The last time that I was in Atlanta, my pastor, Austin Gardner, gave me a few books to read as I started my trip across the country. Yesterday I finished reading through “The Truth About You” by Marcus Buckingham. It was a pretty quick and easy read with a couple of good thoughts worth applying to everyday life.
Buckingham addresses the issue of inherent strengths and weaknesses that we all posses. His challenge in the book is to recognize both in your own life and use them to your advantage in life. Whereas I do not personally buy into everything this secular author has to say, I believe that there are several truths that we can take from his research.
I will let you read the book on your own and have you come to your own conclusions, but here are some of the highlights I came across.
*We all have strengths and weaknesses – areas in life where we all have some sort of natural (or supernatural in the spiritual sense) advantages (or disadvantages) over everyone else.
*In order to excel at what we do we must focus the majority of our efforts on developing the areas where we are already strong and not where we are weak.
*We should intentionally partner with people who are strong where we are weak.
*Nobody is exactly the same – what comes easy for one individual doesn’t necessarily come easy for another.
*Our strengths are not always what we are good at and conversely our weaknesses are not always what we are bad at. Buckingham’s definition of strengths are “any activities that make you feel strong… if, before you do something, you find yourself actually looking forward to doing it… if, while you’re doing something, you feel focused, in the zone, with time whipping by really quickly… if, after you’re done, you feel fulfilled, it may be a strength.
As Christians, God has given to each of us spiritual gifts. These “talents” are not identical, and they most certainly are not evenly distributed. Our primary focus should not be on ourselves or even our gifts but rather on the One who gave them to us for the explicit purpose of glorifying Him and lifting up Jesus Christ in the world.
It’s time for us to discover who He made us to be and start working together as a team to get the job done.
Here’s an well laid out website worth taking a few minutes to check out.
Thanks to my mom who got us hooked up with an ultrasound last weekend, we found out that we are expecting our first son this September/October.
Most importantly the baby is healthy and growing well.
Please be praying for us as we are getting ready to expand as a family.
We are now on the backstretch of our meeting marathon in the Northeast with one conference in lower Alabama where the church graciously paid for me to fly in and be a part of what was going on for three days.
The Lord has blessed us with some great meetings and conferences. In the past month, we’ve been in Oswego (NY), Wilseyville (NY), Cassadaga (NY), Medford (MA), Plattsburgh (NY), Brewton (AL), Astoria (NY), Quarryville (PA), Plainville (CT), and Cincinnatus (NY). Next week we’re going to be in the city of Granville, NY. All of the churches have been tremendous blessings to us and some have told us that they will most likely take us on for support in the near future.
This has been an exciting experience to say the least.
Two weeks ago we had meetings in the northern part of New York state, so for Gretchen’s birthday, we jumped across the border and visited Montréal. Neither of us speak French, but we got around without any real difficulty and enjoyed the beautiful architecture along with the amazingly authentic crêpes.
Last week Gretchen, Norah, and I got the chance to see New York city. Since Gretchen’s from Boston, she’s seen the city a time or two, but it was a first for Norah and me. There’s nothing like eating pizza and New York style cheesecake in the Big Apple where it all began.
We praise the Lord for all of the amazing experiences that He allows us to have while we serve Him.
We’ve spent that last couple of weeks in, what the locals tell me, is the “real” New York. Up here, I am the big time city slicker from southern Ohio. Who would have thought that I’d have to watch my step as I walk across cow pastures on my way to church in the uninhabited fields of the Empire State?! The sound of rush hour traffic is replaced by cows mooing, sheep bleating, and roosters crowing at the crack of dawn. It is C-O-U-N-T-R-Y out here… and we’re loving it!
Sunday morning, we had a great meeting in the booming metropolis of Cassadaga, NY. I had the privilege of teaching Sunday School and preaching the morning service. After the invitation, I had the opportunity to sit down with two guys visiting the church for the first time that morning, and both of them ended up accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior right there. Talk about exciting! Pastor Emke gave the guys their own Bibles to study at home and to bring with them every time they come back to visit. There’s nothing like being use of God to lead people to Him and then see them pass from death to life right there before your eyes. What an honor!
That night we dropped in at a church about 30 minutes north in the city of Eden. I met the missions director (not knowing that was his position) and told him about the vision that Lord has given us for North Africa. We talked for a while before and after the service and then I met the pastor who mentioned having us come back some time to present the ministry. To make a long story short, we’re scheduled to be at their missions conference this fall… again, something only the Lord could put together.
We’re in New England right now, and then we’re headed over to Plattsburgh, NY this Sunday. I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for us this week.
We had an eventful day yesterday. Our meeting in Oswego, New York kicked off our two month “tour” in the Empire State. The church was a huge blessing to us.
After our morning meeting we headed to Rochester and found a church to just drop in on. We walked into the building and they had tons of missionary letters on the wall. That was a good sign for us. Then I thought that Gretchen was just commenting on same thing I noticed when she said, “they have a few missionaries here.” I just kind of humored her and agreed that they look like a mission minded church. Then I noticed that she was actually talking about the missionary displays down the hall. I met the assistant pastor and found out that we just walked into the middle of the churches mission conference.
He introduced me to the senior pastor who told me to open in prayer and let the church know who we were. Then he wanted me to set up my display while the church was shaking hands. I followed his instructions and passed out several prayer cards in the back of the church after service ended.
After talking to the church members as they passed by, the assistant pastor approached me, handed me an envelope, and then invited us out to dinner with the other missionaries. We spent some time talking at the restaurant getting to know each other. In the end they paid for our meal and gave us a love offering for the road asking us to start sending them our prayer letter. Talk about an unexpected blessing.
The Lord has a way of putting things together in a surprising way. I’m looking forward to everything else that He has in store for us while we’re here through the end of May.
We had a great time at Faith Baptist Church in Fairless Hills, PA this last week. Pastor Cashman and his staff made us feel extremely loved and welcomed while we were there.
Their mission conference started off with a meeting between staff and missionaries last Saturday evening and ended after service Wednesday night. I really enjoyed spending time with the church and also learning from Dr. Charles Keen while he was there.
Last night, we all headed down to Frederick, Maryland for a meeting we have with Frederick Baptist Church. Tomorrow we head up to Boston to be with Gretchen’s family for a little while before our next meeting in New York.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
Last night we traveled three hours west to be a part of Riverview Baptist’s first ever Missions Conference. Pastor Justin Smith and his church have been such a blessing and encouragement to us already. The people here have a real heart for missions. And will start Faith Promise Giving this week. In addition to what they have already done for missions around the world.
Tomorrow night after service, we will be traveling fourteen hours to Faith Baptist Church in Fairless Hills, PA. We have the privilege of being with Pastor David Cashman and Dr. Charles Keen.
This will begin our two month “tour” in New York and Pennsylvania. Please be praying as we travel and for the Lord to open the eyes of His people to the need of taking His Gospel to the unreached millions around the world.
