Take full advantage of every day as you spend your life for his purposes.
Ephesians 5:16 TPT
I want to challenge you as you begin the day tomorrow to ask God how you can take full advantage of the 24 hours that lay ahead. Embrace His interruptions and see how advantageous it is to led Him write the list.
I would love to hear about what this scripture means to you in your own life. Leave a comment or a prayer request. I pray God will bless you with amazing interruptions.
My husband and I will celebrate our twelfth wedding anniversary this weekend, so of course that means my mind is full of memories. Many memories are attached to songs, as both my husband and I love music. I think our favourite songs change almost every week as certain words and melodies minister to us during different situations.
When we were dating, my husband and I both worked multiple jobs, had kids living at home and not a lot of cash for fancy nights out. Lots of times we would go for a drive, listen to music, sing and talk. We still love to do this. So many songs from that period in our life still make me smile today as I see where God has brought us over these past twelve years.
A song that still resonates is “God Bless the Broken Road” as it speaks to me of my relationship with God and my relationship with my husband; the two most important connections in my life. The second verse best echoes my heart. It says:
I think about the years I spent just passin’ through
I’d like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You’ve been there, you understand
It’s all part of a grander plan that is coming true. **
My husband and I have talked so many times about how different life might have been if we met earlier in life. How some heartbreaks might have been avoided, how ministry might have looked differently. Of course, we see that all of experiences we had separately; the joys and sorrows, success and defeat, had to happen in God’s bigger design. First on that list would be the amazing young adults who are our children, and we cannot imagine our lives without them being who they are. But some days, I still daydream about meeting my charming man with the sparkling eyes when I was in my twenties and having more years with him than I will now. And like the song says, he completely understands. We trust God’s plan for us and are assured that we met at the exact right moment in time.
This song also speaks to me of the redemptive love God has for me, as there have been times I have wandered off the path or been sidelined by pain or selfishness. I regret those times when I did not let God use me and heal me because I was too wrapped up in being the center of my own universe. But, those times did not last long and I stretched out my hand to my Father who was waiting for me all the time.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own path. Isaiah 53:6 NLT
I know God does have a wonderful plan for my husband and I. We have a passion to serve God and to build relationships with people, introducing them to our God and His life-changing power. Some days are challenging, but that’s when we hold onto each other and confess there is no one else we’d rather live this crazy life with.
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you. **
We have had countless miracles from God over the past twelve years that have increased our faith. We have also had dreams that haven’t worked out the way we thought, and others that we have waited many years for, but all of these point us to Jesus, where comfort is found and strength is renewed. For all we have learned in these seasons, for how we have grown closer together as a couple and closer to God, I know I can speak for my husband and say that we wouldn’t trade this life for anything the world can give.
It’s better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth.
And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there’s no one to help, tough! Two in a bed warm each other. Alone, you shiver all night. By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 MSG
God has been that central third strand in the cord that keeps us strong. On days where we laugh until the tears come, or those when we cry ourselves to sleep and all those ordinary days in between, I know that God brought me down a broken road to bring me closer to Him and to the husband He chose and prepared for me.
If you are married, think about those songs that have meant something to you as a couple and share those memories, even if it isn’t your anniversary. Every day is a good day to nurture the relationship with your spouse.
** Songwriters: Bobby Boyd / Jeff Hanna / Marc HummonBless the Broken Road lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
My life is not likely going to be made into a movie. I’d love for my romance with my husband to be turned into a Hallmark Christmas movie, but we can’t twist our reality into the traditional “Hallmark” formula (if you watch these movies as avidly as we do, you know what I mean!) Not that I have not had my adventures, but I don’t think they are what the world would classify as adventurous, glamorous, or in many ways even successful. I am fine with that. I am not looking to be glamorous or successful in the eyes of the world.
I have dreams and goals. Big ones. I have things that God has whispered to me that will happen one day and I am excited about them, but there is a lot of waiting between now and then it seems. Some days I wonder what is supposed to happen in the meantime.
