perishing or being lost), to keep within one’s self, keep in mind (a thing, lest it be forgotten).  When God shows up, when He does something amazing, we need to keep this front and center in our hearts and minds.  It needs to be preserved, kept from fading or drifting away, front and center and not forgotten.  We need to be intentional about sharing our God stories with each other.

The Greek word for pondering is sumballo–to bring together in one’s mind, confer with one’s self.  God’s ways are great and mighty, we will spend all eternity growing in our comprehension of his greatness and kindness.  It is good apply ourselves to wrap our minds around who He is and what He is doing.

What is God doing in and around you right now?  What can you be treasuring in your heart?  What can you ponder about God?

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