Leaving Life's Envelope Empty

By Dr. Aaron L. Chapman

Dorinda Clark-Cole A Legend of Gospel Music
It never ceases to amaze me what this Man of God is Capable of. Dr. Aaron Chapman makes preachers stay at the top of their game in the world of Preaching. Just perusing thru chapters of this book Its fascinating, intriguing and appealing. You cant put this book down. If destiny is pulling and tugging and drawing you to do more in your life and or ministry, this is the book for you. It will help you rediscover who God called you to be, redefine your commitment to him and align your will to do the will of the Father.

Dr. A.L. Chapman
This book was written to make you seriously consider all the fulfilling possibilities that you can acquire by taking advantage of what God has given you in your envelope. There must be a conscious sense of the stewardship you exercise over each pre-selected gift that you have been entrusted with. This one concept can totally revolutionize your thinking. This ideology can make you desist from taking for granted that someone may see your gifting and promote and pull those things out of you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Apr 29, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524603991

Dr. Aaron L. Chapman

Dr. Aaron L. Chapman, a servant of God, is often referred to as a relevant power packed Minister of the priceless Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. An alumnus of Murray Wright High School, Rev. Chapman graduated in the top three percent (3%) of his class. He was accepted to Eastern Michigan University, and shortly thereafter his academic achievement was further honored by being placed on the Dean’s list. In December 2003, he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications with a Minor in General Business from Eastern. In January 2004, he began his pursuit for a Dual Master’s Degree in Divinity and Theology at Ashland Theological Seminary. In June 2006, Rev. Chapman graduated with honors from Ashland with a Masters of Divinity Degree. In his desire to be all that God had called him to be, Dr. Aaron L. Chapman in 2011 received an earned Doctoral Degree from Ashland Theological Seminary. At present, Dr. Chapman serves as a professor in Homiletics at Ashland Seminary and a professor at the Heritage Center in Denominational Studies

Book preview

LEAVING LIFE'S

ENVELOPE

EMPTY

DR. AARON L. CHAPMAN

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

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© 2016 Dr. Aaron L. Chapman. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 05/06/2016

ISBN: 978-1-5246-0400-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-0398-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-0399-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016906230

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1 Defining Moments Drove me Here

Chapter 2 Are You Willing to Die for This?

Chapter 3 Leave your Mark and not Graffiti

Chapter 4 Figuring it out in the Fog

Chapter 5 Volunteer Victim

Chapter 6 Living in the Moment

Chapter 7 Warning! Do not misuse this Equipment

Chapter 8 Vouchers in the Valley

Chapter 9 Discerning the Major from the Minor

Chapter 10 Addicted to Supplements

Chapter 11 Pay it Forward

Chapter 12 Sealing the Deal of Life

References

Other Works by Dr. Chapman:

INTRODUCTION

Each year our family is blessed to go on our annual family vacation. I believe that it's vitally important to take out significant and substantial time with your significant other and your children, far away from the rigors of life. I have the honor each year of being the vacation planner for all of the exciting events we will enjoy. We designate time to drop the weight of life and its stressors from off our shoulders and our focus is to simply relax and re-energize through resplendent activities.

With much anticipation and elation, I set the reservations for one of my family's favorite places to vacation, Kalahari Water Resort! I love to go to Kalahari because it brings the child in me back alive. No wonder their theme song is: I want to go to the Kalahari; I want to stay at the Kalahari, take me to the Kalahari mommy and daddy pretty please! Trust me! Our children did not have to beg us to go Kalahari. We love this resort because it offers great adventure, its family-oriented, and large enough to be around other vacationers but far enough away to have personal time for private pleasure. Another reason that I prefer this resort is that they offer various adventure packages, which allow the family to maximize their potential of participating in many events at an economical rate.

I must bashfully admit we have gone to Kalahari Water Resort for the past five years! Each year when we have made reservations at the resort, we usually select the family fun package which includes food vouchers, massage vouchers, theme park vouchers, Tommy Bartlett Water Ski Show Tickets, four free games of bowling and zoo tickets! What a value!

These vouchers are disseminated to us in a white envelope stamped with our name, which we receive at the time of our check in. Although in years past we never seem to make it to all of the attractions contained in the envelope, this time I was determined and I was committed to leaving my envelope empty! There was a difference in this trip compared to the previous four years because I made up my mind that I was going to leave no stone unturned and no good time undone on this vacation. Our family had the best vacation ever. In a place that I had the opportunity to go several times --- suddenly there was more significance and intentionality on this particular trip, which produced a totally different experience!

There was nothing newly built at the theme park; no new attractions manifested; the true difference resided within my attitude in a place that was just pregnant with opulent and rich experiences. John Maxwell once stated that your attitude also determined your altitude. This rang so true for us this vacation. There was a different ere and bounce in my step. My emotions were untamed as I waited for the next moment that could produce a good time; an insatiable urgency came over me to make the most of every moment in a place that perceptively became limitless in its enjoyment. The place was no different but I had discovered a different approach to the place.

As I took mental inventory during and after the trip, I began to quietly ponder about the similarities between my vacation and the vacancy or void in people's daily lives. There are tons of people that have passed through life and have not emptied their life's envelope. These individuals have lost that bounce in their step and that eagerness for new adventures and what they used to cling to is now only a myopic memory. They no longer do what they love but instead only what they have to do. The inquiry that is echoing in society is: Where are all of the envelopes? The envelopes have been prearranged and preordained by God to assure you that becoming permanently passive is not profitable but that progress should forever be placed as a priority on your pilgrimage. Let us take the time to define or classify the contents in our envelopes as our gifts, talents, ideas, hopes, dreams, ambitions, creativity, choreography, life changing or life altering decisions and earth shattering thoughts and ideas that can move humanity toward a brighter future.

Unfortunately, there are some people in society who never experience life at a posture of fulfillment after they have been given chance after chance. Many waste the auspicious opportunity to live and they decide just to exist. The Bible does inflate our hope by informing us that God gives us new mercies morning after morning (Lam 3:22-33 KJV). Even with this exuberant news there are those who still continue to leave their life's envelopes filled with divinely given vouchers that are never validated for the venture that has so much value. Les Brown reiterates that the disaster that transpires in one's life is that they get side tracked and then they park and do not even put on their emergency brakes. They do not desire to try anymore because of failure or something that falls through but this should not detract you because lessons come with registering in the University of Life by default.

How many stories have been communicated concerning people who could have done this or that or their would of, could of of life? Gardner C. Taylor tells of a man unkempt, ragged and dirty who shuffled out of the shadows to beg a Bishop Warner for some money. The unkempt man stated, "Please sir! Pardon me for stopping you all dirty like I am but you've no notion, sir the man I was meant to be (Taylor 1974,1))

How many of our meant to's are dually aligned with the will of our ought to's? Life should be lived with a combination of an ought-ness and a demand to maturate our is-ness.

There are excuse prone individuals intentionally or unintentionally who are getting stuck for a substantial amount of time in meaningless meandering because they sell themselves to the warden of past experience. People are more compelled to remain complainers and whiners rather than being empowered to be examples of tenacity and perseverance.

This book is to be a booster, a spiritual jump, a vitamin, in the words of Les Brown to get you thinking about what you can be on the journey; if you only have the courage. Earl Nightingale says that the opposition of courage is not cowardice---it is actually conformity.(Nightingale YouTube Presentation) When you move from what makes you special and revert back