Good Morning Digital Neighbors! Happy Wednesday ADD Irregulars, Refugees, and PHAM! Hello again Early Birds, Later Dayers, Dawn Patrol, Conversants, Lurkers and all you Vagabonds of the WSN!
MOAR OPPORTUNITY!!!! GET TO IT!!!😁🤣

Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity, we only have this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand - and melting like a snowflake. Let us use it before it is too late. - Marie Beynon Ray

Use it or lose it! Such a common reality that even the Master addressed it to his disciples. Everyone is apportioned talents according to their ability and one has a lifetime to make a return. None of us are created equal in terms of abilities are liabilities , he have a our own mix of singular personhood caused by that mysterious whatness that we might attribute to genes, good, bad or indifferent parenting, influential teachers, mentors and friends, cultural influences uncritically embraced and emotional reactions that have become assumed truths.

Somewhere in that soup of You-ness, are those talents and gifts that you alone can contribute to humanity. It probably isn't globally shaking, but it is life changing for some select souls, perhaps even your own. Other souls unknown to you will probably benefit from the pursuit of that unique You-ness that is meant for others. How odd that if you obsess about your You-ness, you will probably not discover what it is. If you pursue it in the service of others, you have a much better chance of stumbling upon it and making them most of it. As Marie said, let us use it before it is too late.

Nothing will ever be attempted, if all possible objections must first be overcome. - Samuel Johnson

Better the Doer of Deeds with all your imperfections than the Perfectionist that never acts. I am not sure who the quote and similar sentiments come from, I think General Patton. Better a good plan you can implement than a prefect plan that you can't. If you strive to be a Doer of Deeds, I think the best you can hope for is not to incorporate known faults into you plans that you fail to acknowledge at the onset. This is the best we can do with the cards that we have been dealt. Play your hand as well as you can and wait for the next deal.

Give little hearing to the critics that have no skin in the game, but give a hearing to those who share mutual investment as well as those impacted by the doing. In striving for some degree of transparency and responsibility it is the best you can do for your invested and affected neighbors. One of the headaches of your skinless critics is their occasional ability to convince others who would be better off ignoring them. The gutless and skinless rarely stand on their own merits, they frequently, if not always tell you what "everybody" is saying or thinking. Rarely does everybody number more than their five friends or allies. I have bit at that hook far too often as a young pastor to trust it anymore. The moment I hear "everybody" I know that the person telling me that does not possess the courage to stand on the merit of his or her own concerns.

Leadership is action, not position. - Donald H. McGannon

I am appointed pastor, I strive to be a spiritual father. The title of father, while used frequently, in the end matters little to me. The enacting of my fatherhood, the genuine concern I have for my flock, is what really matters. God knows, (And HE does) I don't do it perfectly. I not only engage in poor judgement from time to time, I succumb to the same selfish inclinations that effect everyone I am striving to serve. Prayerful vigilance and openness to questions, criticisms and concerns by those closest to me help me stay on the path more often than not. I can't say that I am usually happy about questions and criticisms when they are interrupting my spiritual fathering, but usually I am appreciative down the road.

Be a leader, not a bearer of titles, ranks or accolades that others give you in appreciation or recognition of the position. It is hard to not let that collar choke off the common sense and humility that one needs to be an actual leader rather than clinging to unconvincing authority. I value my spiritual fatherhood more than any other recognition of my ministry. Sure, there are some Christians out there that cringe at he use of the title because of Matthew 23:9. Most are well meaning and I can respect that, they are trying their best to honor the Word and live it in their daily lives. However they address me is good, I am happy to be Tom all the time. (Well not in the moments of stupidity, but we try to make those few and far between in the day to day living.) 😉Others are ignoramuses and I wonder why they haven't gouged out their eye, cut off their hand or pulled out their tongue in their pursuit of the Word. Well my friends, enough rambling from your digital friar! Off to shepherd other flocks that I encounter in my daily wanderings here and in non-virtual life.

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