Life and Mission

Katie Hornor started her businesses with no savings, no loans, and no debt. She has overcome incredible odds in growing her business. Her latest book is Faith Like Flamingos - The Christian Business Guide to Walking Out Your Faith in Bold Color.

Don't let the big pink birds fool you, Katie is serious about helping us as Christian entrepreneurs to overcome imposter syndrome and take big, bold steps to be who God created us to be.

The seed for Faith Like Flamingos started on a family vacation to see flamingos in the wild, where Katie realized these beautiful creatures were just like us in many ways. 

[00:09:09] Each one of them is unique and different and God has created each of us unique and different too. And when we don't step up and give the message that we've been given to give, someone on the other end is not receiving the help that God created us to give them so that they can fulfill their purpose.

In the book, she takes a different characteristic of the Flamingo in each chapter and draws from biblical principles to make a business application that mirrors that characteristic of the Flamingo. Things like:

• not hiding who you are 
• being bold to be who you were created to be regardless of your surroundings
• not being afraid to live where God puts you
• standing together with others so we can all succeed

[22:05] When you sit there and say, I can't do that because I'm not like so-and-so. You're forgetting about the unique voice God has given you to call those people and to motivate them into action.

Resources:
Disclosure: Links may be affiliate links, which means I get a small percentage of any purchase you make at no extra cost to you. Thank you.

Buy the Book: https://amzn.to/2u6EjYa
Faith Like Flamingos Website: http://www.faithlikeflamingos.com/
BloggingSuccessfully.com
Katie’s podcast: https://bloggingsuccessfully.com/podcast
Book Trailer  https://youtu.be/qFK6zzp2igc

Listen to my first interview with Katie (Episode 17)

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All last month we talked about calling and purpose. But what happens when things don’t go as planned? What happens when you get bad news? When everything falls apart?

The Bible gives us plenty of examples; an incredibly powerful way to deal with suffering, called a lament. Lament is a powerful form of worship. It’s both an expression of grief or anguish, and a cry of hope. 

“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?” You know who said that? Jesus, on the cross. He was quoting David, Psalm 22 - which says “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” (Psalm 22:1, NIV) More than one third of the Psalms are laments.  And then of course there’s Job, and an entire book called Lamentations. Habakkuk. And more.

So why am I talking about lament on this podcast? I’m supposed to be encouraging. Find your voice, tell your story, change the world and all that. But the truth is we get stuck sometimes. The voice gets stuck at the back of the throat. There’s no strength to push this dream on anymore. The world is too big to change, and the burdens too heavy to carry. But take heart. 

Lament is a reminder that we're not alone. God hears our cries. He isn't going to change the subject or walk away. Even when He’s silent - He’s still there.

"The time when there is nothing at all in your soul except a cry for help may be just that time when God can't give it: you are like the drowning man who can't be helped because he clutches and grabs. Perhaps your own reiterated cries deafen you to the voice you hoped to hear." - C.S. Lewis

"Every lament is a prayer; a statement of faith" and "You might think lament is the opposite of praise. It isn’t. Instead, lament is a path to praise as we are led through our brokenness and disappointment. The space between brokenness and God’s mercy is where this song is sung. Think of lament as the transition between pain and promise. It is the path from heartbreak to hope." - Mark Vroegop

Here is a pattern for lament:

• Addressing God
• Review of God’s faithfulness in the past. 
• Complaint 
• Confession of sin or of innocence
• Request 
• Expression of trust/praise

Lament is not a denial of faith. It is not a sign of weak faith. Rather, it is a way of reaching out  to God. In actually signals we trust God with our deepest questions and our most painful and raw emotions. It is a form of worship.

And when someone near us is suffering, we can come and sit beside them. We can join them in the lament. - Mourn with those who mourn -  It is an act of love.

Recommended:
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop
This Too Shall Last - a new podcast and book by KJ Ramsey

Disclosure: Links may be affiliate links, which means I get a small percentage of any purchase you make at no extra cost to you. Thank you.

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This week we're talking about living for an audience of one, in part two of my look at The Call by Os Guinness (see Ep. 31: What Does it Mean to be Called? for part one). Guinness writes, “A life lived listening to the decisive call of God is a life lived before one audience that trumps all others—the Audience of One.”

Have you ever been in a conversation and added a comment that seemed innocent at the time, but later you felt convicted about it? And what about defending ourselves? Especially when we feel we've been unjustly accused or insulted. Right or wrong, the flavor and intensity of my response may indicate my focus has shifted away from the Caller.

One danger in today’s world is that we are so connected and easily distracted. And at the same time we are more anonymous than ever. No longer tied to each other in physical community, our personal relationships are often based on what we choose to show to others, not what they see of us in real time, in real life. This can be a great temptation, as we can do or see whatever we want because we can’t be seen or held accountable. The message today seems we can do whatever we want.

Guinness addresses the distortions and dangers of calling. The reverse side of calling, he says, is conceit. Truth can be distorted, and the most effective lie begins with a sliver of truth.

“The closeness between calling and conceit is easy to see. After all, to be called is to hear God whisper three things to you in a hundred intimate ways—“You are chosen; you are gifted; you are special.” Let those three things sink in for longer than the first precious moments and you will inevitably hear another voice, honeyed and smooth: “Yes, you really are chosen . . . gifted . . . special.” - Os Guinness

If we let that second, subversive whisper take hold, we elevate and deceive ourselves. Above others, and even above God, the very One who calls us. This conceit isn’t limited to individuals. Groups and even nations can follow this distorted, malicious whisper. It is the very nobility of calling, Guinness says that makes us vulnerable to pride. Guinness writes, “Temptation tempts most temptingly when it is a shortcut to realizing the very highest at which we aim. So the twisting of our highest aspirations will be twice as evil as the twisting of our lowest.”

We are vulnerable to pride even as we claim the audience of one. Why? Because the audience of one is not God, but ourselves! It is possible to think so highly of ourselves that we look down on others so that we do not care what they think. If the Audience of One is us, we’re in a dangerous place.

What is the remedy for pride? It is grace. When we understand, through grace – that we are called only because of God’s grace. It is not something we’ve earned or purchased for ourselves. We are unable to call ourselves. God does it, It is by his grace alone.

Action steps:

1. Read Matthew 6:1-4. Why does Jesus require that our good deeds be done in secret? 
2. Let's take time each day to offer our calling back to God. If we allow Him time and space to examine our heart’s motives, we’ll be less vulnerable to the subtle changes that lead us off course. 

The Call, by Os Guinness
Genesis 39 (Joseph and Potiphar's wife)
Episode 31: What Does it Mean to Be Called?

Disclosure: Links may be affiliate links. If you decide to purchase any of these resources, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

Matt Ham left a 10 year career in insurance sales to start YouPrint, a faith and personal development organization, and its nonprofit initiative called the Life Center. In this interview, Matt offers perspective on how we can thrive without striving. 

[Matt 00:00:58] "Unfortunately we place our own understanding and expectations on how things should work out and it never works out that way. One of the greatest mistakes that we make is limiting God by our own understanding."

YouPrint is positioned as executive coaching, mentoring, community, and discipleship between Sundays. The philanthropic side of The Life Center is about removing obstacles, with the message "God loves you and he cares about you and he desires genuine relationship with you. And He created you for such a time as this. And we're here to walk with you."

"The Life Center is actually going to be a campus style facility where it will literally be a launch pad for entrepreneurial kingdom minded endeavors. It's a vision from the Lord that we are faithfully following out."

The Desires of Your Heart
God gives to you from His Spirit, and your heart is where those desires dwell. "It's like seeds of his genius that he planted in your heart. And you feel them or perceive them through your desires...He says, I will give you the desires of your heart in exchange for your will. You give me your will. And I will give you the desires of your heart. That's it. That's the offer. That's the offer of faith. Delight yourself in the Lord. What does that mean? That means surrender your will. Yield to him. Trust in him. Abide in him. You know, it's all throughout scripture. Who did this the best? Jesus."

"What are you busy with doing in your life? Are you busy with protecting and building your own reputation, or are you more concerned and busy with living underneath the reputation of God and his provision and his literal desires to give you the desires of your heart so that you can change the world for his glory? That's why we do what we do."

Investing in People
"People are the best investment that you can make. Period. Investing in people is the best investment that you can make." Just as Jesus encountered each person in a different way, so must we. What are the gifts God has placed inside that person? Can we see the potential and not just the circumstance?

Being the Church
"The church is the body of believers. That is not confined to Sundays. It's not confined to buildings." That includes entrepreneurism. God has called people into business and into all kinds of roles in society. "We need a people who are infused into those cultures and become literally evangelists in those pockets...God will clarify the call as you yield and surrender to him...The process of discipleship is to get people to that place because that is the most effective way to spread the kingdom."

