I will leave you with these final words for 2011 as you Ask God, What’s Next?
As you prepare for the coming year, make knowing Him your number one priority. Yield yourself to Him and let Him shape your character. Serve Him with all your might and let your heart be perfect toward Him! – Joel Osteen
Happy New Year,
Ross
Wow, the response to yesterday’s blog was the strongest I can ever remember receiving. Thank you.
So, based upon the response, I think it is safe to say, a bunch of you started Asking God, What’s Next? Doesn’t it make sense to Ask God what He wants you to do, accomplish or change? We are His creation, His children and He loves us and knows what is best. He wants what is best for us.
So, how do you Ask God, What’s Next? It is really rather simple. You just pray and Ask God, “What do you want me to resolve to do in 2012?” “Tell me or show me what you want me to do, what you want me to accomplish, what you want me to change.” And then you listen to what comes to your mind. Let me give you two examples of what has happened in my prayer life recently.
As I was writing out my prayers yesterday, Asking God, What’s Next? I got a strong mental vision that I was to continue to write my blog this coming year. So, I resolved to do it and promised God to do a better job of it in 2012. I asked Him to bless my efforts and to encourage me by increasing my readers. I asked Him for help as I write each article.
Another example; As I continue to pray and Ask God, What’s Next? I had a strong image about writing a book. I have been toying with the idea for some time but I got a very strong, clear mind set that I should write a book in 2012. But as I wrote that in my journal, 3-titles popped into my brain. I was a bit overwhelmed because I have never written a book and I don’t think I am that good of a writer. But I prayed and Asked God to lead me on the path.
So, that is how I am going about Asking God, What’s Next? I hope this helps. I don’t think their is a magic way or formula.
The important thing is to Ask God, What’s Next? And then be obedient to what he shows you.
Guess I will be writing a lot in 2012!
Making Circles,
Ross
Artist, Chris McGahan Blowing Glass
New Year’s Resolutions are beginning to be formed now. Soon men and women will resolve to loose weight, exercise more, drink less, spend less, save more, quit smoking, stop eating out, etc., etc., etc. Most people will forget in less than a week what they promised they would resolve to do in 2012.
I have another idea for New Year’s Resolutions this year. Maybe you should join me. Here is my idea. I have decided to “Ask God, What’s Next?” In other words, instead of ME resolving to do a bunch of stuff that I need to do but history has proven, I most likely will never do, I am going to “Ask God” what He wants me to do (See my series on “The Law of The Ask”). I figure if God tells me to do something it must be important. If He asks me to do it, maybe, just maybe, it will be enough motivation for me to do it. And maybe He will help me along the way.
This might sound a little on the fun side and maybe even a bit crazy to some of you. Make no mistake, I am serious. I have been praying about What’s Next since December 12th. I am going to keep circling my prayers around What’s Next until I get some clear indication and direction from God about what He wants of me. I serve a risen God, I resolve to do what He wants me to do in 2012.
If you will join me in this resolution, hit the REPLY button and send me an email.
Ross
This is my last post in this series. It is sad because I think I have at least 7-more articles in me about China. But, I fear I am wearing you out on the topic and I want to talk about “What Next” the rest of this week.
Tonight, I was sharing with my good friends Paul and Carrie Foster about how God moved while I was in China.
Twice tonight, I discovered more about the power of prayer. First, Carrie told me how she had a dream that I was finding it very difficult to find food I could eat while in China. She said all four of us were searching for food that I liked. I could hardly believe my ears. It was definitely a problem for me. My new Chinese friends worried for me and the 4-friends I went to China with were concerned as well. Carrie started praying for me to find food I would like. Then, we we drove past McDonald’s. I never knew McDonald’s could taste so good! So glad Carrie was praying that I would find some food that I liked!
You may recall, I got sick and many of you prayed for me. Carrie and Paul were part of the big group of friends and supporters praying for me. They also decided to time some of their prayers to the time I was speaking. But as it ended up they were running about 1-hour late. Paul told Carrie it would be fine, let’s just pray. As it turned out, I spoke about 1 to 1.5 hours later than I was suppose to speak so, they were praying for me about the time I was speaking.
God just continues to amaze me. How can I ever doubt his love and his care for me?
Ross
Employee Parking-China Manufacturing Plant
It was so exciting to be in China. But perhaps for reasons you may not have realized. It was exciting to me because spiritually, China is most populated country on earth. But it is home to only about 5-million Christians. Some report the number as high as 25 million, regardless, the number is small in comparison to the population.
Being in China was or is like reading the book of Acts when the church was just starting out. Very exciting to be there, to play a small part in encouraging Christian brothers and sisters in their faith.
