Field of Dreams with Paul McDonald and Aaron McHugh
This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we get you ready for summer with Field of Dreams. In a vibrant life with God, He is always offering invitations to us. But we must cultivate the conscious awareness to notice when He is speaking. And when we embrace the risk and act on what he says, the story will always be better than we thought it would be. So let’s follow the voice and go the distance, and discover God’s truth in this movie.
About Aaron
Aaron McHugh is a writer, podcaster, adventurer, and author of the best-selling book, Fire Your Boss: Discover Work You Love Without Quitting Your Job. He is mastering the art of living a sustainable work-life balance that constantly interweaves rhythms of play and adventure. That includes road trips in their 1974 VW Bus, aka The Joy Bus, catapulting them into many father-daughter adventures together.
He and his wife Leith live in Colorado Springs, CO. They are celebrating twenty-five years of marriage in December. Their marriage has survived the death of their twelve-year-old daughter Hadley in 2011. Their twenty-two-year-old son Holden lives in Costa Mesa and is thriving in recovery three years clean and sober. Their youngest daughter lives at home still.
In 2015 they rebooted their lives, sold their house and all of their belongings to reboot their life and start their life over again. It hasn’t been easy, but they would do it again. They love traveling, drinking box wine and spending time with their creative, hilarious and courageous kids.
Aaron’s book: Fire Your Boss: Discover Work You Love Without Quitting Your Job
Aaron’s website: https://www.aaronmchugh.com/
Aaron’s podcast: Work Life Play
Aaron’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aarondmchugh/
Aaron’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/aarondmchugh
Aaron’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worklifeplay
Aaron’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronmchugh/
Quotes
God’s voice in our lives actually uncovers deeper things that we are struggling with.
In a vibrant life with God, as we walk out our daily life, God is always offering invitations to us.
We must cultivate the skill, the conscious awareness, about noticing when God is speaking. God speaks to an open heart, a heart that’s pliable.
When people say they don’t hear the voice of God in their life, I think that’s due to a lack of cultivation, willingness and openness to believe that God’s voice is available to us.
Whatever story we think it is, it’s actually better than that. I always find a long list of things I never thought to ask for or know I needed or wanted.
Themes
We find ourselves like Ray—questioning where we are, wanting to do something special and “crazy.”
The process of following God’s voice
What is it like to hear God’s voice in random mysterious ways?
God’s voice comes out of nowhere, with a mythic, mysterious quality and invitation to it.
Feels crazy, others will judge and not understand.
Sometimes bold (plow up your field, change careers), sometimes small (changing priorities, internal shift), but always leads to something greater than we anticipated.
We must cultivate a conscious awareness to notice when God is speaking—we must maintain an open, pliable heart to receive what is being transmitted.
How do we decipher what is being said and who is saying it?
The impact on those closest to us-are we dragging them kicking and screaming? Or are they engaged and encouraging us to move? Is it a decision made in isolation, or jointly in partnership with those closest to you?
The response of our hearts-are we moving with an attitude of striving and scarcity, pressured like this is our last chance? Or do we come alive in the action, doing something that we can’t not do?
How do we act on what is said?
Acting will be risky. Ray might lose the farm. “What you are doing is risky. But it’s a healthy risk.”
It doesn’t always make sense, even to us.
We must remain pliable and flexible.
Whatever story we think it is, it’s better than that.
Resources
“This is something I can't not do, for reasons I'm unable to explain to anyone else and don't fully understand myself but that are nonetheless compelling.” – Parker Palmer
“Wealth is the accumulation of things that money can’t buy.” –Morgan Snyder
“You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; then I’d never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I’m going to do what you tell me to do; don’t ever walk off and leave me.” -Psalm 119: 1-8 (MSG)
“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.” – Galatians 6:4-5 (MSG)
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” –Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
Questions
Where have you heard or experienced God’s voice in your life?
Where have you done something crazy that didn’t make sense to anyone else? How did that turn out?
How do you feel if you don’t follow the voice?
What bold moves God is inviting you to participate in?
What are the small moves, the internal shifts, God is inviting you to engage in?
What is God up to in your life?
Where do you feel like your life is in a small story? Where do you feel fenced in?
Where do you try to make your life larger than it is right now?
When have you heard a voice that sounds like it might be reckless?