[Again, you can find this post duplicated at Loom & Wheel Words.]

Following his pattern of developing ideas through questioning, Craig Groeschel asks three questions to help readers of Chazown begin finding their spiritual gifts. What is your passion? What is your impact? What is your secret belief? Each of the questions deals with the things that you do—the activity of your life.

First, what is it that you do with passion? What is it that you enjoy doing or suspect that you might enjoy doing? I find that communication is the thing that I have a passion about. I look for ways to communicate, to say the right word at the right time. I find that I have the same desire in my writing—to use the best word to communicate the best possible message at the perfect time. I like to think that once in awhile, I hit the mark.

What, then, do you do that seems to have a significant impact on the world around you? This is a tough question for me because as my mother has often observed, I am my own biggest critic. I’ve discovered that while sometimes my words do have the impact that I desire, it is more often time that impacts those around me. People seem to be more aware that I have spent time with them than they are to remember anything I say. This is especially true during times of crisis. Few if any people remember the words said in a prayer when they are going into a time of surgery, but most remember that you were there and that you offered a prayer.

Finally, what is it that you secretly believe that you can do—even if you’ve never tried it? Although I’ve journeyed down the road of self-publishing (in essence, paying up-front the costs of getting your book between covers and in hard copy form), I still feel that I’ve got the stuff to get my stories published. Groeschel asserts that you should do what you secretly know you can do. He follows up with another assertion that if you don’t do it, if you keep putting it off, you’ll lose the ability to do that which you secretly think you can do. (That’s double-talk for saying, “Put up or shut up.”)

Here’s another author’s perspective on the same idea:

A Dream Deferred
by Langston Hughes
(Langston Hughes homepage)

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up

like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore--

And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Or crust and sugar over--

like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags

like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Once you have found these things, you are better equipped to find your spiritual gifts—those things which God has given you that will help you further the work of the Kingdom. Like other authors, Groeschel has found an assessment tool which will help followers of Jesus discover their gifts (based on a listing developed by the writers of the assessment tool). Here are my gifts based on that tool:

Apostleship – adaptability, with an emphasis on missions and cross-cultural witness.

Shepherding – care, nurture, and guiding.

Leadership – purpose and goal setting.

Knowledge – insight.

Teaching – able to communicate ideas.

Coupling this with the core values that I developed earlier, is it any wonder that the most energized I have been in my career path has been during those times I have been living in ministry? Serving as the pastor of a church is a hand-in-glove fit for me. I am able to use my gifts to address my personal values in an effort to build God’s kingdom. What a rush!

This is a chart showing my personality type. I've done these kinds of tests before, but it's always good to review.

Others have the same type as me. Here's a sample:

Famous ENFPs

Real ENFP People
Alicia Silverstone - actress (Clueless), fashion model
Andy Kaufman - American entertainer
Andy Rooney - television writer
Bill Cosby - actor, comedian, activist
Bill Moyers - journalist, commentator
Bob Dylan - singer-songwriter, musician
Bus ter Keaton - silent film comic actor
Carol Burnett - comedian
Charles Dickens - English novelist
Dave Thomas - businessman (Wendy's), philanthropist
Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geise) - writer, cartoonist
Franz Joseph Haydn - composer
James Dobson - evangelical psychologist
Joseph Campbell - writer, orator
King Jordan - deaf president of Gallaudet University
Lewis Grizzard - humorist
Martin Short - Canadian actor, comedian
Paul Harvey - radio broadcaster
Paul Robeson - actor, athlete, singer, writer, activist
Phil Donahue - TV personality
Regis Philbin - TV personality
Robin Williams - actor
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) - writer
Sandra Bullock - actress
Sinbad - actor, comedian
Upton Sinclair - author, investigative journalist
Will Rogers - Comedian

Fictional ENFPs (Characters)
Ariel - The Little Mermaid
Balki - Perfect Strangers
Dr. Doug Ross - ER
Lara Antipova - Doctor Zhivago
Steve Urkel - Family Matters
Will - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

[HT: Kevin Bussey]

It's time to make an adjustment to an assessment. A day or two after I posted this, I got an email from the company. Here's a snip from customer representative Brenda R:

I apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced. I have placed an
order for a lid that you will receive within 2-3 weeks. I apologize for the
service center giving you incorrect information. The part could have been
ordered direct at any time. in fact the lid is an inexpensive part and that
is why they most likely did not wish to sell it for such a small amount.

[This post is also published at Loom & Wheel Words, a blog where I address more philosophical matters. Occasionally there will be a post that touches on the emphases of both of my personal blogs. If you are interested in the deeper topics that I might explore, you should click on the link to the side and visit my other blog.]

Craig Groeschel insists that your ultimate Life Vision, your Chazown, is tied indelibly to three areas of your life: your Core Values, your Spiritual Gifts, and your past experiences. Today we’ll deal with my response to the issue of Core Values. Core Values are those things that strike you at your heart (your core). They are the ideals that make you stand up and take notice. There are two questions which can help you arrive at what those core values might be.

First, what really angers me? What makes your righteousness get indignated? For me it amounts to three or four things (in no particular order, but even as I think about it to write these things, I begin to see red). Hurting children. When people take advantage of children in a way that God never intended, when children suffer needlessly because of government waste or parental ignorance, my dander flares.

