{"id":965,"date":"2012-01-19T09:36:33","date_gmt":"2012-01-19T15:36:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/\/?p=965"},"modified":"2012-01-17T09:52:04","modified_gmt":"2012-01-17T15:52:04","slug":"are-you-kidding-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/are-you-kidding-me\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Kidding Me?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe ultimate reason God assigned me to any position was because he could best use that position, at that time, to accomplish his purpose of shaping me into the image of Jesus.\u201d – Jeff Iog<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When I first read this, I must admit that I was a bit shellshocked. I sat there with my iPad in my hands a bit stunned. What? You’re kidding me, right? After some thought, I began to reflect back on my life and think through a variety of situations. I can remember my days growing up on the farm back in Amboy, Indiana \u2014 my college days at Indiana University\u2014Kokomo and Ball State University. From there, my \u00a0journey took me to Lake Station at Edison High School. Finally, I land at Living Stones Church in Crown Point.<\/p>\n

All of those seasons and experiences brought different challenges. Some of those challenges were more pleasant than others. However, my primary reason for being there, at that specific point in time, was not because there was something I brought to to the table that made me stand apart from the others. When I was teaching at Edison, I was there for one primary reason. Notice I say “primary” reason. There are many reasons that God places in different places at different times. However, the PRIMARY reason was for my own growth.<\/p>\n

I have come to grasp the idea that God has placed me at these various places because this is where he could best make me more like Christ. Does God want to use me to impact the world? Does God want to use me to mentor, train, and pastor people. Absolutely! But before any of that, God is interested in my heart. He’s interested in me growing into the image and character of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

Are you embracing the current role, position, place, and people you are surrounded by in order to become more like Christ?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe ultimate reason God assigned me to any position was because he could best use that position, at that time, to accomplish his purpose of shaping me into the image of Jesus.\u201d – Jeff Iog When I first read this, I must admit that I was a bit shellshocked. I sat there with my iPad […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[31],"tags":[58,6],"class_list":["post-965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-main","tag-leadership","tag-life"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pzg9k-fz","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1067,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/im-a-good-kid-really-i-am\/","url_meta":{"origin":965,"position":0},"title":"I’m a Good Kid \u2014 Really I Am","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"January 24, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Well, this blog has been awhile in the making. I've thought about sitting down and writing this so many times but didn't quite know what to say or how to say it. Many of you know that a little over a year ago God began to stir something in our\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Main"","block_context":{"text":"Main","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/category\/main\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1033,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/really-im-out-of-control\/","url_meta":{"origin":965,"position":1},"title":"Really . . . I’m Out of Control","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"April 28, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I've often thought about it and wondered . . . what really is faith? I hear it used in so many different ways in today's culture. Yet, the Bible is pretty clear about what it is . . . it's the \"confidence in what we hope for\u00a0and assurance about what\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Main"","block_context":{"text":"Main","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/category\/main\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2104,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/work-and-life-free-of-lanes\/","url_meta":{"origin":965,"position":2},"title":"Work and Life Free of Lanes","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"April 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Over the years I\u2019ve heard the phrase \u201cstay in your lane\u201d a few times. The first time was as I first sitting in the driver\u2019s seat of my dad\u2019s truck as he was teaching me to drive. More recently, I\u2019ve heard it said when I\u2019ve taught my daughters to drive\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Main"","block_context":{"text":"Main","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/category\/main\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shameika-black-ANUNpGo_pSk-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shameika-black-ANUNpGo_pSk-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shameika-black-ANUNpGo_pSk-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shameika-black-ANUNpGo_pSk-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shameika-black-ANUNpGo_pSk-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1338,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/christmas-letter-2015\/","url_meta":{"origin":965,"position":3},"title":"Christmas Letter 2015","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"December 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"It's been awhile since we've sent a family Christmas letter, but this year has been filled with so many changes that we thought we should update all of you on the latest on the Plotner's in Colorado. 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These 'positive energizers' enhance team dynamics with virtues like kindness and gratitude. Conversely, 'de-energizers' drain energy and morale. 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