My new blog web address is gregramer.tumblr.com. While that address will always give you access to the blog I am currently working to have gregramer.com point to the Tumblr web address as well. I hope to have this completed within the next week. So for those of you who are used to accessing this blog via gregramer.com please use the new tumblr address for the next few days. Once I have been able to get gregramer.com active for the Tumblr.com address I will make that known on gregramer.tumblr.com.

Thanks again to all you who have been faithful followers of my blog though the years, even if I haven’t been as faithful with my postings as I’d like to have been. I hope to increase my posting of quotes, pictures, videos, and text through the new format that Tumblr offers.

Greg

A few weeks ago I read this book would be releasing on the 13th of this month and I knew I needed to get this book the day it came out. Why? Because my attitude towards my job and my ministry is in a sad place.

You see, ever since I heeded the call to full-time Gospel ministry I knew one day I would be doing ministry full-time and getting a full-time paycheck to boot. That was roughly 20 years ago and nary a full-time check has been paid out to me. This fact, at times, has been a source of great frustration and, quite honestly, anger for me.

The frustration and anger has seeped its way into my work more times then I care to remember and I am certain more times then I even realized. Instead of being faithful in the work I was asked to do, I would stew and steam about how this job was not what I was called to do and I was just collecting a check until my true job started — full-time ministry. All the while loosing sight of the reality that I was, in fact, doing full-time ministry. The only difference was my ministry didn’t take place within the confines of a church building, but rather within the walls of a government office or a retail store.

When I read the description for Every Good Endeavor I knew it would be a great encouragement to me. And so far it has been. In fact, I wasn’t even finished with the forward (which, as you know, isn’t even written by the author) to the book before I felt a shift in my attitude

The author of the forward, Katherine Leary Alsdorf, writes these five observations regarding our work as Christians in a vocation other then a full-time “ministry” position. I wanted to share them with you in hopes of offering encouragement to those of you, like me, who struggle with your purpose in your job.

~ The gospel assures me that God cares about everything I do and will listen to my prayers. He may not answer them the way I want, but if he doesn’t it is because he knows things I do not. My degree of success or failure is part of his good plan for me. God is my source of strength and perseverance.

~ The gospel reminds us that God cares about the products we make, the companies we work for, and the customers we serve. He not only loves us, but also loves the world and wants us to serve it well. My work is a critical way in which God is caring for human beings and renewing his world. God gives us our vision and our hope.

~ The gospel is good news. In the words of pastor and counselor Jack Miller, “Cheer up: You’re a worse sinner than you ever dared imagine, and you’re more loved then you ever dared hope.” In other words, I will continually err and sin, and yet God will prevail in my life through his goodness and grace.

~ The gospel gives meaning to our work as leaders. We’re supposed to treat all people and their work with dignity. We’re to create an environment in which people can flourish and us their God-given gifts to contribute to society. We’re to embody grace, truth, hope, and love in organizations we create.

~ We’re to express our relationship with God and his grace to us in the way we speak, work, and lead, not as perfect exemplars but as pointers to Christ.

I recently began reading A Praying Life, by Paul Miller. I am only in the very beginning of the book and already God has lovingly gripped my heart towards spending time with him. I wanted to share a few words that both convicted and encouraged me tonight.

Imagine asking Jesus how he’s doing. He’d say, “My Father and I are doing great. He has given me everything I need today.” You respond, “I’m glad your Father is doing well, but let’s focus on you for a minute. Jesus, how are you doing?” Jesus would look at you strangely, as if you were speaking a foreign language. The question doesn’t make sense. He simply can’t answer the question “How are you doing?” without including his heavenly Father. That’s why contemplating the terror of the cross at Gethsemane was such an agony for Jesus. He had never experienced a moment when he wasn’t in communion with his Father. Jesus’ anguish is our normal.

In the eight months that I have lived in North Carolina I haven’t taken the time to get out and explore as much as I have wanted to. When the opportunity came up to go hiking in Franklin I jumped at the chance. The weather in late August in the Smokey Mountains is much different then what I am used to having lived in Florida my whole life. While still hot, it wasn’t intolerable. Most of the hike was under the cover of trees but hiking up the steady incline was a recipe for some saline flow nonetheless.

The final ascent to the top (above) was steep and thru a grassy field. As we got closer and closer to the crest we could see more and more of the mountains that surrounded us. My breath was being taken by more then just the exertion — the views were gorgeous.

I had a great time this afternoon hiking as well as spending time with good friends. I look forward to many more days like this.

Beth is passionate about her pictures as well as the people in them. If you are looking for a newborn, children, or family photographer I would highly recommend my friend, Beth.

Now, go see for yourself and checkout her website and facebook.

ADJUSTING TO ASHEVILLE

Asheville is a beautiful city. Beautiful. Nestled in a valley, everywhere you look there is a mountain in the background. It is easy to see why people love visiting and living here.

The winter was cold. Well, cold to me, at least. I’ve been told by many people who have lived here a while that it was actually a mild winter. Regardless, I saw my first real snow during the mild winter. And, after two nights in a row of shaking all night, I purchased my first heated blanket and used it like a champ.

I was able to get out and explore a little bit of what Asheville and the surrounding nature has to offer but I haven’t begun to scratch the surface of what is out there. I hope to get more scratching in once I get settled in more.

SETTLING IN

I have been a bit of a homeless man since moving here. I use that word homeless VERY loosely. By God’s good grace and the grace of many others, I have had a roof over my head ever since arriving here. By homeless, I mean I haven’t had a place of my own.I moved here with a good bit of savings and a naive thought that I would be able to get a job well before my savings account reached zero.

I quickly realized that finding a job here would be harder then I thought. Within the first week of being here I was talking with a native Ashevilian who told me so many people just want to live in Asheville that jobs are hard to find. He told me there are people with masters degrees waiting on tables just so they can live here.

After many applications and a few interviews I was hired by Walmart in May as a part-time sales associate. While it wasn’t the job I set out to get, I am very thankful for the opportunity. Since joining Walmart I have learned of the great possibilities for immediate growth within the company. I have been working hard in my short time there and hope to move up as opportunities present themselves.

I am looking forward to moving out on my own soon and settling more into my life here in Asheville.

WORTH THE WEIGHT

May 11, 2012, was the one-year anniversary of my change towards a healthier lifestyle. Within that year I lost just over 100 lbs.

Heading into the new year I had lost 80 lbs. In the four months between the new year and my anniversary date I was up and down with my weight loss. I had switched my exercise focus to more weight training and less cardio. I was building more muscle (which weighs more then fat) however, I was losing inches.

I haven’t weighed myself since my anniversary date and I don’t plan on doing so for a while. I just want to continue focusing on living a healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition and staying active.

GRASSROOTS

Its crazy to think that in February we were dreaming about what could be and just yesterday we held our second Gathering with twenty people in attendance! I could write many posts about all that has happened with Grassroots in her first few months of existence. But for the sake of time I’ll simply say that Jesus builds His church and we are simply a part of that mission.

This is a very brief update of the last seven months of my life. I hope to stay more consistent with my blogging from here on out.

Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired.