Right Now

As I contemplate Part Two of my life verse for this year, woohoo!  I get to use another of my favorite all-time verses to go along with it.  Hot dog!  Can you guess what it is?  No?  Well, let’s re-read my life verse and then see if you get it, keeping in mind we’re going through this step by step.  Ready?

“The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart’s been in the right place all along. You’ve got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can’t. The heart regulates the hands.” (2 Corinthians 8:10-12, The Message)

Did you guess correctly?  Here it is, one that is always a timely verse for us all (🕧):  

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”  (Ecclesiastes 3:1, King James Version)

Timing is everything and the best thing I can do when?  Right now.  Not tomorrow.  Not in a little while.  Not when I get all this other fluff dealt with but right now.  How many times have I put things off because I just didn’t want to deal with them?  My sweater can answer you that.  It has sat on my dresser for many months, awaiting its chance to be taken care of so that it could be worn instead of bundled up, useless, not serving its purpose.  Just look at this picture and see how pretty it is, now that I have sewn it back together!  If I had left it there, then you wouldn’t be seeing this sweet picture, nor how it brings out the blue in my eyes to match those of the clouds and the river.😛

Now, obviously, when I chose this life verse about completing what I had started last year I had more on my mind than this sweater.  But I had--have!!--to start somewhere, right?  Why not begin with what’s staring me right in the face?  If you’ve been to my Pretty Purple Room lately, you would also see something...um, not quite completed but definitely gaining a sense of order!  You might be shocked to see my room is not as chaotic as it has been for a while now as I am endeavoring to make it orderly and to tie up the many loose ends in it.  I’ll be there for a while so look for me there when you need me.

As I close today’s blog, I want to encourage you to start.  Somewhere.  Look at that glaring thing that won’t leave you alone until you deal with.  Maybe it’s your checkbook that needs tidied up.  Maybe it’s your closet that needs cleaned out.  Your kitchen (which, by the way, I also recently tackled and my drawers sure are sweet now that my silverware is separated, my cabinets are better defined, and my junk drawer even has a separator to keep it in some sense of arrangement).  Maybe it’s your sewing pile or your private dreams of getting to “one day.”  Maybe it’s even those feelings you’ve been putting aside, putting off dealing with, because you know when you do, things will be different and that difference scares you.  But again friends, let me encourage you to make this the day that you start.  Don’t feel overwhelmed and try to do it all today but at least try to make a dent in it, would you?  I think you will be glad you did!

Let’s pray!

Dear Lord, thank You for gentle proddings to get my butt out of this recliner and into the work arena.  There is so much that I need to finish and You and I both know how often I look at those things and give up before even trying because it just seems too big, too much, and too tedious.  You have commanded me to finish what I began, just as Paul spoke of in his writings to Your children in our daily walks with You, in our race to complete the job You assigned for each of us.

Help us all, I ask, to not be quitters.  And no, I’m not just referring to the box of cookies, the pack of chips, or the candy from Christmas that needs to be  eaten.  Sadly, although I wrote that with teasing in mind, some of us would rather turn to the fun stuff to complete and ignore the less-fun things to do, the things that require discipline.  Help us to throw out the things that hinder us, that weigh us down (in more ways than one), and help us to not hang on to things, Lord, that should have been let go of a long time ago.  Mmn hmn.  Those things, Father, that only serve a purpose of harm because their reminders gently prick us of things we don’t need to be considering.  Prick, I say, because Lord You know if they were objects of comfort then they wouldn’t jab at us and open those wounds and irritate the scars that they initially left behind.

I love You, Lord God, and ask You to keep us on the ball.  Or in my case, in my Pretty Purple Room where so much still needs to be done. May the things I complete bring honor to You, satisfaction to me, and help others to see Your glory in my life is my earnest prayer.  In the abiding name of Christ Jesus I ask this:  amen.

The Best Thing

“The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart’s been in the right place all along. You’ve got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can’t. The heart regulates the hands.” (2 Corinthians 8:10-12, The Message)

As I continue to ponder these verses that I have chosen to be ones I especially implement into my life this year, I am struck by several thoughts that are within them.  To begin with, the words “the best thing” remind me of when Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen that good part, the part that would not be taken away from her (Luke 10:42). Now, I don’t know about you but as for me?  I like the good parts of things, such as the biggest slice of chocolate pie, the nachos with the most cheese, or the yellow pieces of popcorn over the white ones (next time maybe I should eat lunch first so I don’t focus so much on food!).  I like the good part of a novel when the storytelling is rich and about to reach a climactic point.  I like the chorus of a song that reverberates in my head as the words touch my heart.  I like the good deals at the grocery store, the good times had with friends and loved ones, and the good memories made throughout the years.

Have you ever been given a choice between something good and something better?  You weighed the pros and cons and tried to decide which was really necessary, which you really really wanted, and which would bring you the longer happiness rather than the instant gratification.  Most of us, I daresay, would choose the better thing, right?  I mean, after all, why settle for good when one can have the best?  That’s what advertisements tell us, don’t they?  The announcers croon in our ears, telling us the most enticing details of the product, and then they zoom in on us personally, telling us what?  You deserve this!

