Welcome
back! If you started on June 6 when we
kicked this off, you are now on D-Day plus 50.
Be the
Leader: Just because we have moved on in our training does not mean that the
earlier lessons are done. A leader must
be constantly growing and learning.
Discipline:
Definition:
Destiny:
BE THE
WARRIOR
The warrior takes the small things seriously
The warrior must be a student of history.
Too many
think of the warrior as all brawn and no brains. But that cannot be. Muscle can get you only so far. It is the ability to know how to use that
muscle that makes you the warrior. If I
am about to take a test I would love to have the answers so that I know exactly
what to study and how to prepare. That
is what history does for you, if you are willing to investigate and study the
past.
Solomon
tells us that there is nothing new under the sun. Problems and challenges have been experienced
in some capacity before our modern era.
Dig in and see what you can learn.
Sometimes you can learn what to do or more often than not I can learn
from the mistakes of others and keep myself from being so foolish. Sometimes I simply have no clue how to go
forward and history can give me a clue.
At the very least I pick up some pretty incredible illustrations.
In the 1930s
Calvin Coolidge was president. Tennis
was becoming very popular and Calvin’s son began to play consistently. One day after playing he discovered that he
had a blister on one of his feet but figured it was no big deal. However, the infection in the blister somehow
spread to his legs and then took on the rest of his body. He was dead in just a couple of weeks. The lesson learned is that you must address
the little things or they will ultimately kill you. (BTW: Lesson from last
week.)
Don’t simply
look at dates but instead look for the story.
Look for the lessons learned from other cultures. While it can be difficult to find, the
African continent is full of incredible leaders, new technologies and
more. These leaders had to solve
environmental issues, community issues and had to overcome immense
challenges. They have lessons that are right
there waiting for you. Every culture and
language has had to face problems, look to learn from them.
Finally,
don’t restrict your learning to what you typically find in history books. When you study with a warrior mindset you can
find leadership lessons from all of the disciplines. Science, art, engineering, education and any
other venue can provide what you need to solve any of today’s problems.
This week’s challenge: Today, pick out one season of history and study the snot out of it for the next 3 months. Look for something out of the ordinary.
Welcome
back! If you started on June 6 when we
kicked this off, you are now on D-Day plus 43.
A quick
review is in order. Last week we
completed the first section on being the leader. You can always go back and read the past
blogs to get the details. A warrior is
always the leader who leads from the front.
A warrior is the leader who sets the example. A warrior is the leader who is comfortable in
his/her own skin because they know who they are. Finally a warrior is a leader who looks to
win the war not just the battle.
Be the
Leader:
Discipline:
Definition:
Destiny:
Now we go
onto the second section
BE THE
WARRIOR
I am the
voice.
I will lead
NOT follow.
I will
believe NOT doubt.
I will
create NOT destroy.
I am a force
for good.
I am a force
for God.
I am a
leader.
I will defy
the odds.
I will set a
new standard.
I will rise.
I am the
storm.
I am the
warrior.
-Modified
version of a Tony Robbins quote
Now that you
know that you are the leader. Rise up
and live as a warrior. Not all of those
that are leaders are warriors. But it is
the warrior that leaves an impact on the world.
What will your impact be? Will
you help lead climate change? Will you
be remembered as a part of the next Great Awakening. Will you discover something new? The possibilities are numerous. Search your heart.
Now before
you go off to conquer kingdoms and slay the dragon (which you should definitely
do by the way), I want to encourage you to do the little things well. See that is what a warrior does. He/She lives with excellence in their
bones.
Don Tee was
a crew member on a bomber in World War II.
He described long periods of boredom followed by seasons of absolute
terror. Don was a warrior. During one of the flights the bombs were
stuck and Don climbed down into the bay to try to kick them loose. He could look down and see Europe below
him. Climbing down he began kicking at
the offending bomb. Time was of the essence.
He had to get this out quickly or they would miss the window of
opportunity. With all of his might he
gave it one last kick and the bombs fell away.
Unfortunately so did Don. He had
lost his grip in the effort to kick the bomb loose. But that was not the end of Don. While he was falling out of the bomb bay the
patch of his uniform caught on a bolt.
