Oct 9th, 2024

Happy Hump Day! It's been a full couple of weeks. From Helene relief efforts, races, and questions. It's all part of the provider journey. Here is a fresh update on what we are learning about providing like Jesus. Enjoy!

1 big thing: $2,180 raised for Damascus!

Thank you for your giving! Amy felt the call to drive back to her hometown last week and help. She spent Wednesday-Saturday in Damascus and wanted shared the following:

• Why it matters: We can always provide. That is the theme of our work at The CL Thomas Fellowship and what Amy and I are trying to live out in our family. The last couple of weeks presented some unique opportunities to serve.
• What does it look like to provide like Jesus? We have had more questions than answers. We know God loves us all and that bad things still happen. We know Jesus had the power to heal all, feed all, and bless all financially, but he did not do that during his time on Earth. He always showed love and challenges us to do the same.
• Provider next step: How can we show love like Jesus today? That doesn't mean fix everything and everyone...just authentic love. We are still collecting donations if you want to show love this way click the button below.

2. 🎙️ #143 Podcast Released!

Dr. Tanner Moore on Seeking Responsibility and Being a Savage Servant. Dr. Moore's philosophy is simple: find a way or make one. He believes this is a time for innovation in healthcare. He creates an environment where people feel supported and heard in his practice. For Dr. Tanner, being a “savage servant” means shouldering the responsibility of improving the lives of those he cares for.

Listen or watch the video of this episode! Be sure to follow our podcast on your favorite app, and now you can also watch the interview on our CL Thomas Fellowship® YouTube channel.

3. 🏃 Running 100 13.1 Miles

I had a personal best time at Sunday's half marathon! I'm grateful for a friend who gifted me a last-minute entry into my hometown's Historic Hillsborough Half-Marathon event. I went for a fast time and was feeling the burn when this pictire was taken at the finish line.

Last Man Standing is Next. I'm going to participate in the Nov 9th "Possum Scurry" event in Durham. It will be a 1.5-mile run that repeats every 20 minutes until there is one man standing. That will be a fun challenge to try to run a long distance with friends. Last year I went ~55 miles over ~12 hrs.

Preview of Last Man Standing Diet. I am partnering with dooable health to share the journey of how I will train and fuel this event over the next month. I'll post links for those interested.

4. 🏆 God's Provision in My Work

My employee benefits consulting work won a Rosie Award! I'm delighted to share that my consulting work with Bull Benefits was recently recognized as an "excellence in health plan stewardship."

Providing like Jesus in sales, service, and solutions. I want to be a "doer of the word," and my career in the health, wellness, and employee benefits space allows me unique opportunities. I get to help companies provide better benefits for their employees while trying to save them money. I often think about how I can align my passion for serving like Jesus while disrupting an industry like health insurance and balancing ultra-running and all the fun things I want to do. This is why I will never run out of content for these newsletters and the Become a Provider podcast!

Q4 Goals. I am planning out my quarterly work goals, and one thing I want to ensure is that I do my work with the ultimate purpose of bringing Glory to God. This is easy to say but hard to do, similar to trying to complete a 100-mile race.

Thank you for the opportunity to document my provider journey. I hope it inspires you to be a servant leader like Jesus.

Bless & Protect,

Justin Thomas

p.s.

In between newsletter updates, feel free to connect on LinkedIn or Instagram if you want more updates on my work and career.