Asking + Strategy = Advantage

God didn't sugarcoat the situation when He laid out His plan for Moses at the burning bush. "Ask Pharaoh for freedom," He instructed, "yet I know the king of Egypt will let you go only  because of a greater might." If Pharaoh was going to rebuff Moses, what was the purpose, of asking him for freedom in the first place?

Moses knew Pharaoh wouldn't grant his request to free the slaves, but he came asking for a smaller
concession--three days in the wilderness for the Hebrews to worship. If Pharaoh had shown some flexibility there, Moses might have chosen a different strategy for the rest of the struggle. But there was no flexibility; in fact, Pharaoh responded by heaping more burdens upon the slaves. Moses now knew where he stood and announced the first plague.

Taking the direct approach--going to the person who has something you want and asking for it--is an invaluable strategy not just in business but also in every realm of life. Yet people shy away form it, usually because they're intimidated. Oftentimes they don't want to overstep their bounds, or mix business with pleasure, or be perceived as too aggressive. Most of all, they don't to be rejected. Because so many people are reluctant to ask for what they want , if you do so, you'll gain a huge advantage.

Lessons

"The hardest lessons to learn are the those that are the most obvious" 
~Theodore Roosevelt

Encampment

"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them."
~Psalms 34:7

We cannot see angels, but it is enough that they can see us. If devils do us mischief and harm, shining angels of God do us service. We have a fixed protection,a permanent watch. If we remain in God's precincts, we shall be in His protection. And notice that the Lord of angels does not come and go, paying us transient visits; He encamps around us. The headquarters of the army of salvation is where those live whose trust is in God.

"And it came to pass...."

We can't always be sure that things will always work out, but we will always have the strength to make it through. We can trust that eventually both the bad and good will come to pass.

I've had the good ripped away from me numerous times and felt the sorrow and loss so much so that I thought I would drown. But it passed.

All I'm saying is that sometimes the bad guys win and the good guys lose. Sometimes it's the other way around. Sometimes nothing that we do seems to swing the decision one way or the other, but we can always come back tomorrow. There's always another chance another opportunity to play the game, dance, sweat, cry. And maybe it's the experience, not the outcome that is the true prize.

If you're feeling a loss of strength or confidence, let go of the desperate need for positive outcome in your life. Realize that this, too, will pass. Gain your joy and strength from knowing that whether an event is good or bad, we're enriched by our experiences especially when we accept and embrace them for what they are. God never wastes a pain. Pray to discern the purpose in your pain. Only we can choose to learn from them or allow resentment and foolish expectations destroy their value.

Dust yourself off. Pick yourself up. Step up to the plate and get back in the game. God will give you the hope, faith, and courage to carry it on through if you ask.

Practicing Gratitude

None of our success comes without the help of others. Time after time, it seems that there is someone standing at the crossroads waiting for us, pointing the way down the path with heart.

They may be friends, family members, ministers or mentors, or even police officers or judges. I think they might be angels sent to help us through those tough spots and point us back to the path with heart.

They're in the right place at the right time with the exact words and help we need.

Have you thanked them yet?

Practice an act of gratitude. Find one of these "angels" and tell that person what he or she meant to you in your life. Many times those that help and encourage us during difficult times are not even aware of the impact they had on our life.Who knows maybe your gratitude is just what they need today to move forward and  keep keeping on.

I call it an Attitude of Gratitude !!

What a Look !

The Lord turned to him and said,"Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"   Judges 6:14


What a look was that which the Lord gave to Gideon! He looked him out of his discouragements into a holy bravery. If our look to the Lord saves us, what will not His look at us do? Lord, look on me this day, and give me nerve for the duties and conflicts I shall experience in the path of life.And what a word was that which the Lord spoke to Gideon! Go! It may be that the Lord has more to do by me than I ever dreamed of. When I hear the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send?" I will answer, "Here am I, send me."


From the writings of ~C.H. Spurgeon

Stop the Pain

Life is hard, but we don't have to make it more difficult by neglecting to care for ourselves in the midst of the pressure. Suffering happens, whether it comes from inside or the outside.Suffering that results from the belief that depriving ourselves will ultimately get us what we want is a martyr's mentality. Stop waiting on someone else to work through your issues and solve your problems.Our pain will not stop when a rescuer comes, but when we take responsibility and stop our own pain. This is life. This is growth. This is okay.

Time, Travel & Friends

Greetings ! I just returned last night from a wonderful weekend trip in the Boston Ma. area. (however the flight delays in Hartford and JFK along with lost luggage were not so wonderful :) I had the privilege to minister in Sturbridge Worship Center, a special place filled with precious hungry saints uniquely gifted by God's good grace and power. Two weeks ago I was ministering in San Diego, Ca. at the House of Blessing. I discovered a piece of paradise there that made a deep impression on my heart and I look forward to returning soon. Stay tuned for more Locus Life updates, quotes,  and encouragement.

Following is a quote posted by a close family friend and I thought I would share it with you too.


If it be the characteristic of a worldly man that desecrates what is holy,it should be of the Christian to consecrate what is secular, and to recognize a present and presiding divinity in all things.   
Thomas Chalmers

Utopias

"Utopias are unable to fulfill the deepest longing of the human soul and they offer nothing eternal or lasting"

Leadership

"Bitterness erodes strong leadership: it anchors a leader to the past, distracting him from the promise of the future" ~Winston Churchill

Grief, Denial and Moving Forward

I would like to start off by saying Thank You for your support of Locus Life in spite of my lengthy absence at times. I have pushed myself with deadlines and goals most of my life.Maybe I am tired of running "that race". Maybe it has to do with the quest for success, the brass ring or the pot at the end of the rainbow that leaves me asking hard questions like why am I doing this?

Honestly in this season of life I would rather strive to be a servant who leaves a significant deposit in the lives of others and not be so driven for success but rather lead from a position of rest. A good friend of mine often says "rest is not inactivity but directed activity". Deadlines and goals can be good when the priority is right and you control them and not the opposite.

My last post dealt with Grief. I attempt to blog with passion and purpose for your edification & nourishment and not just to meet the"daily goal"....Sometimes when I blog I end up receiving a "backwash" of  truth that takes time to work out. Such has been the case recently. I believe many of us carry more grief than we ever realize or care to admit. This is what leads to my next subject DENIAL !!

Denial is a powerful tool. Never underestimate its ability to cloud your vision. Be aware that, for many reasons, we have become experts at using this to make reality more tolerable. We have learned well how to stop the pain caused by reality--not by changing our circumstances, but by pretending our circumstances are something other than what they are.

Do not be too hard on yourself.(Like I often do) While one part of you was busy creating a fantasy-reality, the other part went to work on accepting the truth.

Now, it is time to find courage. Face the truth. Let it sink gently in. When we can do that, we will be moved forward.