For several moments, Don was getting a literal bird’s eye view of Europe
with nothing holding him in the air but a bolt and a patch. Don could not tell you how long he was
hanging there before other crew members pulled him back up into the plane but
it did seem like an eternity.
While Don is
a hero, he gives credit to two other people for his surviving the war. One was the person that sewed the patch on
his uniform. They did such an excellent
job that it held a full grown man. That
person sewing the patch will never know that the little thing of an extra
stitch on a patch saved a man’s life.
The second person is the person that put that bolt in place. If they had been having a bad day, or were
simply phoning in their work that day, Don would have died that day.
You never
know how the little things will impact a life.
Do all things with excellence. A
warrior always provides excellence in every task; even if and maybe
particularly if they do not know if anyone will ever notice.
This week’s challenge: Today, write down three small tasks that you usually phone in and write them down. Now take that list and purposely do those three things with excellence.
Welcome
back! If you started on June 6 when we
kicked this off, you are now on D-Day plus 36.
Be the
Leader:
Discipline: To be the leader you must put yourself on the
warpath of discipline. These are the
little things that you do routinely to develop physically, mentally, socially
and Spiritually. Overall these things
will offer you small little nudges of personal growth. I implore you not to wait until you feel like
it, just get up and do it every day. Every
leader that has fallen started his/her descent by forsaking the disciplines
that got them into their position.
Definition:
This is where you define who you
are. I am a warrior monk. In every situation where I am unsure what to
do next; I ask myself, “What would a warrior monk do in this situation?” Additionally, I am a man that simply loves
Jesus and longs to hear him say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” This body that I live in, the roles that I
play and the things people think of me are all temporary. My real self is housed in this temporary jar
of clay. I am the beloved of God. Leaders who do not know who they are hurt
people.
King Saul in
the Bible was called of God to lead the nation of Israel. He was anointed by the prophet yet he ruled
in fear of losing his position, losing face and losing his relationship with
God. Because he failed to see himself
as the anointed he failed. Consider King
David, who knew that God loved him and believed in him. Which type of leader do you want to be?
Destiny:
To be the leader is to live life in the long game. Too many leaders today go for temporary
victories. They might get wealthy or get
the girl but they are only content for a short period of time. The warrior thinks of the eternal best
interest of those that he/she is leading.
A weed grows
very fast and takes no effort. Anybody
can grow a weed and be successful at doing so.
But a weed does not last. Imagine
planting a tree from a seed. It takes
skill, time and effort. There will be
days where you can see the growth and days where you notice nothing. If done
correctly that tree will impact multiple generations.
During my
time in the United States Army we would do these field exercises and in nearly
every one of those the umpires would take me out of the equation by killing
me. My troops would then have to show if
I had trained them well or not. The
first time this happened they were not prepared and that was my fault. I should have ensured that everyone on my
team had the skills and mindset to rise up and be a leader if I was not
there. In many ways up until that day I
was a highly paid babysitter. I learned my lesson and never again would I set
up my soldiers for failure.
If you are a
leader and your organization does not outlast you by at least one generation
than you have failed. I have learned
that this can be painful. Decisions made
today do not always make sense in the moment.
Invest your time and energy so that you can be the legend.
I heard the
story of a man who abandoned his wife and two children when the kids were very
young. Many years later, the two
children having gone away from their mother for a season, returned to celebrate
the mother’s 60th birthday party.
Many friends and family members joined them as they told about how the
mother had overcome all challenges with a smile and with much grace. For two days laughter, tears and stories were
told. Many of the stories were almost
supernatural and were surely the stuff of legend. The man’s name was never mentioned. It was like he did not exist. He was a ghost. My question to you today is this, “Do you
want to be a legend or do you want to be a ghost?”
This week is a good time to review where we have been. Put together your full ethos statement. (See mine as an illustration.) Write out your discipline plan to include what and when you will add to them. Create a word picture to create the definition of who you are and finally decide. “I am going to be a legend.” What do you want your legend to be? Tell the story and include your whole being.
Welcome
back! If you started on June 6 when we
kicked this off, you are now on D-Day plus 29.
That
means that it is Independence Day in America.
