Most of us know the story of Diana Nyad,

Diana Nyad, at the age of 64 and after five previous attempts, finally completed her 53 hour, 110 mile swim from Havana Cuba to Key West Florida. It made national and international news. 

But few of us know the story of Florence Chadwick. 

Florence Chadwick, at the age of 34, stepped into the icy cold Pacific Ocean and started her 21 mile swim from Catalina Island to the California coast. However, 15 hours into her swim a fog set in so thick she could barely see the safety boats flanking her. 

In the midst of the fog, she began to doubt. 

She called out to her mother in one of the boats only a few feet away, “I have to stop. I can’t make it.” Her mother called back, “Yes you can. Keep going. The shore is within reach! Keep going.” 

But her mom’s encouragement wasn’t enough.

Disoriented by the fog and overcome with physical and emotional exhaustion, Florence simply stopped swimming. 

She was pulled out of the water an into one of the safety boats, and it was only then, feeling deflated and defeated, that Florence learned she was less than a half mile from shore. That’s right! Almost there. Less than a half mile from her desired destination. In an interview the following day, Florence told the media “All I could see was the fog. If I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.” 

How does this apply to you and me?

Florence Chadwick’s story illustrates a key principle for fighting doubt and discouragement in life and leadership. The vision we have in our head, determines the direction we go, and the direction we go determines who we further become and what we further accomplish. 

Like Florence, without a clear picture of our destination we lose perspective,
and without perspective, we lose perseverance. 

So let me ask you, 

• Are you feeling fogged in? Disoriented? Deflated? Defeated? 

• Are you physically and emotionally exhausted? 

• Are you thinking about quitting; getting out of the boat and giving up? 

If so, let me encourage you to return to the vision in your heart and in your head. Keep looking up. Keep moving toward. You may be closer to your desired destination than you think! 

Let’s talk 

If you find yourself in a difficult season of life or leadership and need to talk, I'd love to connect. Either schedule a call below or email me at Ken@KenLRoberts.com and let’s talk!

Until Then, Living and Leading On Purpose,

Ken L Roberts

My goals for 2019 were:

Eat better
Drink more water
Get more exercise

I’m a pretty good goal getter, but this has been hard.

I started out the year doing a 21 day fast of no sugar and felt awesome!

So awesome, I kept going another 60 days. Then my son had his 11th birthday and you know how that goes! I allowed myself a small piece of cake. Even though I had been saying for weeks , “I just know if I allow myself to eat that stuff again, it will eat me alive,” …and I was right!

Last Monday was 43 days since I ate that first tiny slice of cake. And on Monday I ate 3 whole pieces of cake while watching a series on Netflix. ( I can’t believe I’m actually confessing this!). My bad!

So, what do you do when your goals go to pot and you have to start all over?

Let me give you three quick thoughts:

• Admit you have a problem and ask for help

Monday night I went to bed and I said, “Lord, I’m usually really good at this goal stuff. I can’t do this without your power and strength. I need you Lord to take control of my will and bend it toward yours.”

Some of you may be thinking “who cares!
If you want to eat three pieces then eat three pieces!”

That’s the problem, I didn’t want to eat them.

I was compelled to do it. It was a fierce, fervor of overt desire to eat it. Listen, my word for the year is DELIGHT. Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. So, I understand that this desire of my heart, that is cake, did not come from a delighting in the Lord. It was coming from delighting in Netflix. My snack life surrounds the act of binge watching TV.

• Listen for the help you asked for

Tuesday, I woke up and had the thought to make a protein shake for breakfast and take some yogurt with bananas and strawberries with me to work.

When the Lord gives you tips, you have to act on them. According to Mel Robbins, “we have 5 seconds to act on a thought, instinct, intuition, or prompting before it is lost. The 5 second rule is a tool for hyper-intentionality, action, and identifying moments in your life where there is tremendous opportunity and joy.”

I had the opportunity to drive my day a certain way and end the day feeling the joy of accomplishing what I set out to do.

