The world we live in is chaotic, full of fear, and filled with distractions and frustrations. If you allow yourself to get caught up in it, you are doomed to be afraid to the point of making stupid decisions, depressed because you have no hope for change, and unfulfilled because happiness cannot be bought.
I recently went through a trial that led me down to a darkened basement corner where depression, fear and frustration started to tip-toe their way in the recesses of my mind. A mental stronghold was trying to grab me by the neck, hoping to stop me from following through on what I knew was the right course of action for my life.
To explain a little further, I had been praying for God's help in making a possible life change that would free up more time to pursue a ministry opportunity I felt He had for me. Within that ministry opportunity lies my passion for music and creative writing. When I make the time to pursue these things I find great pleasure and fulfillment which I believe are a good sign that these are talents I have been given are to be used for a purpose. As I went through the process of making a life change, unexpected events occurred, and I became very scared that perhaps I was making a mistake or could even make matter worse by following through. I called on a few close friends to pray for me. It was then that I began to ask myself some important questions and out of these questions I found my compass which led me through this dark time and helped me to stay true to my values no matter what happened.
My compass values are:
1) Keep God 1st - Be obedient to His Word, having faith that He is in control of my life and trusting Him to take care of me. (this is hard...but necessary for peace).
2) Do the right thing - through honesty, humility and integrity.
3) Treat others with respect and dignity (whether or not they deserve it...who among us does?)
4) Be merciful and compassionate to others, especially when I feel I am mistreated or misunderstood. No one is perfect and that includes me.
5) Forgive quickly! Do not repay the evil done to me. God will take care of it.
Without these values (my spiritual compass), I cannot find my way out of darkness and fear. It isn't just knowing what the right thing to do is (most of us do), it is doing the right thing. Knowing doesn't equal doing. Be a doer and not just a hearer only.
By the way, the fearful circumstance I spoke of (above) turned out all right and proved to be a good thing for me. I grew in my character and witnessed the hand of God as He was involved in these circumstances and their outcome. And that is the most important thing.
Heart to Heart Cafe
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Divine Intersections
My definition of a divine intersection is a event that has been engineered beforehand by God where your life and the life of another crosses and you both come away changed. This change can be in your heart, or in the path your life is on, but I believe that the greatest divine intersection is not what helps you or me, but what helps another.
I recently experienced a series of divine intersections while traveling on business. For the sake of brevity, I will only share my favorite. It seemed like a normal work day for me in Memphis. It has been a very long day and I was missing my husband so much. I was headed back to my hotel room after supper that evening and looking forward to reading my book and going to sleep. I stood in the hotel lobby waiting on the elevator, trying to be patient, as the elevator was particularly slow that night. I stay in this hotel frequently so I know when things do not go as normal and I thought to myself, "Good grief this thing is slow tonight". Finally the elvator door opened, I got on, pushed the button to go up, and then a man who appeared to be quite troubled in his spirit got on with me. I said "How are you this evening?" This man (probably in his 30's) shared that his little girl was very sick and would I please pray for her? I asked him for her name which he quickly gave me, and then I began to pray out loud for his little girl as the elevator door opened and kept praying as those doors closed. I knew I would never see him again. When I had finished my prayer I said to God "You are amazing!". I was waiting on a late elevator so God could place me and this man together so that I could pray for his little girl and bring this young father a cup of comfort. Amazing! The other amazing thing was I was a complete stranger to this man and still he asked me to pray for his dear one. How could he have known I was a Christian or had any faith at all? I don't wear a cross or label pin giving any hints to the fact that I love Jesus. I sure do hope and pray it was my countenance and not just his desparation that caused him to reach out to me.
The purpose for sharing this experience is that you and I never know when or where those divine intersections will come, and because we don't know what each day holds, we need to stay ready to offer assistance to whomever asks. My friends, we are all born from the same Creator God and His very nature is of compassion and mercy. Ours should be as well.
