A Norvell Note

Vol. 20 No. 26 | June 25, 2018

Live As Jesus Did

If you have a favorite sports team, you probably have a shirt, hat, or jacket you wear on game day to show your support. You may go to great lengths and distances to see them play, support them, and demonstrate you’re a loyal fan.

You may work for a company that requires you to wear a uniform and/or badge to identify you as an employee. You wear it with pride because it shows that you are a member of something you are proud of.

If you are married, you may wear a ring on your left hand to signify you have devoted your life to one special person.

Religious groups tend to place all kinds of requirements on one another that are designed to prove we are really who we claim to be. Some groups require attendance to certain events to prove we are who we say we are. Some groups require us to use certain language that outsiders are not familiar with. Another group may require us to meet certain standards before we are considered worthy of membership.

Meeting these requirements can become so much of a burden that many will give up in frustration and despair. But that wasn’t the plan for Jesus and His followers. In fact, one of His only requirements for being a follower is revealed in this simple statement:

“Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:6)

Let’s try to do that. It’s not necessarily an easy task and may require more out of us than we might think. But I think it’s worth an honest attempt.

When confronted with criticism and opposition, respond like Jesus did.

When faced with seemingly impossible situations, face them like Jesus did.

When comforting a sick or grieving friend, comfort them like Jesus did.

It won’t always be easy. It won’t always be fun. But it will bring you more pleasure than you might imagine. It won’t always be the thing you really want to do, but in the long run you will be glad you lived like Jesus did.

So this week, relax and enjoy living like Jesus did.

To order my book, Until Hope Returns click here Order the Book.

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2018 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

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Vol. 20 No. 25 | June 18, 2018

I heard about another church leader who is discouraged. Then, I heard of another who is frustrated, and another who wants to quit after serving his ministry for many years.

Don’t worry, this is not a discourse on how ministers, church leaders, and their families are mistreated. Yes, many are treated poorly. But I’d like to focus on the positive and make a few suggestions on how we can encourage our leaders.

NOTE: I consider a ‘church leader’ to be anyone who serves in a leadership role, such as a preacher, teacher, worship leader, youth leader, elder, shepherd, or deacon.

First, take every opportunity to say something encouraging.

To the person leading the sermon, for instance, I guarantee he or she needs to hear something encouraging. When speakers share the Word in front of a group of people, they become easy targets for criticism. The was too long or too short. You were too loud, or not loud enough. Your sermons are too deep, or too shallow. For every ten positive comments received, it is the negative one that will consume his or her thoughts afterward.

We need to remember that these leaders have worked for hours during the week preparing something to offer words of encouragement, help us know God better, and live more like Jesus. We need to do the same for them.

Maybe say something like, “I loved that story you shared, thank you.” Or, “I never thought of that perspective before.” Or, “Thank you for all that you do for us.”

Second, pray for your leaders.

Pray for them to have wisdom and discernment. Pray for them to lead with boldness and gentleness. Pray for them to withstand the attacks they receive on a daily basis- from church members disguised at what can feel like the enemy. Pray for them to clearly see and hear the Lord’s guidance for them and the church. Tell them you are praying for them.

Third, support them.

Let those who lead you spiritually feel your support and know you appreciate their leadership. Support them financially. Support them emotionally and with your physical presence. It’s difficult to lead courageously when you feel like you’re all alone, when you’re not sure you can pay your bills, or when you’re sad and discouraged.

Fourth, love them.

Just love them. No matter what. No matter when. No matter how. Just love them like Jesus would love them.

Yes, I recently heard of another discouraged church leader. It always saddens me. I always want to do something to help. I may not be able to change the circumstances or fix what is happening. But I can encourage them. I can pray for them, support them, and assure them that I love them…no matter what, no matter when, no matter how.

I can love them like Jesus. So can you.

To order my book, Until Hope Returns click here Order the Book.

To view the video click here: Until Hope Returns, and order it at Order the Book.

There will be two book signings in the Nashville area on June 23.

One in Lebanon from 10 AM-Noon at 3:Sixteen Boutique (108 East Main Street)

Another at The Well Coffeehouse (690 East Old Hickory Boulevard, Brentwood, TN 37027) from 7-9 PM

 

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2018 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

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Vol. 20 No. 24 | June 11, 2018

To order my book, Until Hope Returns click here Order the Book.

To view the video click here: Until Hope Returns, and order it at Order the Book.

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The weather is different. The air feels different. The traffic, neighborhoods and houses are different. The landscapes, sunrises and sunsets are different. My work and routine are different.

But although I’ve experienced a lot of changes since moving across country, much has stayed the same.

