ILI: History Makers Leadership Podcast
Explore the transformative journey that is leadership. In each episode, we will dive deep into strategies, stories, insights, and the core values that shape and inspire effective Christian leaders who make an impact - all around the globe. Get ready to unlock your leadership potential.
When leaders are equipped, kingdom impact multiplies. Equipping leaders and spreading the Gospel. Let’s change history together!
This podcast is brought to you by the International Leadership Institute.
ILI: History Makers Leadership Podcast
Ep. 39 | Discover Your Purpose and Make Every Day Matter
Discover practical steps to Make Every Day Matter through integrating purpose, passion, and peace into your everyday life with Dr. Elaine Friedrich, a distinguished figure in church ministry and higher education. Elaine helps you unveil how leaders can move beyond the ordinary and truly engage with the world, guiding you to uncover your passions and talents with clarity. She reveals the importance of moving from idea to action and embracing one’s God-given purpose.
In this episode, we journey through the concept of discovering your kingdom calling by tapping into the unique gifts and strengths bestowed upon you. We focus on balancing the five capitals —spiritual, physical, intellectual, relational, and financial—to align your life with your calling. We discuss how leaders can guide others in recognizing their heart, brain, and courage. Through clear vision and intentional actions, we reveal how to meaningfully contribute to a greater divine mission, enriching your life and the lives of others.
Discover practical steps from "Make Every Day Matter" to integrate purpose, passion, and peace into your everyday life. Additionally, learn how the International Leadership Institute equips leaders to advance the gospel and foster growth in both personal and leadership capacities. This episode explores key themes of intentionality, self-discovery, and the significance of mentorship and rest in effective leadership.
Resources:
Dr. Elaine Friedrich: Website
Make Every Day Matter: Book
When you begin ILI training, you will discover how the Eight Core Values will lead to the Seven Outcomes in your life and the lives of those you lead. Join a community of leaders who are ready to change history and make an impact in this world. Discover more at ILITeam.org/connect.
Welcome to the History Makers Leadership Podcast, where we explore the transformative journey that is leadership. Each episode, we will dive deep into strategies, stories, insights and the core values that shape and inspire effective Christian leaders who make an impact all around the globe. This podcast is brought to you by the International Leadership Institute. Now get ready to unlock your leadership potential and let's change history together.
Speaker 2:Hello and welcome to another episode of the History Makers Leadership Podcast. My name is Daniel and I'm so incredibly excited to be joined today by Dr Elaine Friedrich Elaine, it is such a joy to have you today. What a joy it is to be joined today by Dr Elaine Friedrich Elaine, it is such a joy to have you today.
Speaker 3:What a joy it is to be here with you.
Speaker 2:Yes, ma'am man, I'm excited because today we're going to be talking about something that I think is I don't know, I guess just so important and so foundational. We want to be talking with leaders about moving from just ideas into practicality. We want to talk about purpose. We want to talk about being intentional in some of the actions we take. I love you've mentioned a couple of these kind of ways that we can contribute. It's not just a financial contribution, but it's something that God has given us. Many facets of ways that we can engage in all those things, and so I'm looking forward to those elements of the conversation. But here's the thing I have the privilege of having engaged with you and talk with you on a couple of occasions, but not everyone has. So tell us a little bit of who you are, god's call on your life, some of your spiritual background. Tell us a little bit about you.
Speaker 3:Absolutely Well. I grew up in Texas and after college I went to seminary, and after seminary I went and served a local church in the area of discipleship. After seminary I went and served a local church in the area of discipleship, and so actually in next month it'll be 40 years since I began that journey in local church ministry.
