Practicing God’s Peace

One of the most important factors in a person’s life is peace.  The lack of it or the presence of it determines everything. The longer I live the more I’m convinced of the importance of learning to practice God’s peace. I consider God’s peace absolutely essential to living an overcoming lifestyle. 

I once thought very differently.  Peace wouldn’t have figured so prominently in my assessment of a victorious believer.  Truth be told, it probably wouldn’t have even made the top ten.  I would have mentioned things like spiritual power, authenticity, conviction, and passion.  While I still highly value all of these qualities, one stands out above the others—peace. 

I know what it is to operate in a measure of spiritual power, to live with authenticity, to speak with conviction, and to be passionate, and yet be lacking in this one vital area.  What caused the shift in me?  One primary reason:  Peace is foundational to our capacity for experiencing God’s Presence daily.  So often I have been moved in a conference, touched by a sermon, and encouraged at church only to walk out of the doors back into my world of chaos, perplexity, and confusion.  Poof! No matter how great the spiritual high, it almost evaporated in the pressure of real life. 

This is tragic.  God’s work via the Spirit and the Word in our hearts must never be squandered.  It needs to be cultivated, nurtured, and cherished.  Yet, the onslaught of the world around us is so intense.   How can we cooperate with God, instead of counteracting what He is doing in our lives?   

I believe the answer is found in one simple verse in Philippians 4:7.  This verse has become a source of life to my soul over the past 7 years.  “And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”.  

So simple, yet so complex.  A peace so powerful that it protects our emotions and guards our thoughts.  This week I want to look at the importance of peace in the life of a believer.  

The Dream From Africa: Nook & Kindle

The Dream from Africa is now live on Amazon at http://amzn.com/B00EO8KQPS.  It is also available on the Nook via Barnesandnoble.com.  Search for"The Dream From Africa" or the book number 2940148578918.  Please help get the word out! 

 Also, make sure to check out the website: stephen.kuert.net

The Dream From Africa site

The Dream From Africa now has it's own website at http://stephen.kuert.net  where you can read the first four chapters and find out more about the Kitengela project.

The book is live on Amazon today at http://www.amazon.com/The-Dream-From-Africa-ebook/dp/B00EO8KQPS.

 Thank you in advance for considering a download to benefit the future of Kenya as well as making other people aware of the book and the Kitengela project.  Together we make the dreams of many young people a reality.  

The Dream From Africa--A read that makes a difference

The purpose of The Dream From Africa   is three-fold. 

First, I wanted to give people who have never been to Africa the opportunity to see it for themselves through the story of Doto.  I tried as much as possible to use details and actual incidents from my experience that would make it feel legitimate to the Central/Eastern Africa context. 

Second, I wanted to communicate spiritual truth in an allegorical form.  The characters and events depicted in this book at a bare minimum should cause the reader to pause and reflect.  I really tried to zero in on the idea that every human being has a God given destiny as they discover their true identity in Christ.  Obviously, this all takes place through the worldview and perspective of a young man who is slowly discovering both: identity and destiny.   As such, the reader is forced to extrapolate the ideas to his or her own life experience.  

Third, I wanted to generate income for missions projects in East Africa where I grew up and have lived for the past several years.  For this reason, all the proceeds from this book will go back into missions.  Primarily, the Kitengela University project in Kitengela, Kenya.  

The University is already well under construction with several of the buildings almost complete.   It is a life-long dream for my parents who have worked towards this reality for more than 25 years.     Well over a million dollars from several different sources has already gone into this project to build the initial classrooms.   The project will require at least another million dollars to complete.  That's a lot of money! Slowly, but surely, though it is becoming a reality!    Some really generous people are making some really big sacrifices to make the God-given dreams of young men and women a reality in East Africa.  

 So I decided that I would use this book as a way of generating awareness for the Kitengela University project.  Our culture is familiar with benefit concerts.  Benefit appearances.  Benefit races.  Even benefit shoes.  So why not a benefit book that will  impact the future lives and destinies of many in Kenya and beyond?  The Dream From Africa will be available on Amazon later this week.  The proceeds generated will go towards funding missions projects like the Kitengela University project in Kenya! 

 You can help make a difference for the future destinies of many young people in Kenya by reading this book and by helping to get the word out about this book to your friends and contacts.  Would you consider reading it?  And making others aware of the idea behind it? Especially if you like it after you read it? 

Right now it's only available in digital format, but hopefully, we can get it printed in the coming weeks.  

The Dream From Africa Chapter 2

2

All was quiet, well, almost all.  The crickets were finally concluding their normal boisterous performance as the wind lowered to a gentle whisper.  Darkness crept through the hills as the night settled into its proper place. The livestock were still in the encircled thicket.

On the farthest hill in an adobe hut the young goat herder awoke with his heart pounding madly in his chest.