God has not changed. He still loves us and continues to demonstrate His love on a daily basis. He continues to guide us as we make decisions and remind us of His presence. He continues to open new avenues of friendship and reveal His purpose for our lives. God is still good.

The way people are has not changed. Some are nice, and some are not. Some are friendly, and some are not. Some are life-giving, and some drain the life out of you.

No matter where you go, people are searching for meaning, striving to improve, and possibly feel like something is missing. Even if they don’t always know what that is, the pace at which they try to find it continues.

There is still a need for kindness and understanding. There is still a need for gentleness, love and peace.

Surroundings change. Circumstances change. People and relationships change. But life goes on, bringing. Life brings good days and bad ones. It gives us days filled with joy and days filled with sadness. Life challenges us and life rewards us.

The circumstances and surroundings of my life have changed dramatically over the last several weeks. But I am still loved, I am still a child of God, and I am still living with the assurance that He takes pleasure in me.

You may not realize it, but the same is true for you. Whatever is or is not going on inside and around you, and whatever you have done or not done, God still loves you. Wherever you go, God is with you, and you are His child. Whatever happens or does not happen, you can live with the assurance that the One who created you takes great pleasure in you.

I hope you find peace in these certainties.

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2018 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

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Vol. 20 No. 23 | June 4, 2018

It’s official. We closed on our home, and with the help of dear friends, loaded the rental truck and said our goodbyes. After two days traveling, we arrived at our new home, greeted by church friends who helped us unload the truck in about thirty minutes. What a blessing!

We now live in Texas near our daughter, her husband and two of our granddaughters. And I begin my new job on Monday.

More exciting news: my book, Until Hope Returns, was officially released on June 1.

You can see a video about the book here: Until Hope Returns, and order it at Order the Book

I am blessed and loved and very thankful…a good start to our new adventure.

A Norvell Note© Copyright 2018 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

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Father,

As we prepare to make a change of our physical address, I ask these things:

That You constantly remind us of Your presence and continue to guide us on our next journey, just as You have guided us through all of our past ones.

That You help us keep our eyes and ears open to new opportunities to love, encourage, and show the same gentleness and kindness to others as You have shown to us.

That You remind us that all change, even change we initiate, brings some pain and new challenges. But it also brings new adventures.

That You continue to protect and encourage the people we are leaving behind, fill the void that will come while we are apart, and assure them that our hearts and friendship will never be absent.

That You remind us that physical distance is nothing in comparison to the closeness we feel by our union through Your Spirit, and that this distance is only temporary.

That You fill us with Your Spirit as we move into new places, work environments, and arenas so that we may demonstrate the fullness of Your love to those we meet.

That You fill us with the same sense of generosity and hospitality toward others as others have always shown us.

That You constantly remind us that we are never alone and help us provide comfort to others when they feel alone.

That You develop within us the ability to be living expressions of Your Spirit so that others may see You when they see us.

That You accept our thanks for all that You have done, for all the people You have allowed us to love and be loved by in return, and for the joy that we have experienced throughout our journey.

“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:5)

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Vol. 20 No. 21 | May 21, 2018

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Sometimes God works like this.

Easter 2018: I am confused and somewhat discouraged, growing tired of waiting. It’s been eighteen months since I left full-time ministry. These months have been extremely slow and quiet as I’ve searched for work that felt like the Lord’s calling. To get by in the meantime, I’ve dabbled in teaching, counseling, retail work, and some time with a driving service.

These months have been long, sometimes lonely, sometimes dark, and sometimes filled with deep despair. I wondered what God was doing. I always knew He was working for my good, but I didn’t understand what He was doing. I often prayed, actually begged for Him to reveal His plan. We had many one-sided conversations.

But through His word and the silence, I was constantly reminded: “I am here, Tom. I have this. I have you.” I trusted Him and knew He was trustworthy…but it was a difficult eighteen months.

My family and I often talked about moving closer to where our daughter and her family live (with another little one on the way). I remember saying to my wife, “Let just sell our place, pack up our things and go.” She politely responded with something to the effect of, “Well, it’s an idea.”

On April 5, I received a call from a close friend telling me about a ministry opportunity in a city we love. But it wasn’t close to our daughter. The job description had my name all over it. This was the kind of ministry I had been looking for.

The story continues.

April 18: I discover I have a torn retina.

April 19: I have the torn retina laser repaired, which delayed my telephone interview for the ministry position by one day.

April 20: I have the telephone interview with the director of the ministry. My mind exploded with possibilities.