We take time to celebrate the birth of our nation. I used to think that I loved this
nation. But then I went to basic
training at Fort Leonard wood. At
graduation they played “I’m proud to be an American.” I started crying. There was no warning, no build up, just tears
racing down my cheeks. It was then that
I realized that I really loved this country.
Now, I agree that we have often made a mess of things from time to
time. We birthed a nation of freedom
while holding slaves. We slaughtered
Native Americans, proudly. We have often
had corrupt government and businesses. But
ultimately this nation has stood against the forces of evil in the world and
has come out victorious. Here any man
can rise and live his/ her dream. The
United States of America is growing up, be patient and look to the horizon to
see what we accomplish in the future. My
guess is that what we do in the future will make it look like we did nothing
over the past 250 years or so. God bless
the USA.
Be the Leader:
Discipline: The last two weeks I have been talking to you about personal discipline. This is critical if you are going to be the warrior. You should be establishing new disciplines consistently. Try to build a streak of success. I remember when I was trying to build the discipline of flossing. I had been told by every dentist I knew that I needed to put this practice in my life. I blew them off. (Like some of you have been doing to my suggestions so far.) One day though I thought I should follow through, after all I had been telling all of those dentists that I will start flossing right away. But to be honest now, I was lying. I had no intention of following through on that promise. But I got sick of not being a man of integrity in that area so I made the decision, I will floss regularly. This started with flossing at least every third day, then I set a standard of flossing more days than not. Finally, I wanted to see how many days in a row that I could floss. I went nearly three years without missing a day. Then I went camping and missed a day. But since then I have been consistent for nearly 7 more years. I work to break my record daily. Build your disciplines.
Slow and steady wins the race. Build slowly, you never eat the fruit on the day you plant the seed.
Definition:
Now to be the leader you must define yourself. Who are you?
If you are like me, you have made a ton of mistakes in your life. Too often I define myself by those
failures. I remember that youth group
that collapsed under my leadership and became nonexistent. I remember being a bad example in Boy
Scouts. I remember my time in addictions
and in that I remember how I selfishly hurt people. My life then was all about me and what I
wanted and I hated anyone that disagreed with me. Hate would have defined who I was. I could go on for pages in detail about all
of the times that I have failed.
However, as a warrior I must not define myself in the midst of those
failures. Many people I know define
themselves by their past. They will say
I am an addict, I am a felon. They will
say I am stupid, ugly, cruel or a liar and adulterer. Some define themselves by their career, or
lack of a career. Others are defined by
their appearance. I am pretty, I am ugly. The point is that you must rise above all of
that.
There are
times when you have been ugly, stupid, trapped in sin of all sorts. Those are moments of your life. Do not let them define you.
I am defined
as a child of God. He loves me.
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. –Galatians 2: 20
Too often we
define our inside by what is outside of us.
That is backwards. The warrior life is all about allowing the inside to
define who you are. With that said I
must challenge you to invite Christ to live inside of you. Without Christ to cleanse us, we are filled
with selfishness, bitterness, and all manner of evil. We are unable to faithfully serve our fellow
men in ways that honor them.
If you have
not invited Jesus to live within you, then I implore you to not put that off
for a single moment.
I have very
few regrets in my life. I regret not
going to Ranger School. I regret not
being a better husband to my wife, particularly in our early marriage. But the one thing that I regret most in my
life is that I did not come to really know Jesus earlier. Oh, to have prevented the mistakes of my
rebellion against Him. That is why I
seek words to convince you not to put this off.
If you need to talk to someone about this relationship; and what that
means please email me. rich.schaus@grmmuskogee.org
Take some time this week to add to your disciplines (by adding that may mean that you are taking something away like pie, or working late.) Also take time to clarify your definition of who you are. Let me know what you are thinking and how I can serve you.
Welcome
back! If you started on June 6 when we
kicked this off, you are now on D-Day plus 22.
What we are building in you is the strength
and the endurance to win and dominate in our world. Many worry about those who are couch potatoes
and those who numb themselves with social media. I suggest that we do not need to worry about
them. They are not the competition. Really our only real competition is with our
own selves. The flesh is weak.
