How You're Wired by Betsy Ringer -- Extreme Life Makeover #6

Ever struggled to figure out what you really 'should' be doing with your life? One of the best places to start is by excavating your 'gifts' -- God wired you for action by giving you these tools for His use through YOU!! Today, Life Coach Betsy Ringer offers some great tools to help you learn how you're wired...enjoy!!

WIRED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

In the movie, “Dead Poet’s Society,” Robin Williams plays the part of a literature professor at an English boy’s school. In one scene, he is talking to the boys about literature, normally a dry, uninteresting subject for them. But he captivates them by describing the great adventures literature can take them on, the fascinating people they can meet, and how their lives can be changed. All eyes are on him as they are spellbound by his words. Then he swings wide the door of their lives when he challenges, “The powerful play continues and you can contribute a verse. What will be your verse?” As the professor challenged the boys to discover how they would contribute significantly to this world, so God calls us. He equips us with Spiritual Gifts and asks us to discover those gifts and use them boldly.

In 1 Cor. 12: 1 Paul says, “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.” Paul goes on for three chapters to teach about spiritual gifts.

What is a spiritual gift? It is a special ability given by the Holy Spirit to every believer equipping God’s people to serve Him by effectively ministering to other people.

….AND He intentionally wired you to receive JOY when you USE the GIFTS He’s given you!

While there isn’t one complete list of Spiritual Gifts in the Bible, there are several places where you can find out about the various gifts:
Romans 12
1 Corinthians 12 - 14
Ephesians 4
1 Peter 4

So, how do you discover your Spiritual Gifts?
1. Read the definitions of the team gifts or functional gifts below. If you sense one “resonates” with you then that’s probably your gift.
2. When you are serving, pay attention to the “assignment” you choose or would like to have. What Spiritual Gift does it seem to fall under?
3. Take an assessment. You can contact me and I will send one to you – betsyringer@insightbb.com OR
Take one online:
http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi?intro=1
http://www.buildingchurch.net/g2s-i.htm


EVANGELISM – Literally: to bring good news
The ability to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ to unbelievers in a positive, non-threatening way. The ability to sense opportunities to share Christ and lead people to respond with faith.

PROPHECY/PREACHING - Literally: to speak before
The ability to publicly communicate God’s Word in an inspired way that convinces unbelievers and both challenges and comforts believers. The ability to persuasively declare God’s will.

ENCOURAGEMENT/EXHORTATION – Literally: to come along side of
The ability to motivate God’s people to apply and act on biblical principles, especially when they are discouraged or wavering in their faith. The ability to bring out the best in others and challenge them to develop their potential.

Teaching – Literally: to instruct
The ability to educate God’s people by clearly explaining and applying the Bible in a way that causes them to learn. The ability to equip and train other believers for ministry.

HOSPITALITy – Literally: to love strangers
The ability to make others, especially strangers, feel warmly welcomed, accepted, and comfortable in the church family. The ability to coordinate factors that promote fellowship.


MERCY – Literally: to have compassion
The ability to detect hurt and empathize with those who are suffering in the church family. The ability to provide compassionate and cheerful support to those experiencing distress, crisis, or pain.

SHEPHERDING/PASTOR – Literally: to shepherd a flock
The ability to care for the spiritual needs of a group of believers and equip them for ministry. The ability to nurture a small group in spiritual growth and assume responsibility for their welfare.

ADMINISTRATION – Literally: to pilot or steer a ship.
Also called the gift of organization. This is the ability to recognize the gifts of others and connect them to ministry. The ability to organize and manage people, resources, and time for effective ministry. The ability to coordinate many details and execute the plans of leadership.

LEADERSHIP – Literally: to stand before
The ability to clarify and communicate the purpose and direction, the vision, of ministry in a way that attracts others to get involved. The ability to motivate others by example to work together in accomplishing a ministry goal.