Later that afternoon, our home phone rings. The only calls we ever get on that phone are from solicitors telling me they can help with my credit card debt, or reduce my student loans, or announce we’ve won an all-expense paid trip to…

Expecting this to be a similar call, I answered with a gruff, somewhat annoyed voice: “Who is this?” He told me. “But how did you get this number?” I asked. “It was on your application.” He politely responded. I responded with confusion, “I never give this number out. I don’t even know what it is, to be honest.”

The next thing I knew, I had a Skype interview set for the following Monday with Harbor Hospice in Austin, Texas. Our daughter lives just south of Austin (check out The Thatcher Buda).

April 22: Our granddaughter is born in Buda, Texas.

April 23: My plane lands in Austin, Texas. Within an hour, I’m holding my granddaughter, Juniper Blue.

An hour later, I get a call from the from the Supervisor confirming the Skype interview. “I’ll be ready. In fact, I’m in Texas now.” “Oh really,” he said, “then let’s meet in person.” We meet later that afternoon. Two days later, I receive a call requesting a second interview.

April 27: I have a very positive second interview.

April 28: I fly home.

April 30: I drive to the city to interview for the previously mentioned position. I have lunch with a friend and then go to my favorite coffee shop to ponder all that is going on. A call comes from Harbor Hospice in Austin, Texas with an offer.

I accept two days later.

May 11: We put our condo up for sale. Within in forty-eight hours, we receive a cash offer. We close on May 31.

I begin work on June 4.

Oh, I failed to mention, as all of this is happening, my publisher and I were putting the final touches on my book, Until Hope Returns, to be released within the next few weeks. (details to come)

Why do I share all of this? Because sometimes God works like this. We wait. We wonder. We pray. We beg. We wait some more. Then the silence ends, and God reveals what He has been up to.

Are you waiting for things to work out? Don’t give up. God is already at work. He has your back. In His time, He will reveal His plan. And when He does, it will likely be better than you could have imagined.

A Norvell Note© Copyright 2018 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

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One of my favorite places to sit in the worship assembly is three or four rows behind the teenagers. I like to watch how they communicate with each other and their reactions to things that happen on stage. My intention isn’t to spy on them. I just like observing them interact, and they’ve made me realize something.

The Kingdom of God is like a pew full of teenagers in the assembly.

Here is the usual scenario. As the worship team prepares to lead the sermon, a group of students scurry in to take a seat in their unofficially designated section. There is usually a bit of shuffling around so she can sit with her friend and he can sit with his. They hug, they high five, they shake hands, and they give affirming pats on the back.

Just as they are settling in, another friend approaches the already packed pew. Despite the fact that they’re squeezed together as tightly as possible, they all scrunch together even closer to make room for one more.

As it is with teenagers, so it is with the Kingdom of God: There is always room for one more.

Unfortunately, there are exceptions. Just this week, I listened to a man tell me his disappointing experience with his study group. He had been a member for several years. In fact, he helped start it. But when he missed a few sessions due to poor health, no one checked in on him or expressed any concern for his absence. I lamented with him and I hoped this was an exception rather than the rule.

Some people get overlooked, left out, or feel excluded. And some groups are guilty of exclusiveness or fail to notice when a member is missing. But thankfully, I haven’t found this to be the case with the majority of student groups I’ve known.

This is not the way of the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God functions with open arms. The Kingdom of God is inclusive. The Kingdom of God does not say, “Sit somewhere else. There’s no room for you here.” The Kingdom of God does not imply this seat is saved for someone else. The Kingdom of God says, “Sure, we have plenty of room.”

My heart is refreshed when I see a group of high schoolers who understand and live in the Kingdom. If you are a leader in such a group, thank you for what you do. If you are a member of such a group, thank you for letting God shape you into His image and for spreading His message: there is always room for one more.

A Norvell Note© Copyright 2018 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

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Broken and devastated, Job asked for an audience with God. Near the end of the book, (Chapter 38-41) the silence ended with God speaking. When He finally paused and offered Job the opportunity to respond, Job answered: “I’m speechless. My words fail me, so I’m ready to shut my mouth and listen.”

After the Old Testament ends, there is a period of 400 years when God doesn’t speak. But when the New Testament begins, the silence ends with the announcement that God has come to live among us as a baby named Immanuel.

Jesus lived as God incarnate for 33 years. He interacted with people, chose a group of followers, and announced the Kingdom was upon them. Some believed Him, some followed Him, some hated and eventually killed Him. After three days, the silence ended with the news that He had risen from the dead.

There are times in life when all we hear is silence, and it can be excruciating. Silence is hard on relationships. It can breed doubt, suspicion, and fear. It can make us question our worth and become a fertile field where anger and resentment flourish. Silence can make us second guess ourselves, wonder if we are loved, and cause us to sink into deep discouragement.

