Carl McKever's Blog: Author's Blog - Posts Tagged "writers"
Finding My Way
Every Christmas, my family and I take a road trip to Atlanta, Georgia to spend time with my aunt and her family for a few days. I was excited every single year and out of mom's three children, I learnt the roads, directions, and interstates really quickly. When my mom would drive to give my dad a break, she would rely on me for directions because I knew the way.
Have you ever been confused and placed into a state of uncertainty, where you didn't know where your next step would lead you? I thought I had my life figured out and planned. Shucks! I had a terrific job making a lot of money, a strong support system, amazing friends, and a daily routine typed in Google Calendar of my whereabouts. Crazy, right? People literally could stalk me if they had access to my online calendar. I kept it organized and detailed. My time was so consumed mapping out the next 10 years of my life and developing a solid budgeting plan to help me get my heavy $78,000 college student loan paid for. I watched God go from the driver seat to the passenger seat to the back seat of my life. I was spiritually blinded.
The time I used to spend reading my Bible went to oncall rotation duties at work as well as getting to work super early and leaving work incredibly late. Home was only a napping place in between work opposed to a place of peace and restoration. Any other free time granted was allocated to mapping out my future plans; not really fully understanding God holds my future in His hands. My career and the time spent shaping it became gods over God. They were idols! I was spiritually blinded!
My spiritual life merely consisted of attending church twice a week and any programs held. Putting on a smile and remaining tranquil, I was asked how I was doing. Time after time again, my response would be I'm fine. I knew this was a lie and I knew I was broken and hurting inside! So, why the hidden mask? Why the façade? I was spiritually blinded. I allowed the enemy to beguile my mindset into believing I couldn't trust anyone with my problems and that everyone had enough problems on their own. I didn't want anyone bearing my pain; let alone they have burdens themselves.
I kept drifting away from the things of God and before I knew it reading my devotionals, praying throughout the day, and spending time in worship became optional. The enemy is so cunning, clever, and subtle. The routine seemed monotonous with no benefit. Yet, I love how the Lord chases and chastises. Three to four weeks went by and something had to change! I couldn't deal with or handle mediocre anymore! Normalcy felt like prison bars! It seemed as if my days were no longer productive and I was only keeping busy to escape boredom. The more I accomplished and set new goals, I figured, the more happier and satisfied I would become over time. This was not so!
I felt empty! I felt worthless! I felt like a failure! I felt death! Nothing satisfied my inner longing! The exterior looked nice, but the interior was a mess; tore up to the floor up! Right at this moment, I knew I needed to make Jesus top priority of my life again. However, I didn't! I was hard-hearded! I wasn't ready for 100% surrender and relinquish of control! I wanted my way and my solution! This lead to entertainment. "Entertainment could ease my mind", I said. I began watching R-rated movies at the theaters, fine dining at least three times a day (ordering the best appetizers and desserts from the menu), and hanging out at the bar with my coworkers to bring fun and joy back into my life; even though I've never sipped any alcohol or beer. I visited the bar with them to see them behave foolishly and for scenery. Praise God I never got lured in and stopped before anything dire occurred. All of this and still felt empty!
A dear friend of mine at work recommended yoga and counseling. I already had a hate for yoga, so I sought counseling. Each session costed me a ridiculous amount of money and I felt the psychologist only wanted me to be transparent about my childhood life to be nosy. Every single session was difficult and after session six, I stopped showing up and dropped out. I had trust issues.
One night, I took introspection of my life and asked, "why didn't I heed to God's promptings?" I was spiritually blinded and set in my ways. I figured I would find out the right way eventually if I kept on making mistakes and bruising myself. I'm not sure if that's life or if it's because I'm only 27 years of age. I wanted to explore; you know, dab into the lusts of the world and give the remnants to God. Oh, what a mistake! How could I be foolish? During this time, I learned three times about God:
#1: God is zealous, wants to be #1 in my life, and wants all of me; not partial. This means total surrender and submission to His will and His plans for me.
#2: I'm still finding the right way and the only way that's right is the way that leads to God. He is the way, truth, and life.
#3: God really does love me and chaos is bought to shift my perspective as well as bring my attention back to God because His attention is always on me.
To find God, I must seek Him with my whole heart and cry out to Him for direction. This is how I'll find my way and the right way to go.
Have you ever been confused and placed into a state of uncertainty, where you didn't know where your next step would lead you? I thought I had my life figured out and planned. Shucks! I had a terrific job making a lot of money, a strong support system, amazing friends, and a daily routine typed in Google Calendar of my whereabouts. Crazy, right? People literally could stalk me if they had access to my online calendar. I kept it organized and detailed. My time was so consumed mapping out the next 10 years of my life and developing a solid budgeting plan to help me get my heavy $78,000 college student loan paid for. I watched God go from the driver seat to the passenger seat to the back seat of my life. I was spiritually blinded.