You know what, friends?  I rarely feel worthy of such items.  It’s not often that I allow myself to believe that I deserve something unless I have truly put a lot of hard effort into obtaining it.  But for the verses above when I am told what the best thing is?  When I am told from the precious Word of God what the best thing for me to do is--from Someone Who knows the end from the beginning?  Well, let’s just say it causes me to sit up a little straighter and to pay more attention.  How many times do I wonder what the best thing to do in certain situations is?  How many folks have I asked for wisdom and advice on a topic and listened to them?  Many!  And often their helpful words have led me to pursue things differently.  Yet, when the chips are down (ugh!  More food, Stef?), most of what I need to follow is right here, in the Good Book, just waiting for me to seek it.  

That’s all.  For today, anyways.  I intend to follow up on the other portions of this verse later.  Right now I am going to consider the best thing and appreciate God for showing me that He always has my best planned.  I must be pretty special, huh?  He thinks so!  He thinks that about you too, friends, so I encourage you to revel in that for today.  He gave His best.  For me.  For you.  Wow!

Let’s pray!

Dear Lord, how wonderful You are.  How marvelous are Your thoughts and plans!  Why You care so much about me is in itself amazing and oftentimes I just don’t fully appreciate what that means.  Out of all the peoples in the world, You chose me to reveal Jesus to.  You chose me to share the beauty You and He created and to fill my heart with hope and love.  

Thank You, Lord God.  Thank You for giving me Your best.  I love You!  In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

I Have A Dream!

I Have A Dream

♫Dream.  Dream dream dream. Dream...All I have to do is dream♬  The Everly Brothers sang this tune way back in the day.  Dan Hartman sang “I Can Dream About You” in reference to an unattainable love.  Trace Adkins sang of dreaming out loud while Clay Walker crooned about doing it with his eyes wide open.  Fleetwood Mac also had a hit with their song and poor Carrie Underwood wished her life was just a dream--and a bad one at that that she could awaken from.  And who can forget the Mamas and the Papas hit about California dreaming--especially on these bleary winter days?  Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes warned folks not to fall in love with a dreamer and then there was the classic Elvis song “If I Can Dream.”  Lastly, although there are many more tunes I could reference, let’s not forget Cinderella’s take on this:  A dream is a wish your heart makes.

A quote by Henry David Thoreau I happened upon while researching for today’s blog tells me:

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

Meanwhile, Proverbs 16:3 (ESV) tells me:

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Yesterday, I asked God specifically for fulfillment of a dream I have had for some time now. I outlined the reasons why this dream should be a reality, told Him of the usefulness it could provide if it was to be accomplished, and reminded Him (as if!) of the gifts He had already given to me to make this dream come true. I pondered on it for the umpteenth time and later, after our Bible Study on Job, I told Steve about it and asked his agreement with it so that we could mutually--as well as individually--pray about it and seek God’s will for it. Having a spiritual cohort along for the journey sure makes the trip more pleasant!

As we discussed what part to play in this unfolding drama, we wondered how much help God needed to make it come true.  I mean, after all, He could just speak it into existence if it lined up with His plans, right?  Didn’t He tell me in Psalm 37:4 for me to delight myself in Him and He would give me the desires of my heart?  Mmn hmn:  He sure did.  He also told me in Jeremiah 29:11 that His plan was to give me hope and to give me a future, as well as to prosper me.  Yes, He most certainly did!  

So, as we pursued this line of thought and truly felt that this dream of mine fell under those categories, we still pondered what type of activity was needed on my part to give this dream some legs and get it upright.  A few ideas were tossed about and we settled on one, well two, for now.  After all, there are certain things I must be proactive about if I am to show myself approved for this venture.  Committing myself to perfecting my end of the bargain and then having God season it with His blessings and special touch go hand in hand.  For you see, without His approval and guidance, this dream could turn into something that becomes all about me instead of it being all about Him.

Therefore, as I close today’s blog, I encourage you to pursue your dreams as well.  If they indeed line up with the promises God has already made, then why are you slumbering instead of living the dream?  Make the Monkees proud and be a daydream believer and scream along with Steven Tyler “Dream on: Dream until your dreams come true!”  After all, Who do you think placed these thoughts in that sweet little head of yours?  “Sweet dreams are made of these and who am I to disagree?”

Let’s pray!

Dear Lord, as I have bantered and sung my way through this blog, I rejoice in knowing that You made promises to Your kids so that they could live lives full of joy.  This dream of mine?  You know what it is and You know the likelihood of it coming true.

As I begin more earnestly than ever to doing my part, Father, I ask You to not let me get ahead of myself, of You, or to do something that compromises the dream from being something that honors You and brings You fame into something that becomes all about me.  For You know, Father, my flesh wants some accolades too as this potentially becomes something shared with my world rather than kept in the secret places of my heart and mind.  And my soul.  You know my insecurities and desires to be heard, to be acknowledged, and yes, to be acclaimed rather than going to the grave with nothing to show for my life.  Keep my pride at bay, I ask, so that this endeavor takes root and grows stronger, long after I am gone.

Oh Lord!  Help me, I pray.  Help me to seek Your will above my own.  Open doors for me to walk through where the person on the other side is welcoming me with anticipation.  Sharpen my mind and soften my tongue.  I commit this work to You, Father God, this dream, as my offering of praise for a small part, a token, of what You have given to me and blessed me with.  Show me which paths to take and which to avoid.  Guide me to folks who see my vision and want to be a part of it.  Encourage me when the efforts appear to fall short and nudge me when I get tired and feel hopeless.  I know those times will come.  But greater is He--YOU!!--that is in me than he who is in the world.

May this dream bring You delight is my earnest plea, asked in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen and amen!