Bob Merritt (When Life’s Not Working) draws on the prophet Nehemiah to develop 4 key steps to overcoming insurmountable problems: Step 1: Fast and pray. Actually, the very first thing Nehemiah did was sit down and cry. Grieving is essential in coming to grips with your downsizing or position loss. As you give voice to […]
In Chapter 7 (“Have Barbed-Wire Discipline”) of When Life’s Not Working, Pastor Bob Merritt compares enormous and seemingly insurmountable problems that most of us face to a big ball of barbed-wire that sat in his back yard for 15 years. He asks: “What is it in your life that seems so over whelming that every […]
After I’ve annotated and blogged a book on the Crown of Compassion web site, my wife reads the book for her benefit and to contribute her insights. Currently she is reading The Peace God Promises by Ann Spangler. Today she remarked that Ann Spangler commented that one reason we find it hard to keep our […]
While Bob Merritt stresses the importance of establishing predictable rhythms, he does acknowledge that there are times when it’t appropriate to take a break. He states: “I’ve learned that I have to make time for things that I don’t have time for because that’s where God often shows up, that’s when surprises and adventures happen.” […]
After discussing the establishment of predictable rhythms in physical exercise and work, author Bob Merritt (When Life’s Not Working) offers this caveat: rhythms do not exist in a vacuum. He states: “Nobody has the freedom to establish their own rhythm to the neglect of others who work with and around them. . . . . […]
“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9 In my last blog I related Bob Merritt’s idea of establishing predictable rhythms in your life. Pastor Merritt says that requires establishing those rhythms, or what […]
Bob Merritt distinguishes between rhythmic and random approaches to life in Chapter 6 of When Life’s Not Working. Establishing a healthy rhythm helps you become more consistent and effective. On the other hand, although a random approach is spontaneous and free, it can be unreliable and unpredictable. Random is acceptable when it fits in the […]
In Chapter 5 of When Life’s Not Working, author Bob Merritt quotes Andy Stanley’s principle of the path: “Direction, not intention, determines destination.” In other words, whatever path you’ve chosen will lead to a destination, God-pleasing or otherwise. After experiencing a ministry downsizing or position loss, the desire to ‘plant’ new seeds of ministry remains- […]
One of the key points Jeff Manion makes in his book The Land Between is that when the Israelites left Egypt they were unprepared to enter the Promised Land. They needed desert transformation time. Bob Merritt (When Life’s Not Working) echoes that perspective when he ways that some people want God to bless them with […]
Reflecting on his 3 years spent as a doctoral student in the speech department at Penn State University (aka “Happy Valley”), Bob Merritt (When Life’s Not Working) states they were the unhappiest years of his life. Periods of joy were intermingled with fears, depression, and poverty. Today when people ask him how he made it, […]
In his book When Life’s Not Working, Bob Merritt says that God has given each of us the ability and desire to do things well. He quotes Max Lucado: “You find your sweet spot at the intersection of success and satisfaction.” Most likely, our called teaching or pastoral position filled that sweet spot in our […]
Much of our experience is mundane and routine. Yet Pastor Bob Merritt (When Life’s Not Working) wonders how we’re spending the rest of our lives, whether we’ve “made any room in (our) days and weeks for the things that really matter and have lasting value.” Especially for those of us who have been involved in […]