Tell Us Your Story
But, yeah, I can hear you right now. You are saying, “It’s hard to tell my story.” Well here’s why...
My daddy was an amazing story teller. I remember friends and family sitting in our family den listening to him as he sat in his arm chair, legs crossed, throwing his head back in laughter as he recounted a memory or tale he had heard. Sometimes he would laugh so hard at himself that his eyes would water and he would have to wipe his nose. I’m not sure who enjoyed the stories he told more, him or us?! This is a sweet memory for me. Well, I guess you could say I’m a chip off the old block. I just love to tell stories. Telling my own story? Now that’s another story!
There is no way to put a price tag on the value of mapping out your life and seeing your own story. Rediscovering your story can be illuminating both for your present chapter and the unwritten chapters to come. The value lies in seeing purpose, redemption and weavings all throughout your days so that you believe with conviction that there is a reason for this crazy thing we call life!
But, yeah, I can hear you right now. You are saying, “It’s hard to tell my story.” Well here’s why...
The Four Myths of Telling Your Story
Myth #1 “I don’t have a very impressive story.”
Life has a way of complicating things. We become wrapped in day to day needs and struggles. The mundane takes over. Each day seems like the day before. As we get entrenched in the day to day it is so easy to forget the bigger picture. Believe me, YOU DO HAVE A STORY...its your’s and nobody else’s. Your story is unique and no one has a tale just like your’s.
Myth #2 "I’m not a good writer/storyteller."
Get over it! I remember vividly in junior high learning to write an essay. It started with something as simple as - beginning, middle and end. After reading, Show Your Work by Austin Kleon I wrote a tiny story about my life for the very first time. Austin made it simple and doable and gave the motivation I needed to just jot it down. So I’m stealing from Austin Kleon here because as he instructed us in his first book, it’s okay to Steal Like an Artist! Yep, beginning, middle and end. That’s all it takes. (BTW, I recommend both of those books.) The story itself is worth the telling, not because of how well it’s written. Besides, this may not ever be read by anyone else.
Myth #3 "I don't like my story."
Many stories contain pain, sin and suffering which make it difficult to approach. The is where the gospel comes in! "He has come that we might have LIFE!" He has given new life through the riches of His love, the righteousness of His Son and the resources of a Heavenly Father who adores you. Lay this gospel over your story for sweet healing. (Oh, and go see a counselor when necessary! I believe in therapist!)
Myth #4 "There’s no point in telling my story."
The value of your story will become crystal clear once you have taken the time to put it down on paper. What is the point?
To see the bigger picture of your life. #perspective
To see redemptive threads. #gratitude
To see that God has taken care of you all along. #Hisfaithfulness
To see that things worked out after all, even though sometimes differently than you had hoped. #hope
So, why are you telling your story again? You tell your story to yourself (and maybe someone else someday) to be more intentional in the way that you live each day. You realize that you are the main character in the story and you play a major role in how it is being played out. You begin to live life with more purpose when you believe that this thing called life is a big story and you can decide how the next chapter is written.
Here is a video made up of some brave women who stepped out to tell us a part of their story. May their stories inspire you and in turn may your story inspire others.
(The life mapping tool in pathFINDER sets the stage for writing your story. Consider Mapping your life soon. You will be glad you did. Go here to see a few Life Maps.)
There Will Be a Package at Your Door Today
Everyone loves to come home to find an unexpected package by their door. When you see the package a quick thought runs through your head. A thought of excitement and anticipation swirls. Who is it from? What could it be? You pick it up, feel the weight, shake it and try to see the return address. Who cares enough about me to send me a package?
by Anna Nash
Everyone loves to come home to find an unexpected package by their door. When you see the package a quick thought runs through your head. A thought of excitement and anticipation swirls. Who is it from? What could it be? You pick it up, feel the weight, shake it and try to see the return address. Who cares enough about me to send me a package?
This time of year the package is usually a Christmas gift. A gift from someone who thought about you and wants you to know, comes in a bundle of something tangible they thought you would enjoy.
Imagine you opened this gift today and found $24,000. Attached is a note explaining that $24,000 will be deposited into a bank account in your name at midnight every night for the rest of your life. There is just one small catch. After 24 hours the balance of the account will go back to zero. So, basically you have 24 hours to spend the money or it will disappear. The account carries no balance.
I think you can begin to see the analogy. You are gifted 24 hours each day. At midnight the hours you have been given cannot be rolled over. It is not my intention to burden you or make you feel depressed with the “life is short so get out there and do something” message.