Last week we
talked about daily discipline. It is
this discipline that will give you the freedom to fulfill your God given
mission in this life. Remember that you
want to ensure that you have daily opportunities to grow physically, mentally, spiritually
and socially.
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God
and man.-Luke 2:52
Establishing a healthy beginning and ending of your day
leaves you in position to be flexible with the rest of your day. Now there needs to be some discussion on
other disciplines that must be added to your overall life. Fit these in as you can.
Physical: The morning
routine is a base to get your blood pumping and knock the cobwebs out. While it will keep you fitter than a couch
potato, it will not enable you to have the strength, agility and stamina that a
warrior needs. You must figure out a way
to get in a full body workout 3-4 times a week.
Find a trainer. Once a year I take
about 2 months working with a trainer to force me to consider exercises that I
would not do on my own. A trainer can
push you to the point of pain, where your own mind might try to stop you.
One other challenge: Take an ice bath at least 1 time a
week. Always start or end your showers
with cold water.
Mental: Read. Read. Read.
Read books to inspire, to teach and make you think. Teddy Roosevelt read wide and deep and
ultimately read several books a week for most of his life. If someone as active and busy and Teddy could
do this, we should be able to pull off at least 1 book a week. Do that.
Also take time to memorize Scripture.
This works the brain and the spirit.
Read professional magazines in your field. Write in your journal your random thoughts
and dreams. If you don’t use your mind, you will lose it. Play games that challenge your thinking to
exercise that mind muscle. Finally, one
time a week sit down and brainstorm what needs to be done. Just write it all out. Don’t analyze it. Use your calendar if needed. In my journal
this is my hit list for the week. When I
am done just free thinking and writing it all out, I will look for what needs
to be done first and then what is next and so on. Not all of these things need to be done. Many
will carry over to future weeks. Some
were just written as an idea to consider later.
The point is that all week I know that when I have gaps in my schedule
there are productive things to do and I go to my list. Wasting time is a travesty.
Spiritual: Most of my
Spiritual work is done in the morning.
However, I also routinely go to church and if possible Sunday School,
midweek services and special church events.
I pray with my wife and kids at meal times and other times. Reading the Bible out loud at work has turned
out to be a great exercise. Again let
the warrior life which is also a life in service to God, permeate the rest of
your life.
Social: Most of my
work day has a social element. Meetings,
conversations over the phone, internet interactions, texts and other things are
always a part of the social exercises of the day. I also recommend classes on the internet on
manners, small talk conversations and leadership to build the soft skills of
being a warrior. In the evening make it
a discipline to eat dinner with your family as often as possible. If you are married woo your spouse like you
did before you were married. Everyday
life often makes us take people for granted.
Choose to love your closest family members in a special way, every day.
Journaling: By far the one exercise that I have added over
the past few years is routine journaling. My goal is that I write down about
every 20 minutes what I was doing or thoughts after a meeting. My days go by fast and I don’t want to lose
what I am learning. I also want to be
able to slow myself down enough to process what my senses have
experienced. The journaling process also
clears my mind so that I can relax with my family at night without being
haunted from remembering things that I think I should be doing.
Daily green drink:
Every day I drink at least 1 smoothie that I call my green drink. They all turn out different and you can get
recipes online if you wish. But make
sure each smoothie contains the following:
2-3 green vegetables (Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, cucumbers)
Protein source (Greek Yogurt works well in most recipes)
Grains (Oatmeal, flax, chia seed)
Fruit
Fats (Avocado or Olive Oil)
This drink energizes me and fills me up so that I don’t end
up snacking when someone brings in a donut and offers me one. (No one actually
offers to share their donut with me. But if they did I would be too full to
indulge that weakness.)
Overall find freedom in discipline. The warrior inside of you
needs this to play the long game. In
World War II, the Japanese and the Germans won many battles, but they lost the
war. Too many men and women that I know win
many battles but lose the war.
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their
soul? Mark 8:36
Find balance in your discipline and you will finish strong. Rarely does anybody remember who was leading in the first couple laps of a NASCAR event. They only remember who won the race. Be the winner, be the champion. Be the leader.
