Will Grace Win?

A few weeks ago, Bob handed me a book while I was visiting in Chicago. He’s always handing me books to read as do I to him.I’ll tell you that title in a little bit. But some background first.

For the past 9 months or so, we’ve both been on similar but separate journeys in our walk with God. Bob’s has been more about the turn from legalism and a performance based God to a God who doesn’t care about how much we serve on committees at church.

For me, it’s been a bit harder to explain to the average Joe. I was raised Irish Catholic in Chicago. That in and of it’s self is has it’s own set of issues.

In grade school I had nuns who were 4 foot 1 weighed 88 pounds, carried a 35 pound cross around their neck and could beat up Mike Tyson, when Tyson was good.  I didn’t fear God, I feared the nuns. God was a pushover compared to Sister Mary Catherine Elephant and her 35 pound cross.

Where God has revealed himself to me is in the land of performance for the world. For as long as I can remember, making money has never been an issue for me. In fact, for much of the past 8 years, if I needed money, I was able to create it on demand.

It was really cool.

When we moved to Charlotte, not only was I able to move into a substantially bigger house in a nicer neighborhood, I did it so my mortgage payments were the same as they were in Louisiana.

When I tired of my Ford Taurus, I sold stuff on line to buy my Acura Tl (which has since been sold to provide groceries, leaving me carless and home bound most of the day.) It took me about three days to sell $40,000 worth of stuff. Not bad!

Then one day it stopped. No longer could I create money on demand. My ability to be my own God ended and the real God showed up. This is where God has dealt with me the most. The unending question of who knows best. God or me.

For the record, he’s winning on most days. Some days I still think I know best, but in the end he shows me I don’t know crap.

Which leads me to the issue of books between Bob and I.

A few weeks ago he handed me Bo’s Cafe. It is published by the same dudes who did The Shack and have a weekly podcast called The God Journey.

It took me about 3 days to read a simple story of a successful business man who has an anger issue and is driven to be the best in work. Thank God it’s not another story about some missionary or pastor. But a real guy that I can relate to on so many levels.

Plus, it’s about a group of people who really do walk through life together, outside of a normal or traditional church setting. No Bible study’s, no speaking in tongues, just weekly meals on a seaside cafe.

This book touched me in ways that I am still grappling with and working to unravel. And over the next few weeks or months or as God allows, I’ll share more of that journey.

Part of that process will happen today. As Bob and I will interview one of the authors on our radio show/podcast. If you can join us at 10:30 AM Eastern today, you’ll be able to listen in live or chat with us. Just go to our page on BlogTalkRadio.com to listen live or catch the replay.

Thanks for reading and listening.

Matt

Creating Self-Supporting Villages & Breaking The Cycle Of Poverty In Africa

As an entrepreneur, I hold very dearly to the belief that local entrepreneurship is one of the best ways to break the cycle of poverty in a community. I do not believe it is governments role to act as big brother, but our individual responsibilities to share with others our gifts and talents.

In many countries, when we give money to the government, it never reaches the people who need it most. It has been said by a number of studies that less than 10% of the funds managed by a government body reach those who need it most.

While in cases of direct individual philanthropy between 50% to 90% of the money reaches those who need it most.

One man has taken his experience of entrepreneurship and serving his fellow man to a new level. His name is Don Smith. His site is www.VillageEmpowerment.com He has spent the past 13 years running a business in Atlanta and then using those skills to impact hundreds of villages in central Africa.

Note he didn’t ’sell’ his business. He is still in business. A key point.

Listen in as I interview Don Smith.

Our Semi-Regular Radio Show on BlogTalkRadio.com

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