Clergy (48250 US employees)
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Conduct religious worship and perform other spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination. Provide spiritual and moral guidance and assistance to members.
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Total Employment: 48250
Mean Hourly Wage: $23.15
Mean Annual Wage: $48150
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Shaun Paschal - Ministry: The work of keeping it real with God and letting Him keep it real through you to others.
I AM by David Bowden by Shaun Paschal
A day in the life of any minister, especially Pastor/Chaplain, begins with knowing The Father and The One He sent through The Spirit. Together they make up The I AM of your life. This relational knowledge will dictate how you see the day and the people you encounter in it, including yourself. Be Blessed.
HE SPOKE BACK! by Shaun Paschal
It was a hard time. THE NEW school YEAR had just begun. FILLED WITH NEW and EXCITING EXPERIENCES just waiting for me. NEW CHANCES. NEW POSSIBILITIES OF MEETING NEW PEOPLE! NEW PLACE IN MY LIFE. EVERYTHING JUST NEW! I will never forget. I was scared, but hopeful. Open, but closed. REMEMBERING EXPERIENCES WITH GOD IN THE PAST had helped me to compose myself even as I cried myself to sleep. This was different. I was in high school and for the first time, I was away from all family. For 9 months I would come to call Mt. Vernon Academy home. It was thrill and heartbreak, but I knew, God was with me. Then the first week ended. I was in the bathroom trying to quiet my sobs. I had been given homework, lots of it! I had not completed the workload, like I had prayed and determined to do, even though I tried to stay up late. It was one of the worst days I had ever had in my life. It was Friday, the sun was soon to set. I stayed in the bathroom and cried out to God like never before. I kept speaking outloud to Him and to me, that I knew that He was there with me, I knew that He wanted me to be here at this school, I knew He had a plan for me….but this hurts. I prayed and worked, and did not accomplish. Finally, when I could not cry anymore, I went to do some work before Shabbat began. I sat at my desk, stared at my work, then at my Bible. The first week of my junior year. Then I thought, LET ME START THIS OFF RIGHT. So I took my Bible and prayed and opened it to some random texts. The second text I came to stopped me in my tracks…. Isaiah 46:4…. HE SPOKE BACK! When we start talking about the life of a minister… nothing brings him/her closer than the beginnings of the conversation…
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There is a video called Number Prayer-David Bowden. It goes with this. - Shaun Paschal
The Video above - Shaun Paschal
The HOW by Shaun Paschal
Having come to know WHO we are dealing with, and who we are, and beginning the conversation, Its time to listen. You don't just get into a relationship with anyone without listening. Taking time to think about the words coming out of the other person's mouth. Making time to enjoy the truthfulness or reject the lies. When we talk about the life of a spiritual minister, Don't forget to chew.
The Hunger of Galactus by Shaun Paschal
I never thought that I would like some of the things that I eat now. Bananas, Tomato, Sweet Potato, Ginger, Broccoli, Asparagus, Coconut, and especially Onions and Avocado. I hated them as a child, but when I became more health conscious, I began seeing not only the benefit of eating, but also tasting the goodness that is these things. Many times, our spiritual journey is just like eating food. We often don't like it at first because it means that we must be committed, that we have to change, that that we must sacrifice for something that is said to be better but the feeling isn't always immediate. But the more and more we walk that life, the more easier and better it becomes to us. We begin to see the benefit and enjoy the action of being creative with our walk so that our talk keeps up. Truth is, no one likes healthy when they have been eating junk all their lives. Most don't like fresh when they are used to fried. And no one likes to move in their relationship with God, when they have been sitting for so long. But the more you move, the more you will move, the deeper you will go, the stronger the desire, the more creative your ideas. So give it time. Walk the path before talking the path. Discover the beauty of hungering for Jesus, His Kingdom, and His Righteousness like Galactus hungered for worlds more and more and more as he continued to feed on them in the comics. Trust, the things that you once hated, feared, never saw yourself doing, will be the things that you will develop a passion for. Then you will be able to Walk the Path and Talk the Path to others.
