Kelly has an adorable brown bear named Teddy that we bought for her when I was still pregnant. It is the cutest little bear and it has been well loved during the past 6 years. Kelly sleeps with this bear almost every night and he goes a lot of places with us. He even went to school with us this morning and almost went into the school as Kelly tried to sneak him into her backpack. In the end, he came back home with me. I thought about this for a little bit as he rode home in the front seat beside me. Kelly loves to take this bear everywhere she goes because he brings comfort to her. When things are uncomfortable, she holds on to Teddy with a firm grip. It's an extra assurance that everything is ok.
Even as adults we hold onto things that provide us comfort. It could be an old sweatshirt (I have a sorority sweatshirt that I can't give up because it is so comfortable), a certain chair, or even a worn-out pair of shoes. We even hold on to dreams, goals, and traditions because knowing that such things exist will bring us extra comfort. Sometimes we refuse to let go even when we know we really need to.
But when it really comes down to it, God didn't create us to live in comfort. If you are feeling that you are comfortable with God, with how you worship, with your growth in Him, I highly encourage you to reconsider your pace of walk with God. It could be that He is a little farther down the road than you waiting to take you into something new while you hold on to your comfortable surroundings. God wants to continue molding us and shaping us into the person He ultimately designed us to be. And, yes, it will hurt and be uncomfortable. He will chip away at us like a master sculptor. But the beauty of the pain is knowing that through time we will continue to look more and more like Him... getting closer to living in the complete joy of being His.
The next time you find yourself thinking about how comfortable life really is right now, look around at where God is working. And then get yourself there! God didn't create the fullness of life to leave us behind. He created the fullness of our lives to make us His.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Becoming Intimate with Jesus
This week I am working on my staff evaluation for work. One of the final questions is "How do you plan to develop a more intimate relationship with Jesus this year?" It is a tough question to answer. I don't want to be flippant and say "Pray more. Read my Bible more." I am looking for a plan that will allow me to grow closer to Jesus because I know He wants to be closer to me.
I have been thinking through how I have become closer, more intimate, with Kevin. I believe that our closeness has grown over time as we spend more time together, as we open up and be authentic with each other, and as we learn more about each other. I also have plans that include reading books on marriage and relationships and even finding talks about growing a solid marriage. And I think I can use this approach to growing closer to Jesus.
I'm not certain about my plan right now, but I do believe that it will include talking with Jesus more, being in a constant conversation with Him throughout the day everyday, and learning more about who He is as a person and how much He loves me. This will definitely include praying more and reading my Bible more and I think it may even include reading additional books about His life and listening to talks from our church and other great church's around the world. I will also have to surrender my heart and life in completely new ways because as I grow closer to Jesus, I believe He will transform my heart and set my feet on a path that He leads. I'm excited about this growing relationship and loving Him more than ever. And, maybe in the end, I will look a little more like Him.
I have been thinking through how I have become closer, more intimate, with Kevin. I believe that our closeness has grown over time as we spend more time together, as we open up and be authentic with each other, and as we learn more about each other. I also have plans that include reading books on marriage and relationships and even finding talks about growing a solid marriage. And I think I can use this approach to growing closer to Jesus.
I'm not certain about my plan right now, but I do believe that it will include talking with Jesus more, being in a constant conversation with Him throughout the day everyday, and learning more about who He is as a person and how much He loves me. This will definitely include praying more and reading my Bible more and I think it may even include reading additional books about His life and listening to talks from our church and other great church's around the world. I will also have to surrender my heart and life in completely new ways because as I grow closer to Jesus, I believe He will transform my heart and set my feet on a path that He leads. I'm excited about this growing relationship and loving Him more than ever. And, maybe in the end, I will look a little more like Him.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Purposeful...
I have heard the phrase that God purposefully placed us in this time for a reason. I completely believe it; however, I never really took in the full statement. Then something inside of me really clicked last weekend during church. Pastor Pete made the comment that we do not get to pick when we are born, where we are born, or even who we are born to. Hearing that resonated inside of me. That is so true... we don't get to pick any of that. But God picked for us to be born at this time... in this place... for this moment.
Why did God pick for YOU to be born during this century? Why are you alive right now during this decade? Why did God pick your parents for your birth and why do you live where you do? Why were you born in the country that you live in? Why did God place you in that specific city? I am certain that God did not pick your parents, your location, and your birth time just to simply bless you and to give you a happy life. He placed you in this time, in this place, and in this moment for a specific purpose and reason. So... what is it??
I am certain that I was born for this time, this place and this moment. God put me here on purpose and for a purpose. I am not certain of the specific purpose, although I have a few ideas. I do know that God has grand plans for me and through time and through coming to know Him more, I will get to work in those plans and achieve the purpose that He has set for my life.
