Mike Sansone

To Love, Live, Learn, and Lauch

Path of My Day(s)

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pathways
Path of My Day(s)
A prayer,
A song of worship,
Much time in God’s word (2Tim 2:15)
 
A bounty of nourishment,
A thanksgiving (1Th 5:18)
Before another voice is heard.
 
Then onto service (Rom 12:1)
And to this day’s work,
My purpose not deferred.
 
I am a whosever (John 3:16)
Therefore whatsoever (Col 3:17)
No matter what has occurred.
 
Entering the night’s rest
Cleanse me with mercy (Lam 3:22-23)
And if I may, awaken renewed.
Personal Note: This is not so much a routine, but a template for my day, from beginning through end. It is the path I aspire to always travel.
Photo via Pixabay

Continuous Improvement – Better Than Delayed Perfection

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continuous improvement steps

Continuous Improvement is better than Delayed Perfection – Mark Twain

Novice to Expert is more than a single step. The way things change these days, it might be a lifelong journey.

Improving is one of the key pieces in how we work at SmallBizTracks. Once we embrace a beginner’s mindset, we can learn – and then improve as we apply what is learned. Improving a little bit at a time allows you to modify, measure, and master as you grow.

Small steps often lead to big results. To be sure, small steps make change easier to navigate.

Always Carrying

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Bibles and Coffee

I’ve done my best at always having a Bible at the ready. For a long time, I would have a small Bible in my pocket. The writing had become too small for my eyes.

For the past few years, I’ve carried a thin Bible behind the small of my back. Like a sword in its sheath, my Bible is ready to share with others or protect myself.

It is true, my mobile devices have Bibles to read, most often YouVersion or BlueLetterBible apps. You can connect with me on the former here: Mike Sansone on YouVersion

Bible BeltBut if I’m at Panera and someone from across the way sees me studying God’s Word, they are more likely to recognize the book in front of me. My taps and swipes on a phone look like I’m texting or on Facebook.

If you ever join me for coffee, bring your Bible. (Don’t worry, I often bring extras).

 

Intercession Schedule: Praying for Pastors

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daily calendar

I recently wrote about a burden on my heart to be praying for pastors, along with leaders and workers in the ministry. I’ve created and am practicing a weekly routine that helps me focus each day.

Sunday – Praying for Passion

I pray for pastors to find and follow a renewed passion, allowing them to preach and teach however the Holy Spirit guides them. I also pray for a zeal and love for Christ, His bride, His Kingdom, and the lost and hungry.

Monday – Praying for Family

I pray for the time and opportunity for a focus on the family. Praying for a protection of love and health, for a time to build a stronger bond away from work.

Tuesday – Praying for Personal Pursuits

I pray for time for the worker of the Gospel to re-create and recreate. Praying also for personal development in pursuits of physical or mental refreshment. Most importantly, for time during the week for the worker to find time for personal intake and conversation with God.

Wednesday – Praying for Preparation

I pray for preparation of heart, mind, and body as the coming weekend approaches. Praying for unctions of message and methods to be clear, for distractions to be minimal, and for workers and assistance to be plentiful.

Thursday – Praying for Health

I pray for the health of pastors and workers, along with their family’s physical needs. I pray for peaceful and plentiful sleep.

Friday – Praying for Provision

I pray for provision for the pastor and ministry worker: provisions of time, of sustenance, of materials and resources, of finances, and again for workers and assistance.

Saturday – Praying for Protection

I pray for a hedge of protection to be placed around the pastor and ministry worker as the weekend gets in high gear. I pray for protection of his family, for his conversations, and against spiritual attacks of many kinds.

Side Note

The list above is simplified and general. There are often specific prayers for specific people. If you are considering praying for your pastor, ministry leader, missionary, or worker – and I pray you are burdened so – please use this as desired.

And pastor … there is a prayer cover over you. Daily. And then eternity!

Praying for Pastors

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Praying for Pastors from the Pew

A burden on my heart grows. I can feel the tears welling up – almost from within my cheeks. A burden to pray. Every day. For my pastor(s).

Every day I must pray For Pastor:

  • For protection.
  • For provision.
  • For preparation.
  • For renewed passion.
  • For health.
  • For family time.
  • For their personal pursuits.

I am blessed to count many pastors and ministry leaders as friends. Having once stood behind the desk, and now with a view from a pew, I have a sense of the trials and turmoil associated with such position.

Pastors are under continual spiritual attack, threats, and temptation. Oh, that we might pray daily for the person and practice of the pastor.

Oh, that we might.

Daily.

This burden I have is not to win over the pastors in my life. Or even to thank them (though I am grateful). The burden is a gift from God. He loves my pastor(s) more than I can ever imagine.

Yes Pastor, I love you. But … this one is for God.

It’s All ‘Free Time’

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time

“What do you do in your free time?”

It’s a question that raises my eyebrows. All of my time is free time.