Lying. So often I find that when people play on my good nature and then I find out they aren’t truthful with me, my head aches. Why would someone lie? To me or to anyone, why? I’ve known those people who would tell a lie when the truth would be more expedient, but lying—truthlessness—is their nature. Why?

False Pride. I think perhaps the one thing that makes me froth at the mouth most is this insane—inane—habit that especially believers in Christ exhibit. So many people are ready to offer prayer and advice for others in need, but then there are entire families filled with those who need (they really, really need) prayer or help and refuse to allow the Family of God to bear the burden with them. Who cares if it “looks like” you have a flaw? How presumptuous is that? That we might never ever need a friend.

And then, the second question: What brings me bliss? What shouts to you, “PARTEEE”? What gets your toes to tappin’, your mouth to rappin’ and your whole heart flappin’? Again, I found three standouts in the crowd. Presents. I suppose the reason that I love Christmas so much—aside from the fact that it’s when we celebrate the first coming of the Christ—is that our tradition suggests, no insists, no it outright requires, me to give gifts. I love giving gifts—especially those unexpected gifts that cost little, but mean a mint. One of my favorite things is to catch my beloved blushing bride off-guard with the perfect birthday, anniversary, or Christmas gift. But best yet was the time that I was able to sneak in the china cabinet when she was out of town. I even displayed the chine for when she returned from her trip to Grandma’s.

Laughter. Nothing makes my chest (some would say my head) swell with self-satisfaction than to know that someone enjoyed my company because I made them smile. I first realized this as a freshman in college. Dorm life—that’s the ticket. Getting to know the other men on my hall was always fun. People would roam the hall and if a door was open, it meant social hour was in session in that room. On one of these occasions I finally had to leave a group of friends to go (I don’t know—study or sleep or something) and as I left the room I heard one of the friends still in the room comment, “I just love Benjie, he’s so funny.” I hadn’t even been trying to be funny.

Communication. I suppose you could say that communication is my life. One of the greatest drives that I have as a pastor, author, blogger is that people catch what I’m trying to say. Sometimes I fall short of this goal because I have a tendency to overuse egghead vocabulary when I should be speaking to the third-grader in the crowd. But still, I want him to understand.

Having assessed these questions, I turned to the list that Groeschel provides at http://www.chazown.com/ to line up what I feel are the core values that most closely match my heart’s cry. Here’s what I came up with:

• Authenticity



• Creativity



• Discipleship



• Faith



• Godliness



• Humor



• Integrity

• On the other side of 44 I must be a good father, loving and just.


• On the other side of 44 I must be an exemplary husband, always putting my wife first.


• On the other side of 44 I must have integrity.

This is not a time for me to have a “mid-life crisis”. It is also not the time for you to have one either. We must work together to behave as followers of Jesus Christ—with love, selfless determination to reach a world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. What does this mean for you—being the other side of whatever age your last birthday marked? Write down some thoughts, put them where you can read them every day, and practice them.

You know that I love books, so I couldn't resist this quiz. Change an answer here and there and I was everything from A Prayer for Owen Meany to Augustine's Confessions.

You're Roots!

by Alex Haley

While almost everyone agrees that you're brilliant, no one knows quite
how to categorize you. Some say that you're a person with an amazing family tree. Some
say that you're just a darn good storyteller. Others say that you're both and don't much
care where to draw the line. What is known is that your people have been through a great
number of trials and that you are where you are because of hard work. You have nothing to
lose but your chains.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

The article below is the first of a series that I plan to double post here and at Loom & Wheel Words. Enjoy.

I just received a review copy of Craig Groeschel’s Chazown. The title is taken from the Hebrew word translated “dream, revelation, or vision.” In reading the first few pages, the author encouraged the reader to interact with the book in order to discover his own personal vision. In order to give a true reading to the book, I’m taking Groeschel’s advice and have logged on to http://www.chazown.com/ and down-loaded the accompanying journal. I’m also going to try to respond especially to the “You’re the Author” prompts as well as jot down thoughts that inspire me. Some of those thoughts will make their way here.

Groeschel introduces the idea of Chazown by indicating that the vision is one that will lead you to living your life in such a way that there is no question of God’s direction there. He uses the example of Joseph who dreams of being elevated into a place of leadership only to be thrown into a pit, into prison, and then finally to realize the dream. It occurred to me to ask the question “Are there people you know who are showing the spirit of vision spoken about in the book?” Below is one answer that struck me from recent days:

One man who is living and breathing Chazown in his life—before my eyes—is
Steve Hunt. Out of nowhere he contacts me with a glimpse of his vision:
write a story that points people to Jesus.

The journey has moved him from asking the question, “What shall I do to glorify
God?” to writing a novel that is tastefully filled with the gospel message in the hope to reach some who would never read the Bible with the message of salvation.

The writing of the book went smoothly as he wrote each evening after work. Then
with an impression from the Holy Spirit, he sent the manuscript to only one publisher for consideration. The publisher accepted his submission and now the
book is in stores with the second book in the process of editing and a third forming in his mind.

Steve’s statement to me (on more than one occasion): “I’m not looking to make any money; if one person comes to Christ by this effort, I will be happy.”