Welcome back! If you started on June 6 when we kicked this off, you are now on D-Day plus 15. You should have at least a draft of your personal mission statement, your key verse, and your mission for this year and a listing of your personal values. You can take a look at the total package by clicking on this link. Print it and keep it someplace that you can routinely see it. You will need it as you begin living the warrior life.
The everyday
warrior life is preparing for the future.
At times it will seem tedious and even a little pointless. There will be days that you just want to stay
in bed, or binge watch some mindless television while eating junk food. When that temptation comes up; look back at
your purpose statement. Remember who you
want to be.
The value
statements are what will keep you morally straight. Sinful temptation is always out there.
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And
God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But
when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
-1 Corinthians 10:13
Know this;
pure will power will fail you. You must
ask Jesus to consistently show you the way out.
He will do this! For
approximately 33 years or so He lived on this Earth so that He could plainly
understand your temptations. I strongly
recommend asking Him to be your guide.
I also
challenge you to find some brothers or sisters (Must be the same gender that
you are.) to be your wing man. This is
much more than what has been called an accountability partner. This is a person of iron. They exist to sharpen you, and for you to
sharpen them. We are better together. I am willing to be that person just email me:
rich.schaus@grmmuskogee.org
Be the Leader
The first
person that you lead is you. That means that in order to be successful in the
long run, you must develop discipline.
Your discipline must take on your entire being, physical, mental,
Spiritual and social.)
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. -Luke
2:52
Notice that Jesus had to grow in those four areas. Don’t be arrogant here. If Jesus needed to grow and He is our guide, then we too must grow in these areas.
This week we will focus on developing some daily
disciplines.
NOTE: I am going to give you a snapshot of my daily disciplines. You do not need to do all of this. In fact, it has taken me years to get my warrior mind on track with this. I have gradually added, taken away and adjusted the order of things in a way that works for me consistently. Start small and deliberately add things to give you a complete day, every day.
Before going to bed at night:
Set up my espresso pot so that all I will need to do is turn on the machine. That includes having it plugged in, coffee in the filter, water in the tank, hot chocolate mix in the cup, butter set out to add to the coffee and MCT oil.
Set up my exercise clothing to include shorts, shirt, socks and running shoes.
Set up pot to cook oatmeal, bowl and spoon, glass and spoon to make chocolate milk to go with my breakfast. (I might also set out the cast iron skillet if I am going to add eggs to my next morning meal.)
Set out my drink shaker with wheat grass mix already in the shaker.
Set out my journal, Bible, professional magazine and my lap top in the living room where I begin my day.
Going to bed
(Usually 10pm)
I drink a shot of apple cider vinegar.
I then brush my teeth.
I wear a sleep mask that plays assorted sounds and Bible verses with a timer that will shut it down after about an hour of being asleep.
Wake up: 4 AM
Drink 16 ounces of water mixed with wheat grass.
Turn on coffee maker while I take care of morning business.
Open journal and record the first event of the day.
JOURNAL:
Nothing that I have added over the past few years has made me as productive as
keeping a journal that I record my entire day in.
While drinking coffee I am reading from the Bible
5 Psalms
1 Proverb
Average of 40 pages a week. (My personal goal this year is just to read through the Bible over the course of the year. Some years I have targeted reading it 2-4 times. I am enjoying reading it and chewing on the Word of God more this year than the quick meals I was getting.)
I record my progress
I then journal the question of the day. (You can get these from the internet. I currently am using a list of 52 prompts that encourage me to think in detail about different aspects of my character.)
I then take time to do a self examination. (You will get more on this later. But for now the basic idea is that I am thinking through my life and character in light of specific measurements. I use things like Military leadership traits, Boy Scout laws, Scripture and more.) I write down the standard I am aiming for and honestly evaluate how I am doing. I might also write down some ideas for improvement or a specific short coming example from my week.
I then simply journal my thoughts from all of this thinking. This almost always ends up being a written prayer, seeking the Holy Spirit to guide me toward being a man that lives a life that is pleasing to Him.
I conclude this section of my morning by praying for a specific country of region using Operation World’s App.
It is typically about 4:50 am or so. That entirely depends on the length of the five psalms.
I then pull out my laptop and read the local paper and check my email, and social media messages.
