While there is no way to adequately say thank you to the families who have lost so much, I do hope in the midst of your celebration today you take a few minutes to pray two prayers.
-First for those families who have lost a son or a daughter, a Dad or a Mom, a Husband or a Wife…may they find strength, comfort, and peace in the prayers being prayed on their behalf.
-Second for those who currently serve and keep our country safe, may God keep protect them while in harms way and guard their families while they serve. Continue Reading…
Worship Wednesday is a feature on Leveraging Life where I hope someone finds a message in a song that they need to hear. A song offering encouragement, support, promise, or hope in the moment they need it most. I will make every effort to provide a link to the story behind the song if it is available.
I have loved Byron Cage’s Faithful To Believesince the first time I heard as I was driving home from Buckhead Church last year. I have yet to find the story behind the song, but for me this song speaks to what we all are asked to do in the midst of a trial or adversity…
Monday was a pivotal day in my cancer battle as I had my first PET scan since beginning Chemotherapy in March. Early on my team of doctors prepared me for two initial cycles of chemo to see how the cancer would react to the “cocktail” they prescribed and this scan would be used to measure the progress. Funny thing was as the PET scan was being scheduled, my third cycle of chemo was already set to begin without having the results of the scan, which became yet another cancer lesson learned.
Assume Nothing and Question Everything!
That being said, Shari and I figured there were more chemo treatments on the horizon and I’d better stop in at the local drug store to stock up on more….”sunscreen” for my now bald head. Continue Reading…
Why Me and Why Now is the second installment in a series of posts called My Cancer Confessionals, where I lift the mask on how I “try” to leverage my faith in the midst of adversity. I outlined earlier my concern that my optimistic and encouraging attitude might lead readers to believe I somehow never have doubts, fears, or concerns…all of which couldn’t be further from the truth. For me, trusting God periodis a day-to-day challenge, and some days are just harder than others. But thanks to my personal relationship with my Heavenly Father, on those tough days when I don’t have what I need, He is there to bridge the gap and that relationship grows deeper.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” Proverbs 3:5 NIV
Truth be told, my world, my life, and yes, even my faith has ebbed and flowed in the midst of all the sub-plots in my life and was what I was referring to in my post entitled Paradigm Shift. As one dream was coming true, Shari and I deciding to get married and were signing up for our church’s 2:1 pre-marital mentoring program, a nightmare re-emerged as I learned my merkel cell cancer had metastasized. What was thought to be remote and isolated had now taken on a “popcorn” effect (one doctor’s term) and popped up in multiple areas of my body.
If you were to take the time to poll my family, my friends, and my co-workers asking them to describe my outlook on life, most if not all, would described me as an optimist…a glass half-full guy. Dig a little deeper into what makes me tick and spend a little time reading through my DISC profile (high D & I) you would learn that being an encourager is another characteristics which makes up who I am. Optimism and encouragement come naturally to me and throughout my career they have been utilized to build teams and help grow businesses.
However in the scope of writing blog such as Leveraging Life, I have a genuine concern, what comes naturally (optimism and encouragement) could be taken out of context or be misconstrued leaving readers with a false impression that I never have doubts, that I live my life without fear, or that I somehow trust blindly when facing trials or adversity.
“saying trust God period and living trust God period are two totally different mindsets…one is contingent on circumstance and situation warranting that trust, and the other is influenced by a relationship which is nurtured through circumstance and situation creating an environment of trust.”
Luke 24: 1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.
Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead
Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead
Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead
Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead
Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead
Jesus paid it all
All to him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow
Thanks for taking this journey with me and I do hope today…Easter Sunday represents a celebration. One where you, me, and everyone who accepts the Gift that was given acknowledges their lives changed that moment. And by simply accepting that Gift into our hearts we can now have personal relationship with our Heavenly Father and the promise of an eternal life.
~Tom
trusting God period
Starting next week Peaks & Valleys series – my cancer confessional
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“Why is Good Friday called Good if it pertains to the day Jesus was crucified?”
This innocent question came my way recently and as I was about to give my answer, an answer that had more to do with fasting and sacrificial rituals, I paused and said it’s called “Good” because a great exchange that took place that Friday.
“Jesus exchanged His human life for my eternal life…and your eternal life as well.”
As I said in last week’s post Amazing Love, faith for me over the last five years has become very personal. By that I mean it has less to do about attendance because of an obligation and everything to do with God, His grace, His love, and a desire to know my Savior Jesus Christ. Subsequently the lens from which I view life and how my life is impacted by what is shared in the Bible results in new and different meanings for things I grew up taking for granted. And while I know I’m not alone in what I perceive to be my spiritual maturity, one of the biggest changes is how I view the cross. Specifically what took place that Good Friday which as the song title says leaves me Sweetly Broken.
To the cross I look, to the cross I cling Of it’s suffering I do drink Of it’s work I do sing
For on it my Savior both bruised and crushed Showed that God is love And God is just
At the cross You beckon me You draw me gently to my knees, and I am Lost for words, so lost in love, I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered
What a priceless gift, undeserved life Have I been given Through Christ crucified
You’ve called me out of death You’ve called me into life And I was under Your wrath Now through the cross I’m reconciled
At the cross You beckon me You draw me gently to my knees, and I am Lost for words, so lost in love, I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered
In awe of the cross I must confess How wondrous Your redeeming love and How great is Your faithfulness
Definition: legal day off: a day set aside by law or statute as exempt from regular labor or business activities, usually to celebrate or commemorate something that happened on or near that date.