The Hunger of Galactus Part 2 by Shaun Paschal
As a spiritual counselor, we must be willing to go to war for the sake of others. In line with the video in Part 1, this audio is simply about the importance of Fasting on behalf of those who are in our care. Never underestimate the power behind Fasting.
Questions by Shaun Paschal
We all have them. Filled with curiosities and inquiries many times we want straight and simple answers and we are not always patient to listen. Many times these questions consume us and we believe that they cannot be answered. Other times, we have been lied to soooo much, that we fill ourselves with skepticism and at the end of the day rely on our own philosophies and opinions and are not too tolerant/open to those of others. Whatever those questions are, as ministers, we must learn and teach others to go to God with them on our journey of finding answers. Sometimes the answers will come quickly, other times the answers will not be so easy to find. But if we keep on seeking, knocking, and asking, we will find responses to our questions that will shed light on our lives as well as others. People will often look to us and/or reject us because of the questions they feel we should be able to answer and the ones they know that we cannot. But whether or not anyone believes you, as ministers of The Gospel, we learn that God truly does have an answer to all of our questions, ones that are on the surface, ones that are deep, ones that won't be answered until we get to Heaven. God desires to respond to the questions of our lives. He inspired a book with stories and lessons that if we take the time to read and ask Him for help in understanding and wise application, we would discover Truth as we Truth becomes clearer and clearer everyday, even till the day that we get to Heaven. So be patient and take the time to read.
What Are You Focused On? by Shaun Paschal
I have a confession to make. I love music and watching videos on YouTube. I am one of those thousands who like to have something playing almost 24/7. I grew up with music in the house and so its just something that I love to do. Its not so much a of a bad thing, but .... it has turned into something else. I will spend hours watching music videos or other things and then sharing it on FaceBook. It has everything, just about, that I want to see. i have become what I promised myself to never become, ADDICTED!! I want to see and listen to everything that interests me, no matter how late or early. I know that I can't see everything. Problem is, they don't stop posting new videos to see. There is soooo much out there, that I can't see it all and take it in like I would like too. SMH! I have a problem. Even now. Many of us are the same way when it comes to other things, i.e. money, jewelry, food, cars, clothes and shoes, and people too. Things and People that are here today, not popular tomorrow. How many times have we driven past someone on the street, on our way to get something expensive and/or a lot of somehting that will always be there, and then drive past that same person thinking, "I wish I had all the money in the world."? Many times, our desires determine the choices that we make that will either have a benefit on others or not. Many times, our desires lead to us taking care of ourselves, when we know that we can SACRIFICE for someone that does not have your Xbox, but does need ... at least an apple to eat. Truth is, our lives are self-complicated because we always want more and more and more and more still. The Solution is simplicity. Its not to say that we can't have nice things that are costly, but it is to say that if we can help someone, why not wait for what we want so that they can have a chance at what we already have. The life of the minister is not supposed to be poor or rich, but blessed. Blessed so that we may be a blessing to others. May The Creator discipline us into His Simplicity.
