Life Is Live!

I had to chuckle yesterday morning, with the thoughts of the post on "Stingers" fresh on my mind, as I came across a radio interview with Cindi McMenamin discussing her latest book, Drama Free. The interview was well-packed with insight and wisdom as they discussed in greater detail the premise of the book, in living a life free from drama and guarding against it as much as possible and then appropriately managing what does happen to enter your circle of life.

It reaffirmed a lesson my parents had the hardest time instilling within me and now I'm attempting to do the same in family. And it's not that I was stubborn in learning this lesson; it's just my character and the state of my spirit in terms of how I live and numerous past experiences...

You can't make people like you while simultaneously being true to yourself.

You don't go out of your way to make enemies. But people are who they are. As life is lived out daily, in every arena and realm of life, we show our ourselves and we show our faith. And as we are true to ourselves, conflict is sure to arise. Between friends. Between spouses. Between parent and child. Between pastor and parishioner. On the job. In the home. At the church.

Life may be a stage, but it is live. There are no dress rehearsals. As much as wishing made it so.

Which I guess, is all the more reason to get it right. And that doesn't happen on the first try. But we learn. We grow. We trust. We pray. We seek the face of God.

On this #youthPastorWednesday, pray for pastors working with kids and youth. At a time when the world is chaotic, truth is relative and identity is fluid, pray they would help to instill the priority of a faith in God that will stand the trials and difficulties of life. May the help build an understanding of the things of God; that they would be true to who God created them to be and find their identity in Christ. For pastors that are facing such battles in their own lives, may God do a healing work in their lives. Pray for wisdom and strength; that they would find the peace and clarity that would draw them closer to God and take their lives and ministry to the next level.

That they would live a life in the fullness of Christ;
Under the anointing of God;
By the power of the Holy Spirit;
For the advancement of the Gospel of Christ.

- PNC

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