With Easter fast approaching I couldn’t help but think about how we as a nation have come to see holidays for the freedom they provide and not the significance they represent. Strategy comes into play as we blend vacation days with hol-i-days to achieve the maximize time away from our daily grind. And you know what, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that and actually it’s something I highly encourage.
GUT CHECK TIME: Think back over the last few years, did you celebrate the day off or commemorate the holiday? Seriously, let’s exclude the religious holidays of Christmas and Easter for a minute, what about July 4th and Memorial Day…brats and beer or independence and sacrifice, what was your agenda?
Easter 2011
Easter is fast approaching and there are only a few weeks left to truly prepare for Easter as a Holy Day, not the holiday. But if I’m realistic I know there are plenty of things which can get in the way of my preparation if I’m not intentional with my time. So this post maybe more for me than anyone else, but I do know I need to recognize, acknowledge, and show gratitude for what Jesus was called to do on my behalf, chose to do for my sins, and did for my salvation.
What you see here is what greeted Shari on the afternoon I proposed. Most people would say three weeks is just too short of period of time to plan a wedding. A lot of life was crammed into those 21 incredible days, plus we had so much affirmation in the God Winks which paved the way to March 19, 2011, their was no denying that Saturday would be the day when Shari and I became husband and wife.
Regardless of the size, weddings require planning, coordination, and organization in order to insure the day is filled with memories. Time usually is the best friend a bride and groom have to guaranty those memories are good memories. Our wedding and the variables that went with it…schedules, location, catering, musician, rings, etc…each obstacles in their own right at some point, all somehow fell in place as the day approached. And those who know us and our story, saw first hand all the God Winks in those 21 days, even my car being broken into two days before the ceremony.
Our God Wink Story
Shari and I met in 2008 while we attended different locations (campuses) of North Point Church. I was a member of and served at the Buckhead Church campus, and Shari was a member of and served at the Alpharetta Church campus some 15 miles away. As much as I would have liked to participate in Fusion (our singles program) at my home campus, Buckhead, making two trips downtown on a Sunday just didn’t make much sense. Fortunately for me I had the option to join the Alpharetta group and in our eyes that was where the God Winks began for us. And despite meeting then, both of us were in different places and that was all it was meeting and going our separate ways for the next two years.
Random, Fate, or another God Wink
In the spring of 2010 we both signed up for Fusion again, and yes for me once again Alpharetta…not Buckhead. Odds were about the same 400+ singles randomly assigned to 7-8 different host homes, yet we find ourselves not only placed in the same host home, but also in the same small group within that home. Coincidence, chance…destiny…we know it to be one big defining God Wink!
Like family, Friends play a significant role and are a key factor in the 5 F’s, and there is no doubt what influence friends will have as I move into my Next 25. In two of my previous posts The Next 25 and part one of the 5 F’s – Family there are five elements to living my life differently now based on the life lessons learned.
As I glance in my rear-view mirror covering my First 25 years since college, I see a guy who was blessed with great friends, some where the friendships go back over 3 decades. But I also see times where had I not been too proud to ask, advice would have been given which would have or could have influenced decisions and moved me in a different direction. Also see time when my conscious led me to seek advice, yet my ego led me to those whose advice mirrored what I wanted to hear and not what I needed to be told.
One glaring area was when I was at career crossroads and opened my company The Auto Source. While most assumed my motivation was to finally have my own business, something which had been a life-long ambition, had I solicited input from a few friends who already owned businesses I might have delayed or re-thought the real motivation for opening it at that time. Truth be told, after the company I ran was sold and the staff of 60+ people I had assembled was left with no say in our/my future, opening my company was my way of never letting that happen again. Even with a good business plan, faulty motivation and misguided mission will derail most businesses.
“your windshield is bigger than your rear-view mirror for a reason”
Moving forward into my Next 25, my focus will emphasize listening to and acting on the advice I’m given, solicited and unsolicited. Key friends have been assembled to form my circle of influence, or as Buckhead Churchcampus Pastor Jeff Henderson calls it, a personal advisory board. His thinking for his life is that if Coca Cola, Delta, and Home Depot think highly enough to utilize a board of advisers to influence and direct the course of their businesses, wouldn’t it be prudent and wise for an individual to do that as well.
So in the midst of my transition into the Next 25 years since college, my circle of influence is in place and they have been given permission to speak into my life. They know my faults and weaknesses, my strengths and gifts, and have permission to speak into the times where and when they see faults and weaknesses manifesting themselves in my decision making process and when gifts are not being applied.
“Where there is no guidance the people fall,
But in abundance of counselors there is victory.”
Proverbs 11:14
Ultimately, we all have a choice of who and what has influence in our lives; but for me, glances into my rear view mirror of what a lack of influence cost me combined with this Bible verse has set the course for my Next 25 Years.
I highly suggest listening to Jeff’s message, A Word From The Coach, on the power of a personal advisor board especially if you happen to be questioning your purpose in life and or what should you do with your life from this point forward. If you answered yes to either question or if something resonated from what you’ve read here at Leveraging Life, I can’t think of a better way to kick off the New Year than making the time to listen to the entire Game Plan so Your game plan will be in place for 2011!
Next up is Finances and the role it plays in the 5F’s.