Your perspective on the brevity of life changes dramatically through discovering God’s gifts each day, in and through this life He has given you. Instead of seeing the package of time as something you have to do or perform, see it from someone who wants you to know how much He cares about you. His gift to you is uniquely created by Him, for you. We all want to matter. He made us this way. You matter. God wants you to know this.
Finding your greatest worth each day is an adventure as you seek out how He has created you and what amazing things He has for you. Leaving your mark on the world is not a burden but a joy when you see how He has wired you with passions and strengths along the way that can be connected to your call in this life. The greatest investment of the gift of time that doesn’t roll over is finding something to put your hand to that will last forever, to feel like you are making a difference.
So go open your front door, peak outside and you will have the gift of this day waiting for you. Pick it up, unwrap it and ask, “God, what do you have for me this day?”
Oh, and by the way, tomorrow morning when you wake up, go peak again. There will be another package at your door and its from someone who cares deeply about you.
Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. "But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Psalm 39:4-7
So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. Luke 12:32
This Thanksgiving ... Changing Ordinary Opportunities into Blessings
"There was a young gentleman in front of me in line at the grocery store today. He was probably in his twenties. Soft spoken, gentle. He was using his WIC vouchers to pay for his food. He had a number of items and for some reason, the clerk had to rescan everything. In the end, he had an extra 10.00 to spend. She suggested that he pick up some bananas because they were close enough to the register and everybody eats bananas."
So I have this friend. Her name is Betsy and she lives on Lookout Mountain in Tennessee. She is a beacon of light there. How cool is that? She is a beacon of light on Lookout Mountain! In recent weeks Betsy has gotten involved with Beacon People and pushed to live for more with tremendous energy and passion. Part of Betsy's passion is to champion people out in the world who are full of purpose. Because of this, its as if she has put on glasses to notice the world in a new way, to see and believe in others who are making a difference.
Well, today, on this Thanksgiving Eve, it happened again. Another everyday person filled with purpose crossed her path in an ordinary place who blessed her socks off. I'll let her tell you about it...
"There was a young gentleman in front of me in line at the grocery store today. He was probably in his twenties. Soft spoken, gentle. He was using his WIC vouchers to pay for his food. He had a number of items and for some reason, the clerk had to rescan everything. In the end, he had an extra 10.00 to spend. She suggested that he pick up some bananas because they were close enough to the register and everybody eats bananas. He was so worried about making me wait. He kept looking at me. I was oblivious because I was reading emails. I was in no hurry. Didn’t need to be anywhere fast. I was actually glad it was me behind him because it was Thanksgiving eve and I must have been the only one in the Food City not rushing around to cook and get ready for company. I told him to go ahead and get the bananas. I didn’t mind waiting.
He got his bananas, thanked me, paid, and left.
When I got ready to pay at the register, the cashier held up a $20 bill and told me the gentleman wanted to donate to my grocery bill because I had been so patient to wait.
I was brought to tears by a stranger. I didn’t need the $20. I wasn’t having a bad day and didn’t need cheering up. I didn’t look downtrodden. All I had done was practiced patience. On any other day, I might have been irritated being made to wait. But this day I practiced patience. And then I was thanked.
He left me a $20 dollar bill that he could have used for something else. I know some people might be irritated with the fact that he was using government vouchers to pay for his food, but had $20 to give to a stranger.
My take: He saw an opportunity to give and he took the opportunity. So many people don’t. There is joy in the giving.
I saw a quote today. It said:
Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. William A. Ward
What would it be like if we all took those ordinary opportunities and turned them into blessings?"
Thank you, Betsy, for such an awesome reminder as we enter the most thankful day of the year tomorrow.
Grateful beyond words.
and "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15
(For more of Betsy's purpose-filled stories you can go here.)
Ordinary Wrappings
I believe everyone longs to know their calling. The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren was such a phenomenal and inspiring read and was embraced by millions of people. Why? Because deep down we all want to believe that we were born for a reason.
So this week found Beacon People traveling to Tupelo, Mississippi. Most people travel to Tupelo to find the birthplace of Elvis or to find the sweet treasure of Tupelo Honey. But we found some jewels there worth telling you about! An old Proverb says, "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones." We found some honey in Tupelo for sure! This group longs to make a difference through a publishing company, a creatives group, a horse therapist, a gift shop owner, a crisis pregnancy center, a church outreach and so much more! This blogpost is by Sara Berry, one of the Beacons we met in Tupelo.
