Gossip

Good, Happy, Sunday morning!

Hopefully you have your work worries on hold for the weekend. I was reading the Bible this morning when I came across a really great Scripture for the workplace.

Proverbs 26:20

Without wood a fire goes out:
Without gossip a quarrel dies down

Sounds like a good verse to take to work on Monday.

Faith Believes

Faith Believes

When I don’t see God’s plan unfolding in my life, it

doesn’t mean there is not a plan. God always has a

strategy and He’s always working out the details.

My life, including my time spent at work, overflows with His

abundance. When I have doubtful moments, God’s blessings are

still all around me, and the biggest one yet may be around the

next corner. I have to trust. I have to have faith.

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean

not on your own understanding; in all your ways

acknowledge to him, and he will make your paths

straight.

Proverbs 3: 5-6

 

On a recent fall trip, as my family and I marveled at God’s

beauty revealed through the changing foliage, God gave me an

illustration of faith.

The trees were spectacular, more brilliant than I’d remembered

seeing in years. I felt incredibly blessed and couldn’t believe God

would have timed our trip to coincide perfectly with nature’s

32 | Shari J. Harris

performance; for surely it was the precise moment of peak colors

displayed that day, seemingly just for us!

Looking ahead I saw a particularly colorful patch of trees on a

hillside. I fxed my eyes on the delightful scenery, anticipating the

visual treat a closer view was going to bring. Much to my dismay,

the road suddenly curved and a hillside cropped up completely

blocking my view. I stared longingly at the barren hillside as it

rushed past outside the car window.

It made me think of a work situation. An exciting opportunity

I was looking forward to seemed lost. Although I was counting on

an expected event happening, the opportunity had disappeared

from my view. Doubt clouded my vision so much that I’d lost

all hope of seeing what was once so clearly in my line of sight. A

friend woke me up from my doubt-induced stupor by challenging

me with, “Oh, ye of little faith.”

As we passed the obstacle on that fall drive, God’s splendor

was displayed in full view. Much to my surprise, I had not missed

the vivid scenery I was anticipating. God had timed it such that

I had a front row seat, from a perfect vantage point, at just the

right moment.

God reminded me the beautiful trees were still there when the

hillside temporarily blocked my vision, just as the work opportunity

was still there hidden behind current circumstances.

Nothing could change the fact the trees existed beyond what

my eyes could see. Just as the spectacular fall scenery was always

there, so is God’s good plan for me. It was several months before I

saw the possibility at work again, but it was there just as the trees

on the trip had been.

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares

the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm

you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

 

God has the perfect plan for each one of us. Faith believes this

even when our eyes do not see it. It was several more months, but

the hoped for opportunity became reality. Faith believes God at

all times.

Psalm 42: 1-3

Work and scurry can cause worry and discontentment. Run, run, run  . . . Deadlines, objectives, meetings, and projects fill my day. The phone rings and the e-mails mount without ceasing. I try to keep up. I work faster. I work harder. I work longer.

Then one day I wake up with an ache in my soul that at first I’m not able to identify. All of a sudden I just feel like something is missing. I feel empty. I recently dubbed this state of affairs as soul ache.

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42: 1-3

Global Leadership Summit

Tomorrow I'll be attending the Willow Creek Church Global Summit at a corporate satellite site in my workplace. The conference will be a two-day event where Christians in the workplace will come together in fellowship and prayer to hear a line-up of amazing speakers (see link below).

http://www.willowcreek.com/events/leadership/about.asp

I've attended this event in Chicago with other Christians from my workplace for the past two years. It's a phenomenal event. I'm so excited to be attending at my work this year.

Workplace Influence

http://workplaceinfluence.org/ Here is a great web-site. You can find some of my writing on this site. Here is the description:

Women Equipping Women

Workplace Influence is a non-profit dedicated to helping women find and maximize their God-given potential through practical applications coupled with the inspirational guidance needed to succeed in today's secular world. 

Through continuing education, networking, peer mentoring, prayer, encouragement and training in spiritual growth, and other resources, WorkPlace Influence strives to equip its visitors and registered users as they live out the message and character of Christ in their workplace. 

At WorkPlace Influence, we believe that God has a plan specific to you and that he gifts you uniquely for the mission to which he has called you. WorkPlace Influence is with you every step of the way, helping you grow to be all that God has planned!

Land Mines - It's Dangerous Out There in the Workplace

There is a war raging in the workplace and it’s claiming countless victims every day. The landmines are marked, albeit often not clearly: greed, lust, envy, jealousy, uncertainty, pride, rage, etc. There are more. Workplace land mines are cleverly concealed in things work culture may name as healthy and promote, such as goals, objectives, competition, promotion, deadlines, and many more. 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” Ephesians 6:12-13

Summertime in Minnesota

Did I promise to post snippets of my book to tease you and tempt you into purchasing a copy of Walking in Faith here in this space? Yes, I did. I have been so remiss.

Summertime in Minnesota -- I shall say no more. It's the only excuse I have to offer. Those of you whom also live in this fine state understand too well. Summer is short. Winter is long. We love summer and attempt to make the most of it. I love to be outside. My husband, Bill, and I love to ride our bicycles on the many bike trails and take our boat out on the many lakes. This summer we added to our list of things we love to do outside in the summer when we bought a new motorcycle -- A Harley, no less!

The call of the outdoors is even stronger this year, and even stronger yet as we rapidly approach the end of the season we love!

With that long-winded excuse behind me, I offer this . . . my intention is to come back to my blog and share my writing with my fan base -- all four of you (thank you for being my faithful followers). I guess if I had to be honest (which really is my intention), I would admit to feeling a little like I was posting things to a place where it wasn’t being read, a

place where not a soul would care if I posted or not.


I will try to be more faithful in posting -- taking work from both Walking in Faith and the new book I've started. Thanks for hanging in there with me. God bless.