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Accountable – A Different Look

I don’t know about you but being “held accountable” has not be a very positive experience for me. It has almost always been a negative, “missing the mark” time for me. I can’t recall, though it might have happened, where my successes were celebrated. It was always looking for what didn’t get done or not done well. Needless to say, being accountable was not something I wanted to do. Most of the time, the goals and tasks I’m being held accountable for are someone else’s that were imposed upon me and my falling short has caused them problems.

So do I throw out being accountable or explore how to look at it differently? As I’ve explored why this has been true for me I’ve learned several things.

  • Accountability is taking ownership, according to Brian Moran in The 12 Week Year. There is a call to make a decision, identify the actions to be taken and taking ownership of getting them done. Then reviewing the progress, not to find fault, but to find changes that can be made to advance toward the goal. It is being transparent and asking for help.
  • Accountability from others or self-discipline from within simply doesn’t work if I’m working against my heart. Real accountability is holding my self responsible for my own actions in accord with my heart’s desires and dreams.
  • When someone has asked me to hold them accountable, it is only to help them with reaching their own goals and tasks, not mine. To help them review their progress, celebrating their successes and find ways to improve areas that need it.

What are you thoughts on how to make accountability the positive and helpful activity that it can be?

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Patience

I was listening to a podcast today on patience and it hit me right where I’ve been. More that I’ve been impatient than patient. When things are going well, patience is not so much a problem but, oh boy, when things are rocky, patience seems to go out the window. Reviewing my goals and the progress, well, lack of progress, also pushes against being patient.

I was reading Psalm 16 in the Passion Bible

5 Lord, I have chosen you alone as my inheritance.
    You are my prize, my pleasure, and my portion.
    I leave my destiny and its timing in your hands.[e
6 Your pleasant path leads me to pleasant places.
    I’m overwhelmed by the privileges
    that come with following you,
    for you have given me the best!
7 The way you counsel and correct me makes me praise you more,
    for your whispers in the night give me wisdom,
    showing me what to do next.
8 Because you are close to me and always available,
    my confidence will never be shaken,
    for I experience your wrap-around presence every moment.

Continue reading “Patience”
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Are we allowing Father God to give us all that Jesus gained for us?

As I read Scripture I see there are lots of things God intended for us to receive through Jesus life, sacrifice and resurrection.

John 17
21 I pray for them all to be joined together as one
even as you and I, Father, are joined together as one.
I pray for them to become one with us
so that the world will recognize that you sent me.
22 For the very glory you have given to me I have given them
so that they will be joined together as one
and experience the same unity that we enjoy.

Isaiah 53 :5
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 61:1-4
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.


Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions:[b
joy that overflows,
peace that subdues,
patience that endures,
kindness in action,
a life full of virtue,
faith that prevails,
gentleness of heart, and
strength of spirit.

There is so much more but just looking at these verses and the benefits of the relationship with Jesus, I wonder why so many of us, who call ourselves Christian, seem to live without so many of them. As I’ve pondered this in my life and those around me I keep asking why not? What are some of the things that are blocking or restricting the flow of blessing that Father God wants for us? I know there are many reasons but is there a root issue?

Continue reading “Are we allowing Father God to give us all that Jesus gained for us?”
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Are our goals too small?

Goal setting has been a challenge for me most of my life. Missing a goal caused me deep emotional pain. So I chose one of two ways to avoid the disappointment. Either I didn’t even set a goal or I set goals that I knew I could reach. This was very uninspiring and not beneficial at all.

Our team has been using the 12 Week Year process for the last 3 years. However, it wasn’t making much difference for me. Yes, I set goals for each 12 weeks but the goals had no benefit for me, in fact, they added to my self-condemnation. But I kept hearing from others how important and effective goals were. So there had to be some disconnect, at least for me.

The first shift came going through a Tony Robbins course. He started me linking goals to dreams. He encouraged us to set goals that drew us forward, even with no clue how to accomplish the goal. He said that a big goal almost reached would be so much better than a little, easily reach goal would be. So I started trying to dream again and find goals toward those dreams.

Continue reading “Are our goals too small?”
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Are we missing God’s miracles?

Seeing Jesus heal someone, and being part of that, whether “big” or “small”, is so exciting. And watching the effect of an encouraging/prophetic word blossom in someones eyes is amazing. I pray for more and more as we draw closer to Father God’s heart.