Why did God pick for YOU to be born during this century? Why are you alive right now during this decade? Why did God pick your parents for your birth and why do you live where you do? Why were you born in the country that you live in? Why did God place you in that specific city? I am certain that God did not pick your parents, your location, and your birth time just to simply bless you and to give you a happy life. He placed you in this time, in this place, and in this moment for a specific purpose and reason. So... what is it??
I am certain that I was born for this time, this place and this moment. God put me here on purpose and for a purpose. I am not certain of the specific purpose, although I have a few ideas. I do know that God has grand plans for me and through time and through coming to know Him more, I will get to work in those plans and achieve the purpose that He has set for my life.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Life Goals
About 2 months ago I came across a posting by Shaun King of Courageous Church in Atlanta, GA, about setting and achieving 100 life goals. I read his blog and listened to his teaching on this and it makes so much sense. (For more information, visit his church website at http://www.courageous.tv/.) Setting life goals is God-honoring and requires deep faith. And to make them public, as I am about to do, requires great courage. By making these goals public, you now have the freedom to ask me about them and to hold me accountable to them.
People may say that establishing life goals is a way of keeping God's plans out of your life. However, God wants you to establish goals in order to effectively and thoroughly accomplish the plans that He has for your life. Ephesians 2:10 says "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (NLT) The NIV says it this way... "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." God made plans for us a very long time ago; before we were born He knew what we were going to do. God has big plans for me. Plans that I know about and plans that I am not aware of yet. Plans that He has yet to reveal to me because, according to scripture, they would be so big and amazing that I would not believe Him if He told me. I truly believe that when God entrusts a great work to me, it is my responsibility to work to my greatest ability to fulfill the job.
So, after prayer and the best discernment I could put forth, the following is my list of life goals. I don't have 100 as Shaun King teaches, but I do have 26. Not a bad start, if I may say. Some of them need a little tweaking or depth, but it's a start.
1. To give a faithful tithe off of our gross income every year for the rest of my life.
2. To add 1% of our gross income to our tithe every year.
3. To be debt free, except for a mortgage, by 2015.
4. To own a house with no mortgage by 2025
5. Complete an MBA degree
6. Teach a college level accounting course
7. Travel to Paris, France
8. Go back to Hawaii
9. Travel somewhere else overseas
10. Be beach ready for our 2011 vacation
11. read the Bible through in one year
12. Teach a personal financial planning class to high school students
13. Write, publish and sell a book
14. Attend New York Fashion Week at least once
15. Start a financial blog
16. Drink 64 ozs of water everyday for the rest of my life
17. Incorporate more fruit and vegetables into my diet
18. Help Kelly pay for college without getting loans
19. Develop a financial freedom program
20. Celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary
21. Have a date night every week for the rest of our lives
22. Have a weekly date night with Kelly
23. Go shopping in New York City or Chicago or Beverly Hills with Kelly when she is a teenager.
24. Take a month long vacation
25. Organize and go on a girls get-away weekend
26. Plan a family Christmas in the Smokey Mountains
People may say that establishing life goals is a way of keeping God's plans out of your life. However, God wants you to establish goals in order to effectively and thoroughly accomplish the plans that He has for your life. Ephesians 2:10 says "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (NLT) The NIV says it this way... "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." God made plans for us a very long time ago; before we were born He knew what we were going to do. God has big plans for me. Plans that I know about and plans that I am not aware of yet. Plans that He has yet to reveal to me because, according to scripture, they would be so big and amazing that I would not believe Him if He told me. I truly believe that when God entrusts a great work to me, it is my responsibility to work to my greatest ability to fulfill the job.
So, after prayer and the best discernment I could put forth, the following is my list of life goals. I don't have 100 as Shaun King teaches, but I do have 26. Not a bad start, if I may say. Some of them need a little tweaking or depth, but it's a start.
1. To give a faithful tithe off of our gross income every year for the rest of my life.
2. To add 1% of our gross income to our tithe every year.
3. To be debt free, except for a mortgage, by 2015.
4. To own a house with no mortgage by 2025
5. Complete an MBA degree
6. Teach a college level accounting course
7. Travel to Paris, France
8. Go back to Hawaii
9. Travel somewhere else overseas
10. Be beach ready for our 2011 vacation
11. read the Bible through in one year
12. Teach a personal financial planning class to high school students
13. Write, publish and sell a book
14. Attend New York Fashion Week at least once
15. Start a financial blog
16. Drink 64 ozs of water everyday for the rest of my life
17. Incorporate more fruit and vegetables into my diet
18. Help Kelly pay for college without getting loans
19. Develop a financial freedom program
20. Celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary
21. Have a date night every week for the rest of our lives
22. Have a weekly date night with Kelly
23. Go shopping in New York City or Chicago or Beverly Hills with Kelly when she is a teenager.
24. Take a month long vacation
25. Organize and go on a girls get-away weekend
26. Plan a family Christmas in the Smokey Mountains
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