I don’t spend a lot of time on social media or on email. For now I am just looking for anything that might need my attention later in the morning.
Finally, I will read a few pages in a professional magazine to glean some of the latest thinking.
By now it is typically 5:25 or so. I then put on my workout clothes.
Three times a week I go for a run.
Three times a week I do a base workout while listening to podcasts
Currently that looks like this
20 Burpees
15 lunges each leg
Walk the ½ mile trail from my house wearing an 18 pound weight vest and carrying 25 pound dumbbell.
100 pushups
20 curls
20 minutes on the elliptical with an elevation mask
It is now typically around 6:15.
While still listening to podcasts and/or motivational videos I prepare breakfast.
I also prepare a green drink for the day but do not yet blend it. (Too loud and still don’t want to wake up family.) More on green drinks later.
I do the dishes as I go along.
This also includes at least another 16 ounces of water (with a sprinkle of sea salt added) along with a garlic pill, multi vitamin and fish oil)
It is normally around 6:35 am at this point
With the dishes complete I read through Bruce Lee’s Affirmations
Then I work on Scripture memory
I have 6 verses that SoulCon calls Front Site Post verses. These are the ones I review daily and meditate on them throughout the day. They keep me focused on serving God.
I then have several memory verses that I either review or work to memorize
It is now 6:55 am
I blend my green drink.
I pack up my Bible and the magazine and take it to my room
I greet my wife and we talk.
If she is out of bed I race to make the bed before she can. NEVER leave home with an unmade bed unless your spouse is still in it when you leave.
I then begin my final round of AM rituals
AM Rituals
Brush teeth and floss
Shave
Clean up sink
Shower (Always start with cold water)
Get dressed
Read from 2 devotional books
Pack up computer, gym bag and back pack and leave for work (More on back pack later)
Before I
leave for work my wife and I pray together.
That is my
daily routine. The rest of my day,
little is routine.
Notice that
in my daily routine I have included physical, mental, Spiritual and even a
little social activity in the beginning of my day. That is what you want to create.
There are
things that I do weekly, monthly and quarterly as well and that will be
discussed later as well.
Now it’s
your turn. Design your perfect
morning. Set yourself up for
success. Share with me what you are
doing. How does it tie in with your
ethos document? I would love to see that
too. Let’s work together as warriors,
let us change the world. Let us be the
storm.
Welcome
back! If you started last week you are
now on D-Day plus 8. You should have
been seeking God’s guidance on your life’s purpose. Why are you here? God has a plan for your life and the sooner
you discover it, the more fulfilling and meaningful your life will be.
For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
Write up
your personal mission statement or what I call an Ethos statement. This is the root of who you are in the
flesh. If you have not captured that
much your motivation for the warrior disciplines that we will discuss later
will seem pointless. Even if you start
the disciplines and think that will power will maintain you through them, you
will quit. Purpose is what pushes us
when the bed magnet is on, when we don’t feel up to it or are simply fed up
with life. Discover your purpose first.
Once you
have written your draft, share this with your friends and family. Let them give you feedback so that it can be
fine tuned. I realize this is
scary. They might laugh at you. Have courage, don’t be afraid. It has often happened that the heroes of
history were laughed at, until they weren’t.
You should also
have a mission for this year. What will
be your focus for this year? This should
not be too much detail. You want just
enough detail to be inspiring. You are
defining an ultimate objective and not spending time right now developing the
plan to get there. The key here is where
will you focus your time and energy?
NOTE: This mission might not be large or even work
related. This might be fixing a
relationship with a spouse or children or parents. This might be moving to a new city or maybe
some educational or health related mission.
For this to
be effective you must ask God to be the author of these statements. Ask Him to confirm his call and
direction. Listen carefully and watch
and listen.
As I
mentioned last week, you should also have a secret ambition. This one you keep to yourself and wait for
God to confirm it. This must be bold and
daring and seem impossible from where you are currently sitting.
What you
have created is purpose and focus. With
these you will be able to find the motivation to do these things when you don’t
feel like it. I can guarantee you that
there will be days and even weeks where you will not want to live the warrior
life. There are days when it seems that
it would be easier just to stay in bed and hide from the world. That is not the warrior way. But when you think of your purpose you can
push though the sleepy eyes and the voice in your head that is saying to stay
in bed for just a few more minutes. That
demon that is saying that today you don’t need to go for a run because it is
raining outside must be silenced. Your
purpose can speak for you.