I wonder, though, if having our focus so much on healing and prophetic, might cause us to miss the myriad ways the Father God is working miracles around us. And, might we be missing the greatest miracle of all? The amazing fact that the God of the universe likes us and wants so much to have us close and aware of His presence.

My prayer is for my and our hearts to be open and more aware of the almost constant supernatural (really, “natural” for God) things that He is doing all around us. I want to be so conscious of His presence that praise and worship just flows at all time.

Share your thoughts on this.

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Seasons and Friendships

As I was thinking about seasons in our lives and how they change from time to time, I realized that is also about friendships. Not that we stop being friends, just that the closeness or time spent with them can change as a season changes.

As each of us moves into new places and relationships, our interests and focuses change.  This is normal and a good thing.  One of the consequences of these changes is a moving away from older relationships.  Often we struggle trying to hold onto the closeness we had with those we’ve been with in the past but this creates an unhealthy tension, almost like trying to move in two directions at once.  Sometimes, some of the folks move with us into the new relationships and interests.  Many do not. Letting go of those is difficult but oh so necessary.  Otherwise they become anchors that hold us back.

This being said, there are some friendships that transcend changes in our seasons.  These are so precious and quite rare.

If we find ourselves stuck and struggling to move into a new season,  we need a heart check to see if there are some relationships that need to be let go of, at least the time and closeness that we’ve had before. It will not only be a huge help for us but also for them, allowing them to move into their new season that is different from ours.

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Influencing those around us

A question for us: in what ways are we influencing those around us? Many of us are unaware of our impact on others as we go about our daily lives. We get focused on doing our job, getting our shopping done or any other task we have. We tend to view other people primarily as a means to get our tasks done. Even when we interact with others we very rarely connect with them in any way.

As Christians, called and empowered to transform our cities and culture, I believe we have been missing our best opportunities to do so. We may be very involved in our church activities, even in some “outreach” endeavors. Yet how much an impact on our communities do we really make.

I’m becoming more and more convinced that the way to transform our areas is to be much more proactive in making connections with those around us: our neighbors, our co-workers, the shop keepers, everyone we encounter.

People are dying for connection, for relationship. They may have hundreds of “friends” in social media but few, if any, in real life who even know their name. And who do they have who will give them a smile, a word of encouragement, or some word or blessing from the Lord. That is where we come in. To be that person for them. To start connecting with them and, as time goes on, build a life giving relationship.

Our goal isn’t to get them to church, although there is nothing wrong with inviting them at some point. Our goal is to simply love them, honestly and sincerely in whatever ways we can. To let the love we have received from the Lord spill into their lives.

The challenge to myself and all of us is to become more intentional and aware of those we are around and be “love” for them.

A word of caution. It is not our role to judge, convict or condemn their behavior. Ours is to love and serve them, to bless them.

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What Living Life is about

I’ve created this blog as a way to share my passions and fulfill my purpose in life.  I love to encourage folks and share insights that I’ve found helpful.  Some of this will be from me and some will be from others.  I believe that we all have the ability to encourage others, hence the domain name, encourageability.  There is gold in each of us, some of it harder to find but there, none the less.  It is my belief that we can call those treasures out and help others to blossom.  As each of blossom into the life we are destined to be, we will be living life more and more fully.  This fully-lived-life is called zoe.

 

Often, blogs are very focused on one topic or area.  LivingLife will be very much the opposite.  Since we, human beings, live our lives in many different areas so will this blog reflect that with wide-ranging posts.  What we do and think in one area affects the other areas of our lives.  Our tendency to compartmentalize is rarely successful.

Much of what will be shared in these blog posts will be just a part of the bigger picture.  They will likely be embryonic, a start or part of something grander.  By sharing these ideas and insights, as-they-come, that will enable others to add their creativity which will enhance the whole.

So what topics will likely be in this blog?

  • Business – I believe that businesses have a much bigger purpose than we have typically understood.  So I’ll be sharing ideas about community-changing business.
  • Spiritual – As a Christian, I believe that each of us are spiritual beings and everything we do flows from that.
  • Kingdom – Jesus prayed for God’s Kingdom to come to earth.
  • Relationship – We are created to be in relationships: an intimate relationship with Father God, close relationships with family and friends.
  • Freedom – Thoughts and ideas on how to move into the fullness of life intended for us.
  • Politics – Why not, since we all can and should be involved in our communities.

Since insights and ideas come whenever they want to, I will share as they come.

I welcome comments and ideas.  Some of my ideas will likely be “way out there” as I explore deeper understanding of how life can and should be lived.  Let’s honor one another in how we interact.