I was reading in the book of Romans this week and I think I found an answer. In the Message translation, Romans 12:2 says:
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
My friends, here are some things to do in that waiting season! God wants me to take this ordinary life of mine and give it to Him to use, to make beautiful. My life is what this verse describes, day after day of sleeping, eating (counting my WW points), going to work and walking around (that means chores and workouts to me). It seems like this ordinary life doesn’t account for much when you want to change the world, but maybe it can!
Embracing what God does for me – that is, His provision, protection, salvation and that song He keeps in my heart. When I hold that close in mind I know that He does not provide for, protect and save something that has no purpose, so I have purpose, even when I don’t see it. God wants our attention and sometimes we have to sit awhile on the sidelines so we are not distracted by, or keep chasing, other things. God does many things to get our attention, and He often uses the waiting room to get mine. When I wait and focus my attention on God then I can see what He wants from me today, in this season, and then upon recognizing it, I can do it.
God’s plan is huge and wonderful, with billions of moving parts. If you do that seemingly small thing that God impresses on you to do today – make a call, send a text, give something to a stranger, agree in prayer with a friend – you can start a chain reaction of those moving parts which could lead to someone’s miracle – maybe even yours! Whether you see the evidence of the chain reaction or not, God uses these “ordinary” things to bring out the best in us – bringing out His nature in us. When we exhibit His character in this dark world, this is how we become world-changers.
The other side of this focusing on the ordinary day offerings to God, is standing in confidence to be different. How can I fully exhibit God’s characteristics to this world if I am camouflaged in it? I am unique. You are unique. Every piece of art in a gallery does not look alike. Depending on who is looking at it, some of it looks like it doesn’t even belong in a gallery. But that’s not up to the crowd to decide – it’s up to the artist. The Artist of my life may mold me differently or use materials that don’t seem to be what is trendy, but when the time is right, it will come together and the Artist will be satisfied. That is all that matters to me. My ordinary life will become His masterpiece and the meaning will be clear – to show His love for His creation.
You are a masterpiece in progress too. Has God whispered part of His dreams for you in your ear? Have you felt rejected or dismissed for living God’s will for your life because people around you do not understand it? Are you the one sitting on the shelf next to me? My tears fall for you today, as I feel your desire to live your purpose, fulfilling the dream God planted in your heart. Your time will come, my friend, as will mine. God’s promises always come to pass. Of this, I am very sure.
For today, this ordinary day, focus on God and whatever is before you. Do it for Him, in a response of love and thankfulness for all He has done. Be confident that He is at work, even if you don’t see evidence of it today. Shine in your uniqueness and dare to smile in the ordinary, knowing the Artist is at work creating a treasure from the inside out.
I have some thoughts on confidently being the unique woman God made you to be, based on Galatians 6:4. Join me here: https://youtu.be/0b9IDzRypIg
Life sure can be messy can’t it? Right now, life seems more messy than usual. During this quarantine season I have been downsizing and organizing at home (See my post from April 7 – Less is More to read about that) so my home is looking better than ever, but when I start to think of life outside of my property, or even more so, inside my head, that’s where the mess starts to appear.
When can I worship inside my church sanctuary? Why is no one social distancing inside Costco? How much longer until I get back into my classroom? When can I weigh in at a WW meeting? Will my writing be good enough for publication? When will I have a scheduled speaking engagement? When can I hug my mom or my children? And so it goes. Don’t try to keep up, my thoughts run faster than the Flash. At times it seems challenging to make positive change in this world because there are so many loose ends.
But God. I’m just going to stop right there for a second. I learned recently when we speak that when a sentence contains the word “but”, the second part of the sentence becomes the most important part to the hearer. If I say, “She is such a hard worker, but she is a gossip”, what is the first thing you think – she’s a gossip. I don’t know why our minds work like that, but they do. Try it out. She’s a gossip, but she is such a hard worker. That was an ah-ha moment for me and another lesson in more effective communication, even inside my own head.
Let’s get back to God, shall we? I was thinking it was too hard to make a positive change with so many loose ends in life, BUT GOD showed me I can with His help.
This morning I was on my patio having some quiet time before the day got up to speed. Time to read my Bible and pray in the early hours. I often walk and pray and as I did, my eyes glanced a broken wind chime in the corner of the patio. It was there when we moved in. Some lines are broken and many are tangled. It looks a mess and I’m not even crazy about the colour of it. Many times I thought just to take it down and toss it, but never actually did. I turned and kept walking. Then, the breeze picked up and I heard a beautiful sound. It was the wind chime!