This week
you should work on refining and putting together the words that will inspire
you. Again here is mine.
Personal Ethos
Statement
I am a warrior monk and
will live my life with integrity. I will
live in wisdom, in endurance and in great health. I will leave no one behind
whether that is family, friend or foe.
My heart will be forever trained in the ways of the Christ.
Current Mission 2019
Rise, be the Storm!
I will lead efforts to serve the poor of my community.
I will partner with others in my community to cause it to reflect Godly
principles.
I will partner with others toward helping as many people as possible to
get above the poverty line.
I will be the be the voice of reform.
Be the
Leader
The first
person you lead is you. You must discipline yourself and call yourself to rise
above the mediocrity that our world finds so acceptable today.
Our world
needs you to live the warrior lifestyle.
There will be a day when the warriors will be called upon to save our
nation and our world. Would you be
ready?
There may be
a day of persecution. Would you be able
to stand up for your faith? The great
heroes of the faith were willing to pay any price. Check out Hebrews 11. After giving specific heroic and very warrior
like acts of faith the writer gives us this
And
what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,
Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and
the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and
gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of
the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned
to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There
were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain
an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and
flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.They were put to death by stoning; they were
sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins
and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the
world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in
caves and in holes in the ground.
These
were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had
been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together
with us would they be made perfect.
Hebrews 11: 32- 40
How many men
or women of faith do you know that would be willing to live in caves or holes
in the ground due to their faith? Look
around your church. How many have that
kind of faith? Be that person. Lead others to build a sure foundation. But before you can lead them there you must
lead yourself. That is what we are
aiming for here.
The warrior
life is not about violence or learning martial arts (though that might very
well be part of your mission.) The
warrior life is about taking all that the world can throw at you and rising
above the fray.
Supreme
excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting. –Sun
Tzu
Your mission this week:
This week look for a Bible verse that might define your
mission. For me that verse is Micah 6:8
He has
shown you oh man what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do
justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
This is building your foundation. The Word of God is same yesterday, today and
tomorrow. Stand on it. Let it shape you. It will outlast the worst of circumstances.
The second part of your mission this week is to write down those
non-negotiable values that you have.
Really think about them. Again it
is a discipline to record your non-negotiable.
This will give you structure.
NOTE: You most likely
think you know these. I have been amazed
how often I justify breaking my own value statements. Writing them and reflecting on them and
reviewing them have kept me from violating them as much.
Here is my example:
Personal Values
Above
all honor Christ in all that I do. (Do
all things as unto the Lord.)
Succeed
at home, before I attempt to succeed elsewhere.
Seek
divine help constantly.
Never,
Never, Never compromise my integrity.
Remember
the people over the tasks.
Hear
all sides before making a final judgment.
Don’t
make a judgment until you must make it, but then make it.
Consistently
obtain the counsel of others.
Laugh
out loud daily
Live
your life as a change agent. Rock the
boat.
Be
orderly in person and work.
Never
fear mistakes- learn from them.
Embrace
Fear
Must
have balance
Email me
what your verse is and why. Also send me
your value statements.
Legend holds
that 300 Spartans held back the Persian hordes.
The hordes are still out there.
The Spartans were ready. Will you
be?
Today is
D-Day. If you are reading this post than
I am calling you out. On June 6, 1944
Men from around the world joined together to face down the forces of evil
represented by the Nazi forces of Germany.
These men came from different cultures, went to different churches, spoke
different languages, had assorted talents but had one goal, one purpose. They arrived in assorted vehicles but their
hearts were centered on being the action to the voices calling for freedom.
Our world
today needs these sorts of men and now we can also say women. It starts with a voice. Listen to that voice deep within you. What is your purpose? Who are you really? What could you accomplish
if you really honestly believed it? Many
of the voices today simply complain.
Many on that
day in 1944 were voices of complaint.