Most meet in home churches or in various places moving around for security reasons. There is NOT a lot of talk about it through text or over the Internet for the same security reasons. It can be a dangerous situation.
But despite these issues the church is growing. Many are coming to know the Lord in the financial services industry, manufacturing and the health care industry. We shared the Lord with a number of individuals, some very powerful business people, some members of the communist party. The people are very open, very interested, very engaging. They want to know, they want to hear the story.
We should be praying for the Lord to continue to encourage the people of China. Pray for safety for our Christians brothers and sisters in China. Pray that millions will accept the Lord in China.
Ross
I trust you are having a wonderful Christmas. All week long I have been writing stories about people giving of themselves, expecting nothing in return. They have inspired me and most of you based upon the response I have received, as well they should.
However, one thing that is true, Nothing we do, noting we give, compares to what God has given to us. Today, find a few minutes to reflect on what God has given you. It is far more than gifts and presents, trees and lights, family and friends.
What has HE given to you that only HE can give?
How has HE made a difference in your life?
How has HE changed your life?
What hope do you have today, with God, that you did not have before you became HIS child?
Who do you love because HE loves you?
Who loves you because of HIM?
Today, do something different, give HIM a gift:
Tell HIM thanks for what He has given to you,
then
Tell the people you are with about the gift HE gave you.
Merry Christmas,
Ross
Tanner is a mild mannered young man. Make no mistake, he is a Man. He is strong, well built, when you first see him you would think he plays linebacker on his high school football team. But Tanner is not like most 17 year old.
We works and earns his own “walking around money.” He plays the drums in his church on Sundays. He is serious about his faith. His heart breaks for the things that break God’s heart.
Recently, his dad noticed that Tanner was on edge when he came home from school. His dad thought it was strange because he expected him to be excited about being out of school for the Christmas break. He started talking to Tanner about what was bothering him. Tanner finally told his dad, “there were 5-angles left on the tree at school.”
Each angel represents a poor and needy kid in the community and what they needed for Christmas. Tanner told his dad that he was upset that 5-kids were not going to have Christmas. He said he only had $125 in his checking account and he was not scheduled to work this week. He wanted to buy for the 5-kids but he had other demands for his money.
Later that day Tanner called one of his coaches and asked him to meet him at the school to workout. When his coach met him at the school, Tanner took the other 5-angles and his remaining money and went shopping for the kids. When he was done shopping Tanner only had $25 dollars left to his name, but he had the satisfaction of knowing the kids were going to have a Christmas.
Tanner, even at 17 knows the truth, we are to Love God and Love Others.
Ross
Today I had the good fortune to meet a young man named Aabel. He is from Haiti and he is attending Moody Bible College in Chicago. Aabel grew up in a very poor and dangerous neighborhood in Haiti. He is the middle child of 5-kids. His childhood home was so small that his parents put there bed on stilts and had the children sleep under their bed on the floor. When it would rain the floor would get wet.
His dad worked to repair tires and his mom sold items such as coffee to make money. He started working at a young age after school and on the weekends to help support the family. Whatever he made he would give to his mom. His mom would take the money but many times they had no food. Aabel did not understand what was going on. Then he would see his mom pay for the kids to go to school.
You see, in Haiti you have to pay to go to school. At times Aabel’s mom had to decided between food for her children or an education that might help them get out of poverty. Can you imagine how difficult of a decision his mother was forced to make. Unbelievable.
Aabel and one of his other siblings were sponsored by Compassion International and things began to change. Suddenly he had food and some of the other basics of life. As he approach graduating from high school he passed the tests to get into college and Compassion found someone to sponsor him. It was while he was in the local University that he started noticing that “the young people of his neighborhood were being influenced by the gangsters.” He decided to do something about it. He started a summer camp at his church. In the four years it has been operating they have averaged over 500 kids coming to the camp. The camp is now a positive influence on the kids that were once being influenced by gangsters.
As Aabel graduated from University he decided he was going to “pay it forward.” He started sponsoring a child through Compassion International. He then received a scholarship to attend Moody Bible College where he is now in his second of a three year program to become a minister. He continues has summer camp each year and hopes to grow the size once he finishes his education and returns to his home to work in his country.
Aabel continues to sacrifice so he can continue to sponsor his Compassion child. He told me his goal was to sponsor 10 Compassion kids.
Aabel knows the truth, Love God and Love Others.
Ross
Here is another great Christmas story you need to hear.
A beautiful young mother that I personally know very well works in one of the metro’s public school systems. Recently she decided to get involved in the food pantry at her church. As she was getting some training she drew a line between what she was hearing in her training and what she was seeing with some of the children she worked with in her school. She noticed.
She told the director of the food bank that she thought there was a great need for the food at her school. She wanted to know if she could start a back-pack program. The director told her that they had already talked to the school and the school felt like they could not take the program on at the present time. She told the director she would like to approach the school again.