It’s gentle sound made made me smile and God nudged me in that moment. It’s tangled and unattractive but it still has hidden beauty and can positively impact people around it. My life may be filled with tangled circumstances, obstacles and loose ends, right now, in the middle of it all, when the wind of the Holy Spirit moves in my life and I surrender to it, I can bring His joy and beauty into the lives of others.
I know God has made everything beautiful for its time. God has also placed in our minds a sense of eternity; we look back on the past and ponder over the future, yet we cannot understand the doings of God. I know there is nothing better for us than to be joyful and to do good throughout our lives. Ecclesiastes 3:11-12 (Voice)
Even when circumstances seem tangled like my wind chime, I know that God is working in the moving pieces and I will get to where He has promised to take me. I need to be mindful, recognizing the beauty of what is here and now and be confident enough to reach out towards others even though they can see that I don’t have it all together. God does have it all together and that is what I need to display.
As this Scripture says God has placed in our minds a sense of eternity. My friends, let us not waste this season because it is tangled but be aware of what has eternal value. That includes investment in people. There is nothing more satisfying than to be joyful and to be good to others. Being unhappy and impatient only makes a person miserable. It can even make you physically unwell.
Even in messy circumstances, we can choose joy when we trust in the One who sees the big picture. Even when obstacles seem to hold us back, we can do good. A kind word, a card, a prayer spoken, cookies delivered, quilts stitched, rides given, and more. There is no end to the good we can do in the midst of a tangled life. When the time is right, God will tug on this end, then that, the tangle will fall away and the path forward will be clear. As we wait, let’s joyfully do good and let the beautiful chime ring out.
This week marked the anniversary a day that changed my life. Early in the morning of May 26, 1997 my phone rang and I found out that my father had passed away suddenly. His loss is still keenly felt when there is a problem and I need advice, when my daughter does something amazing or a family gathering comes around. Needless to say, he has been on my mind quite a lot this week.
Now, don’t fret, I don’t think you will need a hankie for this post (no promises!). I was have been trying to find a succinct way to illustrate my dad’s impact on not just me, but the world at large. Then, I read a quote and instantly found a wonderful way to describe my dad along with a lesson for us all.
My dad did not just interact with people, but he cared for them, gave generously to them, listened to them, made them laugh and gave them food for thought. He loved people and whenever the opportunity arose, he let them know that God loved them as well.
I know he impacted a large circle of people in his life. I am still hearing stories of how he made a difference for people. With smiles, the stories still are told by family, friends, former coworkers and church members, even though he has not been with us for over 20 years. My husband also has a precious binder full of sermons my dad wrote and preached , and those messages will be preached again. Life was not always easy, but you’d never know it from dad. He always ready with a kind word, a listening ear, a joke, a ride to work, ready to share money, possessions, time and laughter – so much laughter.
In this quarantine life we are living, with the increased stress, anxiety and hopelessness that surrounds many, it is the perfect season for cultivating the gift of leaving someone better than you find them. Your spouse, a parent, child, former teacher, colleague or a stranger. So many times this can be something small to you, but a day or life-changing experience for someone else. Call a friend, send a thank you card, or text a joke to an acquaintance. Strike up a conversation in that long line at the store. Give away things, not just your junk but your good stuff too. Porch drop a meal. Work hard even for that grumpy boss. Express gratitude. Smile behind your mask. Be present and listen. I think almost above all, people want to be seen and heard.
My dad found out the secret. Serving others isn’t always convenient or comfortable, but it always is rewarding. To make someone smile or laugh, to lift their burden, even ever so slightly, to exhibit a positive perspective on a rotten no-good day can make you feel like almost nothing else this side of heaven.
Dad also regularly exemplified the best way to impact lives around him. Dad did not just want to go to heaven, but he wanted to make sure lots of people joined him there. If you are a Jesus-follower, the best way to leave people better than you find them is to love them to the One who moves mountains, breaks chains and makes broken hearts whole. If you haven’t met Jesus, let me know. It would be my joy to introduce you.
