The Azusa Pacific Blog
Thoughts, ideas, and information from APU students, faculty, and staff
Archive for the ‘SoulQuest (graduate ministry)’ Category
Drawing from the Deep
Kevin Mannoia Monday, May 20th, 2013
I hope you can find a quiet moment of reflection and centeredness in your schedule. Noise is like a layer of clay that keeps your roots from pushing deep to draw from the richness of the soil. Running from one meeting to another, cell phone calls while you drive, the TV always on, and the rush of traffic — it shallows your life and eventually causes malnutrition. Allow your heart to quietly probe the deep rivers that run beneath the surface of your days. Drink from that flow and let its deep richness nourish the deep places of your life. That deep river runs from God. It nourishes you and sustains you. Blessings on your week.
Drop me a note if you have prayer requests. Our Prayer Partners are happy to pray for you personally.
God be with you,
Kevin
No Time Zones
Kevin Mannoia Monday, May 13th, 2013You can’t just call somebody at 7:00am without thinking. It’s early. Maybe they’re still in bed – especially if they are in a different time zone. On the east coast, that would make it 4:00am! How inconvenient that would be. Or on the other side of the world, it would be dinner time. We are locked in to the limitations of our time zone. And that causes some big issues when you’re trying to meet deadlines or coordinate schedules. It would be kind of nice if time were not a factor.
When you turn to God through Jesus in prayer, it’s nice to know He’s not limited by any time zone. In fact you may be praying for someone whose crisis was yesterday – and God still hears your prayer. God is always in the present – no time zones. And even though you think you messed up big time last week, or month, God remains willing to help you. What you did back then may have consequences but He can still bring good out of it; because He works with no time zones. What a comfort. What an encouragement – that it’s never too late with God!
If you have any prayer requests, let me know. Our Prayer Partners will be praying for you.
And feel free to visit other students at: www.facebook.com/groups/apusoulquest.
Blessings on your day,
Kevin
Return To Basics
Kevin Mannoia Tuesday, May 7th, 2013
A simple request for a favor escalates to a confrontation. At first it was just a question to help out. But the resisting response suddenly infused the dialogue with tension then it escalated to offense and sarcasm. Finally the last exchange is one of disdain and cynical retorts. Wow, that jumped fast. Like going from 0-60 in just a few email or texting exchanges. And both persons feel angry, offended and defensive. So now what? Does the relationship simply break? Hopefully not but it is awkward. Both are now much more defensive.
Jesus has a way of cutting through our defenses and our layered motives that seem to escalate beyond what we ever intended. He quietly but effectively returns to basics to remind us who we are and how he loves us. You are a child of God and loved by Him. Suddenly the sarcasm, defensiveness, and offense dissolve.
If you have any prayer requests, let me know and I’ll have our Prayer Partners pray for you.
Blessings
Kevin
Inside Out
Kevin Mannoia Monday, April 29th, 2013
It was the best Italian restaurant in town. The couple stopped for dinner and he ordered a pasta plate with olive oil and extra garlic. It sure tasted great! But later as he gave his wife a hug, she pushed away and wrinkled her nose. “Pew!” she said. “You smell! It’s like garlic fumes are coming out of your skin!”
Everything we put into our hearts will find its way out through our lives. You may assume you have no control over the things you see, the experiences that happen to you, the pressures from your boss, or the expectations of your job. But you are the gatekeeper of your heart. You determine what will lodge there and take root, and what will simply fly by like a shadow. What you allow into your heart will form you, influence you, and will find its way into your disposition. Jesus stands at the door of your heart and knocks. Whether for saving faith or formation, He seeks to be so much a part of your life that Christ-likeness will literally “leak” out of the very pores of your life. Choose well what you allow in!
If you have prayer requests, please let me know. Our Prayer Partners love to pray for you.
And I hope you will find a connection at: www.facebook.com/groups/apusoulquest.
Blessings,
Kevin
Peace Be With You!
Kevin Mannoia Monday, April 22nd, 2013
A lot of times you hear people say “peace be with you.” You may even pray or wish for peace in your own life or someone who is a close friend. Of course it’s easy to assume that the peace you hope for is simply a smooth day or a week without trouble. In fact, peace is a whole lot more than the absence of hardship or hurt. In reality peace at its best and fullest is the presence of Christ. Where Christ is, there is perspective, there is wholeness, there is fullness. There still may be hardship, but you still are able to live in peace — because Christ is with you. So, my prayer for you this week is simple — peace be with you!
If you have prayer requests, please feel free to send them to me. Our Prayer Partners are praying for you each week. I will include your request for them.
Blessings and Peace!
Kevin
Response
Kevin Mannoia Tuesday, April 16th, 2013
The patterns that you set in motion for your academic program are now well underway and in most cases cannot be substantially changed. Like a lot of things in your daily life, it requires more response than direction. You respond to the expectations of your professor, other students, and the syllabus. So while you are walking through your day today and your week, be reminded that one way or the other, you will pass through the events that are occurring. The question is, how will you respond? You can chafe and strain, or you can release and absorb. One will raise your anxiety, lower your tolerance, and close your life down. The other will reduce frustration, increase learning, and open you to deep growth. Embrace the moments and allow the quiet peace of Jesus Christ to settle your own heart and salt the moments as they approach.
If you have any prayer requests, please feel free to send them and I will share them with our Prayer Partners who pray daily for you. And join other graduate/adult students at: www.facebook.com/groups/apusoulquest.
Blessings on your day and week,
Kevin
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