They sat comfortably in their warm, safe homes and let the world know
that they were angry. But they did not
seek the opportunity to help bring the change the world needed. Most today who rant and rave through social
media would never actually lend a hand to enact what their mouths are
spewing. They want to sound courageous
but they are cowards.
Rise up
mighty warrior. It was not easy for
those men in 1944. But they went through
training. They prepared not only their
bodies but their hearts and minds as well.
You must prepare.
For most of
my life I have been a leader. It started
with silly made up clubs as a kid. But soon evolved to Boy Scouts (I was an Eagle
Scout), and then I added to the mix church leadership in youth group. A few years out of High School I joined the
military and later was a small church pastor.
For the past 17 years or so I have been engaged in learning leadership
with a purpose. The purpose is to help
as many people as possible rise above the poverty line and discover hope and
opportunity.
What I have
learned and continue to learn is that leadership is not a position, or a moment
but really a lifestyle. When you engage
in the lifestyle of a warrior you look for opportunities to learn and grow
around every turn. You focus your
development. You learn the value of time
and preparation. You learn more about
how to be well rounded and open to new ideas.
Leadership is being a warrior.
Leadership is living the warrior life.
This
lifestyle will be described in three sections.
First we will call you out to BE THE LEADER. Too many people want the position without the
responsibility. Being the leader will
require sacrifice.
Greater
love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. – John
15:13
Unfortunately many don’t want to pay the
price to be the leader. They want the
paycheck without the effort. They
envision winning the gold medal without the sweat, pain and toil of
greatness. Being the leader will not be
easy. You must study, practice, develop
and live a disciplined life.
Second we will call you to BE THE
WARRIOR. This does not mean that you are a bully. A bully is really just a coward anyway. Being the warrior is risky business. This will require you to seek excellence
without being lured into the temptation of perfection. This will call out the courage within you to
stand alone if needed. This is not just
a title but an attitude.
Finally we will call you out to BE THE
STORM. The warrior life will be a great
disrupter of the status quo. The storm
will make you change direction. The
storm cleanses as it destroys. The storm
reveals weaknesses and exposes the fake.
You will not be applauded. Never
will they clap for you while you live.
But if you are particularly fortunate, and if God so wills it. You will be a legend.
Join us in this series each week. Dare to dream. Ask questions. Take risks and let us together change the
world.
Your Training Assignment
This week
ask God who you really are and seek his mission for your life. These are two
very different things.
Who you are
is what makes you special. Your life
mission gives you overall focus regardless of your skills and abilities or even
opportunities.
What makes me so special? I am a servant of the Living God.
My life mission: I am a warrior monk
and will live my life with integrity. I
will live in wisdom, in endurance and in great health. I will leave no one
behind whether that is family, friend or foe.
My heart will be forever trained in the ways of the Christ.
You will
also have a current mission to accomplish.
Think about what that might be.
Mine below has been consistent over the past several years with more
focus on one aspect or another.
Current Mission 2019
I
will lead efforts to serve the poor of my community.
I
will partner with others in my community to cause it to reflect Godly
principles.
I
will partner with others toward helping as many people as possible to get above
the poverty line.
I
will be the be the voice of reform.
Send your
personal definition, your overall mission and your current mission to rich.schaus@grmmuskogee.org and let us work together to become a band of warriors
reshaping the culture.
Jesus had a
secret ambition. His ambition was to die
for the all mankind. He was so focused
on this ambition that he let it slip out once in awhile. Even so, none of his followers really
understood what He was up to until after His resurrection. But this secret ambition, current mission and
life purpose enabled Him to take on the disappointment, pain, rejection,
torture and death.
Before we
start this journey you must create this secret ambition. Do that this week at least in draft
form. Make it definite. Never use words like, “I hope to”. “I will” must be the center of each
statement. Note: It is likely less awesome than dyeing on the
cross for the salvation of all mankind.
However, the world needs you to do this.
It is my
secret ambition that gets me up every morning at 4am. (More on that
later.) It is the current mission that
strengthens my desire to be patient. It
is my life mission that focuses my entire life.
Email me your drafts and let us live the warrior life together. I am looking for 300 that can stand at the gates of fire and hold back the forces of evil. 300 that are dedicated to lay down their lives for the future of the world.