Thanks dad.
One thing you might as well know about me is I am a goal setting, planner extraordinaire. I keep two planners, multiple notebooks, lists and spreadsheets. I believe I am the reason post-it notes were invented. I regularly check my planners throughout each day, not because I am that extremely busy, but because I just love to look at my planner and tick those boxes on the lists.
I was recently teaching a Job Search module to my students. To prep for interviews I asked what they thought was their greatest strength and their greatest weakness. To get them thinking I provided an example from my own life. I said the same thing for both – I am a planner.
Planning is awesome! It keeps me from being late for appointments, missing work deadlines and forgetting birthdays. In my pre-pandemic life I balanced ministry, three jobs, personal goals, a home and family. I need to plan. I also need to put cute stickers and quotes in it to keep me from losing my sanity when my worlds collide (thank you George Castanza!). Planning keeps me on budget and promotes my preparation of healthy meals to lose weight. I believe that being a detail-oriented planner is a God-given gift that helps me to be a blessing.
Planning is also limiting, stress-inducing and has the potential to rob me of joy and flexibility. Multiple lists help me remember things I need or hope to accomplish as well as people I want to connect with. However, the same lists also make me wonder how I can manage to get through the day, especially when they are the first thing that I think of when my eyes open in the morning. Planning can make me feel guilty for sitting to read a book for the simple pleasure of it. My husband has told me (often) that planning is to relieve stress and if it is causing stress, you’re not doing it correctly. Planning is a distraction of my enemy, tempting me to give up the enjoyment of an hour or a day for the sake of accomplishing the list.
So you see, a strength and a weakness.
But it is a weakness I have been working on. A gift that I have received in this pandemic is the gift of perspective. I can more easily recognize what matters and what doesn’t. It matters that I remember my friend’s birthday so I can plan time to make her a gift and porch drop it to her on her special day. What doesn’t matter is that I planned to prep dinner at 3 p.m. and someone calls and needs my help at that time. The relationship matters but the task, more often than not, can wait.
It may be uncomfortable for me as I loosen the grip on the planner, but like a physical workout, this will strengthen me and make me more of a blessing in fulfilling the needs of others.
Really, that’s the big picture for me, loving people and being a blessing. I desire to live life intentionally. I want to leave a legacy, not just cross everything off my life-list. To do that, I have started to daily pray over my planner, leaving God in charge of my planning. I may not conquer this overnight, but over time as I follow the leading of God, I will.
So be very careful how you live, not being like those with no understanding, but live honorably with true wisdom, for we are living in evil times. Take full advantage of every day as you spend your life for his purposes. Ephesians 5:15-16 TPT
Have you ever thought “It’s been a long week” on a Tuesday? I sure hope it is not just me! That is how I was feeling when I was getting ready yesterday morning. One of those mornings when I had not slept well and as soon as I started to wake, the dictates of the day downloaded immediately. Oi. The first thing on the agenda was my weekly weigh-in. Again, oi. Well, the Mother’s Day take-out had been yummy and it was a special meal, enjoyed over a virtual dinner with my mom and daughter. Ok, I decided I could live with that number and just hit the reset button on the healthy eating. Still, not a real positive start to the day.
As I puttered in the kitchen, I was feeling a bit edgy so I wanted to stop that negativity in it’s tracks. Then I remembered one of the Mother’s Day gifts my daughter had sent! Cocoa beans that could be brewed like coffee! What could be better than chocolate for breakfast!
A bit later I took my warm mug of chocolaty love downstairs to worship and pray for a bit before my online teaching began. As my thoughts shifted from the pressure I felt as I began to enjoy God’s presence, my mood started to lift. One of the things I find helpful if I am feeling down is to get myself off of my mind! Some powerful worship music like “Let the Light In” and “All He Says I Am” by Cody Carnes reminded me of what was really important, and that is not me. Before long I was ready to face the demands of the day.
I am finally feeling in the groove of teaching my college program online but it is the last week of classes for the term and there is so much going on. The young ladies are ready to get into the workplace but working on tackling interview questions had some of them stressed out. It was a challenging morning. Lots of grading yet to do, I was not ready to face it so I asked my husband if he was interested in a little adventure. Of course he was!
