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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.
Michael is a
Certified Practitioner
of the
Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator.®
Do you know someone
who might benefit
from our weekly email?
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Jesus--no less than you and me--longs to love and to be loved, to know and to be known.
This longing shows up when he gathered with his apostles on the eve of his death. John reflected on the moment when Jesus knelt to wash his apostles' feet: "...having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end" (John 13:2). And, later that very night, when Jesus audibly prayed in the presence of the twelve: "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent...Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me..." (John 17:3, 24).
This value--a desire for relationship with "his own" that is authentic, transparent, and intimate--shows up again when he promised the church at Pergamum: "To him who overcomes...I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it" (Revelation 2:17).
The gift of a white stone engraved with a new name--less a proper name, I think, than an expression of the beloved's essential, defining value--a name only known to the Lover and his beloved. Incidentally, at least some at Pergamum sought to be loved and known by a pattern of promiscuous relationships (v. 14)--relationships that typically afford only a false sense of intimacy.
Lovely, but here's the curiosity...what if we didn't have to wait?
Imagine if we might anticipate our new name. If we could discover our essential, defining value--now. If that name, that value, might daily inform our choices. Ah, "a rich and satisfying life," indeed (John 10:10 NLT)!
Joseph, a friend of the apostles, was given the gift of a new name early in life and ministry. The apostles recognized his defining quality and christened him, "Barnabas," meaning, "Encourager."
But, what would it take to discover your "new name"?
Author Richard Rohr observes, "It takes awhile; it takes some listening, some silence, some suffering, probably. It takes some waiting, desiring; it takes some hoping. But finally we discover that place where we know who we are, and then God's deepest will is written in our very genes and our deepest desiring."
Start here...Pray for discernment. Pay attention. Reflect upon "convergences" in your life. Talk to a trusted spiritual companion. When others--known and unknown--offer affirmation, what consistently comes up? Don't settle on the initial, "broad" descriptor you find--dig deep; spend a lifetime defining and refining!
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Michael Fox
m·agine!
530/613.2774
407 Myrtle Drive
Farmerville, LA, USA 71241 |
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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--
as well as
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® curriculum
published by CPP, the People Development People.
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.
For additional information, visit our website at maginethepossibilities.net.
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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