Gentlemen,
Whenever you feel maxed out and overwhelmed the best thing to do is to stop, pray, think, make adjustments, and hang on! This is what earthworms do. Let me explain.
The Earthworm Metaphor
Earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) are about as helpless as any animal can be. They don’t have any visible means of defense other than the earth that they are crawling through. They move by alternating the contractions of their circular and longitudinal muscles. When the circular muscles contract the earthworm extends. When the longitudinal muscles contract the earthworm shortens. If you’ve ever gone fishing or watched a worm try to cross the sidewalk after a hard rain you’ve likely seen them doing exactly this.
Gentlemen, from my experience we are a lot like worms. We go through this cycle of getting overextended to the point that we can’t move any further.
It’s only when we stop, get a grip (trust in God), and pull ourselves together that progress is made.
My Stretched Out Life
If you’re an ambitious person you likely struggle with the work-life balance. I know that I have struggled with this my entire life and it has negatively impacted those that I love… even myself. It’s at these times that my wife, my “canary in the coal mine”, starts making a lot of noise. And this summer she got very loud and I finally made some adjustments which are paying out great dividends. Here’s how it came about.
This summer my calendar was shaping up to be the perfect storm of getting too stretched out and, worst of all, having my priorities out of order. Here was my plan for July.
- 40-year wedding anniversary trip around California with my dear wife
- 50-year anniversary backpacking trip to Colorado with old high school buddies
- Father-Son Rite of Passage backpacking ministry trip to the Wyoming Rockies
As the summer approached I could sense that our 40th anniversary trip, which was to be a big deal for us, was getting squeezed between two other trips. It wasn’t feeling right. And of course my wife reminded me of what I already knew to be true. I needed to pause, get a grip and refocus on my priorities, make adjustments, and then move forward. And by listening to God and my wife I dropped a trip and super-size our anniversary vacation to California. The 2 weeks we spent together revitalized our marriage like nothing I could have imagined and helped us decompress on a personal level as well. So glad I made an adjustment!
Here we are enjoying the sunset near Santa Cruz. I love my wife!
Our Stretched Out Ministry
Most ministries struggle with having their time and resources stretched pretty thin and Blueprint for Men is no exception.
Just like the worm metaphor that plays out in your life, so too does the worm metaphor play out in an organization.
Right now we, at Blueprint for Men, have been pausing, praying, and planning, based on our priorities. It is only by “recalculating” that we can accomplish our mandate to “Build Better Men for Him“. While planning and goal setting are important we live by the wisdom of Solomon.
The mind of a man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 19:6
If you want to find out more please take the time to watch our “Ministry Update” where Mike and I recount our blessings, discuss our challenges, and envision a bold new future. Join us!
Here’s to Building Better Men for Him!
Marty Miller
Blueprint for Men
Founder | President
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Going Deeper with God
By Marty Miller
Jesus method of teaching to the people was shrowded in metaphors and parables. But He always enjoyed explaining the deeper meaning to His disciples or anyone else that hungered for the deeper meaning.
He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. Mark 4:34
But Jesus was always willing to explain the deeper meaning with his disciples
And when we study and meditate upon the deeper meaning of these object lessons we are blown away by the treasures found by digging deep! There in this interface between the unseen spiritual world and the seen physical world we find a design that are mysteries beyond knowing. But God calls us to at least get our toes wet in this deep ocean of truth.
Prepare to Get Blown Away!
Thou Worm Jacob”
Did you know that God refers to men as worms? Isaiah 41:14 states, “Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you, says the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.” Let’s disect this verse and see what we can learn.
Biological Connection
The Bible doesn’t specify what type of worm we are being compared to but it could be an earthworm or caterpillar but most biblical scholars believe it’s refering to a type of scale insect. Here’s what gotquestions.org has to say about this.
It’s fascinating to look at the Hebrew word translated “worm” in Isaiah 41:14. In Hebrew it is tola, and it can be properly translated in two ways: either as “worm” or as “scarlet material.” The context determines the meaning. In Lamentations 4:5, a form of the same word refers to fine scarlet clothing.
The “worm” in question is usually identified as the Coccus ilicis, an insect that was used in ancient times to make scarlet dye. When a female “scarlet worm” is ready to have young, it permanently attaches itself to the trunk of a tree and lays its eggs. The insect then dies and in death turns crimson, staining the surrounding wood scarlet as well. The dead bodies of these insects were then collected and the scarlet fluid extracted; the resulting brilliant dye was prized for coloring fabric and thread.
Spiritual Connections
The book of Exodus uses forms of the word tola over twenty times, almost always in the sense of “crimson” or “scarlet.” Scarlet was one of the colors in the curtains of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:1); in the veil separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (verse 31); and in the garments of the priests (Exodus 28:5–6). In each of these cases, scarlet is symbolic of the blood of the sacrifice.
Significantly, the word tola is also found Psalm 22:6, a messianic psalm. Here, the Messiah says, “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people,” and goes on to describe His pierced hands and feet (verse 16), the mockery of the onlookers (verse 7), and the gambling over His clothing (verse 18). Like the little “crimson worm,” the Messiah was deemed frail, lowly, and insignificant. “He made himself nothing” (Philippians 2:7). Like the “crimson worm,” Jesus hung from a tree, stained the wood crimson, and died giving life to others.
Going Deeper
Take some time to study and meditate on the symbolism found here. The parallels to this small “worm” and our Savior Jesus Christ are beyond belief. Here’s an excerpt from a sermon that will blow you away!
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THE FORGE MOVIE
Last week my wife and I went and saw “The Forge”, one of the most inspirational films I have ever seen. And I’m not the only one of this opinion. This is a must see movie for every Christian man, but especially for men who are involved in men‘s ministry.
Here’s an overview
A year out of high school with no plans for his future, Isaiah Wright (Aspen Kennedy) is challenged by his single mom Cynthia (Priscilla Shrier) and a successful businessman Joshua Moore (Cameron Arnott) to start charting a better course for his life. Through the prayers of his mother and biblical discipleship from his new mentor, he begins discovering God’s purpose for his life is so much more than he could hope for or imagine.
The focus of this film is discipleship which is really at the core of this ministry, Blueprint for Men!
GO WATCH THIS FILM!
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We Still Have Room!
You are invited to attend the Georgia-Cumberland Conference Built for Freedom Men’s Summit at Cohutta Springs on September 13-15, 2024. This annual event is for every man that desires to live free in Christ, to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, to live free from the bondage to sin, and live for the glory of God.
Registration is still open so don’t delay. If you need financial assistance we can help!
REGISTER HERE
UPCOMING EVENTS:
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QUOTABLE…..
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” ~ Socrates