Posted on in 2012 Posts

God is Fanning the Flames for 2012!

Wow, do I ever feel pumped up and ready to go into another new year!  I’ve had some years that began with me digging my heals into the ground and saying, “No, I don’t want it to come!  I can feel a bad year on the horizon!”  Last year, I just kind of coasted into 2011 as I was not well and I really didn’t care one way or another.  However, 2012 is different.  I am a woman on a mission for God!

For 28 years, I knew God had something for me to do in this life other than just my everyday stuff.  I have prayed, hoped, dreamed, stepped out, felt blessed, stepped back, tired out, and even at times gave up on things I felt God leading me to do.  Of all of the things I have chosen to do in my life, it is those things that are eternal for which I am the most passionate about following.  I find that when I tire out and give up, it’s typically when I wasn’t really doing what I was put on this earth to do even when it seemed so right at one point.  For when you are serving God as you should, the Holy Spirit fills you up daily with passion and purpose for the day’s work.

Today, of this I am sure.  God’s plan has got to be my plan if I want to have more than just a mediocre existence in this life.  I want to do God’s will.  I want to minister to those He puts in my path.  I pray that the time that I spend writing is for His good and will reach many.  I want to help others find Him in an intimate way as I have, in my years of walking with Him.

In my reading this week, Paul was signing a letter he wrote in Colossians 4:17-18 and his words just jumped off the page at me.  He said, “…Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.  This salutation by my own hand Paul.  Remember my chains.  Grace be with you. Amen.”

Here was Paul, sitting in prison with his hands bound by chains, encouraging others to finish strong.  If he can be so positive while in such a place of great turmoil in his own personal life, so can I.  As a matter of fact, so can you!  You see, God didn’t put us in this world for everything to be easy and go our way.  He put us here to find Him, get to know Him, share Him, and learn to serve Him.

He has given each one of us a ministry of some kind that He wants us to fulfill.  He doesn’t really need us to accomplish our tasks; but He has allowed us the privilege to walk with Him and serve Him in these ways He puts before us.  I want to be like Paul.  I want to be an encourager, even when times are tough.  When I am down and out and bound by things of this world, I want The Holy Spirit to shine through me in a way that others will still want what I have.  I want to be victorious and faithful to the end, despite my circumstances.

Our pastor preached today on being either hot or cold and not lukewarm.  I want to be hot, Hot, scorching HOT for Jesus in 2012!  What about you?  Where is your walk in life taking you?  Have you asked God to show you where He wants you serving in 2012?  If not, take the time today to quiet your world before the hustle and bustle of the new year begins.  Shhhh…I can hear Him, can’t you?  He’s saying, “Keep praying so that I can keep you up on the latest details of what I need from you. Keep searching because sometimes My ways are not always obvious to a human mind.  Keep watching for where I am at work and come join Me when You see Me. My heart longs for you to know the blessings only I can give as you learn to serve Me.”

Well, I really don’t know if that’s what He’s saying to you…I just made that up!  It’s a Christian blog…I can’t lie!  The fact is, what He’s saying to me is probably not what He’s saying to you.  However, I do know Him well enough to know that He loves us.  He desires for us to have an intimate walk with Him while on this earth, reflecting His mightiness in the lives we live.

So how are your plans for 2012 looking?  Are you going to be hot, Hot, scorching HOT for Jesus this year?  What ministry has God given you to fulfill?  Can you conjure up just even a little bit of Paul’s faith and optimism even when times are tough? Are you ready to confidently claim the Holy Spirit’s power over you as you serve God this upcoming year in mightier ways than your mind can conceive?  I’m ready.  Bring on 2012!  Let’s run hard, act wisely, and let’s finish strong because that’s what God would want us to do.  We are His witnesses…let’s show His stuff in 2012!  God’s fanning the flames…is yours lit yet?

Posted on in 2011 Posts

A Surprise Homecoming—A Christmas Miracle!

Wow, I did not expect a Christmas anywhere near as special as this year’s just even a week ago.  As most of you know, my oldest son has been in Afghanistan this year and was not expected to be home for Christmas.  I had accepted that fact and was trying to still enjoy the holiday with the other 6 kids and 4 grandkids that were home.  Friday night we headed to my sister’s house for our annual get together with our families.  We were enjoying good food and catching up with each other when all of a sudden things changed.

My daughter-in-law arrived and told us all to be quiet that she was getting my son on the phone.  When he got on the phone, they handed it to me.  I started talking to him, but it wasn’t sounding like the normal “drive-through” tone that conversations from Afghanistan were supposed to sound like.  The next thing I knew, he was walking through the door!  How exciting was that?!  Totally caught off guard and in shock, I was elated that my family would be together for Christmas!

We had brought Christmas gifts for my son’s wife and kids but since I had no idea he would be there, I had sent his gifts to Afghanistan for him to have in time for Christmas.  He always loves Christmas and gets excited about opening his gifts.  I felt so bad as he had nothing to open as everyone else opened up theirs all around him.  I just didn’t know, so I wasn’t prepared.

I started thinking about this and about the day when Jesus comes back.  I pretty much expect my heart to be racing just the same as it was Friday night, a little bit of shock and awe, and then I started thinking…will I be prepared?  Will I have a gift to offer Him?  What will that day really be like?