Work: I love what I do and if I didn’t, I wouldn’t. I’d do something different. It’s a choice. Freedom.

Non-Work: I read. I write. I organize, tidy, unclutter, and generally tinker with how to improve life. Kind of like what I do for work, but without billable hours. It’s a choice. Freedom.

Escapes: I call it Sleep. I don’t set an alarm. If I oversleep, I’ve still got the sun beat by a couple of house. It’s a choice. Freedom.

Others: I am free to watch all the movies I want. I can watch all the ballgames I want. I can eat whatever I want. I can wear anything I want. But I don’t. Want, that is. It’s a choice. Freedom.

What do I do in my free time? Whatever I want. And to me, it’s all ‘free time’.

Photo via Pixabay

Quiet Writer for an Unquiet Mind

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hand writing

Quiet Writer for an Unquiet Mind

A Practice of Prose in the Testing of a Tool

By writing in the manner in which I first grew accustomed (Just Spill!), I will be able to get more words from out of my head and onto the page.

Flowing, without much concern to the readability or legibility of the prose – until after it is written – will free me up to be faster as a typist, more clear as a generator of ideas, and more prolific as a writer.

The goal of my writing is to clear my unquiet mind. By wringing out words currently saturating my brain, I will be able to think more clearly. However, that is simply the selfish (primary?) reason.

Believing what I have to share can be of value to others, isn’t it then my responsibility to generously share what I have? To do otherwise would be boorishly hoarding.

Thus, to find a way to rid my head of these ideas and thoughts, while still capturing them for keepsake (or discard when necessary), is of premiere priority.

Finding the Chrome extension, Quiet Writer, might help me to continuously write as spilling comes to mind.

This is my first writing with this easy-to-use tool.

Photo on Pixabay by annazuc

RECIPE: Healthy Pumpkin-Carrot Pudding

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Pumpkin Carrot PuddingWhat started out as an experiment has become a staple. As in a small helping every day in her lunch box to school.

Last fall, we found ourselves with an abundance of carrots. Angela’s birthday was coming up and I wanted to fix a dessert dish that wasn’t a carrot cake (she fixes that for my birthdays).

I’ve been asked about it often – here it is, Angela’s Healthy Pumpkin- Carrot Pudding (with Thick Topping):

Angela’s Healthy Pumpkin-Carrot Pudding

Ingredients – Pudding

Ingredients – Thickening
 4-5 Carrots (or 3 cups quartered)
 1 can Pumpkin (15 oz)
 1-2 Bananas
 1.5 cups Almond Milk
 1 Tbs Cinnamon
 .5 Tbs Nutmeg

Ingredients – Topping

 1 can Chilled Coconut Milk (separated)
 1 Banana
 1 cup Strained Greek Yogurt

  1 cup Coconut Sugar
 1 packet Gelatin
 1 cup Hot Water

Instructions – Pudding and Thickening

  1. Boil or Steam Carrots until Fork Tender. Drain. Place into a large bowl.
  2. Add 1 large banana or 2 small bananas.
  3. Add Pumpkin.
  4. Mash (by hand using fork or potato masher)
  5. Have Almond Milk ready for blending.
  6. Using a blender, add mashed mixture along with milk (or with a bullet, blend three equal portions of mash mixture along with 1/3 amount of milk).
  7. Using a hand mixture or blender, bring to a puree.
  8. Boil water for Thickening
  9. In separate bowl, combine Gelatin and Coconut sugar dry.
  10. Add cup of boiling water, whisking as you add water until sugar and gelatin dissolve.
  11. Add thickening liquid to pudding and use low mixer speed for one or two minutes until completely mixed.
  12. Pour pudding into shallow container and chill 2 hours or more.

Instructions – Topping

  1. Refrigerate overnight, one can of Coconut Milk. This separates the milk from the water, creating a thick and creamy base for your topping.
  2. Strain 1-2 cups of Greek Yogurt, thus separating the liquid whey and creating an additional creamy base – almost like a cream cheese texture.
  3. Peel a banana.
  4. Mix on low speed until smooth
  5. Chill for two hours.

Shopping List – Brands I Use

Almond Milk (any brand) – Unsweetened Vanilla
Coconut Sugar – Madhava (Organic) Found almost anywhere, including Walmart.
Knox Gelatin Envelope (available everywhere, see baking aisle near Jello products)
Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk (not lite) – (available almost anywhere, see Oriental Foods aisle)
Oikos Greek Yogurt – Plain

Pudding Topping

 

Print out the PDF – RECIPE:_ Angela’s Healthy Pumpkin-Carrot Pudding

Perfect Makes Practice

An engaging and educating conversation with a young girl of four:

Girl: Perfect makes practice.

Me: Isn’t it, ‘Practice makes perfect’?

Girl: No. The first time I try something new, after that I know I’m going to need lots of practice to get better,

Smart thinking.