I recently experienced a series of divine intersections while traveling on business. For the sake of brevity, I will only share my favorite. It seemed like a normal work day for me in Memphis. It has been a very long day and I was missing my husband so much. I was headed back to my hotel room after supper that evening and looking forward to reading my book and going to sleep. I stood in the hotel lobby waiting on the elevator, trying to be patient, as the elevator was particularly slow that night. I stay in this hotel frequently so I know when things do not go as normal and I thought to myself, "Good grief this thing is slow tonight". Finally the elvator door opened, I got on, pushed the button to go up, and then a man who appeared to be quite troubled in his spirit got on with me. I said "How are you this evening?" This man (probably in his 30's) shared that his little girl was very sick and would I please pray for her? I asked him for her name which he quickly gave me, and then I began to pray out loud for his little girl as the elevator door opened and kept praying as those doors closed. I knew I would never see him again. When I had finished my prayer I said to God "You are amazing!". I was waiting on a late elevator so God could place me and this man together so that I could pray for his little girl and bring this young father a cup of comfort. Amazing! The other amazing thing was I was a complete stranger to this man and still he asked me to pray for his dear one. How could he have known I was a Christian or had any faith at all? I don't wear a cross or label pin giving any hints to the fact that I love Jesus. I sure do hope and pray it was my countenance and not just his desparation that caused him to reach out to me.
The purpose for sharing this experience is that you and I never know when or where those divine intersections will come, and because we don't know what each day holds, we need to stay ready to offer assistance to whomever asks. My friends, we are all born from the same Creator God and His very nature is of compassion and mercy. Ours should be as well.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Good Advise for the New Year
A friend sent me this list today and I want to share it with you. Perhaps you already live this list and as a result have a fantastic life, but the Lord has been working with me on several of these for the past few years. I don't do them all regularly, but I have improved greatly on Nbr. 11. I believe that Nbr. 9 is my biggest challenge currently.....pacing myself. I have so many interests and things I want to accomplish before I leave this world that sometimes I take on too many things at the same time. In 2009 I have already decided what I will focus on and what will have to wait. I am learning how to prioritize and simplify my life. Less truly is more.
Here is the list my friend sent me:
1. Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and un-clutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time and pray about everything.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry an inspirational book and/or the Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand..
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus .'
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.
GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.
'If God is for us, who can be against us?'
(Romans 8:31)
Here is the list my friend sent me:
1. Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and un-clutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time and pray about everything.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry an inspirational book and/or the Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand..
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus .'
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.
GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.
'If God is for us, who can be against us?'
(Romans 8:31)
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Live in the Moment
Twice this week I heard these words or read them: Live in the Moment. This is a skill I have struggled learning most of my adult life. By nature I am a planner and organizer, and I live by the calendar. I am typically looking in the future toward a goal I want to accomplish or that must be accomplished because of my career. I plan family celebrations and get togethers with friends. Most of the time my planning serves me well. The fruit of these labors are evident in my life. I have a successful career, a beautiful home, a close family, good friends....I live the American dream. All of this is a result of working a plan and a purpose and staying focused on the objective.
HOWEVER, a good life should be a balanced life, and it is equally important, I believe, to enjoy everyday life. It was my husband who role-modeled how to live in the moment (i.e. enjoy everyday life). He showed me how to slow down and take time to enjoy a sunset, a full moon, watching birds soaring above our house, squirrels preparing for winter, hummingbirds flying on our deck in search of their feeder, and sitting by a campfire to just watch the flame (no words have to be spoken). He also taught me the art of taking a walk without an agenda. To talk about anything that comes to mind or nothing at all. To just "be". My husband showed me how to turn off the outside world's noise, unplug, and listen to nature, to people and their concerns, to share experiences, to stop and give a hug or a kind word, and finally to love everyday life. I am reminded of something said in a sermon that impacted me and helped me to re-focus. This person said - we are human-BEINGS, not human-DOINGs. Let's stop doing something all the time and just enjoy being. Take some time this Christmas to stop, be quiet, and enjoy just BEING alive. Merry Christmas!
HOWEVER, a good life should be a balanced life, and it is equally important, I believe, to enjoy everyday life. It was my husband who role-modeled how to live in the moment (i.e. enjoy everyday life). He showed me how to slow down and take time to enjoy a sunset, a full moon, watching birds soaring above our house, squirrels preparing for winter, hummingbirds flying on our deck in search of their feeder, and sitting by a campfire to just watch the flame (no words have to be spoken). He also taught me the art of taking a walk without an agenda. To talk about anything that comes to mind or nothing at all. To just "be". My husband showed me how to turn off the outside world's noise, unplug, and listen to nature, to people and their concerns, to share experiences, to stop and give a hug or a kind word, and finally to love everyday life. I am reminded of something said in a sermon that impacted me and helped me to re-focus. This person said - we are human-BEINGS, not human-DOINGs. Let's stop doing something all the time and just enjoy being. Take some time this Christmas to stop, be quiet, and enjoy just BEING alive. Merry Christmas!
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