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Thanks to Betsy Ringer for todays ideas on finding your gifts....gifts point to purpose and purpose uses your best gifts -- it's kind of cyclical. I promise that when you're living on purpose using your top gifts you'll be absolutely passionate about what you're up to!! Take the time to work through Betsy's suggestions....you'll be glad you did.


Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.

What I learned at the KOA

Mist on the mountains, birds singing, sun on the way and the stream singing just a few yards away. AND, I'm online with High Speed Wi-Fi--what a wonderful world. I'm at the KOA (Kampground Of America) RV Camping with my sister and her family and Julie and the boys. We've squeezed a lot of fun into our not-guite 4 days here. We've tubed down the river several times, swam til we're water-logged, rented banana bikes, fished a lot for trout and gotten blanked, burned hotdogs over a campfire and learned to live in tight quarters.

Along my journey here at the Cherokee, North Carolina KOA here are a few things I've experienced and a few things I think God may be saying to me....

1. Fish with the Green Worm like that guy over there! He's caught 5 since we've been standing here and you need to quit fishing with whatever you think is gonna work and just follow what others are doing that are catching fish. (my dad talking to my oldest son who was rigging up some unusual cantraptions for fishing with absolutely no hits)

In my life there are so many times that I'm operating on a pioneering spirit model filled with innovations that may or may not work because no-one else has crossed the great divide before. Dad's comment to Joshua was said loud enough for me to hear and it sure makes me wonder. At PHC we're big on innovation and we're trying some unusual contraptions for 'fishing' -- some of which seem to work great and some of which we need to cut the line on and change to the 'green worm'! Not sure which are 'green worms' for us yet, but I'm listening and watching to see what Jesus is fishing with and we'll change to his plan pronto! By the way, we started the day fishing with corn because we saw a fella haul out a huge Rainbow Trout fishing with corn. Talked with the same guy later in the day who was not fishing with the 'green worm' and was not having great success and he let me in on a secret. They changed bait all the time to see what the fish would bite as the barometer rises and falls and the fish change their minds about what seems tasty throughout the day. Where's the next 'Green Worm'?

2. Cousins are a great gift! My boys have had a blast with my sister's boys. They've done a lot of life together over the years but this is definitely a high point in 'boy-land' as they romp, ride, swim, dance, watch movies, cozy up 5 thick in a tiny space in the 'Fifth Wheel' and burn stuff in the fire. God, we are blessed beyond belief. Thank-you.

Being here reminds me of the good gifts of being involved in a close-knit faith community like Phos Hilaron Church where many of us experience 'cousinliness' even though we may be miles away from our flesh-n-blood families. It's good to have a cousin to scorch a marshmallow with!

3. It's good to be away from the computer and cell phone. We've had very little 'outside world' access over the past week and my spirit has needed a break from the constant barrage of emails and cell phone chatter. I'm glad that there are still a few places in the wolrd where we can disconnect. As an American born-n-bred leader I'm addicted to 'busy' and have been raised on quaint sayings like 'If it is to be it's up to ME!' that fuel my self-centered addiction to actions that I'm confident will win the day and change the world. But, Jesus didn't exhibit my kind of frantic behavior and self-confidence. He exhibited HUGE God-fidence and often rested and waited for God to take action and then He joined His Father in taking the next step. God wired us for 'sabbath' -- a day a week to rest and relax and rejuvenate and a day to hand the world back to it's rightful King and let Him take the reigns and run the globe. Practicing Sabbath (and, for me it is a work in progress to truly hand the world back to God and to relax on the Sabbath) by relaxing more and working less and by conscientiously handing the world back to God are vital for my long term effectiveness, soul health and body care. It's a gift from God that I am learning to allow myself to receive with more readiness to dive in to rest fully and leave the big stuff to God. It's humbling and freeing and power-giving all at the same time to Sabbath....I'm learning.....and practicing. In many ways the future of the endeavors I lead may depend more on my ability to Sabbath well than I've ever imagined because it consistently removes my hands from the enterprise and keeps God's all over it!