The Gospel According to The Desert by Shaun Paschal
Silence can be the most annoying thing to many of us. I hated silence growing up. I always needed something to be on, whether the air condition, heater, talking, TV, opening the window, or the most popular music. Whenever there was silence, I sought to feel it. Things got weird, scary, or just deafening. I was always comforted to hear something going on around me. Then one day, as I got older, I began to enjoy silence. It felt like my ears needed a vacation from the noise of life. I realized that, it is refreshing to sit down and read a book, or to not do anything and let my ears and mind relax. It was in moments like these that I began to realize that I wasn't alone. Many of us have a love-hate relationship with silence as well. The most popular tool used against it is music. We listen to it from sun up to sun down. Listen to it walking on the sidewalk, in the store, in the car, at school when we need to be listening to the teacher, and as an escape from other forms of noise. We don't often realize the healing power of silence. Honestly, it isn't the silence itself, its The Power within it. God often uses silence to calm our hearts and minds and communicate with us. Most times, NOISE takes the place of His calm Voice and we often go through life wondering what His Voice sounds like and if He even Communicates at all. Its not until we begin to see the value silence, that we begin to notice that SomeOne is talking to us. Elijah learned this lesson after his contest on Mt. Carmel. He ran for his life from Queen Jezebel and met God in desert cave on the side of another mountain. God passed by and a tornado, earthquake and fire storm rocked the mountain. Then, everything became very still and silent. In that moment, God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice. Elijah learned an extremely important lesson to all of us, especially ministers. True power is not in the BOOM BATTA BANG of life. It lies in the God Who silently awaits your attention, and Who can cause the BOOM BATTA BANG like nothing. Its like a bully messing with you, and your fear driven away because a familiar voice behind you asks you, "what are you afraid of?" You don't have to turn around to see who it is, because you already know what the speaker of that voice can do. Take time. Learn to listen to His Voice, so that when other voices come about, you will know the only Voice that truly matters, all because you took time in the silence of everything else, to hear from Him.
What Goes Down, Must Go Up by Shaun Paschal
Ya know most times in life we tend to think a certain way that is in line with everyone else. Not many go against the grain. In fact, very few do. People seem to think that the way things are now will and should be the way things always should be, good or bad. Then one day, that one person breaks out of the status quo and goes to sit with that one weird person that no one talks to at lunch. That one person, gives that homeless person a ride to a place where they can shower, get something to eat, and a place where they can get a hair cut, and then on top of that, a job and a place to stay. YOOOO!!!! That is over the top. They could've just opened their window and gave some money and said God bless, just like everyone else. But they became a servant...or a slave. What about the person who seems to always want to pick a fight with you or just have an attitude with you? Instead of mirroring them, you give them something that no one expects you to give...Love. Let's be real, many of us believe that real ministry stops at the surface, and does not go deeper than a smile or ignoring a perceived threat. The truth is, true power rests in the fighter's ability to take a hit, and then let loose in way that the opponent does not expect. True power requires patience, waiting for the right moment to strike and to make it count. Spiritually speaking, it is the same thing when dealing with people's hearts. Submission does not mean becoming a doormat, it means to attack the very heart of the opponent with something that they have no idea what to do with. It is the highest freedom and one of the most powerful attributes from God that one can exhibit. It changes lives. It knocks people off their high horses. It gives people hope, love, and even empowers them to also go against the grain and do something to change the life of someone else, knowing that the true power comes from The God Who lives in you. The life of the minister is one in which one must become like a slave/servant to those they minister too. Now don't get me wrong, that does not mean we put ourselves in danger or literally take people's abuse or manipulation. Jesus lovingly put people in check several times, but one of the most powerful illustrations of God's heart towards us happened when Jesus took off His clothes and wrapped a towel around Himself like a slave back then would do. He began to wash the feet of His quarreling disciples, when He asked The Father to forgive the soldiers because they did not know what they were doing, and when He died on that cross. In doing so, He resurrected from the grave with all power in His hand. But He first had to go down, before He could go up. The principle is true for us today. The next few videos talk about results of submission and the freedom that comes from having a relationship with Christ.
