{"id":249924,"date":"2016-05-23T08:48:42","date_gmt":"2016-05-23T13:48:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/?p=249924"},"modified":"2016-05-23T11:06:21","modified_gmt":"2016-05-23T16:06:21","slug":"what-are-your-intentions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/05\/what-are-your-intentions\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are Your Intentions?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Being intentional doesn’t just happen!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"FormingIntentionalDisciples\"

Forming Intentional Disciples<\/p><\/div>\n

I remember some old movies where the father would ask the young man, \u201cWhat are your intentions with my daughter?\u201d I have had a lot of thought and discussion about this whole idea of being intentional. In my last post, I talked about goals and how it is important to have a plan and motivation to go with those goals. That plan then should lead us to being intentional. If I want to lose weight, I need to be intentional. I have to take the steps necessary to achieve the goal. It will take a positive movement on my part. I mean, it could happen accidentally but certainly not a recipe for success and not a high probability of achievement.<\/p>\n

This is especially true in the area of discipleship. When I first made the commitment to being a disciple, I was not sure what to do. I moved along and was learning. Pretty normal for a new disciple, I suppose. Along the way, I have had some great experiences and these helped me in being formed as a Christian. God has made himself known to me in some exciting and tangible ways. I went to many retreats to find more and new experiences of God, to fill my spiritual tank.<\/p>\n

\"StPaulStreetEvangelization\"

SPSE<\/p><\/div>\n

I have reached a point now in my spiritual life where I am ready to evangelize. I went through training last December to learn how to street evangelize. The people with St. Paul Street Evangelization\u00a0taught us many techniques including practicing sharing my testimony. I have been given multiple opportunities to share my faith with others and to evangelize. Truly, I have been feeling pretty good about myself and my works as an evangelist.<\/p>\n

Then I started thinking about it and looking at it closer. You see, I went through a string of events where God put people in my path to share the Gospel with. It was all very rewarding and I actually wrote about some of those experiences. Then the faucet turned off and God was not putting people in my path anymore. The evangelization well seems to have dried up. I took this as just a curious coincidence.<\/p>\n

Go, therefore,\u00a0and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit,\u00a0teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.\u00a0And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Then, I started thinking about how I have not been intentional about evangelizing. God has been initiating everything, as he should and is proper. But, what have I done to be intentional about evangelizing, to make it my purpose? Do I ever get up in the morning and leave the house with the sole purpose of evangelizing? Sadly, no. My evangelizing has usually just been a little extra side trip in my day and not my sole purpose. The apostles were sent out with the sole purpose of evangelizing and they took care of themselves on the side. The reality of my life right now is probably not full time evangelization, but maybe it is time to dedicate some time to evangelize intentionally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Being intentional doesn’t just happen! I remember some old movies where the father would ask the young man, \u201cWhat are your intentions with my daughter?\u201d I have had a lot of thought and discussion about this whole idea of being intentional. In my last post, I talked about goals and how it is important to… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":210,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_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},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[3142,1906,491],"class_list":{"0":"post-249924","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-blog","7":"tag-disciples","8":"tag-forming-intentional-disciples","9":"tag-scripture","10":"entry","11":"has-post-thumbnail"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":195595,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/01\/review-forming-intentional-disciples\/","url_meta":{"origin":249924,"position":0},"title":"Taking Steps Toward the Savior (Review: “Forming Intentional Disciples”)","author":"Lindsay Wilcox","date":"January 5, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Do you have a relationship with Jesus? Do you believe God has a mission for your life? Do you tell other people, honestly and openly, about the ways the Holy Spirit works in your day-to-day? Or does all of that sound \"too Protestant\"? Are those things normal for you? Do\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A Review of \"Forming Intentional Disciples\" at AustinCNM.com","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/acnm_formingintentionaldisciples.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":166310,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/10\/review-rebuilding-your-message\/","url_meta":{"origin":249924,"position":1},"title":"The Art of Preaching and Teaching (Review: “Rebuilding Your Message”)","author":"Lindsay Wilcox","date":"October 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I used to think I was indecisive. Now I'm not so sure. I can usually come down squarely on one side or the other about my opinions on books. Bumped? Loved it. Wild at Heart? Did not love it. Then I read Rebuilt, and I mostly liked it. I liked\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\"Street closed\" sign.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/acnm_streetclosed-550x367.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/acnm_streetclosed-550x367.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/acnm_streetclosed-550x367.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":151702,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/09\/sunday-says-september-20-2015-mass-readings-and-reflection\/","url_meta":{"origin":249924,"position":2},"title":"Sunday Says September 20, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflection","author":"Crist\u00f3bal Almanza Herrera","date":"September 19, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 134 Reading 1 Wisdom 2:12, 17-20 This week\u2019s first reading comes from the Old Testament book of Wisdom. This section reveals some insight into the intentions of the enemy. At this time, the Jews were experiencing great persecution, and this tries to convince them\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sunday Says"","block_context":{"text":"Sunday Says","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/podcast\/sundaysays\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunday Says Podcast","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/SundaySaysPodcast-logo-300x231.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":131106,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/07\/sunday-says-july-19-2015-mass-readings-and-reflection\/","url_meta":{"origin":249924,"position":3},"title":"Sunday Says – July 19, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflection","author":"Crist\u00f3bal Almanza Herrera","date":"July 19, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 107 (NAB Translation) Reading 1 Jeremiah 23:1-6 This week\u2019s first reading from the prophet Jeremiah is a call out of leaders in the church. God has given us many different forms of leadership in the Church. Any form of shepherding requires a closeness with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sunday Says"","block_context":{"text":"Sunday Says","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/podcast\/sundaysays\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunday Says Podcast","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/SundaySaysPodcast-logo-300x231.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":106106,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/04\/sunday-says-april-19-2015-mass-readings-and-reflection\/","url_meta":{"origin":249924,"position":4},"title":"Sunday Says – April 19, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflection","author":"Crist\u00f3bal Almanza Herrera","date":"April 18, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Third Sunday of Easter Lectionary: 47 (NAB Readings) (Jerusalem Bible Readings) Reading 1 Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 In the season of easter, we place a large scriptural focus on the book of the Acts of the Apostles to show the important consequences of the resurrection of Jesus. We continue this week\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sunday Says"","block_context":{"text":"Sunday Says","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/podcast\/sundaysays\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunday Says Podcast","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/SundaySaysPodcast-logo-630x486.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/SundaySaysPodcast-logo-630x486.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/SundaySaysPodcast-logo-630x486.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40992,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/08\/setting-your-family-ablaze-part-5-of-5-evangelization\/","url_meta":{"origin":249924,"position":5},"title":"Setting Your Family Ablaze – Part 5 of 5 – Evangelization","author":"Trey and Stephanie Cashion","date":"August 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The last key to setting your family ablaze is to embrace the call to evangelization, \"that is, the proclamation of Christ by word and testimony of life\" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 905).\u00a0 For most Catholics, this seems to be the hardest one to embrace.\u00a0 Faith and Integration, the first\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bonfire","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/mini_500_10882_123826151651710-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/210"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=249924"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249924\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}