Does the dream still have meaning? Could it almost be time for its fulfillment? Why had it disappeared for so long? Only to reawaken so forcefully in the night?  The questions exploded inside of him.  For some reason the dream only came in the darkest recesses of the night when everything was still. 

 Gasping for breath he realized that it was just a dream, his dream.  The dream that had guided him in life since it first marked him many years ago.   Indeed, it was a strange dream in the sense that it seemed more real than anything he had ever seen- especially the dark muddy walls encircling his straw matt.

 Staring at the rafters in the grass roof he wondered why this dream had become so frequent again.  This was the fourth time this week it had awakened him.

He had returned to his home village of Butukurayo about two weeks earlier.   He was on a quest.   It was a quest to reconnect with the purpose and passion that had guided his steps for the past fifteen years.  

When he had first returned to the village people were in disbelief. 

“It’s him.  It’s the young man from the newspaper. It’s Doto.” 

However, Doto didn’t care much for public opinion.  He never had and probably never would.  His sole desire in making the long trek back to the Northern plateau where his village still basked in the African sun was to find direction. There were just too many questions floating around in his mind.

 Fortunately, the old homestead where he had lived for so long as a boy and well into his teenage years remained largely in tact. He had decided to restore the place while he waited.  Many people asked what he was waiting for in this forlorn place.

“Your grandfather must be dead and no one has lived in this place for years.” 

Doto would nod in assent knowing full well that people didn’t understand. They didn’t understand him anymore than they had understood his grandfather or even his father for that matter.  He wasn’t bitter or even cynical about life.  Rather, he just needed clarification on what the next step should be.  

As the wind started to pick up again that night whistling through the thorn trees outside the little hut he had slept in for years, he heard the single cry of a hyena somewhere in the distance.   These familiar sounds produced their normal hypnotic effect on the young man. 

As his eyes became heavy he stretched his lanky frame out over the hard rocky floor in search of a softer spot.   Just as sleep would overtake his weary frame, the voice he knew only too well riveted his soul.   

“Real dreams never die they only go into hiding,” The voice belonged to his grandfather.

He had heard that voice for so many years.  It was a voice that he could never ever forget- distinguished pronunciation, rhythmic cadence, and gentle insistence.  Although grandfather had disappeared many months earlier, Doto knew without question that this was his voice.

“Doto, help the man in the dream” the quiet voice stirred the deepest recesses of his young heart. 

How he wished he could hear that voice again in person!     There was none its equal in the entire village, nor would there probably ever be again in the entire nation.  This one voice had patiently waited for the birth of a new era in his beloved land.  This voice had endured such suffering.  This voice had bequeathed a legacy that the young man now embraced.

Was it the fact that he missed hearing Grandfather say his name with such kindness and love? –“Doto”.  Or was it the fact that whenever Grandfather said the young man’s name wisdom and purpose poured into his heart like the rains flooding the great river.  He couldn’t decide at that moment. As he stared into the darkness of his room, his mind started to race. The majority of his thoughts centered around the man whose voice still resonated in his heart in that darkest hour of the African night when even the leopard sleeps.

He sorely missed Grandfather.  To distract himself, he reached for the strange metal insignia next to his straw mat.  It read: “Jemadari wa Jeshi Kuu”, Swahili for “Commander of the Armed Forces”.  As he turned the medallion over and over again in the palm of his hand his mind relived events that still seemed surreal to him.

On the table next to his mat was the picture that had forever changed his life.  He had been surprised to find it in Grandfather’s hut that day—in the same place it had sat years earlier.  

The young man now in his late twenties pondered many mysteries that night as he recalled the man and events that had altered his life forever.  This is Doto’s story and probably one somewhat similar to anyone else’s who has ever had a real dream.  

The Dream from Africa- A Preview

 Here is the 1st page of "The Dream From Africa" to give you a feel for this book.  I will have it uploaded on Amazon this coming week. 

1

No one remembered the last time the old man had made his way through the dusty streets of the village. He would disappear as mysteriously as he would appear. Sometimes years would pass before he materialized again.  For this reason, his presence always attracted immediate attention. Within minutes of walking into the market, people would begin gathering around the big Baobab tree on the outskirts of town, sure that he would have something important to share.

 Several years ago he had warned the people of the upcoming drought in his normal indirect way.   Then there had been the time that the whole area seemed on the verge of war with a neighboring village.  Cows had gone missing as accusations flared between the two groups. Just hours before the elders called for an armed response the old man had arrived.  Many innocent lives had been spared.

No one knew his name, or his place of origin, or his age, or if he had any family—things very important in the African tradition. In the village, they called him Mzee Hadithi, the Swahili title for a respected storyteller.  And telling stories seemed to be his passion in life. His tales of animals, kings, and valiant exploits had become legend. He had a gift for holding people spellbound—sometimes for hours, sometimes for days.  The stories in and of themselves were quite remarkable, but the lessons and truths he communicated through them left people with a thirst for truth.   He never really told anyone what to do, but by the time he was finished sharing, everyone knew what must be done.   Through his wisdom and insight the villagers had learned to negotiate even the most turbulent of situations.