Purposed-Living Love by Shaun Paschal
What does ministry look like? Is it getting up in the morning on Saturday or Sunday and preaching from the Bible? Is it singing hymns or Gospel music and making everyone feel good that they came to church? What does ministry/church look like? A family moved into a neighborhood years ago. They were a small family, father, mother, and 2 children. One day, while they were playing outside, the father noticed that young boy around the same age as his son staring at them. He called him over and asked if he wanted to play with them. After that day, they never seemed to quite get rid of him. He became the extra son, which meant he ate their food, played with the kids, gave mom and himself nicknames, and the whole nine yards. One day, it had been particularly tiring. The father came home and had to make dinner. He really was not trying to do anything extra. All of a sudden, he heard the extra son come through the door and start talking to his son, who was supposed to help him cook. He felt a real genuine frustration because he just did not want him over at this particular time. But of course, in the kitchen he came, to greet his extra dad. "Hey Buddy!" He greeted with a big smile. "Hey." Dad said, with a slight coldness in his voice. "What ya doin?" "Well, John and I were about to make dinner before you came." All of a sudden, the young boy's smile disappeared and with sadness in appearing in his eyes, he said, "oh...ok." Noticing the dramatic change, Dad says, "Hey, what's wrong?" With tears beginning to flow, the boy talked about how his dad never taught him to cook. The day that he was supposed to, he had to be rushed to the hospital. He never came out. His mom is very busy trying to support the both of them, so she never really has time to spend with him. He understands because she has to work. That is why he is always over there at their house. With tears in his eyes, Dad takes the boy in a fatherly embrace and says, "son, would you like to help us make dinner? You can take some back for your mom too." What does ministry/church look like? What does it look like in you,... minister?
The Gift of The Wild by Shaun Paschal
I love being outside. I love nature. I love animals and plants. I love you the diverse harmony that causes everything to work in unity. Actually, its a mess. Its an organized mess. A mess that speaks with one voice by playing the their parts in the symphony of life. Yet all too often, some have tried to silence the voices of others by making trying to make them sound the same as their voice. Many have left and given up on God/the object of their love because they feel their voice is not heard, and worse taken and thrown out as trash. As ministers for others, we have to remember to look out for the gifts of others and help keep them safe from those who forget their own places. With discernment, we have to help others realize that they have something special in them, a gift. Everyone has a different gift, just like the notes that make up a song. For believers in God, everyone is important to life itself, and no person is an island. Whatever your gift is, don't let anyone shut you up, but don't think that the gift is above growth. Just as in nature, if one species gets out of hand, something happens or another species puts it in check. So it is with us, our gifts are not perfect, but with time, practice, storms, sharpening, ...LIFE LESSONS, our gifts become part of a beautiful masterpiece of life to everyone encountering it, even God.
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Good Job of work and critical thinking. - Micaela Smith
Good Job of work and critical thinking.-Micaela Smith - Micaela Smith
Just Keep Swimming by Shaun Paschal
I have a confession to make. I have an enemy on my back. Its worse than some of the more heinous things you could possibly imagine... or at least right up there with them. This fault is an enemy of all and a friend to none. Its Name: Self-Centered Mediocrity. Yes, this enemy has weighed down the lives of countless millions ministers and others alike. It tends to keep us imprisoned and chained within the walls of the "easy-way" and to the ball of "comfortability." Let me just be real, there are 2 problems here. The first, is monotony. Monotony seduces us to put our guard down and to keep it down as it begins to build walls around us that close us in. As ministers, or anyone else, its all too easy to fall into this trap of boredom, not knowing what to do, lacking motivation, and wanting to take a broad road where countless millions have gone. It doesn't tell us that this leads to a mid-life crisis, depression, and the feelings of being left behind. The other problem is being self-centered and comfortable to not move out of the ditch. This expresses itself in our "addiction" to not rock the boat of our lives and push through pain with determination to get to where we should and want to be. Practical example, how many times have you tried to live a healthier lifestyle by working out and by what you eat and instead of sticking in there with that painful determination, you go easy on yourself, you push the snooze button, you ignore the salad and head for the ...you finish that, and worse yet, you don't feel accomplished in your efforts. Here's the point and solution. In anything in life, any mountain worth climbing, especially for ministers, its going to be worth the climb. This life is a journey. And many times, we get comfortable and self-centered with where we are in life and its damaging. But we cannot overcome this issue by ourselves. As ministers to others, we have to learn to rely on The Lord to be our Strength and Motivation. He can help push us out of the ditch and guide us to lead others along the path that is narrow, but fulfilling. Its not the easy way, but its The Only BEST Way. But the how? is as simple putting one foot in front of the other. As Dory said in the movie Finding Nemo, "Just Keep Swimming." Don't stop. Take it one day at a time. GO! As you go, you will get stronger. As you minister, you will get better. As you look forward you will realize The Wonderful Counselor giving you His Peace to and Grace to keep going. And when you look back, you will realize for the first time....someone else saw you get up and when they were stuck too, and they began to follow you as you followed Him.... So today, just keep swimming. If tomorrow's sun lets you know that your life isn't done, then just put one foot in front of the other and just keep swimming. Always remember: The Lord is with you and has plans for you to bless others around you. GET UP and Get Going and Don't STOP MOVING!
Freedom by Shaun Paschal
What is freedom? Is it the feeling of not being a slave to someone? What is freedom? Could it be full-self-independence like when you finally leave your parent's home? What is freedom? Is it when you can bury all the faults that have angered you and your own shame until they are deep down in the depths of our soul while we put on fake smiles like everything is ok? Have you experienced it? Everyone has a an idea of what freedom is. To a child it may be one thing. To a teen, it could be another. To an adult, it is something completely different from everything else. But the truth of the matter is, many of us truly don't know true freedom. We go about our lives slaves to one of 3 aspects of life, physical, mental/emotional, and the one that affects it all, spiritual. People trapped in prisons of unforgiveness, working in the fields of shame, whipped by the masters of fear, and burdened down, sometimes to the point of suicide, by their own rage, pride, and insecurities. Truth is, many of us have been in these dungeons for so long that its become a comfortable place for us. We can't see life without the pain and hurt and drama. Ever wander why some people are stuck in a cycle of abuse or prison? John tells us in his first chapter in his book that we as humans loved the darkness. This is why it is so hard to break out of this dark place or to let go of some major or minor things in our lives. We hate the feelings so much, that we almost start to love it. Then we Light comes to expose that darkness and its contents for what they really are and help us move into The Light, we crucify The Light. I recently had a situation in which I had to choose to either let The Light come and help me or reject The Light and be mad at the other party involved. To bring pressure to the situation, my particular church was about to enter into an intimate experience with God called Communion. We are encouraged to make sure that we do not have a problem with someone before coming into God's presence like everything is ok and fine. The anger and frustration was building. I had a bit of a right to be mad and stay mad, at least I thought I did. But The Light came and knocked on my door. Reminded me of Matthew 18 where it says that if you have a problem with someone, go and have a one-on-one conversation with them. Reconcile to the best of your ability with prayer. I tell you what, that darkness didn't want to give up though. So I prayed and gave my pride over to Jesus, and talked with the other person. Once we reconciled, I felt so much peace, I could have went to the beach. As ministers, we have to first get to the point where we can first let The Light shine on our own darkness and cause us to confess/Talk to Jesus, about those things that have been weighing us down for years, festering like a cancer, and coming out in subliminal ways, at times erupting like a volcano. It won't happen overnight, but I tell you what, talk to Jesus about the stuff you are not proud of, you will only hear love in response. Talk to people with whom there may be some imbalance in the relationship. Reconcile and seek to understand. Forgive. Let go. Let Light show you the way that you may show others the way as well. Now that's a freedom worth experiencing.
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Truly amazing! - Matthew Arnold
Awesome ! - Ashley Fountain
Freedom is a standard that some people need in there life in order to live an eternal life.-Micaela Smith - Micaela Smith
Broken Becomes Whole by Shaun Paschal
It doesn't take religion to tell a thinking person that...something is wrong with not just us, but life on planet Earth. Nothing is the way that it could be and should be. Physically, we are all suffering whether with disease, deformity, or some disorder, starvation, lack of-you fill in the blank. Mentally/Relationally/Emotionally, to say that we can all do better is the understatement of the Millennia with all the ignored feelings, poor communication, hurt, pain, grief, assumptions, super-sensitive, greed/self-centeredness, etc. that tends to tear us all down from a country to individual families to individuals. Spiritually, well... One can only conclude that everything is broken. Life is broken. The system is broken and there is no repairing it. Unless, we have some outside help. As a Minister/Chaplain/Pastor, for me personally of The Gospel of Jesus Christ, we offer to the world Another Way to look at and live life more abundantly. The truth is that sin is the most patient and deadliest of monsters Existence has ever encountered. It tempts us to break the laws and principles of life while slowly causing existence to fall back into oblivion. Like leaves during the Fall don't crumble on the first day of the season, we are slowly fading away because of sin's method of mass murder. Everything is affected by its curse. Its the life we choose to live without God and then wonder why things are the way they are. For example, no one wants to follow God's laws of Love...but He will be blamed for the bloodshed that occurs due to self-centeredness. This is a very depressing state of affairs. But, there is HOPE!!! As intimately as sin has infiltrated every possible level of humanity, so has God. He has chosen to love us in spite of ourselves and to intervene in the affairs of the world. He shines His Light, reveals His Wisdom, inspires many with His Love, intervenes in the lives of the oppressed in ways that we will never understand, speaks in the smallest and most abstract of interactions, changes lives in miraculous ways, and to bring it all home, revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. Jesus came for love alone changed the course of all those who chose to love Him in return. He specializes in going to the broken and making them whole in Him. He causes us to stop going in the direction of oblivion, and leads us back to Life/Himself. He works through and inspires every act that is meant to help others out of whatever mess they are in. He Is That Better and Best Way. People all over this broken world have had their lives changed and transformed by God. THey are not the same people they once were. They are more forgiving, loving, gracious, merciful, kind, honest, meek, peaceful, gentle, compassionate, and the list goes on. The proof is the people who take notice. They see the difference in their lives, and the environment around them. Its as if wherever the presence of God is, the curse of sin begins to lift and people can breathe easier when the person is around because they have the Jesus in their heart. Its as if God is re-speaking His creation in our lives. This is the Hope that we as ministers have and share with the broken. It doesn't happen overnight. We have to be patient, and let God work in us, and in others. But when we allow Him to walk with us step by step, filling us with His Holy Spirit, the things we used to do, we will not remember the last time we did them. The Grief that we may have, will be eclipsed by The Joy that we expect from having a love relationship with God. This is why we worship Him. This is why we dedicate our lives to sharing with others that there is Anther Way. HE LOVES US!!! And Only He can make the broken whole.
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Thanks for sharing this very informative,inspirational, and intelligent. - Micaela Smith
Understanding Your Why by Shaun Paschal