The time I used to spend reading my Bible went to oncall rotation duties at work as well as getting to work super early and leaving work incredibly late. Home was only a napping place in between work opposed to a place of peace and restoration. Any other free time granted was allocated to mapping out my future plans; not really fully understanding God holds my future in His hands. My career and the time spent shaping it became gods over God. They were idols! I was spiritually blinded!
My spiritual life merely consisted of attending church twice a week and any programs held. Putting on a smile and remaining tranquil, I was asked how I was doing. Time after time again, my response would be I'm fine. I knew this was a lie and I knew I was broken and hurting inside! So, why the hidden mask? Why the façade? I was spiritually blinded. I allowed the enemy to beguile my mindset into believing I couldn't trust anyone with my problems and that everyone had enough problems on their own. I didn't want anyone bearing my pain; let alone they have burdens themselves.
I kept drifting away from the things of God and before I knew it reading my devotionals, praying throughout the day, and spending time in worship became optional. The enemy is so cunning, clever, and subtle. The routine seemed monotonous with no benefit. Yet, I love how the Lord chases and chastises. Three to four weeks went by and something had to change! I couldn't deal with or handle mediocre anymore! Normalcy felt like prison bars! It seemed as if my days were no longer productive and I was only keeping busy to escape boredom. The more I accomplished and set new goals, I figured, the more happier and satisfied I would become over time. This was not so!
I felt empty! I felt worthless! I felt like a failure! I felt death! Nothing satisfied my inner longing! The exterior looked nice, but the interior was a mess; tore up to the floor up! Right at this moment, I knew I needed to make Jesus top priority of my life again. However, I didn't! I was hard-hearded! I wasn't ready for 100% surrender and relinquish of control! I wanted my way and my solution! This lead to entertainment. "Entertainment could ease my mind", I said. I began watching R-rated movies at the theaters, fine dining at least three times a day (ordering the best appetizers and desserts from the menu), and hanging out at the bar with my coworkers to bring fun and joy back into my life; even though I've never sipped any alcohol or beer. I visited the bar with them to see them behave foolishly and for scenery. Praise God I never got lured in and stopped before anything dire occurred. All of this and still felt empty!
A dear friend of mine at work recommended yoga and counseling. I already had a hate for yoga, so I sought counseling. Each session costed me a ridiculous amount of money and I felt the psychologist only wanted me to be transparent about my childhood life to be nosy. Every single session was difficult and after session six, I stopped showing up and dropped out. I had trust issues.
One night, I took introspection of my life and asked, "why didn't I heed to God's promptings?" I was spiritually blinded and set in my ways. I figured I would find out the right way eventually if I kept on making mistakes and bruising myself. I'm not sure if that's life or if it's because I'm only 27 years of age. I wanted to explore; you know, dab into the lusts of the world and give the remnants to God. Oh, what a mistake! How could I be foolish? During this time, I learned three times about God:
#1: God is zealous, wants to be #1 in my life, and wants all of me; not partial. This means total surrender and submission to His will and His plans for me.
#2: I'm still finding the right way and the only way that's right is the way that leads to God. He is the way, truth, and life.
#3: God really does love me and chaos is bought to shift my perspective as well as bring my attention back to God because His attention is always on me.
To find God, I must seek Him with my whole heart and cry out to Him for direction. This is how I'll find my way and the right way to go.
Feet of Jesus
Luke 10:38-42 presents an interesting story about the feet of Jesus. Jesus went to go visit Mary and Martha, the sister of Lazarus. Martha moaned and complained to her sister Mary because she stayed sitting at Jesus' feet for a very long time. She wouldn’t leave the presence of Jesus. Martha was so concerned about preparing for dinner and making sure everything was ready by dinner time. She confronts Mary about the situation and while confronting her, Jesus tells her to stop worrying about unnecessary things. Today, I ponder why Mary stayed at the feet of Jesus.
The feet of a human body are the lowest position on the body. The feet represent “humility” and “submission”. The Bible doesn’t say what Mary was concerned about, but we can tell by her actions she understood the answer came from spending time with Jesus. Mary bowed before the presence of the Lord in “humility” and “submitted” to the things Jesus told her. During this era, it was common for women to take care of household duties, such as preparing dinner.
Sitting at Jesus' feet is an act of listening to what Jesus has to say and then obeying what He says. Mary shows us an example of inner worship while Martha displays external service. In order to be effective in our outward service for God, we must first spend time at Jesus' feet in His presence. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast every carry and worry to the Lord because he cares about us. Psalms 55:22 tells us God will not allow the godly to slip and fall. God already knows every detail of our lives, but He still wants us to address the details with Him.
When I think about how Jesus used His own feet, I think about missions. His mission was to do the will and purpose of His father. His father’s will and purpose was to redeem a lost world, backslidden by sin, and give humanity a second chance to eternal life. So, he traveled from one area to another carrying the Good News, known as the gospel, to people. Ephesians 6 refers to this spiritual attire as the “shoes of the gospel of peace”.
