Dear friends, I would like to thank you for reading Soul Man and commenting in the past year. The Holy Spirit has been convicting me about my blogging inconsistency over the last couple months.  So I want to I simply and humbly apologize and ask your forgiveness for my negligence.

Over the last several months The Williams Tribe has been transitioning to my new position and new community at Trinity Church. This time has been a time of laughter, grief (leaving Tabernacle), excitement, adventure, opportunities, change and sometimes fear of that change. We weren’t expecting God to “move our cheese,” but he did and each day we are excited to sniff out the new “Cheese Station” and opportunities that he has provided us. I will be blogging soon about the lessons God is already teaching me and my family. But, I wanted to take time today to offer this apology for my delinquency and to let you know that, like vanilla extract, I’m back in the mix.

In what area of your life – family, friendships, community, or finances – have you been delinquent and need to be more consistent? To what commitment do you need to say, “I’m back?”

Popularity: 8% [?]

I was reading Mark 5 and the story was about Jesus casting out demons, and God gave me pause as I came across these words from the demon: “Why are you interfering with us?” That question intrigued and convicted me.  I begin wondering if I have privately and secretly mouthed or lived these words to Jesus.

Jesus, why are you interfering? Why are you getting in my way? Why are you interfering with:

my career?

my family?

my plans for the future?

my agenda?

my time?

my success?

my kingdom?

my money?

my profits?

my sleep?

my day?

my life?

“Why are you blocking, Jesus?! We like you, and I might even say we love you, but not enough for you to get in the way of our lives. In fact, when following you becomes too inconvenient and involves too much sacrifice and suffering, we might just tell you to leave us alone, at least until the next time we need you. We apologize in advanced.”

The interesting thing is, when we were sinners on our way to hell, he interfered and rescued us, and we were grateful for his amazing grace, weren’t we? Well, if he was good enough to save us, he has to be good enough to lead us as well, right?

Here is what I’m learning: If he is my King, and I believe he is, then he has the right to get in the way of my life any time he desires. He has the right to interfere with my career, my 3 to 5 to 10 years plans, my family, and even my money. He can interfere because it all belongs to him. He can interfere and redirect if he so desires, without my permission. The assurance I have is, that his interference is designed to make his name famous through me.

Have you ever asked Jesus, “Why are you interfering with me?” How has his interference advanced his kingdom through you?

Popularity: 15% [?]

Every so often I wonder about my funeral. (Now, I know this is not a pleasant thought, but it has a significant purpose for me). When I think about that day, I wonder what people will say about me, you know, what kind of person I was and what kind of impact I made on the world. This process is quite humbling and motivating. It’s humbling because I know God is the one who controls life and not me. I know my life will end one day. It’s motivating because it causes me to give my life to the things that really matter – God, eternal values, family and friends. 

Therefore, each day I live, I am writing, or at least have opportunity to write the eulogy that I would like read at my own funeral.  Here are some questions that have been very helpful to me as I have thought through this process. They may be helpful to you, too, as you write and live your own eulogy

1. How do I want to be remembered?

2. What personal characteristics do I want people to remember me for or by?

3. What do I want to have accomplished? 

4. What will have been the most important to me in my life? 

5. What will my lasting legacy be?

Have you ever asked yourself these kinds of questions? If so, how did the process make you feel? 

If you don’t mind, take a moment to think through one of the questions above and leave your answer here. Grace and peace.

Popularity: 37% [?]

I was at a luncheon on yesterday, where Don Cousins, author of LeaderShift, was speaking to a group of pastors. I was sitting next to a distinguished gentleman, who is a very prominent leader in the black community and an associate minister at the host church. While we listened to the talk (It really was a great talk), he made it pretty obvious that he did not want to be there. He seemed to grow more and more impatient with each passing minute. He checked his watch at least 10-15 times and held his head down almost the entire talk, fiddling with his PDA.

Minutes before Cousins finished his talk, the man got up to leave, but his pastor asked him to stay until Cousins was completely done. He complied. Afterwards, he told his pastor that during the talk he was convinced that his church was not the place for him and that he was leaving. Then he said, “But, in the last three minutes of the talk, the Lord spoke to me, telling me there is work to be done. I’m staying.” Now, Cousins’ talk lasted almost an hour (Every leader and pastor should have heard it), but it was the last three minutes that impacted this man and changed his mind.

This brief exchange taught me a few lessons:

• 180 seconds in more than enough time for God to speak and change a mind and a life.
• If I bail out of a message or prayer or a conversation too soon, I could be missing what God wants to say to me, to disturb me, encourage me, challenge me, bless me, empower me, sustain me, and even rearrange my values to align with his. The last three minutes of my quiet time with God, listening to message, or having a conversation with a mentor or a friend, might be the most important minutes of the entire time. 
• I need to dial in, be fully present, and listen carefully.

How have you experienced God speaking to you in a short period of time? How did you respond to his voice?

Popularity: 28% [?]

My oldest son had his first baseball game last week Friday. He had a decent game. Although he struck out twice and made a defensive error, he scored a run and made some really good and important defensive plays – plays that prevented the opposing team from scoring runs.  But, what did he remember? You got it – the mistakes and the strike outs.  

He sulked and held his head down after the error and the strikeouts. His memory of the past prevented him from being fully present in the moment of the game. We talked later that night, and I reassured him that he would make more errors in the season, but he would also have plenty more opportunities to make major contributions to his team.  
What past mistake, sin, poor decision, memory are you sulking over today and keeping you from pressing into God and life and being fully present in the grandest moment of your life today? What past sins, errors and mistakes are keeping you from missing opportunities to make major contributions to your family, your ministry, your neighborhood, your company?