Life!!! It can be so frustrating, confusing, depressing, boring, monotonous, unproductive, and a waste. Very few truly live a life of abundance and adventure, efficient and fun, fulfilling and clear, stress-free and productive and most of all, impactful. As ministers, many of the people that we will care for will suffer from the symptoms of having lived a life in which they miss because they are stuck in a 9-5, if they even have that. But if we are not careful, we too will suffer the same and the picture will become that of the blind leading the blind. The root issue here is that many of us do not understand our why. What do I mean? Well, walk with me for a second. Ask yourself this question, What in Heaven was God thinking when He first thought of me, that caused Him to make sure that my sperm cell made it into the egg? Pause...Pause... That's right. Pause some more. Chew on this for a minute. Don't be afraid to walk through the mind of God with me. When mom and dad were "KNOWING" each other, and dad gave mom a most precious of gift, (Again, yes we are going there because this is important to how we view and minister to people)...he gave 2-5 ml of the gift. In each ml, there are normally about 100 million sperm cells according to Dr. Charles Lindemann. PAUSE I BEG YOU TO PAUSE.....GO A HEAD....KEEP PAUSING....CHEW ON THIS FOR 5 MINUTES. Now let's go back to our first question. What in Heaven was God thinking when He first thought of me, that caused Him to make sure that my sperm cell made it into the egg? What was His "why" for me? The truth is that we are all truly one in millions of miracles. When we were born, each of us had/have a purpose a.k.a. the "why" of our lives that answers or brings solutions to the problems that we were created to meet. Billions of people on this planet live out their days wanting more but never truly knowing what they are supposed to do. Many have careers and think that that is their "why" but make little or no impact on the world. But we were not created for that. In fact most people can't tell you what they want, but they can tell you what they missed out on. Most often what we find is that we do not live our lives in agreement with our "why." I recently read a post from a musician friend of mine. He was challenging up and coming musicians to not spend money every time they get paid and say what you will do with it. Save, discipline is hard but worth it in the end and you will "have" to show for it later. He was basically saying, let your lifestyle agree with your "why." Many times what we ask for or want is so temporal that it really is disrespectful to the intelligence of God. Can you imagine Him for a second? "I know the plans and thoughts I have for you" Jeremiah 29:11-13. But we don't listen long enough to find out what those thoughts and plans are, especially if they are in conflict with our own plans. So the question is, how do we go about understanding our "why?" The answer is not as simple as it sounds. Something to consider. Pray and ask The Creator to show you. He already knows His thoughts and plans for you. Remember, you were the sperm cell with its unique DNA blueprint that He chose out of millions of others for a purpose. That purpose is to glorify God by making an impact on this world that helps deal with whatever specific issue only you can address in your own unique way. Its in your DNA to do so. But in order to really know your "why" we have to be willing to have a relationship with Jesus first. You can't surrender your life for Someone Who can't see if you haven't learned to trust Him first. That means that in order to hear His Voice, we are gonna have to let go of things that would keep us from hearing Him. Whatever is a distraction to us, whatever we value above Him, whatever we surround ourselves with that will take our minds off of Him and our "why," we gotta let them go for something better. Ask yourself, is what I'm right now, moving me forward or keeping me in the same room without a window? Even if your family is full of issues and you feel like you will be stuck in the same cycles of whatever, God is more powerful than your bloodline. Nobody said that the road would be easy, but He has plans and thoughts for you. Can't blame anyone for not living in your "why." In fact, your purpose/why is closely linked to your pain and what breaks your heart. So what breaks your heart? This is a journey for us all. Even myself. There is always room to grow but we must be willing to give our all and discipline ourselves to live out our "whys" in every aspect of our lives. For example, ministry does not mean pastoral only. It can mean social worker, mentor, C-Tips, Chaplain in military, corporation, prison, government, Nascar even. What breaks your heart? What dream has God given to you? What in your life stands in your way? Here is a goal... Romans 12:1-2. As we begin to understand our "why," we will move farther along and inspire others to do the same. Life is huge family. But in order to truly experience what most people have frustrating dreams about, we have to keep checking in with and chasing after The Creator Who has plans and thoughts of prosperity, hope, future, and abundant impactful living. John 10:10.