But How?
Matt says we come to that place of knowing who we really are, and fulfilling our purpose starts with a posture of rest. "It starts with stillness. We're not very good at that. 'Come to me, all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest.' The offer of Jesus first is rest."

Get to a place of rest and stillness.
Magnify and elevate the glory of God. Learn to praise Him.
Take a posture of thankfulness.
Then be quiet and meditate and listen back to what he's saying. You hear that and see that through his word, the Bible.

"The life that God has created you to live is literally waiting on the other side of your capacity to be ready, be at rest, yield and surrender your will and listen to where the spirit leads and follow that. And that is what is anointed and blessed."

Connect with Matt: YouPrint.life

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While many other books will give you tactics and tools to discover your calling, or to focus your vision, I want to start with The Call, by Os Guinness, because it gives us a solid foundation. 

What is Calling?
A quick trip to the dictionary offers these definitions:

1. the act of a person or thing that calls.
2. a call or summons
3. a strong impulse or inclination
4. a convocation (like a meeting)

The origin of our word for the vocal meaning of “calling” has its origins in the Old English “hildecalla” which means “battle cry.”  Calling also shares roots with the Latin word for “glory” - ”gloria” - and this is associated with the vocational meaning of calling. 

The idea of calling and vocation is important to us because it affects our personal identity, humanness, and significance. 

The main idea for The Call is that there is no calling without a Caller. As Guinness says, “If there is no Caller, there are no callings—only work.”

Here is how the Guinness defines Calling: 

“Calling is the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion and dynamism lived out as a response to his summons and service.”

We are called by someone, to someone, and for someone. And that someone. The One who calls us is Christ. This is our primary calling. That which we see as a vocational or occupational calling - those things we do in response to the primary call, are the secondary callings.

Distortions of Calling

Guinness points out two distortions of calling, the “Catholic Distortion” which elevates the spiritual over the secular. Then there is the “Protestant distortion” which elevates secular over spiritual so that work becomes the thing we serve. 

Then there is the term “vocational calling” which - remember our definitions - means “calling calling.” So what we mean by “vocational calling” is actually “occupation” or work, and before we know it we’ve separated that area of our lives from our primary calling.

Four Key Distinctions

The key to overcoming these distortions of calling, according to Guinness, is to balance giftedness with stewardship. How do we do that? He offers four areas where we must carefully watch the way in which we view calling:

1. the distinction between individual or particular calling and general or corporate calling 
2. the distinction between a special calling and original or ordinary calling 
3. the distinction between something being central to our calling and something being peripheral
4. the distinction between the clarity of calling and the mystery of calling

Invitation
Set aside some time over the next few days to sit alone and present yourself and your gifts, your talents and your tendencies to God. 

There’s a song that says “Here’s my heart, Lord--speak what is true.” It makes a wonderful prayer.

Somewhere in that quiet place and in that surrender, may the God who created you speak truth about who you are and who He created you to be. 

Let’s hear from you
What are some books you’ve read about calling and purpose? What stuck with you or helped you--and why? Record a short voice memo one minute or less-and let us know. email the audio to [email protected] - we might play it on a future episode. Or, you can write your answer in a simple email message.  Either way, I’d love to hear your recommendations.

LifeandMission.com

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

The Your Voice Podcast is changing into the Life and Mission Podcast. 

The overall mission of the show remains the same, only more focused and purposeful in how we help you to find your voice, tell your story, and change the world. 

Head over to Lifeandmission.com and sign up for email updates. You'll get show notes, links to resources mentioned on the show, and additional content we don’t put on the pod. Totally free. Straight to your inbox once or twice a month.

You can expect a new show every other week, with a mixed format of interviews and solo programs. Topics include calling and purpose, and living life in pursuit of a greater purpose.

Along the way, we'll help you get focused on what truly matters, give you tips and tools to overcome challenges and get un-stuck, and show you ways to get your message out into the world. 

Thank you so much for being here! If you know somebody who could benefit from this program, let ‘em know about it! This is the year to get focused, get moving, and make a difference!

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

UPDATE: At the time of this recording, the show was called The Your Voice Podcast. Since this recording, Kay has has rebranded to Life and Mission.

Brian Mays is a dad, husband, graphic designer, artist and teacher. In this interview, he shares his experience as a graphic designer and teacher of creativity.
[00:01:31] As a graphic designer for a church, Brian says, "We offer a handshake to the world and we make sure that handshake's as good as it can be."
[00:37:30] Being a creative professional as a discipline: "When you're living it eight hours a day five days a week, there are times where the ideas just don't come and you've still got to perform, and that's not fun."

