1.8.25 ~ Where the Magic Happens

Good morning!

Last night concluded the 7 day first fruit celebration. Without going into any details, because I'm still speechless, the young ladies and boys performed a multi-faceted flag routine that left me almost speechless. Almost...the only thing I could say to myself outloud was, 'Wow, that's the most amazing display of worship that is preparing us for battle that I've ever seen!! Literally, I said that out loud 3 times! I can still see His train (the flags of every nation who have submitted to the King) attached to His the Temple (Isa. 6:1-3). Oh my stars, that was powerful...oh my, the memories I'll take from here.

Thank you ladies! Thank you children! Thank you worship team! Thank you individual prayer leaders! Thank you to all the behind the scenes people (Bryan and crew)! Thank you Pastor and his ezer kenegdo, honey bunny! Thank you Yahweh for the privilege of receiving such a special 8 days...I'm full!

Later today, at 5 p.m., I will fly out back to Michigan. I will leave behind the temporary cold weather in Florida and the incredibly warm hearts that melted mine and 'countable memories through the week. Strangely enough, I come down to share, love, encourage, strengthen, instruct...and I come away being the receiver. ¡Gloria a Dios!
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As my last study here in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, as Air Force jets are doing maneuvers over the ocean, let's use some principles that have been shared throughout the 7 days to guarantee a future harvest from this first fruit celebration.

Too often, people think in order to get ahead or to make great progress that you have to have a 'no days off mentality'. And as good as that sounds to the casual observer, it is missing a crucial component. What is that component, you ask? It's definitely not harder work!

What if the secret sauce to seismic success is not more hours at the office, more hours and study, more hours of exercise, more hours of bending over backwards for people, but it is something as simple, an old school as 'stopping to think'; To reflect, assess, and do more introspection (we are all facing our past...you know :-). ! It might not sound incredibly sexy, but it is the power packed punch that will kick hiney on the mediocre results many get two weeks after the new year begins.

I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced failure in any area of life (spiritually, emotionally, physically, relationally or financially), and let me remind you, as the master of the obvious :-)...failure is never final. It’s just a part of the journey (Lk. 22:31,32), but we have a tendency to cover up the pain of that failure and the misfortune (Gen. 3:7). Overtime, the people who want to move forward ask themselves the question“what went wrong“? Not just the external outcomes and the external factors that contributed to the failure, but more importantly, the internal ones too.

Why did I make certain decisions? What compelled me or motivated me to do whatever it was that I did living out the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)? Greed over competitiveness? Fear? Hubris? What exactly did I do or not do that caused this outcome? And why did I do or not do those things? I poured over every decision, every assumption...not self flagellating, but a cold hard debrief with myself (Something that I do nightly and on Shabbat).

Personally, I have to start with the brutal facts. No sugarcoating. No justification. No explanations. A straight, no holds barred truthful examination.

What failed and why did it fail?
What were the underlying causes, external and internal factors?
Each one laid out bare, naked like Adam and his honey bunny in the garden before the sin (Gen. 2:25).

With step one done...now comes the fix.

What action am I going to take now to prevent these things from repeating? And what seismic adjustments need to be installed to ensure against those mistakes in the future?

Now, and only now, am I ready and able to talk about making plans for the bigger, better and more joyful future that could be made possible (2 Kings 2:20,21). Because of the new wisdom gained during this review, reflection, and introspection (2 Kgs. 2:19).

So let's simplify this with one of our simple algebra life formulas; like our famous one of expectation - reality = disappointment :-)

This formula for wisdom/daat is: experience x introspection = wisdom/daat (the 6th Spirit of the 7 spirits, Isa. 11:2). To truly gain life altering wisdom, you need both experience and introspection. One without the other, and there’s no wisdom. You can have the experience and not think about what you’ve actually been through, and you won't gain any wisdom.  If you don’t have the experience (successful attempts or failed attempts), then you won’t have anything to be introspective about. It takes both. Oh sure, you can live off of soundbite wisdom from people who have gone before you or from Facebook or Instagram or X or Twitter, but until you’re actually applying it and conforming your life to those words (Jam. 1:22)… In other words, you have to have the experience yourself. It doesn’t actually mean anything until you do. It’s useless knowledge and then you have to have time to reflect and journal your thoughts...enjoy the success and what got you there and then, of course, change our lives and our actions accordingly.

In life, there are known knows, meaning there are things that we know we know. And there are known unknowns, meaning there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns, meaning things we don’t know we don’t even know. And those are the things that cost us the most. And these are the ones that are hardest to work through and the hardest to get to know. Those are only discovered in experience x introspection that is how you gain the priceless value of wisdom. It’s only gained in the introspection! I just summarized our 7 days together :-).

Experience is your battlefield. It’s where you make moves, take shots, and occasionally get shot at. In every area of life, this translates to launching ventures, tackling challenges and handling crises. These experiences are invaluable, sure, but they’re value multiplies when they are mined for insights. Introspection is where the “magic“ or rather the alchemy happens. It’s not merely navel gazing, it's a rigorous audit of your decisions, outcomes and the dynamics in play. This isn’t about feeling good, it’s about getting good introspection to help you uncover the unknown unknown, the stuff you don’t even know. The things you’re clueless about. Those things that caused the failure in the first place. This is Intel that makes you not just a player, but a formidable strategist. It equipped you to preempt issues and to capitalize on opportunities that others don’t even see coming.

¿Entiendes lo que estoy tratando de compartir contigo esta mañana?

Let's draw some conclusions for this morning.

First experience isn’t everything. Without introspection, a non-negotiable, there will be no transformation into actionable intelligence. You might think you’re too busy for this, but please think again. Carving out time to think is not a luxury, it's an essential strategy for anyone playing the long game (Lk. 16:1-13; Matt. 19:16-30; 25:14-31).

Finally wisdom is not static. It’s dynamic. It evolves with you and the more you engage in this respect (Rom. 12:2).  How do I make this happen so that the past week of New Year’s resolutions actually becomes reality? Enquiring minds want to know/las mentes inquisitivas quieren saber :-)

You’re gonna have to prioritize reflecting. Make it as routine as your morning coffee, your morning shower, your morning trip to the bathroom. You have to set time aside every week to digest everything, I recommend every Shabbat that’s where you can dissect your experiences and pull out the very best...that's what God did and does (Gen. 2:1-3). Keep notes on your progress. If you always remember where you’ve been, take inventory where you’re at and never forget where you’re going you’ll always be able to make measurable progress. And finally, you need to leverage your network. Bounce your insights off of mentors and peers that are moving in the same direction or people who are where you want to be. Fresh perspectives can refine your introspection and sharpen your strategy. Bottom line is, do more, think more, experience more, and reflect more! Turn your experience into wisdom through introspection.

Have a Yahsome day!
Shalom