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“For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.” (Ecclesiastes 5:20 NKJV)

Is there an intersection where your personality, gifts and experience meet the business of life and making money?

Where making a living and actually living a life meet and shake hands?

I believe that there is.

What a wonderful promise to wholeheartedly embrace and take to prayer – “The Lord will keep me busy with the joy of my heart”

For me, it’s praying, writing and encouraging creative Christians to step up, step out, and shout from the rooftops. I actually enjoy what I do. This newsletter is my buffet breakfast every day. It’s not the only thing I do, but its one of my favourites.

Ask, Seek, Find

I’ve sought the Lord on this “getting busy being who I am” thing for decades.

And to be brutally honest sometimes it’s not been easy.

I’ve run into walls more times than I can count. Climbed over disappointment umpteen thousand times. Dredged my heart of jealousy, scraped the bitterness from my arteries, questioned myself, stepped off a ledge, sank in the mire, hoped and prayed with fury while trembling in my boots, tried, failed, tried again and failed again. Wondered, wandered, licked my wounds, and wasted far too much time worrying.

But in the midst of all that mess I’ve stayed true to my course. Following the voice and leading of the Holy Ghost as closely as I’ve been able to at the time.

I’ve learned not to doubt what I hear, not to compare myself with others, to stay in my lane and run my course with passion and might. To sideline distractions, eat challenges for brunch, kick fear to the curb, step on the water and walk a few steps, set my course and sail (even when I don’t see land across the horizon), enjoy the thrill of not knowing and not being guaranteed of outcomes. Most of all I’ve loved to learning lean my heart hard into God’s bosom and trust Him through the hard times and the good.

I’ve enjoyed tremendous highs and some remarkable victories. My own, not measured by what someone else is doing – they may be small to some, and mountainous to others. I quit measuring my progress by someone else’s race a long time ago. I no longer feed envy, I starve that sucker and stick to my course and call like a limpet to a rock.

Can you get busy loving what you’re living?

It’s possible, not easy.

It begins with a conversation with the Conductor, the One who orchestrates the journey.

The Designer of life is waiting to open up new and fruitful seasons for some who are reading these words.

It often takes time to get there and discover, but seek and you will find, ask and it will be given.

So what do you do when the page looks like this…

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and your brain looks like this….

Here’s my top tip and it never fails…

Remember where inspiration comes from.

Inspired means “God breathed” and He is not breathing in your brain.

The Holy Ghost resides in your spirit and He is never short on ideas.

Step aside from your furious search for solutions and direction, trying to extract them from the limited capacity of your experience and human genius, and take the elevator down to your inner man.

Settle down and stay a while in the presence of true Genius.

Chew a while on His goodness.

Sit with Him and sup with Him.

Incline your ear.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5–6 KJV)

You’ll sense your sanity returning and rest will wash away the blockages.

Then head back up to your brain with fresh manna.

It never fails.

PS: For your interest and enjoyment I did a podcast with my friend, multi-award winning author, mother of ten, all round amazing woman of God and mentor to many, Tricia Goyer. Generally her show is about 30 minutes, but we enjoyed one another’s company so much we hit the 90-minute mark before we even noticed. She’s such a trailblazer. Check it out here…

Writing and Publishing Christian Fiction with David Lee Martin – Tricia Goyer

Writing and Publishing Christian Fiction with David Lee Martin Listen to the episode here! David Lee Martin is an ordained pastor, a creative, and passionate follower of Christ. He has dedicated his life to sharing the message of Jesus Christ with others, and prays that you will be drawn closer to the Savior through his

triciagoyer.com

Drip 💧

Drip 💧

Drip 💧

… DRIFT

This is how the world seeks to shape our thinking with its griping and grasping philosophies. Incessantly dripping through the media a worldview that isolates you and pits you against your fellow man or woman.

That’s why the Holy Ghost urges:

“Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Romans 12:2 KJV)

If you think like the world, you’ll live like the world.

But “Ye are not of the world” (John 15:19 KJV)!!!

Jesus warned, “Consider carefully what you hear,”(Mark 4:24 NIV) for a reason.

What you hear affects what you think. What you think affects how you feel. How you feel affects what you do. What you do affects how you live. How you live affects who you are!

Hear in the direction you want your life to lean.

Be intentional and curate the voices you attend to carefully.

Keep your ear tuned to truth. Don’t drift from the truth of who you truly are on the inside.

A beloved child of the King, born for such a time a this!

The Bible urges you, as a believer, to be filled with the Spirit.

“be filled with the Spirit;” (Ephesians 5:18 KJV)

The Amplified reads:

“…ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18 AMP)

I’m no Greek scholar, but I’ve been told on authority that the Greek word, “filled” used here in Ephesians could best be rendered, “be being filled”.

Be Being Filled

Don’t let your well run dry.

Your relationship with God is not a one time affair. It’s not a quick date at the altar and then back to the drudgery.

He’s here to fill you now. And to keep filling you every time you pull into the prayer station for a top up.

Life is so much less stressful when your tank is full.

Take a moment. Step aside from the busyness. Let Him take the burden.

Pull up to the pump and let grace fill your prayer pipes today.

PS: And if you’re all electric, we’ve got you covered too. The word “edify” in “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself;” (1 Corinthians 14:4 KJV) could correctly be rendered in modern vernacular as “he who speaks in an unknown tongue charges his spirit” – like a battery being powered for service. To the prayer closet friend and get yourself plugged in.

Some say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

How about this beauty as a starter?

“As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.” (Ecclesiastes 5:19–20 NKJV) 🥐 🫖

There’s a place where your personality and profession shake hands and hug one another.

A crossover and meeting point for what you know and what you love.

It’s the crossroad where you’re empowered to share your inner wealth and bring the greatest value to others, and receive appreciative wealth in return.

Where your gifts open doors of opportunity and avenues of service.

Our lives are not intended to be endless hamster wheels of duty and busyness. God’s plan is that you do not dwell unduly on the days of your life, wondering what in the world you are here for. He has an avenue and a plan to keep you busy with the joy of your heart.

I like the classic Amplified rendition that reads,

“God [Himself] answers and corresponds to the joy of his heart [the tranquillity of God is mirrored in him].” (Ecclesiastes 5:20 AMP) 🥓☕

I read this as:

What I do will mirror who I am.

I won’t be pretending, trying, hustling, straining or striving. No trying to “be” someone, instead just being who I am.

I’ve often said that “I’m in the business of being myself”.

All the other positions are taken.

The issues of my life, business, family and ministry flow from my heart.

And the tranquility of God, being aligned with His purpose, allows me to “make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, and accept what’s given, delighting in the work” (Ecclesiastes 5:19 MESSAGE) 🥯 🥞.

There are works that God has prepared for you (Ephesians 2:10). Divinely designed, tailored and well fitted to your frame.

Seek them out.

Sit down at God’s breakfast table today.

You have an invitation…

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”(Revelation 3:20 NKJV)

Ask Him how the joy of your heart intercepts with ways to serve and add value to others.

That conversation may be the beginning of something life-changing!