There is also another scene where Jesus went away from the crowd and prayed to His father in the Garden of Gethsemane. He told his disciples to stay awake, watch, and tarry. Matthew 26:39 tells us that Jesus Himself bowed His face to the ground. This was an act of submission to His father’s will. We gain a heart and passion to do God’s will when we sit at the feet of Jesus. We were created and design to worship with Him and fellowship with Him.
I’m also reminded of the Great Commission given by Jesus to His disciples. Matthew 28:19-20 tells us to go into all the earth, make disciples, teach and preach the gospel, and baptize others in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Sitting at the feet of Jesus is our source of strength to do whatever it is He has asked us to do. Life is tough and it’s also busy. In all of the hustle and bustle, I pray we take time every day to sit at the feet of Jesus to hear what He has to say. It may not always be something pleasant to our ears, but just imagine how liberating it is to know “fully” the plans God has laid out for you. This takes the guesswork out of worrying if our external acts of service is pleasing Him or is in His will for us.
©Carl McKever, 2016
The feet of a human body are the lowest position on the body. The feet represent “humility” and “submission”. The Bible doesn’t say what Mary was concerned about, but we can tell by her actions she understood the answer came from spending time with Jesus. Mary bowed before the presence of the Lord in “humility” and “submitted” to the things Jesus told her. During this era, it was common for women to take care of household duties, such as preparing dinner.
Sitting at Jesus' feet is an act of listening to what Jesus has to say and then obeying what He says. Mary shows us an example of inner worship while Martha displays external service. In order to be effective in our outward service for God, we must first spend time at Jesus' feet in His presence. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast every carry and worry to the Lord because he cares about us. Psalms 55:22 tells us God will not allow the godly to slip and fall. God already knows every detail of our lives, but He still wants us to address the details with Him.
When I think about how Jesus used His own feet, I think about missions. His mission was to do the will and purpose of His father. His father’s will and purpose was to redeem a lost world, backslidden by sin, and give humanity a second chance to eternal life. So, he traveled from one area to another carrying the Good News, known as the gospel, to people. Ephesians 6 refers to this spiritual attire as the “shoes of the gospel of peace”.
There is also another scene where Jesus went away from the crowd and prayed to His father in the Garden of Gethsemane. He told his disciples to stay awake, watch, and tarry. Matthew 26:39 tells us that Jesus Himself bowed His face to the ground. This was an act of submission to His father’s will. We gain a heart and passion to do God’s will when we sit at the feet of Jesus. We were created and design to worship with Him and fellowship with Him.
I’m also reminded of the Great Commission given by Jesus to His disciples. Matthew 28:19-20 tells us to go into all the earth, make disciples, teach and preach the gospel, and baptize others in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Sitting at the feet of Jesus is our source of strength to do whatever it is He has asked us to do. Life is tough and it’s also busy. In all of the hustle and bustle, I pray we take time every day to sit at the feet of Jesus to hear what He has to say. It may not always be something pleasant to our ears, but just imagine how liberating it is to know “fully” the plans God has laid out for you. This takes the guesswork out of worrying if our external acts of service is pleasing Him or is in His will for us.
©Carl McKever, 2016
Vision Plan
Mission Statement
"To expand the kingdom of God to novice, intermediate, and experienced writers throughout the world through the effective use of writing"
Vision Statement
"I want to see lives changed through the heart of serving in ministry and influencing the world through writing"
Vision Plan
Below is a list of responsibilities I have set for myself to ensure my mission and vision for life is being accomplished:
1) Establishing an IT missions team who travels overseas to third-world countries; building technical equipment for unpriviledged children
2) Sponsor a writing conference and hosting a writing workshop with a major writing affiliation, such as AWP
3) Become financially stable by paying off debts and being a good steward of the Lord's blessings
4) Begin a "Love Letters" campaign with experienced Christian writers who share their love for Christ with those incarcerated
5) Sponsor an annual college scholarship of $1000 for college students majoring in Creative Writing
6) Help novice writers, who can't afford publishing costs, with publishing their first book
7) Engineer a "Verse of Day" SMS distribution blast to all of my blog subscribers through email
"To expand the kingdom of God to novice, intermediate, and experienced writers throughout the world through the effective use of writing"
Vision Statement
"I want to see lives changed through the heart of serving in ministry and influencing the world through writing"
Vision Plan
Below is a list of responsibilities I have set for myself to ensure my mission and vision for life is being accomplished:
1) Establishing an IT missions team who travels overseas to third-world countries; building technical equipment for unpriviledged children
2) Sponsor a writing conference and hosting a writing workshop with a major writing affiliation, such as AWP
3) Become financially stable by paying off debts and being a good steward of the Lord's blessings
4) Begin a "Love Letters" campaign with experienced Christian writers who share their love for Christ with those incarcerated
5) Sponsor an annual college scholarship of $1000 for college students majoring in Creative Writing
6) Help novice writers, who can't afford publishing costs, with publishing their first book
7) Engineer a "Verse of Day" SMS distribution blast to all of my blog subscribers through email