4. A lone sparrow just landed near my feet and began to hop even closer as if to remind me of Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount to relax and KNOW that God is gonna provide--not because I'm good or because I'm deserving --but, because He's God and providing abundantly for His creation is a God-Thing to do. I battle worry these days as our fledgling church moves through summer and as the day my 18 year old daughter heads off to college comes closer by the hour now and we need some serious cash-flow to move her along. So, I need to hear and see and be reminded at a deep level all the time about how much God loves me, us, and Phos Hilaron Church. From the outset He has provided all that we've needed in spades at just the right time. He's resourced us in miraculous ways over and over again. Summer is a tough time on ministries anyway and especially for a start-up enterprise like ours. No question we believe we're called to do what we're doing in the manner we're called to do it, but we're not sure that everything we're doing is a 'green worm' and I'd like to be around long enough to figure that out! I've heard it said, and say myself that 'What God Originates He Also Orchestrates' and that has been proven to us over and over again. I have a front-row seat to miracles on an almost daily basis! My faith is being grown and I get to see God provide for PHC and my family in miraculous ways over and over again, but it still unnerves me at times! I'm learning to trust Him.

Back to vacation -- the rods & reels are waiting nearby...

Learning a lot out here in the wildnerness!
Jeff Fuson

Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.

You are the Average of the 5 People you spend the most time with!

"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn nailed this down tight!  An ancient book of wisdom called Proverbs in The Bible says the same thing about choosing friends.  

In my desire to grow as a leader it strikes me that I need to be choosing other leaders who are 'further along' and more capable and who are leading more effectively than I am to learn from and to invest my time with.  

It also strikes me that to grow in any area I should find 5 'coaches' or at least buddies who are further down the path than I am.  If I can't find 'live' humans to spend my time with I have a wealth of access to 'Historical Mentors' via biographies, websites, books, audio books, podcasts, etc.  Nearly any leader I'd like to learn from and spend some time with has made her/his thoughts available in some shape or fashion.  No question I'd prefer the live edition, but until then I can ramp up through reading, listening, surfing the web, downloading podcasts & audiobooks, etc.  

For example I'm interested in getting back into running but I have some challenges with knees that were compromised from playing catcher in baseball in my teen years.  So, I need to find a mentor like Jeff Galloway who's 'been there and done that' successfully and has developed a coaching system for mature runners that he believes could help someone 'run for 100 years'!  And, he's living out his own game plan -- he's smokin' what he's sellin'!  

So, even if I can't 'run with him' physically I can run with him via his books and training systems.  

In today's environment it's easy and cheap to access great mentors who can take you to the next level and who can play a huge part in being on your 'A-Team' to take you and your game to a higher level!  

Go find 5 great people to learn from, to hang with, and to be coached by --even if it's a podcast or book!

Ramp Up.

Jeff Fuson

Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. Jeff also delivers impacting training events for Entrepreneurs, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.

Thorny Hedgeapples Drive Mosquitoes Away!

It's dusk in my Kentucky backyard and it's mosquito free--quite a feat during summer around here. I attribute our mosquito-free haven to a grove of nearby trees that have incredible lawn-mower tire piercing thorns. When we moved here 4 years ago I waged war on the fast growing iron-wooded thorny hedgeapple trees with a borrowed chainsaw until a good friend suggested that they may have a natural repellant for mosquitos and spiders.

So, I 'googled' hedgeapples and found all kinds of interesting ideas about what hedgeapples might do and magical properties that make buying the fruit irrestible to web shoppers. I'm not totally convinced about buying hedgeapple fruit online, but I am sure that we rarely have mosquitoes in our back yard even though there are two creeks bordering our property. Makes me wonder.....

And, I narrowed my attack on the orange wooded trees to lopping off the low hanging branches and trees that were encroaching on trees that we love like a giant Cedar. And, we seem to be reaching a place of the 'win-win' between mother nature and my desire to mow the yard without being ripped open by razor sharp thorns and the hedgeapples need to grow and do its mosquito-repellent thing.