Ordinary Wrappings by Sara Berry
I believe everyone longs to know their calling. The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren was such a phenomenal and inspiring read and was embraced by millions of people. Why? Because deep down we all want to believe that we were born for a reason. That we will leave this earth having made a difference. That we will leave a mark on others, which will cause them to remember us. We long for meaning in our lives and many times we waste a lot of time, money, energy, and relationships trying to find that meaning.
As Christians, we refer to this as the Call of God. Sounds really formal doesn’t it? But it’s not really. Think about your mother’s voice calling you in to dinner when you were a child. Or a call from a dear friend with whom you haven’t spoken in a while. Or what about the call of your child in the middle of the night, wanting to just be reassured that you are still close by. These calls are familiar and dear to us, as should be the call of God to our souls.
Sometimes the call of God is a reproof—a call to attention. When Adam and Eve ate the apple, God called to them saying, “Where are you?” God, of course, knew where they were, but they needed to be aware of where they had ended up.
The Lord Himself made clothes for them to cover their shame. This was foreshadowing of the ultimate covering that would come … the covering of the Blood of Jesus. It is because of that covering we can be called and used by God.
Do you realize that no matter what ordinary wrappings you have, God sees you as a chosen one?
You did not choose me, I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. John 15:16
He chose you for a special appointment, just as he chose Moses for his special appointment. Will you accept the appointment? Will you choose your “chosen-ness”?
And then God says, “Go…Go and bear fruit”. Go bear the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. And only with the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit, will it be healthy fruit that will last. Yes, people can do good things—things that help our society. Humanitarian and social efforts can produce good changes. But true, lasting fruit can only be produced when someone starts to realize and act like a chosen one who has accepted an appointment. With that first step, with that surrender of our own will and feeble efforts, God is pleased. And when God is pleased, great things begin to happen! We step aside, and He steps in. He uses our ordinary status, and brings about His extraordinary work.
What is your calling from God at this particular time in your life? Ask Him. He will gladly show you!
When your soul sings … take good notes.
“Keeping a simple list of who/what/where means I write down events that seem mundane at the time, but later on help paint a better portrait of the day, or even become more significant over time." Austin Kleon
A ship’s logbook is kept by the captain and the crew. Information is recorded, and operational data relating to his ship and the journey. Weather conditions, times of routine events and significant incidents, crew complement or what ports were docked at and when, all make up the logbook. It is essential to traditional navigation and is kept daily.
In a few words, a logbook helps a sailor navigate his journey.
Over the years I have kept a pretty traditional journal. But when I read about a logbook in Austin Kleon’s book, Steal Like an Artist, I just knew that this was exactly what I needed as I was pursuing new callings and deeper purpose life. It was a new twist to my journaling, if you will.
“Keeping a simple list of who/what/where means I write down events that seem mundane at the time, but later on help paint a better portrait of the day, or even become more significant over time." Austin Kleon
We are all weary travelers searching and longing to find the way home. Where am I going? Where have I come from? Keeping a log over time impacts greatly my perspective. I begin to connectthe dots. Yes! My life IS a story!
We shouldn’t get discouraged when we attempt to write our own story. Some feel they don’t have a story at all. Instead, look all around and find the story that is being written for you. Read the details of your life as a story. Everyone has a story and it needs to be recorded and possibly heard. If for no other reason, you need to read it yourself and listen to it as well. The passions of life, the people of life and the positions in which you find yourself are all adding up to something pretty amazing. Everyone has a story and nobody’s story is dull. It all gets back to your purpose…we each have one, you know. So within every purpose there has to be a story. Begin to fit the puzzle pieces together in your logbook to see the bigger picture. Writing, I believe, can help me chart my progress. Jotting down my opinions can help me refine my ideas.
When your soul sings … take good notes.
When your heart takes a punch, write about it.
When life gives you a clue, make a note of it.
When something inspires you, jot it down.
When you have an idea, log it.
When a prayer is prayed, record it.
When a prayer is answered, express it and rejoice.
“A memory inventory. An archive of sorts. Place-markers of my own narrative & those which intersect & entangle with my own. I am my own historian. My own keeper of my chronicle. Branches and leaves reminding me of where I've been & where I'm going.” Abigail Green
Tracing the threads and trends in my life helps me see that these things have brought me to where I am today. The path gets very foggy for me at times. I’m so glad I can go back and read my logbook on the days when things were crystal clear. My very own words inspire me to move forward.