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Disclaimer: We will be talking about having a surrendered life as a minister and the power that awaits us. But these are notes from some colleagues who are currently doing a series on this subject. These thoughts from The Holy Spirit through my colleagues are not my own. LOL! Just blessed to share what I have heard and learned. - Shaun Paschal
Thank you for this video it’s so powerfully spiritual, empowering, and inspirational to my life. - Micaela Smith
Surrender by Shaun Paschal
The fiery words rang out through the auditorium as hundreds stood to their feet and applauded the inspiring man standing before them defiant against the Germans, "NEVER GIVE UP!! NEVER SURRENDER!! These words have been the anthem of many a generation before and since then. And indeed, positively they have their place. But far to often, they have been twisted to fuel unhealthy situations. Surrender is a hard thing to do for us. At the basic root, we want control over everything in our lives. We feel that if we have control, we will be happy and secure without any worries form anyone and anything. Can you imagine, if you could be God... oh I'm sorry...little typo there, I meant if you could be in control of everything, what earth would be like? Then life happens. It reminds us that we are not in control period, point, and blank. We cannot control people, nature, animals, and... well...not even or barely even ourselves? And when things go down, we get all kinds of emotions and tantrums, unfortunately, like what has recently happened in FL. Honestly, one of the reasons why some of these negative emotions stay with us for so long and cripple us eventually is because we don't want to let go of our hope for and desire to control and have things our way. For example, How many of you were depressed after the Super Bowl? How many of you are disenfranchised with the whole of a corporate restaurant just because one store got your order wrong? All jokes aside, how many of us are still angry with our parents for somethings that happened years ago? Its ok to confess, because the people you will minister to, are in the same boat, some with even more heartache behind their stories. How many of you have truly experienced forgiveness? How many of you or persons you know are depressed because they feel like they are not living up to expectations, be it their own, family, society, etc.? Truth is, EVERYONE WANTS TO CONTROL THEIR OWN LIVES AND DESTINIES. But none of us are capable of actually doing it the right way, even if we "HAVE" everything. Hard to believe? Ask Robin Williams, Tyler Perry, Aaron Carter and many other current and former child stars, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and the list goes on and on with people whom many want to be like, but don't know the cost and the life they themselves want to be freed from out of the camera's powerful gaze. So how do we free ourselves from this mental slavery and help others do the same? SURRENDER! Another way to say it is based on the famous song that so many children know by heart, LET IT GO!! Truth is, the people who live their lives the most free, are those who have chosen to surrender/let things go. They accept challenges as they come, and if they can't directly INFLUENCE- NOT CONTROL---INFLUENCE the situation, they learn to adapt, work in it, and overcome it, making them better than they were before. They have released themselves from many things and are not chained to the same things that people are chained too everyday. But don't just throw it into the abyss. It will come back like a boomerang. Now lets bring this closer to home. We are not merely talking about letting things go. Our work is a spiritual one. We take care of others spiritually. That is our calling. So when we, especially those of us who are Christ-followers, talk about letting things go, we are talking about surrendering that stuff, whatever it may be to Jesus. It is in giving these things to Him that will help us find true freedom, no guilt, shame, chains, or tantrums, or even feelings of inadequacy. Now can you imagine with me, living a life with no bars...those deep-rooted bars that you know you want to forget are there. What about surrendering our lives to Jesus and going on an adventure of a lifetime. It won't be easy, many times we are so used to pain that it even feels good to have it and to let it go would be like taking meth away from its user. But when we start that journey ourselves, and help others start on it too, all of a sudden, life is sweeter all because we can smile... GENUINELY! Jesus paints a beautiful picture. He says, "Come to me all you who are weak and heavy-burdened. I will give you rest. Take my yoke and learn from me. For I AM Meek and Lowly in Heart, and you will find rest unto your souls." Yes you will have to move forward and learn how to be free, but that comes through surrender. This is not you sitting in the recliner with a glass of Sprite and the TV remote in your hand. You are still not in control. This is rather a journey through the different landscapes of earth where you are not in control, but He is. The adventure of a lifetime is on. Let your baggage go and give it to Jesus so that you can walk in freedom and show others how to do so too. One by one.
Surrender by Shaun Paschal
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Great video Shaun! Thanks for sharing! - Jermaine Boswell
Very impressive and powerful video.-Micaela Smith - Micaela Smith
Go With The Flow by Shaun Paschal
It seems long... but take a moment and learn about surrender. You will not be disappointed
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I love these powerful videos that you make they bless my heart and my life. - Micaela Smith
I love these powerful videos that you make they bless my heart and my life.-Micaela Smith - Micaela Smith
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Inspired Creativity is one key that keeps your ministry alive and thriving, but the fuel to the fire comes from getting to know Who you are dealing with. - Shaun Paschal
Thanks! What a wonderful perspective. - Noah Huber-Feely
Such a wonderful and passionate video, thanks for sharing Shaun! - Jermaine Boswell
This is so inspirational, profound, and awesome! Thank God He Is... - Sherrie Campbell