What's a good critiquing process?
[00:43:03] "I've seen tears in classrooms from from when people get critiqued and it's very, very difficult for - especially younger ones that are just getting their first exposure to this in some kind of creative teaching in school. They may have never had their ideas critiqued before."

How to nurture and grow creativity
[00:58:37] Here's what Brian tells someone who wants to grow and develop their creative side:

1. Keep making stuff. Do it because you enjoy it. 
2. Tell people about it. 
3. Get constructive feedback to help you improve your skills. You'll need to develop a really thick skin: "You don't want to not care what you have but let it not penetrate into your soul." 
4. Take risks.[01:00:30] What's next? More portraits (he's good, y'all).[01:01:05] Advice to young creatives - you don't have to do everything that comes your way.

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

UPDATE: At the time of this recording, the show was called The Your Voice Podcast. Since this recording, Kay has has rebranded to Life and Mission.

Rachel Goble is the CEO at The Freedom Story, and Heidi Burkey is a documentarian and director. We're talking about the Ethical Storytelling community and what it means to tell stories ethically.

[00:01:04] How the Ethical Storytelling community began.
[00:05:50] Heidi began to ask, "What is the human experience in this person's story that someone on the other side of the world can understand?"

Ethical Storytelling@ethicalstorytelling
Be sure to visit the web site for the latest webinar! And check out the Ethical Storytelling podcast for more!

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

UPDATE: At the time of this recording, the show was called The Your Voice Podcast. Since this recording, Kay has has rebranded to Life and Mission.

This week, my guest is Vanessa Chase Lockshin of the Storytelling Nonprofit. She’s an international non-profit consultant, speaker, and author of The Storytelling Non-Profit: A practical guide to telling stories that raise money and awareness (affiliate link).

[00:01:38] Vanessa says she always wanted to be a writer, and she's been journalling since she was seven years old. "I have a passion for personal narrative and this idea that being able to give voice to story is a way that we can process things in our life, in a way that we can heal things in our life. And there's that element that's really powerful and really interesting to me."Working in the non-profit world, she wanted to tell stories that could connect donors to what was going on in the organization. There weren't a lot of resources available. The things she was doing seemed to work, so she started to share those things with others.

[00:03:11] "I wanted there to be more equity and accessibility and in what I shared. And I think that still drives a lot of what I do to a large extent. So I think it's a combination of both of those things are both very powerful for me in terms of drivers of that passion and that focus that I have around storytelling."

The Purpose of Storytelling

[00:05:18] Storytelling is a powerful tool for building culture in an organization. "I think it just allows for that greater flow of information throughout the organization."

[00:08:57] We talked about asking good questions, and how to approach an interview. "I always tell folks that it's much better to incrementally ask questions to understand the story rather than asking them one sweeping question in the hopes of getting all the information you want."
[00:10:45] In non-profit storytelling, there are several factors to consider as you tell a story. The organization is telling someone's story, and that person is often in a vulnerable position. "I often wondered, if our clients read these stories would they be happy with the way we portrayed them? Is this how they would tell their story? And does that overlap with what we know to be true about successful principles in fundraising?"

Storytelling on Social Media

[00:20:18] With so many tools and channels available now, non-profits have to think strategically about how and where they use stories. It can be easy to get distracted or to spend energy chasing everything that's out there. Vanessa's key piece advice is to have a strategy. "It hopefully will ensure you're not spending a lot of time on things that are not supporting the goals that you have."
[00:28:40] "I always come back to data. That's alwa

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

John Michael Clark teaches family leadership for men through the Captain's Course.[00:05:28] In this show, John Michael leads us through the three legs of family leadership:

• Compassion 
• Responsibility 
• Authority[00:06:13] "As long as we're starting with compassion. Everything else will fall into place." JM gives examples from his own family to show how this looks.[00:10:37] Every person in the family has responsibility, but the ultimate burden falls on the man. "When men come to me complaining my first thing is to hold up the mirror to them and go, 'Hey bro, look at this guy.'"[00:13:16] In the church, men are told they need to lead like Jesus, but aren't taught how to do that.[00:15:29] The lies we believe about men can lead to extremes. One extreme can lead to abuse. The other can lead to passivity and families and relationships that drift. But good men are not afraid of bad guys.

johnmichaelclark.comfacebook.com/LeadWithStrengthAndLoveGet 50% the Captain's Course using the code YOURVOICEjohnmichaelclark.com/captainscourse

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!