Speaker 3:I've always felt called to be a lay person in leadership, and so that has been very much a part of my whole journey, and so I've moved back and forth across the country a couple of different times in churches, and so one of the churches helped me to get my PhD, and so when I finished my PhD, I went into higher education for about 15 years, and so when I was in higher education, I was a professor, I was a dean, I was a vice president, I was over the states of Tennessee, georgia and Alabama, and now I live in the area of Atlanta. And so a couple of more promotions, and at one time I was a senior vice president over 70 campuses in 12 states with 20,000 students and 1,600 employees, and so I have earned my white hair. Through all of that stress and Delta loved me I flew 148 flights a year, and so I dealt with leadership as a lay person. Through all of those experiences and because of my health, I had to make a very intentional decision to shift my whole life, and so I went through a process myself of, like God, what is next in my life, and trying to discern what that is, and so, as a part of that, I landed back in a local church just two miles from where I live in the Atlanta area, and so right now I am serving as the director of digital discipleship and community formation, which means that I work with all kinds of groups at the church.
Speaker 3:It's a large church, and so we're very much a part of building community and connection with individuals. So I'm Wesleyan in background, and so John Wesley always said the world is my parish and I say the world is my classroom, and so I have the opportunity to be able to, you know, connect with people literally all around the world and be able to be a part of helping people on their spiritual journey and find and discover that purpose in their life through so many different ways, and so it's a joy to be here. But thank you for inviting me.
Speaker 2:Oh, my gracious, Absolutely. I love hearing that whole story because you know, I know those pieces. But it's so incredible to see and remember just how God has like, woven, woven those elements together, giving you just such a breadth of leadership experience. But now for him to place you in a position where you know the world is your parish, right, You're stepping into and able to build disciples out of that knowledge, out of that leadership expertise and experience, and I love that we're able to kind of tap into that a little bit today.
Speaker 2:You know, I believe deeply that part of putting more laborers in the harvest field is actually helping people to discover their God-given purpose and vision, which is never intended to be alone but actually something that we mobilize others to join in on. And so I know you've been doing a little bit of work, a little bit of research, a little bit of just deep dive in the scriptures on a little bit of that. Will you kind of talk us through what are some of those elements of discovering purpose that you're seeing right now? You know, as a leader who's wanting to refine that right, If that third chair, the person listening to this, is asking the question how do I know that for myself. What are some of the things that you would kind of coach them on? How would you help them to discover their purpose and maybe, some of the ways that God is demonstrating and calling them out?
Speaker 3:So the first thing is people have to be intentional about getting out of their ordinary life. You know what I mean. So it's going to take courage to say okay, lord, here I am, use me. Because it's easy for people Christians to kind of be consumers as we sit and we listen, but we don't really implement it outside of the walls of the church and so really our call in our life is not when we're inside that building. It is called outside of the world 24-7, 365. And so it is way more than just checking the box or ticking it off that we've attended worship on a Sunday morning or a Saturday night, whenever it is that you worship. So you really have to have courage to want to know that and to live out a side of that, because so many people just are coasting along in their life and they're living their life in defense. Like I just need to overcome whatever this obstacle is, rather than living in offense so that they are looking and planning about okay, here I am, lord, use me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, elaine, I don't want people to miss what. I think this is a connection you just made, and I think it's incredibly profound. We can combat the tendency of our own hearts toward consumerism by discovering that purpose that God has given. Is that where you're drawing that connection?
Speaker 3:That is, and it's one of those things that it is. Until you're aware of that, you know, you just kind of take it for granted that this is what you're supposed to do in the life of the church, as a Christian, as a believer, as a follower of Jesus, and so it is really an intentional say okay, lord, it is time for me to make a shift or a pivot in my life, and usually those kinds of events happen really in certain areas or segments of our life. So the average person in America lives to be about 80 years old, and so we've all probably heard about the midlife crisis. Well, really, midlife is in your 40s right, if you live to be 80, a lot of times we think it's older than that. But really 40s is kind of a pivotal time where people start thinking okay, it's not about getting more stuff, it's not about more of whatever. It is more house, a better car, better job, more, more, more. But it is all about how can I serve, what can I do with my life so that I'm investing in the things that God has made me to do? So we're very commonly think about that midlife crisis, but really it happens also what they're calling a quarter life crisis.
