Writing and Speaking

Note to readers: Thank you all for your wonderful emails and encouraging comments left on my blogs. That means you are reading what I am writing. Very soon there will be information on my upcoming Couples Leadership Marriage Cruise (March 27-31, 2008).

Recently I was asked for some help as a Pastor's Wife was asked to speak for a women's event at her church. She said it was taking her a long time to prepare for it. She was surprised when I told her, "Believe it or not it takes me a long time to prepare a lesson too." I spend a lot of time on each lesson and I do 1-6 lessons at an event. I love it all though - the preparation and the delivery.

Preparation really ministers to me. I am in God's Word, and it is the best material ever written. In fact, I am a real stickler and use it as my only resource for all of my lessons. After the lessons are written I sprinkle in some quotes, and sometimes use statistics that I find. Stories may come to mind while I am writing, and I jot a word there to remind me of the story, then sometimes I use that one and other times the Holy Spirit reminds me of another. Any messages that I share at conferences, or that you could order from my resource site would follow this format. Much of the recordings are live; only Mentoring Women was done in a studio. I teach a lessons called "Developing Your Lesson and Outline" for new teachers, to help them with their preparation and development.

The preparation time is the most valuable to me personally, because I grow from the reading and developing. There are many things that touch me during the research that never even make it into the lesson. I always say, "No one learns more than the teacher."

Often the people who hire me (I hate that term) to share for their event only see the 4 hours of messages I will deliver and not the hours and hours of work I will put into each one (not to mention the travel or the schlepping of bags, hotel stay, days away from home). On the scale where I am (the D list) there is no money in it. Ask my bookkeeper and my accountant. But I love what I do, and I feel that what I do makes a difference in the lives of others. That is very fulfilling, and is why "Be sure to carry out the work the Lord gave you. Col. 4:17" to sign my books and my emails. That's job security.

Parenting Attributes

What are the attributes that draw us closer to God?
Ø Is it His Sarcasm and Contempt for you?
Ø His Criticism of your every attempt to do better?
Ø His Anger and Wrath that comes down on you in front of others?
Ø His lack of faith in you and expectation of failure?
Ø His temper and almost constant frustration with you that makes you feel like a disappointment?

None of the above, right?

Well, then maybe it was:
Ø His unbelievable Love
Ø His inconceivable Gift
Ø His immeasurable Grace
Ø His incredible Compassion
Ø His inexhaustible Patience

Keep that in mind if you want your kids to draw closer to you. Draw them the way that God, Our Father draws us closer to Himself.

God is the ultimate “On Purpose Parent.” His love went beyond all boundaries when He sent His beloved Son with His Gift of eternal life. He knew that we couldn't live a life worthy of this reward, so His Grace covered our weaknesses, and His Compassion allowed us to be human and still be pleasing to Him. His Patience with us gives us the courage and the strength to keep trying when we fail. His love overwhelms us and motivates us to love and good deeds. We love Him because He first loved us. While we were yet sinners He planned for our salvation.

Though there are certainly consequences for our choices and poor behavior, they usually occur naturally and rarely include punishment from Our Father. The pain of these natural consequences are usually enough to teach us and He is always present by the Holy Spirit to “train” us since this is His ultimate goal.

When discipline is necessary, it is never to hurt us but to train us. This discipline is never accompanied by wrath, anger, or violence, and it always hurts Him more than it hurts us because of His great love for us.

His love does not allow Him to use critical, sarcastic or demeaning words in reprimand, or display attitudes of contempt, or disdain. He believes in us, and never loses faith in us.

This is an excerpt from second book, On Purpose Parenting, which is on its way. Buy Ahhh, The Ministry now by going to the Resource page.