• Thank God for every step of victory

Today is Wednesday! Yesterday I drank the recommended amount of water, I ate food that at the end of the day I didn’t go to bed feeling awful, and I even got a walk in. Today I am so thankful.

Why did I ever think that I could do this without God?

Obviously, I’m crazy and think something awesome about myself, but to be totally honest, all three of these areas I have failed in for 20 years. I’m done failing.

I praise God for His power and strength. I thank Him for the Holy Spirit who speaks, leads, directs, corrects and convicts. I need it!

 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it”.

I don’t know how to overcome unless I lean on the victory Jesus has already provided for me. This is my declaration: I lean on the Lord to help me overcome and rise above any desire that my body craves that is not rooted and grounded in Christ.

Today I declare the death of cake in my life! You shall not overtake me! I trust you’ll do the same!

Living On Purpose

Starla Smith
PS: You can read more of Starla’s blogs at https://sunday2monday.blog/

Starla Smith is the NextGen Pastor of Springs of Life Church, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She is a wife, and mother of two. She loves writing, worship, coffee dates with friends, and she is passionate about learning and sharing life’s everyday lessons. 

My Uncle Daryl was dying from throat cancer

Many years ago, my dad and I, along with my seven year old daughter, drove from my home in Ohio to my uncle’s home in Michigan. My Uncle Daryl was dying from throat cancer.

When we arrived, Uncle Daryl, from his living room turned hospice room, faintly greeted us. Over the next few hours Dad and I played our guitars and sang some of Uncle Daryl’s favorite hymns, while my daughter, danced and twirled, worshipping with us.

We talked, reminisced, reflected…and the day passed.  

Ten words Uncle Daryl said that has marked my life ever since

As we prepared to leave, Dad and I intertwined our hands with Uncle Daryl’s, and with pain in our hearts, we prayed. When we finished praying, with regret in his sunken eyes and sorrow in his soul, Uncle Daryl, looked me in the eyes and in a weak voice whispered,

“Oh how I wish I could live my life over again.”

Uncle Daryl died within days

I have never forgotten the sobriety of those words or the sacredness of that day. They have marked how I’ve chosen to live ever since. 

So how about you?

• When you die will you have lived a life that mattered?

• At the end of your life, what will you have done with the life you’ve been given?

• When death comes and gets you, what kind of life will you have lived? 

These are honest and sobering questions. And they’re questions that need to be ask now, not later.

If I can help

I’ve dedicated the rest of my life to help people live a more focused, intentional, and purposeful life. If I can help you in that pursuit, I’d be honored.

Simply:

• Hit the button below and schedule a Free, start-the-conversation-call with me (or)

• Email me at Ken@kenlroberts.com (or)

• Directly call me on my cell at 216-374-0016

Living On Purpose

Ken L Roberts

PS. Take one of the simple actions listed above. Id’ love to help.

Getting Things Done

I was at home in my office getting some work done.

I walked down the hall to my wife’s art studio, and in casual conversation, Missy mentioned she had just received news that a friend of ours who had been a part of a church where we had recently pastored, had just died. She was diagnosed with cancer and within three months, she had passed.

When my wife told me the news, I barely acknowledged it. I think I said something like, “Oh, that’s too bad, she was such a good person” and just kept going on with whatever I was working on.

I Got Smacked

A few minutes later I jumped into my car and headed out to the gym for a workout.

That’s when I got smacked.

As I was driving down the road, it hit me. I hadn’t even slowed down long enough to acknowledge that someone who had once been close to us, someone who had been very involved in a church where I had only recently pastored, I hadn’t even taken the time to acknowledged her death.

God Smacked Me

Some would call it conviction. But call it what you want, that’s when I got smacked…and honestly…I think it was God who smacked me. I was really shocked at my calloused response. I was Convicted. I felt Remorseful. I was Ashamed. My heart was Grieved.