Speaker 3:People graduate from college and they've spent their time in studies and research, papers and exams and all of those kinds of things, and it could be more what someone else wanted for their life than really how God has designed them for their life. And so they get out of college a couple of years and all of a sudden they're thinking, oh my goodness, what am I doing? I hate this, or this is not a good fit for me. I remember I had a lot of surgeries a few years ago and I was at my physical therapy appointment and so this guy had just graduated with his physical therapy doctorate and maybe eight months before I was his patient. And so I was there and he was like, do you mean I have to do this for the next 40 years? And I was just about to cry because I thought you know, the Lord made you for a reason. You have gifts, you have talents, you have passions, and if we discover those by becoming aware of what that is, then you can live into that and have that joy and fulfillment, not only for you, but how you can serve.
Speaker 3:So we have the quarter life crisis, we have the midlife crisis, but really one of the biggest areas in Christendom right now is the three quarter life crisis. People finish work, their job, their work life, whatever that might have been in their careers maybe 60, 70. But with today's health care and all kinds of resources that we have, the kingdom needs to be more than just laying on the beach or more than just hanging out waiting for everyone else to come to your funeral. We're about to work all of our life. Now, what does that work mean? Does that mean a job? No, but it means that we are about serving others and so having that awareness of how God has created us to be and to stand out in confidence, and to have that incentive Like I need to do something.
Speaker 3:Something is not meshing in my life and I need to figure out why I have been put on earth. Why is that? And so that's part of what I love to do is to help people discover what I like to call their kingdom calling and, like I mentioned at the very beginning, I'm a lay person. I've never felt called to be a pastor, but I have gifts, I have graces, and as I went through that process of leaving that position at the university and trying to discover what it was, I went through a process to discover that purpose for my life because I decided I did not want to continue my life just kind of waiting for the end, and so that's kind of where I have come from in that discovery process.
Speaker 2:Elaine. I love that because there's so many elements to that that just resonate in my own heart. Right, they resonate both as true, they resonate as just kind of critical junctures, right, one of the first things you know, in that quarter life crisis, I think of how many young people I've had the privilege of just walking alongside, mentoring, discipling, who maybe even unbeknowingly, have just kind of lived their lives. One way maybe would be to say, unintentionally, right, they have followed a set path, not considering is this the right path? Right, they're just kind of consuming the process of the world and just going, okay, well, this is what I'm supposed to do, not thinking this is what, this is actually what I'm supposed to do. Right, they're, they're just kind of going down that path and, um, and I think I think maybe that's a part of it for all three stages, right, is this element of you know well, at my midlife, you know well I was just supposed to accumulate and acquire, not make, you know, a kingdom advance. And you know I don't have the same kind of personal experience on the three-quarter life crisis yet, but I can certainly say I have heard enough people resonate around this idea that in the Garden of Eden, god didn't intend for vacation for Adam and Eve. He actually had vocation for them, right. That's why they were there to tend the garden. They were there to be a continued expression of God's creative power and potential. And I think when we think about our own imago dei right being made in the image of God, there's an element of that, that is the creator God. God desires and designed us to be creators in that sense of making things in service to others and the way that we can lean into that.
Speaker 2:I think for so many Christians, particularly entrepreneurial ones, there can be this sense of like a second. I'm a second class Christian because I was in the marketplace rather than in the kingdom work and not seeing that wait, I can make a kingdom difference through that marketplace and helping them to kind of discover God's purpose and intent in the midst of that little, you know, not little, but in the midst of that particular calling and construct, midst of that particular calling and construct. So you know, at ILI we talk about the power of vision and I obviously deeply believe that biblical leaders have a visionary calling that God gives them and that they're to implement. You know, we talk about that process in terms of seeing need, feeling a need, being burdened and bonded to that need and then believing that we can meet that need that kind of visionary process. How have you seen in some of your research? How do you try and walk a person through that kind of discovering purpose process? What's that look like for you?
Speaker 3:Yeah. So all of those things are very important in the entire process. So I like to take a step back, because a lot of times we have all this social media and so we are continuously looking at our life through other people's life. Who are we, who have we been created to be? And so I think you have to take a step back to see who has God created you to be. And so there are several different processes that you can think about these concentric circles. One is that you discover, kind of who God has created you to be.