Silence may come when you and your spouse are at odds with each other. You go into your man cave, and she retreats to her room. Doors are closed. Tension is thick. You are at a standoff, until finally, one of you reaches out and says, “I’m sorry.”

Silence may come when your teenage daughter comes in late, goes straight to her room, and slams the door. You pray as you go to bed that things will be better in the morning. She prays as she goes to bed that she’ll have the courage to apologize and face the consequences. After an awkwardly silent breakfast, you gently tell her you need to talk about what happened. She immediately bursts into tears and says, “Dad, I’m so sorry.”

Silence may drag on while you wait to hear back from your job interview. You wait. You check your phone. You check it again, and again. One day passes, then two. Then, on the third day, the phone rings, ending the silence, and you receive a job offer.

On more than one occasion, I’ve found myself waiting for the silence to end. I know what it’s like to lay my head on the pillow and wonder how much longer the uncertainty will last. I know what it’s like to open my eyes in the morning and pray for something good to happen. Waiting for the Lord to speak or to receive an answer can feel unbearable.

The best advice I can offer as you go through times of silence is this: keep listening.

I’ve found that when the silence is the most deafening and I’m on the verge of losing hope, God is waiting just beyond the noise of the silence with exactly what I need to hear. He was just waiting until I was ready to shut my mouth and listen.

He is there with you. He has the answer. So wait, have faith, listen carefully…and it will be His voice you hear when the silence ends.

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As I write, I’m in the Austin, Texas airport, waiting to board a plane back to Nashville. I’ve just spent the week with family celebrating the birth of Juniper Blue (granddaughter #4). My heart is full.

No pics. It’s not my child, nor my place to post pics. But believe me, I have plenty!

After last’s weeks article- expressing my gratitude for living in this time and space- I find my heart full to overflowing with the blessing of holding another amazingly beautiful, healthy little girl.

Just a little over twelve hours after she made her debut, I got to hold her, hear her sweet baby squeaks and grunts, kiss her on the head, and say my first prayer over her.

These words continue to ring true:

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Growing up, I always dreamed of getting married and having a family…in very vague terms. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d be married for forty-two years. Never did I imagine serving in full-time ministry for over four decades.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine what it would feel like the first time I held my son in my arms, then my daughter. I could have never imagined the joys of watching them grow and mature, come into their own faith, and develop into the man and woman of faith they’ve become.

Never could I have imagined them finding a mate who also loved God and loved them with all their hearts, or being able to stand in front of an audience and participate in their promises to each other on their wedding day.

Never did I imagine what it would feel like when they decided to have children and the joy of watching them go through the process. I never imagined the indescribable feeling of holding their baby in my arms. Now, I’ve held four of them and am looking forward to holding the fifth later this year.

I just never could have imagined being so blessed. I dream a lot and I dream big, but God has exceeded my wildest imagination. My life is blessed. My heart is full.

I hope sometime soon, you will experience God’s blessings in a way that makes your heart feel as full.

A Norvell Note© Copyright 2018 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

With the click of a few buttons on any device, I can view thousands of Biblical references, Bible translations, and study materials within a matter of seconds.

Should I become ill, within a matter of minutes I can receive the best medical care from some of the best medical professionals anywhere in the world.

When something weird was going on with my eye, I was diagnosed, received treatment, and returned home to recover within a matter of hours.

With one thumb, I can select any number of television shows, movies, documentaries, music videos, and sporting events from the comfort of my living room, public transportation, or any number of other locations.

When I want to hear the voices or see the faces of my children, grandchildren, and friends, I can connect with them in a matter of seconds.

When I need to receive or send information to or from someone in another city, state, or country, I can do so within minutes.

If I want to know the news of the day, the weather, or the results of the latest sporting events, I can pull the information up on my phone, television, computer or simply ask Siri or Alexa.

When I get hungry, I can walk a few feet, open the refrigerator, and have a delicious snack or meal (healthy or not is my choice) with fresh clean water or any number of other beverages within a few minutes.

When I want to share information with you, such as this A Norvell Note, I have the ability to type these words on a computer, store them in the Cloud, and send them through cyberspace to be read by anyone.

All these things and more are within my grasp. Not because I’m wealthier, smarter, more talented, or more deserving than anyone else. I have these options and opportunities because of the time and place in which I live.

I do not share them to boast. I share them because I’m thankful for the time and place in which I live. I am blessed. Richly blessed! Blessed beyond anything I could have ever asked for or imagined.

A Norvell Note© Copyright 2018 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

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