Skillful In Your Work

I watched two very interesting shows the other day. One was an interview by Piers Morgan with Donny Osmond in 2013 on You Can't Fire Me. I'm Famous. The other was a documentary on Sushi Chef Jiro Ono of Tokyo called Jiro Dreams Of Sushi. They were vastly different in subject matter, but yet had a very similar element.

The interview with Donny shared his life story: his teen sensation days, his TV series, failure and success on Broadway, struggles with consumers' changing perception of him as an artist and his current show business achievements. As a whole, the entire show was about hard work, something he has done since he was 3. Yes, age 3.

The documentary on Jiro also spoke to hard work, something Jiro said started when he was in first grade. He was told he had no home to come back to, spurring him on to work hard to survive. He is nearly 90 years old and still head chef at his restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro, where 20-course meals start at $300.

I was impressed by the relentless hard work of both of these men. They strive for perfection and give everything they have to the profession they've chosen. They aim to provide their customers with the very best of who they are and what they do. It is admirable.

We are happy our children are driven. They want to do the very best at what they do, and we see that in Rob and Kayla, too. To not settle for mediocrity, to endeavor to reach a top that is ever extended higher, is an estimable accomplishment. God has gifted us all with talents and expects us to use them to their greatest capacity. He wants us to continue to learn and improve. The Bible tells us to work hard. Proverbs 22:29 says. "Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men." Ephesians 4:28 says, "Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands..." and here comes the why, "so that he may have something to share with anyone in need." Isn't that interesting? The Lord wants us to work hard not for accolades or financial success to our wealthy benefit, but rather that we might help His children in need. In Acts 20:35 it says, "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” John 5:17 says, "But Jesus answered them, 'My Father is working until now, and I am working.'”

Work hard. Do your best. Learn everything you can to become even better. Do great things. But remember why you do it ... to His glory and the blessing of His Kingdom (Colossians 3:23). With that focus in mind and working as if serving the Lord Himself, success is inevitable.

Discussion: What are your talents? How do you use those gifts? Do you tend to work hard or hardly work? What is success to you? How do you use what God has gifted you with to serve Him?

Prayer: Lord you are the One who created us and gave us the unique talents we have. We pray we work hard to improve our skills and use them to be a blessings to others. In Christ, Amen.

The Game of Life

Last weekend, Daddy, Anton, Kayla and I played a couple games of Life. You remember the board game: Little plastic cars, pink and blue peg people, paper money, and - in our case - a spinner that wobbled and never quite spun smoothly around. Anton won almost every single game we played. His strategy: skip college, get stock and buy all the insurance you can.

With this board game you draw from two decks of cards for a career and salary. If you have a college degree, you can choose three and pick the best. You sometimes land on a space which allows you to trade salaries with any player. You get married, buy a house, have children and go along the winding path of life through all the travails and successes the journey brings. And when you retire, you end up on some estate surrounded by piles of money. Ahhhh, yes, just like real life.

Obviously that last bit was sarcasm. Not everyone ends up in the lap of luxury in their golden years. Daddy instead likes to call it the "laugh of luxury" as in it's a big joke. You may be blessed financially, but you may also be like the majority of the world and work paycheck to paycheck for a living. But the game is pretty accurate with regards to the spin of the wheel. You just never know what space you're are going to land on. Sometimes there is a fork in the road and you can pick which way you want to go. And sometimes you land on a space that takes a chunk of change out of those stock piles. You just never know what may come your way.

And honestly that's the way of it. Daddy and I have had some bizarre things happen in our marriage. The filled septic tank that backed up into our Georgia basement. Our grease-filled pipes and the drive-by shooting in Tennessee. Car accidents. Medical emergencies. Making new friends. Betrayals by old ones. Those many job and location changes with their salary ups and downs. Plus awards, adventurous vacations, unique pets, grief, mission trips and precious children. It's been a wild ride.

There is no happily ever after. I don't want to pop your Disney fairytale balloon, but it will not always be happy. It will not always be successful or profitable. It will not always be sunshine and roses. But we will tell you what it always will be. It will be to God's glory. As Romans 8:28 says, "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." It may not be the good you expect or hope for, but it will good to God's fame and glory and purpose. Everyone of the trials we experienced taught us something and made us stronger. Each in their own way brought us closer to our Father or to His children. Our joys came not just with successes and financial growth, but in love, persevering and conquering.  

You two blue and pink peg people will hop in your cars and begin this journey together very soon. And we pray you will have more highs than lows together. But regardless of the spin of the wheel, know that you are in Good Hands of the One who is in control of all things. 

Discussion: What do you think is the key to success in the game of life? How is it possible that trials can actually be good? How do you measure success?

Prayer: Father we give our lives to You and pray you watch over us in the years ahead, through the ups and downs of our life journey. And we pray through it all, that people will know to Whom we belong as we give all glory to you. In Christ, Amen.

You've Earned It

I love that my children work hard for what they want to achieve. They don't expect successes to just land on them ... they earn them. Anton will receive an award on April 20 for Most Outstanding Student in the Hospitality, Sports & Tourism Management School at Troy University. It is quite an honor and he is wholly deserving. We pray his education and acknowledgements will help bring his career dreams to fruition and know he will work his hardest make that happen.

We are equally proud of Kayla and her diligent efforts at school in locking down exactly what she wants to do and giving her all to achieve it. We love bragging on Rob when we see what he has accomplished as executive chef at The Blue Rooster, enjoying a delicious meal he has prepared (or drooling over one we get to see pictures of) and appearing relaxed and confident in television appearances. And we are so proud of Ayla who achieved a bachelor's degree in just three years, then a master's to make her dreams of working in the culinary industry a success. How could we not be in praise and worship of the Father for the people you are and progress you've made?! Glory to Him.

While doing my devotion the other morning, I came upon this verse in Deuteronomy 8:18, "It is God who gives you the ability to produce wealth." Our Father has gifted us individually to do what we do. When people have discovered their talents and put them to good use, it is so satisfying. When Moses wrote Deuteronomy to the Israelites wanted them remember Who to praise when they achieved job successes. To God be the glory.

We pray that all four of you will be vastly successful in your careers. In the movie Flashdance, the love interest, Nick Hurley, in the movie says to Alex Owens, the main character, "When you give up your dream, you die." So reach for the dreams you've set for yourself. We know you will work hard at whatever you do because we've seen your track record thus far. While wealth would certainly be an added blessing, it is our hope especially, that you will be content with whatever you have in whatever circumstances you find yourselves (Phil. 4:11). And remember to always thank your Father in heaven for those successes. For it is in Him that "we live and move and have our being" (Acts. 17:28).

Discussion: What are your talents? Dreams? What is success to you?

Prayer: Father, thank You for the abilities You have given us to care for one another in our jobs. We pray, Lord, for your blessings on both couples and their careers and that You will be glorified in it all. In Jesus, Amen.