We jumped into the van and headed to a friend’s house first for a porch drop off of her long overdue birthday gift and an appropriately distanced chat. It was great to see her after so many months. Then we took a drive to a nearby nature center and set off for a walk.
As I walked and talked with my husband, enjoying the peace of the woods with lustrous shades of green, the remnants of stress and pressure evaporated from my mind and my shoulders. Feeling the ground under my feet, holding my husband’s hand and seeing the beauty around me had me grounded again. Then the best of all, we found a small structure and decided to investigate. There was a bird feeding area and we had it all to ourselves.
We marveled at the various birds that were feeding there, enchanted by their antics and by how unafraid they were of us. We stayed for quite a while and then my husband and I promised ourselves we would come back soon.
As we climbed back into our vehicle to head home I felt refreshed and very much content with the day. Sometimes just intentional refocusing and a bit of fresh air are all that are needed to lift the cares of my world.
Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. Matthew 6:26 MSG
May 4, 2020 marked the third anniversary of standing on the scale at my WW meeting and being told by my coach that I had reached my goal weight. On that date I had lost 151.5 pounds, an achievement I did not even consider when I first stepped on the scale at the first WW meeting. It was a day worth celebrating!
When I started my journey, I knew for sure that it was “my time” and my season to start towards a goal of being healthy. That first weigh-in made my heart sink as the reality looked me in the face from that scale. I was determined to work the program and give it all I had. At the next weigh-in, I was 11 pounds lighter and feeling supported by my husband, my WW coach and fellow members so there was no looking back.
Did I know what I would look or feel like at goal? Not a clue. I never imagined how energizing it would be to be told that I no longer held a diagnosis of OSA (obstructive sleep apnea), to have medications removed from my day or take long daily walks that did not leave me breathless. I could not have imagined how amazing it feels to leave those plus-size stores behind and shop wherever I wanted (and save money too!)
The most important changes happened on the inside. For the first time in thirty years I felt that when I said something that people would actually listen to me and think that maybe I had something to offer. I had spent years feeling ignored, dismissed and unfairly judged. I had to dig in and find my worth in God. I learned that at my essence, I am who God says I am. My worth was not defined by that number on the scale or the size tag on my dress. That is still true as I maintain the weight loss.
You are dearly loved by God and we know that He has chosen you to be His very own. 1 Thessalonians 1:4 TPT
Now that I celebrate the third anniversary of that accomplishment, the journey continues. Seeing that goal number on the scale did not mean I could just go with the flow from then on. After reaching goal I continued on with my lifestyle and lost an additional 13 pounds. Maintenance does not mean I have arrived. Every day I make multiple choices regarding food, activity, stress, food, sleep, study, food, my health, relationships and food. See a pattern here? I continue attending weekly WW meetings and connecting with other members, many of whom have become dear friends. I continue to keep good habits I have started like meal planning, a weekly activity routine and keeping healthy food in the house, among many others. I continue to move towards changing unproductive habits or mindsets into more productive ones. It may seem cliche, but it really is a lifestyle that adjusts and adapts with the season of life I am in.
It is also important to celebrate the milestones, not just the big one on May 4, but the small ones too; for example when I focus on the fellowship and not the potluck choices at gatherings or when I bump up the speed on the treadmill. There is almost always something to celebrate.
How did I celebrate? I planned and chose three healthy meals. I chose to celebrate my strength by exercising. I took time to worship God and thank Him for how He has guided me through this journey. I truly could not have made it here without Him! Lastly, I chose to celebrate by writing, because I have found my voice and my confidence. I have had them all along as good gifts given by God, but I finally unwrapped them and now it is my joy to share them with my friends, both old and new.
Are you feeling that it is “your time” to start a journey to better health? Have you started once or twice (or a hundred times) before only to give up? No better time to start than now. I would love to walk this journey with you and help celebrate you achieving your own goals!
When you succeed, we will celebrate and shout for joy. Flags will fly when victory is yours! Yes, God will answer your prayers and we will praise Him! Psalm 20:5 TPT
Seasons with Grace