“Don’t doubt in the darkness what you saw in the light.”
Write it down and remember... Home is not that far away.
… all a part of your journey, just the daily stuff. If it inspires, put it in there.
Dear Glenn Beck ...
I have little personal memory of that happening in my city but my entire life I have been well reminded of the horror that happened in our own backyard. It makes me so very sad when I google "Birmingham, AL”. Without fail you will find something on the bombing on the first search page that comes up.
artwork by Abbie Little
Hi Glenn,
My name is Anna Nash and I have lived in Birmingham, AL my entire life...50 years now :)
Just 1 short year before my birth 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed in 1963. Obviously I have little personal memory of that happening in my city but my entire life I have been well reminded of the horror that happened in our own backyard. It makes me so very sad when I google "Birmingham, AL”. Without fail you will find something on the bombing on the first search page that comes up.
I was thrilled when you announced that you would be coming to Birmingham with your people and this movement for change. Here are a few things I took from your segment on this:
“…the South, and Birmingham in particular, is going to be the region that steps up and brings reconciliation to the country.”
“The South will rise again, and this time it will save the country, not divide the country.”
“I think Birmingham, Alabama is going to be a place that restarts the country. It’s known for all of the bad things that happened in the ’50s. I think Birmingham, Alabama, is going to be known for all of the good things that happen here on out, just like Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston is forever going to be known for its good people, and I think Birmingham is going to be next on that list.”
You shared that you felt the nation is reaching a turning point—either begin a revival of faith and respect or continue toward a “cliff” from which there may be no return. The part of the country where you see the most potential for a cultural turnaround is the South.
Like you, I believe that the change we are longing to see in this country is going to start deep inside the hearts of people, and not in D.C. Change won’t even start within the church...even right here in the Bible belt of Alabama until true change takes place in souls within the church! Until we believe that we were created by God to be a part of the bigger story we will NEVER begin to see a difference in our world. People here in Birmingham and beyond have forgotten. We have forgotten what we were made for and why. We have become lazy, comfortable and consuming people who are self absorbed in so many ways. Folks around here are hoping for a new government official, a new pastor, a new plan to bring change. We have forgotten about organic change that comes from grass roots movements. Many here feel invincible...thinking that things happening around the world won't happen here. A “someone else can do it” mentality has saturated so many communities.
Well, just like you, I had an epiphany a few years ago that God was going to do something mighty in the Magic City of Birmingham. Of course, He would choose a city where such a horrible thing had happened to bring light and redemption. All eyes are on us, I know. What a joy that our city of Birmingham would be the picture of redemption, love and change in the US! If we could change anybody can! Nothing would thrill me more than God's favor here on us and through us to a seeking people.
Since I believe we should each play our part (Be the change you want to see!), I have gathered a community here in Birmingham called Beacon People. We are about guiding, connecting and inspiring purpose driven people. There are some pretty amazing grass roots groups here in Birmingham who want to be a part of the Bigger Story! Just thought I'd email you to say that reconciliation is happening here! I am thrilled that you have a prompting about this as well and that you are coming as a Beacon to inspire us. God knows, we can use as much help as we can get! Here are a few organic things that are happening here that I thought you'd like to take a look at before you come in August. I'm walking on sidewalks, sitting in coffee shops, singing in church and meeting with folks all around who are beginning to realize that true change in our culture will have to start from within. People who are willing to do the hard work of making a difference and are living for something greater than themselves are becoming ignited! Here are just a handful of those making sacrifice … all of these are based out of Birmingham! There are more, but for time sake I’m just noting a few that I am personally connected with through Beacon People:
2. http://www.restorationacademy.org/
4. http://lifelinechild.org/christian-adoption-services/staff/state/alabama/
7. http://www.commonthread.org/
9. http://ornaments4orphans.org/
10. http://www.magiccitywoodworks.org/
11. www.restore-ministries.org
When things start happening in and through our city I want to be able to say that I was a part of it! Redemption is what God is all about and He has redeemed ME, so how could I not desire to make a difference in the lives of others?!?!?
Thanks for listening and I hope some of this was a bit helpful as you are getting to know the audience down here! Grateful for the role you are playing, Glenn. Please let me know if I can do anything on my end here to help.
Time to shine,
Anna Nash