Then I quickly realized, the story will be the same.  It’s not about the physical gifts I give.  My son’s gift that night was the fact he was able to be with his family and essentially be the Christmas miracle of the year!  I suspect Jesus will feel the same way.  He is the only Miracle we need.  He doesn’t want our stuff on that day, He wants us.  We don’t have to have gifts wrapped and tucked away for that special day and time, we just need to be ready with the gift of ourselves.  By that I mean that we need to have accepted His gift of eternal life and be living every day as though it was the day of His return.  For by living our lives for Him, we are earning our jewels for our crowns that we will lay down at His feet when the time comes.  Those crowns and jewels will be our symbol of our life lived for Him–our gift so to speak.

The Bible says in Matthew 24 (NKJV),

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven,but My Father only…

42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming…

44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

When that day comes, it won’t matter the type, size or grandeur of the gifts we have to offer such as those the wise men presented at His birth.  The only thing that will matter is our relationship with Him.  Have we accepted Him as our Savior, served Him, loved Him, shared Him, and cherished Him while in this life on earth?  Just as my son’s homecoming was a huge surprise, so will that of my Savior’s be as well.  I think I had a little taste of the joy that may be present on that day this weekend.  I suspect though that nothing can compare.

Are you ready for that day?  Have you given Him your life?  Are you working on a relationship with Him that will far surpass any physical gift you can conjure up to give?  In reality, the only gift He wants is you.  I am not a musician and I certainly cannot sing.  However, I like this song that I found to remind us the day when we will lay our crowns at His feet…our gift of our lives lived for Him…our offering to our Savior.  Enjoy and I’ll see you next year!

http://youtu.be/6DZSjWW57mQ

Posted on in 2011 Posts

Stand Out, Be Different, Take the Challenge!

It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone already.  By the next time I write a blog, we will be done with our Christmas celebrations and moving onto the new year—2012.  I remember the day when the 2000’s sounded so space age and here we are, twelve years into it already!  I apologize that my writing is late today but I had some early morning errands that needed to happen and by the time I had chased all of my squirrels along the way (as those of us with A.D.D. might say), here it is 4:00 and I’m just getting started!  Have you ever had a day like that?  You start out with good intentions and distractions along the way pull you in various directions until you find yourself on the couch, out of energy and no more time to do what you originally set out to do?

Sometimes I look at the years gone by, not just days, and think, “Wow, where did time go?  What do I have to show for my life at this point?”  I think this year I was a little more motivated than others because I had certain things I wanted checked off my bucket list before I hit the big 5-0.  Some years I have looked back and thought, “I didn’t get a thing done that I had on my goal list.  As a matter of fact, what did I do?”

This year I have had a lot of time for reflection because of some health issues I’ve been having so I am looking at things a bit differently.  I am praising God that I was able to accomplish my first book, which hit online today as a matter of fact!  I am also praising Him that I have been able to do anything that I did as the beginning of the year was looking pretty bleak for accomplishing anything on the list.  A lot of the things I had on my original goal list for 2011 didn’t happen though.  Either because I re-prioritized and realized it just wasn’t as important as I thought or circumstances just simply prevented it from happening for reasons unbeknownst to me.

Although we spend a lot of time in our lives that is just simply wasted, I think the Christmas season helps us to get our priorities back in line.  I like the fact that it happens at the end of the year so that we can take time to reflect on the things that matter and hopefully align our priorities for the following year accordingly.   You see, the Christmas season brings our thoughts back to our Savior, Jesus Christ, as it is His birthday we celebrate.   It also helps us focus on our loved ones and seems to be a time where more grace is extended to those we may not always see eye to eye with at other times of the year. It’s kind of a magical time…and I’m not talking about Santa Claus!

When I recall my thoughts last December, I am sure that my list for 2011 had things on it like lose weight, be a million dollar real estate sales person, and get moved into my new home before the new year.  Well, none of those things happened—not one.  However, I’m OK with that.  I don’t think God really put me here on this earth to be skinny, rich and have an easy life.  Rather, I think He had much bigger plans for me.  He knew that in order for me to stay on the path and do what I need to do in this life, He would have to give me a challenge.  If life came easy for me, I would let it and probably wouldn’t try any harder.  But it doesn’t, so I am a driven woman.

I am not driven so much for the things that don’t matter anymore as I have only so much energy to expend right now.  God showed me though that His purpose for me in this life was not to accomplish skinniness, wealth, or other great accomplishments of unimportance.  Rather, He has asked me to speak for Him and tell others about His love for them.  He has stripped me of the energy for the frivolous and only given me the strength for what matters.   He has shown me what’s important in life and it’s not my weekly appointment at Jenny Craig!

My goals for 2012 are going to be a little different than most years in the past.  I am going to actually spend time in prayer this year and ask God what it is He wants me to accomplish in the year ahead.  Then I’m going to make my list of things to do.  However, I’m challenging myself to instead of having various columns on my list, I’m only having one—my spiritual goals.  For the Bible specifically says in Matthew 6:33 (NKJV), But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  I’m really here for one reason—to do what God needs me to do.  For when I am God focused, all of the other things in the world minimize.  It only took me 50 years to figure out that this world really isn’t about me.  It’s about God and what I can do for Him during my time here on earth.

Time flies and none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.  If we’re not careful, we will be in December again in a flash and stand wondering what just hit us!  Will you take the challenge with me for 2012 to not waste another minute on things that are fleeting and of this world?  What is it that God is calling you to do for Him?  Perhaps you’ve got it all together and are right on target for His plan.  However, if not, take the time to pray and ask Him to guide your thoughts to God-centered goals for 2012.  Just think of how different life might be if we were living for Him and using our time to further His goals for us instead of our own.  This life is fleeting…what we do for God is eternal.

Psalm 39

Merry Christmas!