A List of Advice

Well, I have been checking up on the stats for the daily visits here at Soulscape, and since every day has had visitors, and I haven't posted a new message in about a week, I thought I'd give you a little synopsis of what's been going on. The wife has a new job as an elementary school teacher (3^rd grade) and is frantically trying to get her classroom in order and take care of professional development before school starts eight days from now. The weather has been frightfully hot, and so I have decided (after a little experience with weed trimming) to just let the glass grow; I no longer care how much higher it gets, but I will definitely be waiting until it cools down just a bit. All tests results for my grandfather have come back benign, yet whatever is growing in his mouth is still undiagnosed. The church is going pretty well, had a conversion a week or so ago. And our son will be arriving in the neighborhood of September 18^th. So, a full plate I have (sorry I channeled Yoda, there).

Anywho, as I was thinking about what to write this evening before diving into putting the final touches on tomorrow evening's Wednesday Bible Study Series Lesson (a series entitled "What the Bible Teaches," currently on lesson 23, many of these lessons available at http://westwoodchurchofgod.org/podcast/ or http://feeds.feedburner.com/westwoodonline/ or on iTunes), I thought a list of Pastor-ly advice might be beneficial. At the very least, it will take up time and space. These are in no particular order, and while there are only a few posted here in this entry, the next few might contain some more. So just consider this an update and a preview, all in one.

1. Try the small stuff. Sometimes the biggest blessings can be found in the smallest places. I know the desire (or dare I say "temptation") of some people is to go for the big, the flashy, the areas that get a lot of attention. But when you go "behind the scenes," when you help a person or assist in a place that might not necessarily have it all, you know you really make an impact. You can really make a difference. The greatest journeys of life are made up of the smallest steps, and at the end of the journey you appreciate your destination all the more.

2. Give your best. I know this sounds cliché but it's something we really need to be doing. I think we sometimes just give enough of ourselves to get by, to get the job done. But that extra mile is filled with blessings. The Lord does not expect you to give someone else's best, just yours. Even if you don't feel like you contribute all that much, trust me when I say that it most definitely adds up. Plus, when you give your best, you are at your best. When you tie the small stuff and the best together, it really adds up. And you're not the only one who is blessed. Others reap the benefits of your efforts.

3. Stop and listen. Am I the best person to give this advice? As a pastor, probably not; just check out the time lengths of some of my sermons. At some level I believe all of us have a tendency to do more talking than listening. But if we will pause long enough to hear the voice of the Lord (whether that voice comes from within, from a sermon, from our study or prayer time, or through the advice of Godly friends), we will find that there are many things we overlook in our daily walk. The Lord wants to be an active part of your life, not only on Sundays and Wednesdays. He wants to be involved in everything in your life, not just the "religious" stuff. When He is allowed the first place in your life in every part of it, you will discover what it really means to be a Christian.

I hope these little pieces of advice help in some way to strengthen you or just help you a bit. Next time (which should be within a week) I'll try to add a few more which might give you a little insight into the pastor-parishioner relationship, which is essential for the functioning of the local congregation. God bless.

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