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Michael Fox CPCC,
founder of m�agine!,
is a professional
coach and trainer,
author and creative artist, whose work has been featured throughout
the world.
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My father-in-law was an anxious, though lovely, man. My wife Kathy carries in her purse an intriguing memento of her father's angst--a silver dollar that her father kept in his trousers pocket for years. Anytime he was nervous and would begin to fidget, he would take the silver dollar from his pocket and, perhaps even unwittingly, rub it nervously between his thumb and forefinger. Over the years, he rubbed the very face from the coin. Today, the silver dollar is an unrecognizable, slim round of metal with nothing but a sheen adorning its face. Those who see the coin today express marvel and, indeed, disbelief that the coin was once valued currency.
My father-in-law's coin offers a striking metaphor of the lives of many men and women today. Time has obscured the Creator's imprint upon their lives. Some bear but scant recognition of their divine origins. And like my father-in-law's silver dollar, they have lost their identity and, subsequently, their sense of value.
In the quest for value, some seek for their identity through increased consumption, only to discover that their insatiable appetite for more has become the quest. Others take a more thoughtful approach--as did some in the first-century city of Colossae--and seek for identity and value, according to the Apostle Paul, through "hollow and deceptive philosophy...self-made religion and self-abasement" [Colossians 2:8-23]. These too, however--like their Colossian counterparts--will discover that, although their quest has "the appearance of wisdom," it too is of no enduring, transformative worth.
Unlike my father-in-law's coin, men and womens' identity, their value, can be restored--but only in relationship with their Creator, the One who has "set eternity in the hearts of men" [Ecclesiastes 3:11].
If you could divest yourself of your "treasure"--everything transient by nature--who would you be? What would remain as your core?
Perhaps you have insurance against identity theft to protect your name and finances. What would it look like--who would you have to be--to protect your inherent identity as fashioned by your creator?
How might our fundamental identity--who we are--be either obscured or enhanced by the things we do?
Read Acts 17:24-28. What's possible for you in pursuing a relationship with the Creator? Don't know? Call me.
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Michael Fox
m�agine!
530/613.2774
P.O. Box 9144
Auburn, CA, USA 95604
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In addition to personal and professional coaching,
m�agine! specializes in spiritual transformation coaching,
employing its proprietary models: Values, Vision, Voice and Heart, Soul, Mind & Strength.
Michael's books include Complete in Christ,
Complete in Christ Spiritual Transformation Workbook, and Biblio�files.
Coaching fees are based upon a sliding scale. Contact us for details.
Limited scholarships are available for spiritual transformation coaching.
On the flip side, if you are able, please inquire about opportunities
to fund scholarships for those who cannot afford coaching fees.
View our archives!
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