by Aarron Pina | Feb 2, 2017 | Uncategorized
What’s Your Better?
At the end of 2016 nearly 100% of Americans wanted 2017 to be better. But, which better?
The prayer requests I got sounded like “clarity & direction”, “make the right decisions at work”, “be more fully present in key relationships” (wife or significant other, kids, extended family), “stay in the word”, “stop playing catch up at work and actually get ahead”. What were yours? Crushing it yet? Didn’t make any? Read on…
This year, about 41% of Americans made New Year’s resolutions. Almost 45% of those people will make it 6 months or more on those resolutions. In other words, while a lot of people are interested in change, not everyone is committed to lasting change in their lives. Even fewer actually achieve it.
Two Kinds of People – Which Are You?
Some of you are really active people – you do a lot of stuff. Others are highly productive people – you get a lot of stuff done. But, I firmly assert that God doesn’t want either. I believe God doesn’t want us to settle for merely doing more stuff. He calls us to something better: getting the right stuff done in His power and His timing with right motives. How about you? Comment below.
You can be in one place alone: on track or off track. If you’re on track, good for you. Just know you have an enemy who wants you off track and will do all in his power to get you there. The great news is, God has an order and a power (grace) designed to get you back on track every time you’re off. The most productive people have plans in place designed to help them get back on track as quickly and often as possible. Are you one of them?
This week, I’m offering a free webinar under the Clean Slate banner: “Re:gaining Productivity”. So, whether you’ve lost momentum or just want help keeping it, I’m here to partner with you in the process with biblical solutions to real world problems.
Is that worth 45 minutes of your time? What I’m covering hasn’t just changed my life, it’s helping people, churches and businesses keep the main thing the main thing. If that’s important to you, click here and register for Thursday’s webinar.
in Christ,
AP
by Aarron Pina | Jan 13, 2017 | Uncategorized
As a ministry, it appears we’ve turned a God-ordained corner in 2016. The year before, we were committed to walking away from Seasons of Life Ministries for a time. But, once we made that commitment, it appears God opened up new doors. So, we walked through them.
That led to That Day performances in Alpharetta, Cumming, Manassas, VA, and a return to Alpharetta.
WHEW!
Cristine gave her first women’s conference talk for a retreat in Norfolk, VA. Aarron spent several months on a part time job a few days a week while here in Cumming, but also gave Clean Slate leader training to local leaders and earned his Evernote Certified Consultant designation! (For more on how he uses and optimizes Evernote, email him at aarron at zeroinbox.org.
Available for IOS and Android here.
Today, we have two That Day performances already on the books for January with a third in the works for March. With very little effort poured into publicizing our app (Stay in the Word), we’ve reached over 50 mobile devices and are taking a very low key approach to it so we can focus on keeping the main thing the main thing.
Lessons learned: when we take our hands off God’s work and let Him be God, our plans fail and His succeed wildly.
130 lbs. Lost and Three Words:
Over the past 2 years, Cristine and I have lost a combined total of 130 lbs. and are compiling video to create a series on how we did it. Ultimately, it comes down to stewardship of the body, obedience to God, and the three words that God consistently pops up on our radar: vision, strategy, and execution. Short version: God has radically transformed the way we look at food, our bodies, and stewardship.
While I have several blog post ideas in the works on each of these 3, my goal is to release them only as time permits, in order to keep the main thing the main thing: That Day, Clean Slate, and Discipleship/Coaching.
If you’ve ever wondered what this ministry is about, I’ve compiled a simple document that explains what we’re about in those three words. You can download it here: SOLM Ministry Model.
So, How Did It Go?
Year end giving is always surrounded by uncertainty – did we send out enough information, soon enough? too much information, too late? will regular supporters stay on?
This year, the books closed on 2016 with only a few thousand dollars “in the red” and some surprise gifts large and small coming in right down to the wire. If you were one of those year end supporters – THANK YOU.
Shifting Gears?
As it became clear the ministry work demanded all of me after my family and not after family and the part time job, I gave appropriate notice and we’re living back out on faith and faith alone so as to maximize my efforts toward the family and That Day, Clean Slate, and Coaching/Discipleship. After our first That Day Leader’s Lunch yielded great fruit, we discovered that God might make it distinctly possible to reach 10,000 people this year with the message of “living every day with eternity in mind.” Until He says differently, we’re joining Him in that pursuit!
If you see value in helping us to help others, please consider us in your regular monthly giving. We need about 5 more regular supporters to join us at $125-200 per month to keep us fully available where we are needed most: partnering with others to keep God’s main thing their main thing.
Click here to join us in that effort.
in Christ,
Aarron Pina
by Aarron Pina | Dec 30, 2016 | Uncategorized
To Resolve or Not to Resolve?
Some swear by New Year’s Resolutions. Others live and die by goals. Still others claim “if you keep your expectations low, you’re never let down.”
This year, by grace alone, I celebrate 15 years clean from porn addiction and 2 years clean from processed sugar. Personally, I love running after goals and I’m grateful for all the Spirit led resolutions God has helped me keep. Nothing like a little repentance here and there to cast aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily entangles so we can run with perseverance the race He set out for us, right?
What if Resolutions Aren’t the Answer?