Over the next few days God confirmed the need for the program to her. She then talked to the principal of the school. She told the principal of the needs she was seeing and she volunteered to “do whatever it took to run or co-ordinate the program at the school.” She took responsibility.
Upon hearing the report and seeing this young woman so concerned and committed the principal gave her the green light to start the program. Today, 15 children are receiving a back-pack of food once a week to take home and have something to eat. The kids are so thankful. Some of the kids were so under served they showed up for school in there PJ’s. Others wanted to save some of their food from lunch to take home with them so they would have something to eat at night. Can you imagine?
In America, most of us have no concept of the poverty that exists. Many of us have no idea of how little some kids are cared for and maybe some of us don’t care. This young mother cares.
She saw the need. She not only saw, she NOTICED. God touch her heart and she moved to do something about it. Today, she runs the program at her school as a volunteer. She is working in her church’s food bank program once a week and she is talking to another school in hopes of expanding the program to meet the needs of another set of kids she has NOTICED.
She is not getting paid for any of this work. She knows the truth, that we are t0 Love God and Love Others.
Ross
Here is another great Christmas story that is unfolding right now.
One of my co-workers felt called to raise some money for a little boy named Solomon. Solomon has a rare disease that is costing about $5,000 a month in medicine and medical care. His insurance has all but run out. Solomon’s parents are not able to pay the huge expenses related to caring for Solomon. They were forced to move from Oklahoma to Texas where they could secure better medical care and coverage but it is still not enough.
Now, away from family, friends, church and neighbors that were helping to support them financially and emotionally the family continues to struggle.
Sarah was moved by the story and decided she needed to take some action. She is busy at work, more busy than usual as one of her co-workers on the team she is part of left the bank suddenly. Sarah is also a newly wed and and having her first Christmas as a wife. Her husband has a new job and she has the stress that accompanies any and all who’s mate makes a job change.
However, in the midst of all of this stress, Sarah felt called to help Solomon and his parents. The interesting thing is Sarah does not know Solomon. She has never met his parents. She just knows there is a great need and she felt God wanted her to get involved. He wanted her to help, to give of herself to someone else.
So, she held her own fund raiser for Solomon. She invited her co-workers, her friends, her church and her neighbors to buy candles and she would donate 100% of the profit to Solomon’s care.
Sarah knows that life is not about her. She knows the truth, God called us to Love Him and Love others. She knows the Greatest Form of Giving Expects Nothing In Return.
Ross
Kara - Founder of Light, Candle, Action
I would like to tell you a story about giving. I think this is a precious Christmas story about a child helping those less fortunate. I know the child’s story first hand. Her name is Kara, she is 10 and her heart was touched by God earlier this year.
It may have started when Mimi (Raynell) and Papa (that is me) started sponsoring some children through Compassion International. We asked some of the grand-kids to write letters to the girls we were sponsoring in the Dominican Republic (DR). The grand-kids were all touched by the children of the DR and Kara was especially touched by their stories and their photos.
Then she started watching a TV show about kids starting their own businesses and their was a school project about the same time that helped her form the God given idea. In Kara’s own words, “God gave me an idea to have Light, Candle, Action. I was going to help kids in need.” She talked to her parents about an idea she had. And by God’s grace her parents (both entrepreneurs) were supportive. Again in Kara’s own words, “I didn’t have lots of money but I saved up to start my business, it took time.” “My mom took me to Compassion’s (web) site and I looked around the web site and saw you can help others in need.”
Kara’s dad built a web site to help showcase her business and allow people to order over the Internet.
Kara puts a charm in the bottom of each candle that says, Made With Love. Again, in her own words, “And if someone ever asked me about the candle I would say my saying. And my saying is Light, Candle, Action. You light your candle and take action to help kids in need.”
One of our friends at Compassion, Steve Wilson wrote this about Kara. “Kara is a miracle of God, and we all can be used of God to be a miracle in someone’s life this Christmas season.” He went on to say, “may you remember Kara’s story and the way God is using her to light up the world.”
I have three reasons for sharing this story today. Obviously, we are proud of her. Two, I praise God that Kara’s heart was touched and she had to do something to help others. Three, I pray her story moves all of us to do more of what God wants from us. Love God, love others.
This Christmas season remember Kara’s words, “Light, Candle, Action. You light your candle and take action to help kids in need.”
Ross
ROSS HILL, CEO BANK2
Founding CEO of Bank2, author, public speaker, business advisor and board member of several companies and non-profit organizations including Bank2, The Bankers Bank, Compassion International's CEO Advisory Board, Giant Experiences, Quail Creek Golf and Country Club and Whisper of Hope.
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