As we were trying different wines, the server would engage us in conversation. Mostly stuff about the different wines we were trying. Then, he said something that stuck with me the rest of the night.

He said, “Stressed vines produce the best grapes for wine production”.

He went on to say that the vintner/farmer will purposely ‘stress‘ the plants as they grow by limiting water, sunlight, and nutrients. This causes the plant’s roots to sink deeper in search of life and also does something to the grapes as far as making them more fruitful.

I was fascinated.

I kept thinking to myself. Here I am relaxed and enjoying an awesome glass of wine from a plant that got ‘stressed-out‘.

You see where I am going?

Do u think there is anything ‘fruitful‘ that could come from the stress in your life?

Is it possible that our struggles today will eventually produce something awesome because they caused our roots to sink deeper in search of life?

Thoughts?

P.S. This post created some great conversation among the Pursue Life subscribers. To join us yahoos go here and hey…it’s free!

It took me years to become like that cat. To figure out that I couldn’t fit my Life into a title, a role, a ministry, or a position. I often tried to squeeze into spaces I could not fit. The places where I was hoping to find total meaning and fulfillment.

Did you know that your life is too “BIG” to fit in confined spaces?

It’s so much larger and deeper than the roles you fulfill. Being a mother, doctor, pastor, or business owner is a wonderful thing, but those roles can’t contain your full identity or the weightiness of your life. They will never totally define who you are and what you bring to this world.

We need to be careful not to try and squeeze our whole identity into those places. We need to be more like our feline friends and stay aware of the limited spaces that can’t fully contain who we are.

Thoughts?

How have u tried to squeeze your Life into a tight space?

P.S. If u haven’t signed up for the Pursue Life subscription, what is stopping u? It’s now free and where I am having the most engaging conversations these days. Go here to join in.

Hope u are well,

Jack

Expose yourself to people you don’t yet understand.

Trust your gut.

Practice gratitude first thing in the morning before your feet hit the floor.

Stay blind to those who see only their way or the highway.

Fail frequently and often.

Offer who u are…right now…today…it’s enough.

Pursue God…Life…Others.

Seek out Sages…they are usually the ones listening more and speaking less.

Ignore unsolicited advice.

Own your story and share it with someone…it could change their life.

Engage in rest, play, joy, laughter, friendship.

Let go of what people think.

Cultivate creativity, trust, love, hope.

Embrace the Journey that is your Life.

U know?

But I wanted to leave u with one last nugget.

Have u ever thought about Who led u to these “Intense Intersections“?

Like for my 5 year-old who just got off training wheels, whose idea was it to head to the bike trail crossing over traffic laden intersections? His or his father’s?

See, I have a thought.

I don’t think we totally choose the Journey. I think much of it is orchestrated for us.

Maybe the “Intense Intersections” in our lives serve a purpose. Maybe they provide us with an invitation. An invitation to “not go it alone“. An invitation to a conversation. And an invitation to an adventure as we traverse difficult and imposing terrain…together.

Ponder that awhile and have an Awesome weekend!

1) It requires…Desire. I ran the Chicago marathon in 2006 and ’07. The first year I ran with desire…the second year I didn’t and it showed. In fact, I didn’t train well either. I simply ‘mailed it in’. We have to constantly be aware of our desire. When it’s present and when it’s lacking and why.

2) It requires…Guts. You remember from Tuesday the story of our family bike ride. Who needed the most guts? That’s right…my wife. She struggled as the five year-old wobbled across heavily trafficked intersections in route to the trail head. But then she experienced an amazing afternoon. And it’s the same for us. It will often take guts to pursue the life we most desire.

3) It requires…Trust. Trust in ourselves, trust in others, and trust in God. Would the five year-old have crossed those intersections alone or without trusting us?…Personally, this truth took me the longest to learn. I tried crossing difficult intersections in my life on my own and it often went badly. Thankfully, I am getting better at trusting, seeking and receiving.

What other things do you see as important to crossing difficult intersections?

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. My middle son is just getting use to riding without “training wheels”. He’s doing great on the sidewalk and driveway in front of our house, but the “trail” is down the road and to get there we’ll need to cross three fairly intense intersections.

Helmets…check! Water…check! Jesus be with us…check!

As it turns out, we had an awesome time. My son did great. My wife survived. And we all gained from the experience.

So how are u doing with the “Intense Intersections” in your life? The ones that lie between you and the “trail” you most want to be on.

Are u traveling with others more seasoned than u?

Are u prepared or do u need more work on the “training wheels” first?

This week let’s unpack what it takes to get from where we are…to where we’d like to be.

Here are a few truths I have discovered about leaders and leadership:

1) Leadership is about influence. It’s about the capacity to effect change. If you influence one person to do, think, or feel differently about something, you have led that person. You are a leader.

2) Leadership and influence is not suppose to be constant. We don’t have to always be the one taking the lead. That’s not leadership anyhow…it’s self-centeredness.

3) Leaders take responsiblity. Whenever you and I take responsibilty for someone or something, we are demonstrating leadership.

4) You and I lead ‘best’ when we see the ‘best’ in others and seek to bring it out in them. True Leadership isn’t really about leading…it’s about caring.

Thoughts?

What else have you discovered about Leadership?

This is one of the biggest things we need to do in clarifying the purpose of our life, but it isn’t easy.

Why?

Because seeking increasing levels of counsel and advice requires increasing levels of vulnerability and trust. To be honest, it’s much easier to rely only on ourselves than to put something out there and risk ridicule, judgement, and shame.

But here are a few things I am learning:

1) I need the eyes of others on my life. I know it’s been huge in helping me clarify my calling.

2) It takes courage and intentionality to be vulnerable and ask for input. This is the main reason I walked alone for so many years.

3) I enjoy all kinds of folks, but not everyone can speak into my life. We need to be discerning about who we look to for direction and we need to pursue the right people with the right questions. I trust the thoughts of different people for different reasons. It is often based on their experience and calling. In other words, no one has all the answers so I don’t look to one person for all of them.

Thoughts?

How often do u pursue the thoughts of others?

What?…Unquenchable?…Yes.

What’s unquenchable?…Your heart.

It was an unexpected statement that took me back because I was enjoying the moment. I wasn’t having a pity party (which I throw from time to time). I wasn’t desiring or thirsting for more from life. I was, in fact, thanking Him for my life. And my heart, in that moment, was satisfied.

So, what do we do?

How do we handle our hearts knowing they are “unquenchable”?

Well for starters, I think it’s worth noting that Jesus isn’t opposed to our thirsting. Too often, we hammer ourselves for desiring or thirsting for more.

Be honest. Most of us believe an “unquenchable” heart is a bad thing. A few years ago, I would have given myself a stern lecture, put the wine up, and crawled into bed after hearing something like that. But I’ve learned that Jesus is fine with it. He’s okay with our longing for more. In fact, I believe He wants us to thirst for more.

Why?

Because He loves inviting us to His well. His desire is to give us “an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.” (John 4:14) He literally wants to become that wellspring of Life within us.

So, how do we handle our hearts knowing they are “unquenchable”?

The simple answer…we don’t. We don’t beat ourselves up over it. We don’t deny it and we definitely don’t try and quench it ourselves. Instead, we take it to Him. The Ultimate thirst quencher.

Thoughts?

How has He been quenching your thirst?

U probably aren’t saying much…at all.