Speaker 3:In the area of passion, what is God giving you a heart for? Because it could be a particular group of people, it could be a particular area of expertise, but what kind of a passion, what kind of things keep you up at night? Because you have this burden to help people to understand this part, because it's your contribution I even like using the word contribution rather than the word work, because we are making a contribution to the kingdom. And so, as we think about what you were mentioning about God, we are really co-creators. We have been invited, as we say yes to Jesus, we have been invited into partnership. So that co-mission that we're a part of is our personal mission, joining with God's overarching mission, and how we best fit into that. So we look at our passions, we look at our content, our context, like who has God created to be, our personalities, our spiritual gifts, our strengths? People have all of these things but they have never really uncovered or discovered it for themselves. Now maybe if you've been in the business world, you've done some inventories and assessments along the way. But to pull all of those things together in discovering that purpose is really a powerful thing, because that purpose, that kingdom calling, is not only knowable because you have all of these pieces of the puzzle in a process that you're putting together those puzzle pieces together. It's knowable that you can know who God created you to be, but then it's nameable, you can put a name on it. And so I like using this process that names your calling. In two words, so my naming, my kingdom calling in this juncture of my life, is influencing possibilities. And so Elaine has been created by God to serve God and help and serve others through influencing possibilities.
Speaker 3:And so, as I look at that, I build my life very intentionally about how I'm spending my time, energy and resources around that kingdom calling, and so that's very important to me. As I you know, we're looking at a new year, we're looking at a new season in our life, whether that is one of those crises that I just mentioned earlier, or if it's kind of a calendar year or a rhythm in your life, you're always looking at kind of what's next, and so, rather than coasting along, it is important for us to have that Christ design for our life and be intentional about okay, lord, how can I partner with what you're already doing in the world to multiply the gifts and graces that you've given to me, so that others might know you and that others might benefit from my time here, this side of eternity? And so that's really important for me, and so I even like having a visual that goes with this. So I know you were talking about visioning, and so in that history makers curriculum there's a whole section on visioning, and so not only is that important for your organization, whether that's your church or your company, or your family even but it's important for you as an individual too. So the visual that I'm working on right now for the next three to five years of my life is all of us have seen the movie the Wizard of Oz, right.
Speaker 3:And so as we look at the yellow brick road I look at that yellow brick road. All of us have that picture in our mind when I'm just even describing this, and I have this on the wall in my office to help remind me every day that this is the vision that God has placed on my heart for this next season of my life. So the yellow brick road is helping people to find the way, the truth and the life, and not only to do that, but to be able to serve them. And so I'm Dorothy helping people to go through that process. And so we have the tin man, right, he is looking for a heart. So I want to help people discover what their passions are in their life, discover what their passions are in their life. So, as they are, they're excited because God has planted that in their life that they have a passion that they can offer to serve the world outside of those four walls of the church.
Speaker 3:So we have the tin man, who's always looking for that heart.
Speaker 3:But then we have the scarecrow that needs a brain, right.
Speaker 3:So I want to help people process them by thinking through how has God really given you these gifts, these talents, these strengths, all of these abilities that he's given to you so that you might use them for a kingdom purpose.
Speaker 3:And then, of course, we have the lion, who is needing courage, right, and so we get very comfortable inside our own little comfort zone and don't want to necessarily take a step outside of that nest, and so it is courage that helps us to step out of that comfort zone and into what God is calling us to become through all that he's given to us. And so that's my visual for my life right now. And so, through this process, we really want people to have a visual for their own life because, as we know in the scriptures, without a vision the people perish. And so that's not just as an organization, church or school or community or family, but it's you personally, too, having a reason to get up and be able to be excited about what God is going to do in and through you this day, very day by day, but at the same time looking at the bigger picture.