So on this hot, dry African day, he sat down under the Baobab tree in his customary spot.   As usual, he waited several more minutes for the villagers to assemble.  Once everyone had gathered in the shade he quietly announced: “This story is called the Dream.”  He, then, placed his gigantic hands on his knees, took a deep breath, and began to share in the local tribal dialect saying, “All was quiet, well, almost all.” No sooner had the first words left his lips then he paused in deep thought for several moments before remarking: “This story could very well change your life, young people.”  With that he continued. As he slowly began to weave his tale everyone could tell that this would be one of his best stories ever.

It should be noted that for the purposes of this book, we have tried to translate Mzee Hadithi’s story as accurately as possible from the original dialect, making no guarantees whatsoever to the veracity of events mentioned. We can, however, attest to the impact that it had that day on the community. The story has now been repeated in varying forms throughout the entire region.

           The old man continued his story.   

The Dream From Africa part 2

The Dream From Africa is a life-long dream come true for me.  I've always wanted to write a novel about Africa.  Yet, this process was a very difficult one to complete with the busyness of life.  Several factors came together for me to make this a reality.  Here's a few thoughts that I learned on how to pursue what God has put into your heart.  .

1) Clarify the vision:  I had some general ideas of what this book would like, but nothing specific.  So I decided to sit down one day and draft a potential story-line for the book.  I included different characters and funny anecdotes that would help give the story more life and greater plausibility.  In doing this, I found some really great ideas that I was later able to expand into core components of the story.  Other aspects that I had originally considered very strong lost appeal as I scrutinized them closer.  The clearer the vision the easier to write. I was able to sit down even when time was precious and knock out some pretty substantial sections of the story.   By contrast, when I lost the vision and direction of the story, I meandered in a maze of mental blurriness.

 I find this to be true when speaking too.  Vision is everything.  When I know where I want to go in a message it's much easier to craft the ideas and thoughts that frame it.  Spend time working on your vision and you will save yourself much tedious work.  Vision is the hard work; writing is the easy part.

2) Get some coaching:  Yes, as funny as it might sound, I had multiple coaching sessions for writing this book.  By coaching, I'm not talking athletic here; I'm talking missional coaching through the process of asking powerful questions.   I attended a four day coaching workshop.  During this time we had to break up and practice the skills we were learning with other participants.  I asked for coaching on my book.  It helped me tremendously to lay out a plan that would to write the book.

Coaching is one of the most important things anyone can seek out.  Fortune 500 execs all have personal coaches to help improve their business skills and leadership decisions.  Ministry leaders are increasingly following suit.  If you have never entered the world of coaching, I strongly encourage you to seek one out.  It will be well worth any time or financial investment that you have to make.

3)  Take small action steps:  I found that I was either feast or famine in my motivation for writing.  Some days it seemed I could sit down and write for others- usually on days when my schedule prevented this from happening.  On other days, when I had more time on my hands it seemed like the writer's wall stared me in the face preventing me from advancing.  Both were very frustrating!  I found that the best way to overcome this was just to get something on paper.  I would try to do at least a page at a time.  I'm the kind of person who needs to feel like I'm making progress even if it's minimal.  Carving out enough time to write when I felt inspired and forcing myself to at least write something even when I didn't greatly helped.  Slowly, but surely the book came to life.  It took several months of writing before I hit the 100 page mark.  I'm clearly not one of these people who can sit down and write an entire book in a couple of weeks- at least not yet.

Likewise, keep the fire of your dream alive in your heart by fueling it frequently.  This may not look like much, but sometimes even a 5 minute investment of talking about it with a friend, studying more about it from other successful people, or attending a seminar or class can be just the thing to get the creative juices flowing again.

4) Pray.  I know that sounds cliche.  Nevertheless, I found prayer made a huge difference for me.  My thoughts always became clearer as I spent time in prayer.  In fact, one night I had a dream from which I gathered a lot of ideas that I eventually incorporated into the book.  I've never really had a dream about an adventure/political intrigue scenario before.  And since that was the general plot I had been considering for quite some time I took that to mean that it was ideas from the Lord.

Prayer unlocks your dream.  It gives flesh to your thoughts.  It stimulates the creative juices.  And opens the doors of connection to make it a reality.  Keep praying and your dream will become a reality.

5) Have fun: this one is probably the hardest to maintain. It's all too easy to get bogged down in trying to make something a reality.  Self-imposed pressure almost defeated my creativity.  It wasn't until I relaxed and stopped trying so hard that the story really started taking shape. I had to learn the all important lesson of having fun.

I would encourage you likewise to relax and stop trying too hard. Have fun.  Learn to enjoy what you are doing you will soon find the creativity flowing too.