Strangely Reluctant

Yesterday I had a small but important breakthrough.

I published 3 short videos online.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnFmcTJDzAgb-tiTGY8XxCIg_urRblj5q

They were based on the Central Diagram of Our Stewardship Community.

I had shared those messages with dozens of individuals over the years.

Using that Central Diagram I can share more short videos.

It gives the big picture overview.

The Central Diagram is like the skeleton that connects the many parts.

I already have rough drafts of the Power Point slide for next few videos.

As I have stated before the vision and game plan for the ministry is huge and complex.

The videos I put online range from 2 to 4 and a half minutes.

Each one covers a small part of the whole.

My ongoing challenge is to keep it simple.

I want the videos to be 1 to 3 minutes long.

But some will need to be longer.

I know that the attention span of most people is very short.

But then there are always the minority that do not care how long it goes.

The Holy Spirit has been inspiring me in how to present the many small parts.

There are two online services I plan to use after I have some more short videos online.

One of them is named Prezi http://prezi.com/

It will allow me to share the short videos using a large graphic context.

And I can include short text documents on this too.

The other platform is named Udemy https://www.udemy.com

It is an online teaching platform.

The short videos would be offered in more of a linear format.

Also text can be woven in with the short videos.

There is an option to either see them in sequence or skip around.

I like this platform because later I plan to offer biblical lessons there.

Previously I mentioned the crowd funding platform Indiegogo https://www.indiegogo.com/

Using that platform is essential to the next round of raising funds.

They have a huge operation and many people who hang out there.

That is where I will connect with strangers who are there.

And I will use promotional tools and methods to drive traffic there.

But what it does best is to serve as an initial contact point.

Then from there the new people will be linked to the short videos mentioned before.

That is like the display widow in a busy shopping mall.

That can catch initial attention then my job is to cast the vision and sketch the game plan.

What I lead with there must be short sweet and simple.

It needs to emotionally engage the stranger and make them want to know more.

That is easier said than done.

By the grace and providence of God the Lord put the following video into my life.

It has instructions on just how to make such a promotional video that will lead to more interest.

The few key points to cover are mentioned and the importance of expressing passion is there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w3a8NlHAaE

Please pray for me to learn and apply this guidance.

During the video mentioned before he said it is essential to express your emotions.

It many take many takes to get it right.

He said it is hard to do that just with the camera.

But it is useful to imagine an audience of a very receptive and supportive person.

When I made face to face presentations years ago most people said I was very passionate.

My voice tone changes and my body language got animated.

But so far I have not been able to tap into that when recording alone.

Pray for me to learn that skill and or maybe God will put the right person for me to record with.

Maybe I can adapt a Google Hangout or Skype call format and record that.

The title of this message is Strangely Reluctant.

When I am sharing with a person the vision for ministry using visual aids I get very excited.

When I pray and seek the will of God for my life for decades it comes back to this.

When I am not working on moving forward with the ministry I get depressed.

If I stay depressed for a long time then I tend to get into despair.

The only proven way out of that valley is to take actions to prepare for the ministry.

I have been working from 800 AM to 700 PM at the community college for weeks.

But I have not had the outcomes I had expected.

I am closer than I was.

I had used the image of a woman that was 10 months pregnant.

I have felt over due on birthing this ministry.

Right now it seems like the head of the infant has just appeared.

Now comes the hard part for me to PUSH.

Then I must PUSH more.

I hope and believe that soon this that has been inside me will get outside.

It has been on the drawing table for many years.

It will come out and become a reality that will benefit others.

By the grace of God and through the answers to many prayers I am at this point.

I am no longer stuck with the following issues

Perfectionism

Procrastination

Fear of failure

Fear of success

Fear of rejection

Fear of responsibility

I made a commitment to my accountability partner last week.

I committed to have published 3 kinds of videos and made a list of resources.

One of those 4 has been completed.

And 2 could be completed as soon as today, but by tomorrow for sure.

Now I feel confident that all 4 will be online before the deadline on Saturday.

Then I have several more measurable tasks for the next week.

I will commit to do those and that will keep me moving forward.

I am no longer stuck in excessive planning.

My next step is to enroll lots of prayers for my financial needs.

As others pray then I believe God will answer.

I will have more than enough for my basic needs.

The main need now is 10 dollars per night at the homeless shelter.

That includes a bed with sheets and blanket, hot shower and 3 meals.

I talked with the clerk yesterday about the mix up on my account.

He will talk with his supervisor.

I thought I was paid up for tonight.

But maybe the records will show I need to pay for tonight.

This is written a little before noon on Wednesday August 6, 2014.

I need to meet with the clerk today between 530 and 730 PM.

What I want is to have at least 30 dollars to put on my account.

God woke me up from a sound sleep last night.

He gave me faith in a moment to trust him for 7 nights or 70 dollars.

Then I believe that within 7 more nights the crowd funding site will be online.

Like I wrote yesterday my cell phone bill of 31 dollars is coming due on August 10.

But right now that is long ways off.

There are other needs and wants.

But the top priority is to secure my housing.

There are fees that come with Pay Pal and the ATM.

So please pray for God to guide and provide.

The need is for 35 to 75 dollars today in the next few hours.

I will need to contact individuals to ask them

That is how God met my needs before.

Pray for me to know who to contact and how to approach them.

May I find favor.

May this need for housing be met right on time.

Today I feel strangely reluctant.

Maybe that is due to the needs to PUSH.

It is my hope and expectation that after the ministry is launched there will be joy.

I will have various ways to express my passions for that energizes me.

Shalom