Sometimes God provides thorns to protect us from the mosquitos of life. Sometimes He's trying to provide a thorny hedge to help us through a situation that could be a lot more troubling that flattened mower tires. So, when you're facing a thorny situation that slows you down and seems to keep you from the result you were hoping for watch for where God may be on the move to give you something even better! That's just how He is.

Have a Great Day!
Jeff Fuson

p.s. The image in this post came from this website that offers advice about the Osage Orange's insect and spider repellent properties.... http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2187/1924737197_6d2aa6b746_m.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.motherearthsgarden.com/hedge-apples-to-repel-spiders/&h=180&w=240&sz=27&hl=en&start=12&um=1&tbnid=Il8hfF7aPdVhLM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=110&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhedgeapples%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den-us%26sa%3DN


Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. Jeff also delivers impacting training events for Entrepreneurs, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.

Hot Dog Leaders Get Their Teams Killed....

It'll never make it to ESPN Sports Center, but it was a brutal competition in the hallways of Camden Station Elementary School among the 5th Grade Class for and 'end of the school year' field day (forced indoors by lightning lurking above).

I watched a powerful leadership lesson emerge among the ranks of Moll's Maniacs as one of the self-proclaimed 'leaders' nearly cost her team the 'over-under relay' championship. She was obviously gifted, obviously a leader, very cutesy, cheer-leadery, freckle-faced cool kid. Her athletic ability eclipsed most of the other Maniac's & yet she almost cost her team the race.

How could it be that the most skilled athlete on the team could cost her team? She refused to play team ball. She failed to make a clean hand-off nearly ever single time and so the less skilled player behind her was sent scampering for the blue kickball more than once. It was just that Ms. Hotdog was too good to play a simple game and made it more difficult for her team to succeed. It was weird to watch her hurt her team -- frustrating.

She was so busy being cutesy and cool that she couldn't do the mundane work of passing the ball along. She was the consummate 'hot-dog'.

Many of the brightest, most talented wanna-be leaders I know are hot-dogs. They simply must be noticed and they must do something, even destructive things, to get personal press. Not sure what drives the Hot-Dog Leader but it's usually not team success. As a matter of fact, they generally don't give a flying flip about whether the team wins or looses. In the end these hot-dogs must be grilled and tossed to the canines hounding the grill. Or, they must learn to turn down the little voices in their head that cause them to perform in manners that are attention seeking rather than team enhancing.

Leadership is a team-sport and hot-dogs simply can't lead winning teams. So, Hot-Dog shape up or get your hind-end roasted and tossed to the dogs....

Just a simple lesson from my 5th Graders last few days of Elementary School.

Lead Strong or Go Home,
Jeff Fuson

Phos Hilaron Church

According to Bobby Clinton in his study of Christian leaders God works with the leader to bring him to a place where all the experiences, trials, education, training, failures and connections gained in life get dialed in on ONE BIG THING that God wants done in the world. Bobby Clinton calls this time in a leader's life, 'convergence' and it's when God leverages all that he's built into the leader to advance His mission in the world.

God is allowing me to stretch every leadership muscle, every people-building skill, any notion of how to build a team, and is teaching me how to trust Him for 'manna' everyday in the conception, creation, and Launch of Phos Hilaron Church.

I'm having the ride of my life and have a front row seat to what God is up to on a daily basis to bless our launch, to bring the right people at the right time and to help us run after 'M.I.A.s' and 'P.O.W.s' -- those who are not choosing a life connected with God or held captive by busted choices or circumstances.

I really do believe that Jesus came to give us access to a great big wide-open adventure with God and Phos Hilaron Church is all about helping people adventure with Him into the life He designed 'em for.

Learn more about Phos Hilaron Church here.

And, learn more about what we're up to on Easter 2008 here.

On the move,
Jeff Fuson