Speaker 2:So well, and I think there's sorry, I did so much time but no, it's excited about this. Yeah, Well, you should, and I think I think one of the reasons I think I share that excitement with you, Elaine, is because you know there's such an army of believers who have not yet been mobilized to engage in this, and so that's why we have the lack of workers and so.
Speaker 2:I reflect on that and I think, yeah, we have people who don't even know what their passions are, because they're just whatever it is that has become the distraction, okay, Whether that be just literally their devices, right, something kind of just keeping their mind and heart otherwise occupied, maybe it's, you know, even charitably. They're in a really hard, difficult season, right. Their finances are collapsing, or maybe they're experiencing some deep loss or mourning and they've lost sight of the fact that still in the midst of that, god gives us passion and purpose and calling. And we've got to engage with that, because it's through those means that God is going to help bring restoration and revival and new life and reformation, not only in us but through us, in the lives of others. So I love that. I love that visual of kind of the heart, the head right, of discovering that peace and then ultimately stepping into that courage and saying, hey, I have to, I have to step out and be, be courageous to try something new and ultimately, you know, isn't that faith right, stepping out into something that is otherwise unsure? I was talking to somebody the other day and he said you know, daniel, we won't remember God's faithfulness if we never step out into something that he's calling us to that we weren't sure about, because if we're sure about it, then ultimately it's not that we have a memory of God's faithfulness. We have a memory of our own ability to do something right, to know, oh yeah, that was right, or, you know, I made the right call or I made the. But if we want to remember God as being remarkably faithful and consistent, we have to acknowledge when he is the one that made it possible Right, and not not as lip service, but as as practical.
Speaker 2:You know, sometimes younger leaders, or sometimes people you know, just the average Christian may look at the context of of kingdom work and think that they don't know how to contribute to that. You know, I think of you know we often will share this statistic about 3 billion people who have never heard the name of Jesus. And for one Christian sitting here, right as I am right now in a chair in an office. I look at that and I think how can I impact 3 billion? I mean, that number is almost inconceivable, right, when you really think about it. So I'm so for the believer who's sitting there going, what does it mean to contribute?
Speaker 2:You and I talked a little bit about a couple different ways that people can contribute. Why don't you unpack that a little bit for us, those, I think you call them five C's or four C's. Can you walk us through those a little bit so that you know? Maybe the person who's listening is going? You know, this all sounds nice and fluffy and good, but I don't know. Even if I discovered my calling, how, elaine, could I even make a difference?
Speaker 3:Right. Well, so, as we have been created as physical beings, a lot of times we are thinking about making how we spend our time, energy and resources Right, and so I like to think about it as the five capitals right.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:So a lot of times we think about capital, we think only about financial capital and that's really important as the life of a believer, about how we handle our finances.
Speaker 3:There's more scriptures about finances and giving and being generous givers and all of those kinds of things than almost any other topic or subject in the Bible. But as we think about that, god has created us as whole beings this side of eternity, and so we have a spiritual capital, we have a physical capital, we have a body and we have intellectual capital, we have relational capital and we have financial capital, and so, as we think about all the five of those areas of our life, we need to think about how we live intentionally in every one of those categories, every one of those areas. As we think about having goals or having things that we want to work on, habits and those kinds of things we want to think about, how do we make investments in those capitals to help us to live more intentionally? And so it can start with specific, small little things in your life, and so one of the things that I think is important as we think about our life is that we have been given our life and we are stewards of that life, right.
Speaker 3:We're not just consumers getting spiritual information or intellectual information about the scriptures, which is very important. You know, I have three degrees in education. I am very much a proponent of education, but at the same time, am very much a proponent of education, but at the same time, it's more than that. It is about applying it and putting it into our life. And so, as we're stewards of our life, how are we stewarding our spiritual life? How are we stewarding our relationships? How are we stewarding our brains, our minds? Are we using them in a way that brings glory to God? How are we stewarding our brains, our minds? Are we using them in a way that brings glory to God? How are we stewarding our finances? And so, as we look at life as a holistic kind of a way, we can begin to implement rhythms and habits into our life that helps us to get out of our pews and into serving others through using some of those specific steps or habits. And so that's what my book is that I've just unleashed Make Every Day Matter. So we think about our whole life, and so that becomes overwhelming, like you were saying about how do I even start? And so, as I wrote this, there's 101 ways to live intentionally, with purpose, passion and peace, because it's a step-by-step approach so that you look at your life in those areas and you think about okay, lord, what do I need to work on right now? And all of that, just like you've talked about that.