Seriously, was my daily routine, my daily tasks, my current work projects - really that important? Couldn’t I slow down long enough to feel the emotions of loss, of sorrow, of grief? Couldn’t I stop long enough to reflect on some of the fond memories of this one-time friend? Couldn’t I change gears long enough to feel my feelings of appreciation for a former supportive friendship?

Wow!

What had happened to me? Did I really think my life and the things in my life were really that important? Had the “driveness” of my days caused me to drive right by the things that were most important? In my robotic work had I forgotten what it means to be human - to be in touch with my own humanness and the humanness of those around me?

God Forgive Me

Right there, while driving down the road in my car, I made this sincere confession: “Oh God, forgive me!”

Not sure if you have the same waywardness caused by the driveness of your days that I’ve had, but if so, let’s encourage one another to slow down long enough to live. Let’s find more time to laugh, cry, reflect, remember, love, talk, connect, feel, emote…let’s find the time to live.

How About You?

I’m glad I got smacked! How about you? If so, consider it done!

Ken L Roberts

Beat the odds

According to research done by J. Robert Clinton, from the leadership development department at Fuller Theological Institute, only 20% of leaders ever make it to what he calls “convergence.” That’s where our gifts, passions, temperament, and our life and ministry experiences all come together. It’s when we’re living and leading out of our “sweet spot.”  

Yep you heard right. Only 20%! That’s pretty high odds. 

But in this article let me help you beat the odds. Below are 5 Essentials For Moving Into Convergence.

CLARITY

• Taking the time to discover your “North - Star” (ie your life and leadership purpose) is critical to moving into convergence. This is where you bring together your early years of formation, your gifts, your primary passions, your unique temperament, and your ministry experiences and life experiences. They all come together (merge) into your sweet-spot.

After doing workshops and coaching thousands of pastors and christian leaders over the years, I’m surprised by the number of leaders who have never gone through a life purpose or mission clarification process. From my experience, it’s almost impossible to move into “convergence” without first doing the work to clarify your personal North-Star.

CONVICTION

• Once you’ve done some of the work and become clearer about your North - Star, you’ll then gain greater CONVICTION. You’ll become convinced this is who you are and this is what you have to contribute in your next season of life and leadership. You’ll have greater conviction and a growing confidence to move in that direction.

COURAGE

• Once you have clarity and a strong conviction about what your contribution should be in your next season, you’ll then need courage. Risk will be involved. Change will be involved. Uncertainty will be involved. Greater surrender will be involved.

This is where I see many people miss it. They often don’t (or won’t) take the necessary steps of courage to move into their convergence. They hesitate. They delay. The rationalize. They talk themselves out of it. In the end, they don’t take the risk and everything remains as is.

A COACH

• I don’t use this point in a self-serving way, BUT the reality is, it’s very difficult (almost impossible) to move into convergence unless you have someone who has gone there ahead of you and can now help you get there. All the research shows that if you have someone to help you move toward your goals - whether its running a marathon, losing 40 pounds, or getting out of debt - you are 80% more likely to get there. Moving into convergence is no different. Someone helping you get there will make a HUGE difference.

  So if your serious about making it to your sweet-spot, hire a coach and let them help you get there.

A CLEAR PLAN

• I’m certainly not recommending you take a blind leap off a cliff and hope you’ll somehow end up in convergence. That could be sheer foolishness. But what I am recommending, you’ll need a clear and practical plan on how you are going to get there. I’m sorry to say, (and I don’t want to sound harsh with this statement), but without a plan you’ve only got a dream.

  So make sure you know where you want to go, how you’re going to get there, and then find someone to walk with you along the way.

A WAY TO HELP

If I can further help you move into your convergence, simply hit the link below and book a free, no obligation, coaching session with me. I’ve helped hundreds of people through this process of moving into their convergence and I’d love to help you as well.

Sincerely Submitted As A Fellow Traveler,

Ken 

P.S. Don’t delay. Hit the button below and book your free, no obligation, coaching call with me. I’d love to connect.