Most resolutions fail because they’re merely snap decisions based on irritation with current circumstances or a sense of being “sick and tired of x”. Knee jerk course corrections… Resolutions in and of themselves are merely strategies – “what to do” or “what to not do”. The power behind anything in the Christian life is Christ and that power is perfected in our weakness. Tying the what to a “why” helps us actualize that power. Renewing of the mind brings that power to fruition. God ordained vision drives lasting change. In other words, revolution must precede resolution if the change is to stick.
This year, I want us all to fail miserably at our resolutions and succeed wildly at accomplishing what God has set before us. To aid you in that endeavor, here’s a resource you can download, pray about, and work out as the Spirit leads. I wish you God’s best – a clean slate – in the coming year, and thousands of steps in line with God’s will for your life.
Your Homework:
Click here to download the worksheet. Zeroing in on God’s Vision for Your Life Follow the instructions and email me your story in 30 days!
by Aarron Pina | Oct 11, 2016 | Uncategorized
A few years back, it seemed the importance of Black Friday had eclipsed the importance of Christmas and Thanksgiving. People camping out at retail stores to buy “doorbuster” deals? Then, Cyber Monday came on the scene, giving us a chance to take down our pup tents mounted in the Best Buy parking lots and shop in our jammies online. But, was that a good thing?
In 2012, the idea of “Giving Tuesday” was born. According to their website, last year over 700,000 people in 70 countries raised over $116,000,000 for charities, non-profits, and other NGO’s worldwide! Maybe the spirit of giving hasn’t been destroyed by the spirit of getting…
This November 29th, #GivingTuesday will see over a million people giving time, talent, and treasure to support the causes they’re most passionate about. This year, it’s quite likely that over a quarter billion dollars will be raised for worthy causes because of Giving Tuesday. At Seasons of Life Ministries, where we help churches, organizations, and marriages get obstacles out of the way of what God has designed them to do, and we only need to see God raise about $30,000 of that… Side note: it’ll take less than $3,000 of that to bring That Day to dozens of churches and organizations throughout the Southeast, exposing hundreds of non-believers to the gospel and refocusing thousands of believers on eternity in the most tangible way possible!
In the coming weeks, we’ll invite you to put your prayer knee pads on, your thinking caps on your heads, and consider giving to Seasons of Life Ministries to help us bring the message of “Why Does God Have Me Here? What Do I Do Next? and How Do I Do It?” or “Vision, Strategy, and Execution… God’s Way” to people all over the metro-Atlanta area and beyond.
Next Thursday will be our first “That Day Leader’s Lunch” where we give away lunch to a bunch of beleaguered pastors and ministry leaders, along with a preview performance of “That Day”. This event will give That Day some much needed exposure to influencers who can bring the message to their churches, organizations, and/or retreats, unleashing greater kingdom impact. If you know someone who ought to be there and deserves a free lunch, send them our video invite card.
If you’d like to jump start our Giving Tuesday matching fund, email us or give online today using either Paypal (to “giving@seasonsoflifeministries.org”) or clicking here to use our secure online giving platform.
by Aarron Pina | Sep 8, 2016 | Uncategorized
I’m asking my youngest 3 kids – “what’s longer, 80 years or forever?” They’re 6, 6, and 7. But, they understand “forever” is a whole lot longer than 80 years. If we live for 80 years here, it’s still TEENY, TINY compared to forever, right?
Scripture teaches two big things about forever:
- By grace, through faith, we get to spend it with Jesus – salvation from our sins.
- In addition to forever with God, we’ll receive from God rewards commensurate with the works that flow from our salvation.
In other words, do good stuff in your TEENY, TINY 80 years, get good rewards that last forever.
Great leaders agree with Jesus – vision leads. When we begin our day, our week, our quarter, our game, our deal with eternity in mind, how we conduct that time, that game, that deal are dramatically different than when we’re only thinking about the now. How much more engaged are we when we realize how high the stakes of our obedience are? Vision – what could be and should be – impacts strategy and execution. It also raises engagement. Nothing at stake? Not paying attention. Eternal rewards in the balance? You have my undivided attention and engagement.
The history of Seasons of Life Ministries has been about helping people keep one eye on eternity and one eye on the now. Or, as some might put it, “eyes on Jesus, hands on the wheel, ready to turn at His command.” In the coming months, you’ll likely see some events popping up on our calendar – speaking engagements, performances of That Day, perhaps even a Clean Slate Workshop or webinar. Whatever form it takes, we want to stay laser focused on helping people stay on track in their walk with Christ, which involves connecting the dots between present obedience and eternal rewards.
If you know someone who’s struggling with the 3 O’s: “Overcommitment”, “Overwhelm”, “OVER IT!”, point them our way and we’ll see how we can help. Start by joining us at our next That Day performance at Holy Trinity Christian Church on Sunday morning, October 16th, 2016, at 10AM. By then, we’ll likely have a date on the calendar for “next steps” like Clean Slate, microgroups, or one on one coaching & discipleship.
One day, we’ll all come before Jesus to receive rewards for what we’ve done here (2 Cor. 5:10). When you come face to face with Christ for the first time, do you want to hear a mere “Welcome” or a hearty, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”?