Speaker 3:This podcast is for leaders. All of the listeners, hopefully, are very self-aware of their leadership, right? So that's one of the first steps of leadership is that you have to be self-aware about your strengths, the things you need to work on and how you just are stewarding that life, and so we want to be able to start implementing. You can't do everything at one time, and so when I tell people about reading my book, I talk about don't read it cover to cover. That is not the way it's intended, because you will get overwhelmed. And I even say in the introduction I am not doing all 101 things in my life because it's a lot. So you just start with little steps. You know, take a take.
Speaker 3:Something that you want to work on, like one of them in the relational area, is to find a mentor. You know someone to pour that, that can pour their life into you, who is further along in their life, spiritually, career, wise, maybe as a parent, that you find someone who's maybe in a little bit ahead of you season of their life but it didn't have to be chronological season, but they're just a little bit more advanced or mature in an area of your life that you need help with. But then also in that relationship section, is to be a mentor, because that's a way that takes it outside of those walls of the church and begin to multiply that one-on-one mentorship, that one-on-one discipleship that anybody can do. People think, well, I'm not a leader, everybody is a leader, but it's just a different way, a different method. I love this book title. It's called Leaders at All Levels, because there are leaders that are really best suited for this one-on-one kind of approach, but then there are leaders who are called to live and to work with large organizations.
Speaker 3:So it's just a difference in a style and in an approach, rather than that oh, I'm not a leader, I'm not called to be a leader. If we're kingdom-minded, we are called to step out and advance the kingdom, however God has gifted us and surrounded us, whatever kind of our environment might be at this time.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I think that's so, that's so good. I was recently reading through Titus with some young folks. My wife and I have been reading through that and we were struck as we read. You know it talks about older, teaching younger and the fact that we, we all are both of those things right. It's not that we're ever just one of them, right, but. But the beauty of of in that epistle Paul is is giving a context where I'm not supposed to see myself as only one, I'm supposed to see myself in both places being a recipient relationally, but also being an investor relationally.
Speaker 2:So, elaine, as we kind of come to the end of our time here, I just want to ask, maybe selfishly we talked about these five kind of capitals and I'd be curious what's maybe one other way? You know you're sitting across the table from a leader and you're saying, hey, here's one practice for you to steward one of these capitals. You talked about mentorship a little bit just a second ago. What's one other key way that you would encourage another leader who's like man, I just need to start on this journey. What's a good starting place for them to steward, well, one of those capitals? What's one other practice you would maybe kind of put in their hands.
Speaker 3:So I'll give you a little bit of a story, because this is one of the reasons I started really focusing on being on purpose, living on purpose, very intentional. So I was 30 years old when my parents, I was 30 when my father died and 33 when my mother died. So they both died at 55, very young, very young. And so because of that, I have been thinking that life is so short and so my physical body is really important, and so that's a capital that I've been working on personally lately, and so I just turned 65 earlier this year, and so I'm realizing the time between now and when I get to see Jesus is, you know, between now and when I get to see Jesus is, you know, it seems like it's going by very quickly.
Speaker 3:So, physical, there is some I've been working on just getting enough sleep, you know, because those kinds of things God created our bodies so that we rest and then we are, you know, working. We are contributing in some way, shape or form. So one easy thing that I have implemented for physical is that I really look at almost the Old Testament rhythm of rest. So, in other words, even right now, our friends who are Jews, they start their Sabbath on Friday night. Right, it's not Saturday morning, it's Friday night. So I am very intentional about really trying to and it doesn't happen every day, but I'm working on it and very intentional about starting my day the day before, so in the evening, resting and being my work is out of rest, rather than our American way is that we work, work, work, work, work. So our bodies need that rest, we need that Sabbath rest, we need that daily rest.
Speaker 3:So just physically is one of those things that I have really been cognizant of, especially as I'm getting older, and really it's some of those habits that if we implemented them as we were younger, we can even have more healthier bodies as we age and as we grow older.
Speaker 3:So physical is one of those things that everyone has the opportunity to begin to do something that will help to make their life, because if we're not here to proclaim the good news or to mentor people, then we miss out on that opportunity. So I think you know, physically we are physical beings and so that's an important component, and so sleep is one of those things, and rest are some of those things that are very needed and necessary, and there's so many scientific research things up and just reading about you know, alzheimer's is very connected to lack of sleep, and so some of those things that are disease prone and things like that can really be maybe not eradicated, but can be minimized by us taking care of the physical body that God has given to us. So that's an easy one, and a very cognizant one that all of us are thinking about, about my body, as we are just living into that, as we go about our day-to-day lives.
Speaker 2:And I think that's such a good word. And you know, I just want to echo that. I've heard that from so many leaders here recently, and even in my own life, god's been convicting me, you know, saying hey, daniel, you don't sleep two hours, every couple of hours you sleep, you know, six or eight hours all at once. So when you Sabbath, when you rest, why are you trying to pretend that resting a couple of hours a day is going to be what I call you to? I called you to a day of rest and so live in that practice of Sabbath.
Speaker 2:And I think, as leaders, sometimes we want to accomplish, we want to achieve, we want to press forward. But there's something beautiful about saying okay, lord, I'm going to begin that by resting in you and not rest, that's just like lazy, whatever. But rest, that is an expression of worship and an extension of worship, rest that causes worship. And so it's really saying no, no, no, I'm going to begin by living in the peace and rest that is following you, lord, that is acknowledging your presence, your activity and the fact that all of this is an extension of that peace-filled walk with you that you've called me to, and that's a peace that's not predicated on circumstance, but a peace that's predicated on the finished work of Christ and the ongoing presence of your spirit and dwelling within us, and so man.
Speaker 2:I think that is so, so good.
Speaker 2:Elaine, I just want to say thank you so much for the way that you are fulfilling that purpose and calling. I love that idea of helping people in this process of discovering a purpose. I love that you're trying to help unleash those things in the body of Christ, because I think in doing so we're going to see the kingdom advance. We're going to see people get out of the pews, off the seats and into the game, which is where I think they'll find greater joy, greater fulfillment and again the purpose of people. We're going to see God glorify. We're going to see the kingdom advance, the gospel made known, and that's where our hearts rejoice because of how incredibly faithful our heavenly father is and how incredibly good the gift of Christ is for our own need of salvation. So, elaine, thank you so much for serving the body of Christ in this way, for using your experience, your knowledge to make that available Real, quickly. If somebody wanted to maybe find that book or find a way to get in touch with you, what's the best way for them to do that?
Speaker 3:So my website is schoolofintentionallivingcom and so that's an easy way, and my book is available on Amazon Make Every Day Matter, and so you can get it through that way, and so if you go to my website, you can always get in contact with me. There's ways to send me a message and things through that.
Speaker 2:Wonderful. Well, if you're a leader who's been engaging in this, you're thinking man, this is such a great resource. I want to encourage you. Elaine is a wonderful leader equipped, knowledgeable, experienced, and I believe she'd be a great resource for you as you're seeking to grow in life and leadership At the International Leadership Institute. That's who we are. We want to see leaders equipped because we believe that when that happens, you're going to see the kingdom advance, You're going to see the gospel made known and ultimately, we will accelerate the gospel, and that's where our heart rests and our heart resides. So if you want to find more about the International Leadership Institute, you can discover that at the iliteamorg. Elaine, thank you so much for your time today. I just pray God's blessings over you and I'm excited for what God's going to do in the future.
Speaker 3:Thank you, I love being here.
Speaker 2:Amen.